With Franciscan Zeal

In honor of the anniversary of our pontifical approval, I include an excerpt from Blessed John Paul II to the Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata in June 2000:

...

1992-2013 Dear Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata! Your daily experience allows you to see with your own eyes how the people of our time are waiting once again to hear Mary Magdalen's announcement on Easter morning: "The Lord is risen!" (cf. Mk 16: 10). They need apostles today who will proclaim Christ, man's only Savior  as was done at the dawn of our faith, and will vigorously declare that his Death and Resurrection give everyone the possibility to hope and live to the full. May you also be apostles and missionaries!  With Franciscan zeal sow the truth of the Gospel in the hearts and lives of the brothers and sisters you meet in your daily ecclesial service. Your work of evangelization will have an impact on the hearts of those who hear you, if you remain firmly rooted in Jesus Christ. Your apostolate must flow from ceaseless prayer and a fraternal life that is a continuous search for God and his action in the complex realities of the world. ... With these wishes, I cordially impart a special Apostolic Blessing to each of you, to the members of your spiritual Family and to everyone who receives your pastoral care." Thanks be to God! Read more about the Fr. Kolbe Missionaries on our website: kolbemission.org/en

Living Obedience in Secular Society

"NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS YOU WILL" ---- Imitating Christ within Society....

"As Pope Paul VI said to Secular Insitutes, 'Obedience becomes a testimony of humble acceptance of the mediation from the Church and, more generally, from the Wisdom of God that goversn the world through secondary causes; in this moment of a crisis of authority your obedience converts into a testimony of the Christian order of the universe.'

Obedience lived in secularity, therefore, is an obedience to God, whose will is revealed in the circumstances of life, it is the acceptance of the stable order established by God in creation, in the world, in the Church, acceptance of the structures of society in which we live, respect for laws and positive norms that govern the family, professional environments, and the state.

It is an obedience that is exercised in the proper and active participation in society and not derived from passivity, on the contrary, it requires the exercise of a balanced and constructive criticism, the use of all licit means to improve the structures in which we are inserted, the courage to take a stand, to be consistent, to oppose that which is contrary to the spirit of the Gospel."

-Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata (The Charism: a Gift, a Sign, a Challenge.... in the Heart of the World)

The Capacity to Love

Recently, at an MI Young Adult Night, we talked about the need of every single person to give of themselves totally in imitation of Christ. This is, after all, what it means to be holy and to be holy means ultimately to be happy. We also looked at how the evangelical counsels can be lived out as virtues in our lives consecrated to the Immaculata.  I wanted to take this opportunity to look real briefly at the magnificence of the evangelical counsels lived specifically as vows in the Consecrated Life. Although, as noted, certainly the virtue lends itself to similar fruits. Any thoughts on the application in YOUR daily life are greatly appreciated!

"Perfect chastity, that is love of God unto the complete donation of oneself and the renouncment of a family of your own, results in

-the capacity to love He whom ought to be loved, above all and in a spousal way;
-the capacity to love your neighbor with purity, disinterest, complete generosity, availability to all persons, forgetting oneself and making available your energy, time, experience and culture;
-the capacity to be a gift in the innumerable occasions of the world, in daily contact, in family and work environments, in social relatios, as well as in specific works of charity;
-the capacity to dedicate onself to the more weak, poor, and suffering;
-the capacity to be open towards all that is good and beautiful in the world, through grace and affective maturity."

- Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata
from The Charism: a Gift, a Sign, a Challenge...in the Heart of the World

Is it worth it..today?

Thinking about my vocation in the Father Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata, I see that the Lord calls me, and asks me within the the concrete realities in which I live. Approaching my total consecration to Him, I questioned a lot: In this postmodern culture that presents humanity with no links whether natural and supernatural, no limits, no roots and no goals, where the material is replacing human bonds and there is no space or time for life, fatherhood, motherhood, brotherhood, friendship, devotion ... Is it worth it today to totally consecrate yourself to God?

In a capitalist society that has deprived men and women of their dignity, where the law of the jungle-survival of the fittest prevails: who has more money and more power survives… Is it worth it today to totally consecrate yourself to God?

