PROPHETIC DIALOGUE PRACTICALLY LIVED

 

TALENTS FOR LIVING AN AUTHENTIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITY

We watch ice skating on Television and we say “I wish I could skate like that” and many other things we see and what comes in our mind is “I wish” … if wishes were horse… For long time we spend too much time thinking of things and talents that we do not have or possess but often do we also say I wish I had a talent of living an authentic fraternal ecclesial community? Is there a talent of living in an authentic fraternal ecclesial community? We can list many wishes but we want to zero-in to eight talents for that authentic fraternal ecclesial community.

TALENT OF LISTENING

God gave us two ears and one mouth so we would remember to listen twice as much as we speak. A good listener in a community is a treasure indeed. We sometimes live in the community, in the church with people who feel they have nothing they can bring at table or to a discussion and yet they are good listeners, yet some of us may go to ask from her or him for advice, to solicit for prayers, joys, worry. That person you are seeking out is a good listener, and this cannot be realized not until the person you have been going to disappears or leaves.

TALENT FOR SPEAKING

Listening needs a companion who is speaking. Have you ever lived with someone dumb? You can never trace out what exactly the person wants. A healthy community needs individuals who are willing and able to speak well. We need people who have courage and love to place some of their talents, ideas into community arena for appraisal not knowing for sure if their ideas will be welcomed, attacked or ignored. Such sharing entails risk. What I say may be incorrect, wrong, my words may hurt someone or make others angry or uncomfortable. Communication is crucial to any fraternal ecclesial community because it nurtures other Christian virtues. Communication builds trust. It helps us to clarify and own our sense of isolation. It sometimes wise to invest in communication skills and courses.

TALENT OF SENSITIVITY

Sensitivity should not be seen as a cross but a gift. If you were not sensitivity, then you will not be hurt by words. Though sensitivity could cause us considerable pain, and it’s a gift for a better community living. All the good people do in the world is due to sensitivity that one has, one is moved to do something, just imagine, if each of us here did not have sensitivity brings in courtesy, sympathy, understanding, patience, compassion. Lack of sensitivity on the other hand brings in rudeness, apathy, selfishness, prejudice and even violence. Sensitivity is an art of small, not big sacrifices the tall schemes, the heroic resolutions. Just the small attentions, the loving details, the opportune word.

TALENT OF DERIVING PLEASURE FROM THE SIMPLE THINGS OF LIFE

Most of us are good at enjoying the “out of the ordinary” pleasures of life, and taking the ability to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Most of the life is not made up of exotic pleasures, but rather of those more ordinary ones, the modest little sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday. If all these senses work in you then thank God for it. People who can derive the ordinary are a blessing for a community, for they are easily satisfied, filled with wonder and gratitude.

THE TALENT OF STICKING WITH IT

The talent of working hard and “sticking with it” is a good one to have in any community, people who are able to buckle down, carry shares of their problems happily are a pleasure to live with. Good workers are not afraid to start a job and they are not afraid to finish it, they see it to the end. (Pilgrims of Hope). E.g. it is not interesting who washes the dishes, but observe the one who rinses and dries, the one who sweeps and tides the kitchen. Check it out and learn something strange or interesting…

THE TALENT OF BEING WHO YOU ARE

God needs our originality not clones (imitations) we bring to God the most joy and glory when we are the unique individual self, God calls us to be. There is a danger in living in an authentic fraternal ecclesial community. Why? Other members become much like each other. Sometimes individuals may (stop the other) or betray our uniqueness in order to fit in with the group. The attitude of give and take of living together can unfortunately reduce our individuality to the lowest common denominator. We begin to look, think and act alike, thus diluting the richness of our unique in the name of such values as peace, efficiency and even community itself.

THE GIFT OF BELIEVING WE ARE LOVED

Victor Hugo wrote “the supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved” having a sense of worth of the self and liveableness makes others live with you in the community. You don’t need to prove your worth to anybody, for your life is clear definition of who you are. Never depend on others in the community for self-worth, but know who you are, what you want you want in life, then be free to share your worries and challenges with others or else.

SENSE OF HUMOUR

People with some sense of humour work better and are more creative and flexible, more apt to try new ideas and methods. Laughter eases the stresses of daily living. Another way of cultivating a sense of humour is by widening our perspective on life. A tense situation may not appear to be amusing at the moment. We can nourish our humour in many ways: reading the comics, investing in a joke book, clipping cartoons, putting up funny posters, passing around humourous articles. Humour is closely linked with faith, for it helps us to trust in the ingenuity and love of God more than in our own skills and competency. All these eight talents we ought to have them if we have to live and know the opportunities of community. One’s gift fills up the lack in the other. Jesus took pleasure in simple things of life.

CONCLUSION

There are still obstacles in the structures and more than a little misgiving when the opportunity arises to raise issues that stagnate our relationships. We are still far from the message received from Christ that the Church should “proclaim” prophetically, promoting ways of thinking and acting which corresponds to the mind of the Word as saint John Paul II told us in the Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Vita Consecrata, 58, This has to awaken the zeal in each protagonist to rise to the occasion of what mother Church wants in her members.

Are still worried about maintaining the status quo, the idea that “we have always done in this way”. Pope Francis is inviting us to be bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and method. (EG,30). We are called to fully get involved in our various capacities, apostolates, evangelization to have at attitude characterized by the spirit of service, in imitation of Christ who came not be served but to serve. Let everyone admire how you care for one another, and how you encourage and accompany one another (EG,99).

The question we need to be confronted with is this. Is what we have been sharing and discussing toward a mere pipe dream or is it realistic. Good theory is supposed to lead to good practice. Roman Catholicism’s shape today is centered on the clergyman priest and religious orders. To remain in Christ’s flock, we are all expected to live in unity and harmony and to enrich other with our diverse cultures and talents. There should be unity in conviction and in love with a common purpose and mind. This vital union should come to the fore as to manifest itself harmonious and humble conduct with others.

It is an imperative principle of Christian communal life which should be leaven in the African context. The gospel should lead to the ultimate source of unity and peace in the incarnate Word of God (Phil 2:1-5). The unity and peace therefore need a meeting of hearts and joining of hands- Fully participating, fully communing, and fully missioning in the task ahead of us as true evangelization.

“It is not good that Consecrated persons feel they are carrying out their mission on the margins of diocesan life, and that the diocesan clergy regard them as if they were an accessory or marginal reality. The relationship between the bishop and the consecrated persons should be a relationship of proximity, of mutual help, of understanding”

                                          Pope Francis (January 28,2017)