|
KENYA: THE JOY OF VISITING ONE IMC CONFRERE’S PARENTS |
 |
 |
 |
|
Scritto da Fr. Jean-Marie Bilwala-Kabesa, IMC
|
|
Venerdì 21 Gennaio 2011 00:00 |
|
 On Friday January 14, 2011 I could not imagine that I was a foreigner in Kenya. While finishing my Christmas Holidays in Runogone (IMC Centre of Animation and Vocation of Meru), Brother Wilson Gitonga, Imc did his level best to convince me in view of visiting his parents who live around Meru Town.
He came to pick me from the centre and we went together to his parents’ home. I was warmly welcomed by Brother Wilson Gitonga’s parents. Before going back to the Community, I did pray with the family. Surprisingly after the prayer, I saw Brother Wilson Gitonga’s mother coming in front of me with a Sheep saying: “Fr. Jean-Marie Bilwala, we are all grateful for your visit to our family. We only ask you to pray for us wherever you are. We don’t need other things from you. This Sheep is our gift to you because you don’t know how happy you made us through your visit.” Waoooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!! I said within myself that God loves me too much. Brother Gitonga Wilson is a Kenyan Confrere from Meru. He is a member of IMC Congo region. At the moment, he is following a program that aims at providing him advanced skills in selected account and management at Tangaza College. I personally believe that the way of introducing our parents, relatives to others must be spontaneous. It is not a matter of inferiority complex. In this vein, based on the Spiritual Life of our Founder (pp.226-227), Fr. Lorenzo Sales, Imc also gives a precise example of the Blessed Sebastian Valfre while talking about our way of communicating with other Confreres. According to the history, when they wanted to make him an archbishop, he quickly called for his brother, who arrived in Turin dressed as a simple farmer. The saint met him with the duke’s carriage, sat next to him, and went through the city with him. To those they met, he said: “This is my brother, this is my brother!” And then to the duke: “Yes, this is my brother. He is quite old, and he’s a farmer.” After explaining everything about his brother, he added: “Do you think it is possible to make an archbishop out of one who was born from such a family, and who has a farmer for a brother? Everybody would be laughing at Your Highness! It is so easy for a person to be ashamed of letting others see or know his relatives or parents”, “but I don’t want this to happen” says our Founder. I think that the culture of inviting other Confreres to our parents’ homes is a wonderful way of showing our love to one another. For example, when you are a foreigner in a Country of your mission and you don’t find anyone inviting you to go to their home or relatives; I am truly telling you that if you are not an outgoing person, you will become a “friend of your room”. Thank you very much Brother Wilson Gitonga for giving me the chance of visiting your parents.
|