 
In a Church that is so questioned and claims the consistent and generous witness of Jesus, am I willing to show the face of Christ through my total consecration to God?

And my answer? Yes. Yes, it is worth it, precisely in this realities! I discovered in essentiality, abandonment, and prayer that Jesus calls me to follow him as a Father Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata, uniting myself to Him with the three vows:

Chastity -  to offer men and women, children and youth, an area inhabited by God where everyone can find acceptance and recognition as God's beloved child.

Poverty - to selflessly and freely share the gifts I receive as a treasure from God.

Obedience - to commit to the Institute's mission in the Church, and grow in mutual fellowship.

I thank the Lord for all the people who accompanied me as I pursued my vocation and with whom I shared everyday life. I also give thanks for a concrete experience of motherhood in the neighborhood "Martin Fierro" Partido de San Martín (Buenos Aires). There, in sharing with children and adolescents, I met the face of Jesus alive and full of hope.

-Irene

is a Temporarily Incorporated member of the

Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

To learn more about our mission in Argentina, Click Here

This Lent: Love the World

The world is not an evil place, there is evil in it. Take a look at a statue of the Immaculate Conception. That snake is wrapped all the way around the globe, his head poised in apparent calm as though he has nothing to fear. His tail twists across the continents, and his belly crushes the oceans. But, he is the enemy of the world, not its king, not its creator, not is essence. He is not winning, and he will not win.

Atop his massive head is a heel of which we are a part. The Immaculate is in the process of dismantling his reign and tenacious grip. The world is owned by the Lord, created by the Lord, loved by the Lord. The world is good, God said so, and He sent His Son to redeem ALL of creation. He sent His Son, the sum of all Revelation and Gooness, to walk on this earth in order to ultimately restore order to His dominion and to give us mortal men a hope of happy immortality.

The world is the place of our redemption, and it is the duty and joy of the Church to take part in that redemption through evangelization. As members of a secular institute, and followers of St. Maximilian Kolbe, we (the Fr. Kolbe Missionaries) have VOWED ourselves to this mission in the world and for the world. This mission, however, is common to all LAITY. Furthermore, MI MEMBERS have given themselves to the Immaculata for this mission. Take it seriously... If we are not with Him, we are against Him, and we already know who is winning.

The world is not in need of doomsday messages and damnation warnings (few people listen to this anyway). The world is in terrible need of souls vibrant with the love of God. It cries for souls who trust and accept day to day in His presence and Love. It needs people who find God everywhere, and bring Him everywhere, and love Him everywhere. The world needs people who take the mission of evangelization seriously, not out of fear and obligation, but out of charity and zealous gratitude.

So, I offer the challenge: This Lent - LOVE THE WORLD and YOUR MISSION IN IT.

Yes. Again.

I first responded to God's call to be a Fr. Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata while I was in Olavarria, (Argentina). Saying "yes" to Him far away from the "ordinary" circumstances of my life, I realized that the challenge of becoming a Fr. Kolbe Missionary was to adapt and make every circumstance your own, every people your family, and every mission your home. I flew back to California on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I knew well the strengths and weaknesses of my own culture, and I wondered whether my conviction would be shaken when immersed within it.  I was right to pray for strength. I returned to my country and was immediately challenged over and over again: Why a Secular Institute? Why a Missionary? Why give everything up and still stay in the world? Why do you even care?

Every time I am confronted with these questions, there is only one answer: The world is my family, and when one's family is in crisis you do not run away, give up, shrug your shoulders and move on.  You stay, fight alongside of them, pray with and for them, you are present to them, and above all --- you love them. More than ever my family here in the United States and throughout the world needs to know they are loved unconditionally by a God who is all-faithful. Amazingly, God has invited me to be a testimony of that love.

Yet, this requires being really present in every circumstance, to every person, no matter the place. I don't mean physically, of course, but personally - that is with my mind and my heart, with attention and generosity. This is our greatest challenge, but also our greatest blessing. In opening up to the joys and sorrows of our brothers and sisters, we discover the intimacy of God and are unworthy instruments of healing in a very broken world. 

Simply. Forever. Consecrated.

