In Ivory Coast, to be a “presence of consolation”
A letter from the Ivory Coast from Father Stephen Camerlengo, Consolata missionary
Dearly beloved,
after 18 years of service to the Institute, I have returned to the mission.
Currently, I am in Côte d’Ivoire, specifically in the mission of Dianra in the diocese of Odienné, in a predominantly Muslim territory where Christians overall represent only 3/5 of the population.
I am happy with this new challenge and I pray the Lord will give me health and life for several more years to be able to walk together with this new people to whom I already feel I belong.
We missionaries seek to be a presence of consolation through evangelization and human promotion according to the teachings of our Founder St. Joseph Allamano.
Human promotion passes, above all, in a health center that is a great reference for all the people of the area, especially the children.
Allow me to share a reflection that has arisen in me during this time of presence on Ivorian soil. I have put the text all in the plural to better express that what is written is the fruit of the journey made with all the people that God the Father has put in my path. I hope it will help.
- Mission is the embrace of God!
- Mission is the dimension of self-emptying love!
- Mission is a sacrament, it is taking off!
- Mission belongs to God, to the God of surprises!
Mission is a way to broaden our humanity and at the same time to deepen our ability to give and receive love. “I believe in God because of encounters. All explanations are useless, I believe in encounters!” (Jean Guitton).
Beautiful, we are made to meet each other, we are our relationships. Even with God it is a bit like that: we believe in Him if we encounter Him, if we stand in relationship with Him. He has already taken the first step toward us, from eternity! And then, we can meet Him in every sister and brother!
Every day, we receive God’s blessing in the faces of the people around us. We meet God who continually heals the wounds of despair and continually infuses people with hope.
People teach us to live with enough. They teach us that two things can dissolve the human spirit: wanting more of everything and not knowing the meaning of the word “enough!”
It is a blessing to be with people who believe that their destiny is to be at peace with their neighbor. Thus we feel God’s unconditional love and forgiveness reflected back to us.
We are, moreover, learning through people’s sufferings that an important aspect of being human is to make sure that no one is alone when he or she suffers, that no pain goes unnoticed, and that no affliction remains meaningless.
We receive the blessing of God who hears the cry of the poor (Ex. 6) and in different ways says to each of us, “I hear the cry of the poor and I send you!” God invites us to leave the spaces of our comforts to walk with Him to unknown places and share meaningful relationships with those who come in contact with our lives. On this journey we discover God’s love that is made visible in the people around us.
God continually blesses us and invites us to participate in a process of personal and community transformation. This requires us to be on a journey in the present moment. Like the disciples of Emmaus, we learn to recognize Jesus in the questions of our hearts and in the breaking of the bread of our lives, discovering a unity that includes our diversity!
Thus we rely on God in new ways, learning new and deeper reasons to love and forgive, becoming ministers of reconciliation and learning to do this ministry unconditionally.
Overall, we are discovering that our journey as missionaries is an inner journey, and that conversion is not about someone else, but about ourselves. It is a continuous surrender to the overwhelming love of God, which leads to being open to the love of our neighbor.
This, for us, is the essence of the “passage” experience, just as it was for Jesus.
The missionary journey is directed toward our true self and our true home, the heart that loves, in which we are aware that we are connected with all peoples and all creation.
Faith in mission urges us to “take off,” to appreciate the gift of uncertainty and the mystery of creation, knowing that the mission is God’s and will never be limited by our humble attempts to understand or live it!
In closing, I would like to express my thanks to all the people I had the joy of meeting who were sensitive and helpful toward the mission.
May the Lord bless everyone, may the Consolata give its consolation, may Saint Joseph Allamano “lend a hand,” protect you and guide you on the way!
Thank you, united and missionaries. Courage and forward in Domino!
Father Stefano Camerlengo, IMC
Source and image
- spazio + spadoni
- Father Stefano Camerlengo