Two years ago, as a deacon, I had the opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist with many Claretian missionaries coming from different mission areas. On the 25h of November, 2017, I celebrated the Eucharist with Fr. Fermín Rodríguez CMF. There were just the two of us in our community chapel, a priest and a deacon, two missionaries. He arrived the day before from Kenya, Africa with his new destination in Granada, Spain, given by the Father General.
It called my attention when at the beginning of the Eucharist, he told me that we had to open the window and the blinds of the chapel, an uncommon practice for us in that community. But Fr. Fermín told me the reason: so that we could “see the world” through the window. And therefore we continued celebrating the Eucharist feeling at ease to each other, and with the whole world. With all the things that were happening in the world such as the bombing in Egypt which killed more than 200 people in a mosque the day before, we celebrated the eucharist praying and bearing them in mind, with the Gospel for that day about Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt, to Africa.
Each time I remember that Eucharist with Fr. Fermin, a real missionary from, with and in the world, I give thanks and ask God for the whole world. I commend to Him everything that happens, and in a special way, a recent tragedy for us, I ask God for those who died in the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka during Easter Vigil (20-4-2019), for their families and for peace in the whole country.
We ask the God of Life to continue giving us Life and helping us see and care for Life and give us the courage to fight for it. When we celebrate the Eucharist, which is a celebration of the Life, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must have a passion for Life, because it is also a sharing of life from, in and with the whole world.
I believe that a true celebration does not end within a temple, in a particular space, at a certain moment. It continues and it is prolonged in our daily lives. We must give testimony of Life, Faith, Love and Hope. Without fear of the worldly things that sometimes attack us, without fear of living in minority, without fear of “the nights” that come and go, without fear of death which is not the end of all..
And therefore, we continue celebrating THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE with CHRIST who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Gran Canaria, 04-22-2019
Tomas Mekar Joustefen, cmf