Welcoming Christ's Compassion

At the heart of our vocation as Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata is the call to be compassionate. In imitiation of Christ and His Mother, we are called quite simply to be with Their children.  While it may seem simplistic, it is not merely a physical presence, but a call to be an instrument of Christ's compassion for them. We live this, as Christ Himself did, with Our Mother Mary. Surrender is everything.

Of course, the Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata are not uniquely called to be compassionate. It is the hallmark of Christianity, and the calling of all. In fact, the compassionate life (I'm inclined to say) is the most joyful, peaceful, holy life. Because compassion is about being conformed to Christ, being loved by Him. As all things, it comes down to each one of us and Our God.

We must let the compassion of Christ be active in our own lives.  This is an era in which it is easy to escape... to our empty rooms, plug into something, and disappear...  We hardly give ourselves the chance to feel the disquieted yearning that our soul suffers for the Divine. We don't give ourselves a chance to feel sad, be mad, and let that "unfinished" and "incomplete" feeling find its answer in God. When the unsettled feeling arises, the hopelessness of not being able to "do" anything, we turn off, away, or within ourselves.  The secret to joy, to vocation, is to welcome the compassion of Christ in our lives, so that we can be authentically compassionate towards others. We must embrace all of this, as we embrace Christ Himself, because He is there in our sorrows, pains, fears, and incomprehension. And, more powerfully still, we find joy in knowing that we are with Him in His sorrows, pain, fears, and incomprehension! Surrender is our Victory!

It's true that often we can DO nothing, and give noTHING.  But we can always BE a gift by offering our presence and presenting our offering...to Jesus, with Mary... for the salvation of souls. 
(scrawled notes compiled from who knows where - interesting!)

Somehow, somewhere it all finds a cure

In the lonely God on a cross

Somehow, somewhere

We hang there too

Neither of us alone anymore

This is the mystery

This is life

This is the door to joy

The key to peace

To recognize Him and His pain

In me, in you.

In us

Together in Mystery

To Indio and Back.... nothing done, lots accomplished.

Today, yet again, I attended the funeral of a man I never met.  Why?  Because as a Father Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata, I am called to live the ordinary events of life alongside all those whom God puts in our path. While this often entails laughter and celebration, it frequently means tears. Thankfully, we are not there to solve problems, nor to reveal the mysteries of God's Providence. Instead, we are there only to be a compassionate part of that Providence in the lives of His children.

In this particular case, my missionary family meant alot to the family of this man. We went in order to continue to live our vocation, our ministry of presence. It did not matter that I had never met the man, it only mattered that this family had been placed by the Immaculata into our mission. And the mission is just that: ours. There is no subdividing and possessing our apostolate work, and so there is no subdividing and possessing those whom we are privileged to know through such work. Everyone is a part of the family.

Living this concretely, of course, is a challenge. But, at the same time, it is incredibly humbling....

The day has come and is nearly gone. That funeral and a visit with an elderly priest, as well as a meal with the other missionaries, has consumed the entirety of the day. Mass, the rosary, morning prayer, some meditation, and a "goodnight" to the Savior... all in all it doesn't seem as though we've done anything. Perhaps we haven't, but we are who we are --- and at the service of the Immaculata, present to her children, one has reason to hope that much has actually been accomplished.

Secularism: A Deceitful Process

Today we often experience that words have lost their original meaning.  We hear, read, and see words like love, freedom, choice, being used and abused to express realities which have nothing or very little to do with what love, freedom, and choice should really mean.  We can say that this is one of the many results of that deceitful process called “secularism.”

Secularism can be defined as "a closed system that affirms that human existence and destiny are fully explainable in terms of this world without reference to God and eternity."  It follows that a secularistic view of life determines a practical mentality of indifference to or rejection or exclusion of religion and religious considerations in every respect and aspect of life.  This is, perhaps, the greatest threat of our times.  However, there is no time for us to become discouraged!

In fact, the Second Vatican Council states that laity, being called to live in the midst of the world and of secular affairs, are precisely committed “to have the Gospel spirit permeate and improve temporal order” (Apostolic Actuositatem, 2); that is, to be leaven in the world through the vigor of their Christian spirit....

