In the weekend of 24-25 August, the 175-years Jubilee of the Congregation of Brothers CMM was celebrated with various activities in all countries where CMM is present. In his message to brothers and associated members on the occasion of this Jubilee, superior general Brother Lawrence Obiko CMM said:
“A Jubilee is for a religious community not only a moment for looking back, but also for looking forward. Pope Francis’ wise motto Look to the past with gratitude, live the present with passion, and embrace the future with hope may help us in focussing today on what is essential.
The second dimension of Pope Francis’ motto is: live the present with passion. It is striking that the word passion is much present in our tradition and spirituality. We all grew up with the motto A Passion for Christ, A Passion for Humanity and we all share Bishop Zwijsen’s particular Passion for Mercy.
We are blessed with a community tradition that reminds us to be passionate, all the time. Can we honour Mary, Mother of Mercy, without following her example of heartfelt, total personal dedication? Can we follow our patron saint Vincent de Paul without being inspired by his radical and passionate way of serving? Can we remember the life and deeds of our founder, Bishop Zwijsen, without being touched by his contagious zeal to let the Church work for a better world, in particular improving the situation of so many poor and illiterate people? It is their example that reminds us to be radical and passionate as well: to be dedicated people and try to make the difference, through our presence and in our work.”
Some videos of the Jubilee activities worldwide:
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Feast in Brazil