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31.08.2018 15:27:46 1858x read.
INSPIRATION
ONE FAMILY. (by. Fr. Bernard Mardiatmadja SJ.

ONE FAMILY


We have finished the Sessions of the General Chapter. From the Evaluation, we can say that the most important experience, is putting into practice the message of Bro Bernard : to be one community, internally and communally. It fits into the reading of the Gospel of today: “Only one Rabbi, only one Father: you are one family”. We come to the phase of putting the ideal into practice.

That is also one of the message of Pope Francis last week: “Be one family, overcome all conflicts because we have only one Father”. It is for every situation and for every area of our Congregation life: in a normal life as well in a General Chapter or Provincial Chapter. How can we build a true community, internally and socially. There are many possibilities. We have a proposal about “deciding one action to be the focus of our social activities for one community”. There are many possibilities in each province. For example:

Since the second week of August, in Indonesia, in some places, especially in Lombok, many earthquake has happend. There have been more than 500 persons dead. The needs are very much. We could perhaps show our solidarity to them after we have experienced solidarity among us in the General Chapter. There are of course many other accidents, that have caused many victims. There are many victims in Myanmar and in many places in Africa, as well as in China.

There are also many political victims elsewhere: also causing many children loose their places in their classrooms, not far from our houses. There must also be possibilities to help them: through our own hands and also through the hands of our Associates. Yesterday a group of my young friends, have come back from Bali and Lombok to Jakarta: having visited and help young students, who have lost their schools (I should have been with them, but I am here). In Central Jakarta, I accompany some young friends, to help children around their houses, who do not have enough electricity (even in our capital): they are willing to offer their hours on Sundays, to help these children to do their homeworks in English, Mathematics or Biology (gratis). They want to be the witnesses of the love of God, although they themselves have no money (they have only time and their own willingness to build a community with the Children of different religions).

In three days I will begin two lectures in three separate universities. Because of the inspiration of this General Chapter, I will ask a class of future religious teachers, to arrange, one single action to give gratis help to poor elementary schools around our university; and the other student group is a group of future protestant ministry: I will invite them to participate in a young Church’s action to help poor children of their respective parish, to study gratis for avery Sundays. I think it will be enough. I will ask a third group of seminarians, to collect Children of some parishes in Central Jakarta, who cannot go to  school because of the Asian Games conflicts. Just three small planning of my surroundings as a result of ongoing formation, that you have given to me in the General Chapter. Pray for me, that it will work, to be witness of God’s love as soon as possible. Thereby they can learn to build an open Church as a social community, because we have one Father.

Once more, thank you for making me to be able to learn from a very concrete community building from your General Chapter. I hope that I can put into practice your faith experiences in the three General Chapters, that I am going to help in the next months, beside the three lectures that I have told you.

BY: Fr. Bernard Mardiatmadja SJ.








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