...As we consecrate ourselves totally to the Immaculata, we join ourselves to her and come to participate in her being consecrated to God in truth and sent into the world as Christ’s bearers.  Through our consecration to her, as St. Maximilian experienced and teaches, we are enabled to imbue every aspect and dimension of life with her spirit; that is, God’s spirit.  With her, we find the most effective way to successfully fulfill our call to be leaven in the world and to collaborate in expanding the Family of God, also in the present history of mankind!

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Why so Complicated?

Getting down to the nitty gritty - and casting away all the illusions - one is surprised to find that life is really quite simple. Many don't realize that simplicity is actually a virtue. Perhaps it is this virtue that the Secular Institute is particularly called to give witness, because in the end it is a virtue that tears away distractions until all that remains is God, you, and your mission. It is a virtue that saves us from a most dreadful and common error: calling unholy things holy, or what is worse - holy things vain. It keeps us afloat in the waves of emotion and speculation of life, so that instead of drowning, we can enjoy the ride.

Allow me to simplify matters, with some little things that I see OVER and OVER again destroying the fragile roots of peace in souls - not exempting myself:

Happiness is being pure - not wearing skirts.
Happiness is being prayerful - not getting bruised knees.
Happiness is loving children - not having 12.
Happiness is being a friend - not being liked.
Happiness is seizing the moment to Glorify God- not freaking out about moral decay.
Happiness is turning to God - not stoically conquering the world alone.
Happiness is seeing God day to day - not looking for your own silly rendition of His masterpiece
Happiness is loving and then teaching - not the other way around.
Happiness is obedience - even when it ticks you off.
Happiness is detachment -  not obsessing about whether you are attached.
Happiness is knowing that you are loved and little - not little loved.
Happiness is self - knowledge - not self deprecation.
Happiness is fidelity - not constant warm fuzzies.
Happiness is simple - not complex.

You want to be happy. You ought to be holy. So, stop complicating matters and get back to the basics. Take a deep breath and thank God you're alive, ask Him to show His face to you today, and then at the end of the day --- Just say Thanks.

Ordinary Circumstances, Extraordinary Mission

We wake up in the morning, get ready and join eachother for prayer. We consecrate our lives, death, and eternity, our vocation, apostolate, and day to the Immaculate Mother. Silence, though not unbreakable, permeates most the morning. We head to Mass at the local parish, greet people, ask how they're doing, and promise prayers of one kind or another.

The day is full of activity - the phone rings several times an hour, the door bell rings several times a day, the buzzer of the dryer thunders through the house periodically, and the ding of the coffee pot politely joins in the hum.  One might be on the cell only to receive a call on the home phone, or at the door with a stranger only to be summoned by a friend. We slip in and out, as God the keeper of time allows, to say thanks to Jesus in the tabernacle, ask for advice, forgiveness, or strength. Occasionally you'll notice rosary beads slipping through someone's fingers as they listen intently to a guest, or as they walk about the backyard. One is dressed for a meeting, professional, clean - and another emerges from the kitchen in running clothes, face red from a jog around the neighborhood. Someone comes home from school, while another leaves for an appointment.  In one day we may reach out to a hundred people in three different places, and in another day only those who God puts in our path.... the grocery store cashier, the Jiffy-Lube manager, the homeless guy at the door.

As the evening begins to warn that night is near, dinner is enjoyed by all who are home. Someone may have to leave in a hurry... or not. Whoever is able joins together once again in prayer... for the mission, vocations, priests, and all those who ask prayer or have no one to pray for them. The night hurries on, the "night owls" stay up to continue to serve the Lord - and the "early birds" resign themselves to sleep in His loving arms.

The day is done, in our world, for our world, and with our world. We are lay, sharing a common mission to raise the world to God. We are consecrated - belonging exclusively and totally to Him by the vows. This gift and responsibility burns within us the Cross of Christ, a hidden + sign we are called to carry with us in every aspect of daily life . We are Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata- witnessing to Christ and His Mother. We are instruments in Her hands for bringing souls to Christ through the Immaculate in the ordinary circumstances of a very amazing world.