Br Paul Noonan Formation Centre, Tamale: 3 fold celebration

Monday, September 21, 2009

3 fold celebration

"Peace I leave you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” John 14:27

The United Nations General assembly has declared September 21st to be the International Day of Peace; a day to be observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence.
This is the appropriate day for all people with goodwill to do anything concerning the promotion of peace in a small way, Education, awareness and actions.
We are reminded that we are all part of one global human family living together in the world that remains broken and divided. The Novitiate community assembles for a service with other religious and the lay faithful at the Local parish at 4pm.

21st September is the 1st day of Shawwals ‘Idal-Fitr or ‘Id al-Saghir (Muslim calendar), Muslims come together to celebrate after the fasting month of Ramadan. Here in Tamale the Muslim community gathers on an open ground. After prayer the Imam delivers a speech and amid rejoicing and kisses of peace the faithful go their own ways to celebrate this great day with family and friends.

Again September 21st 2009 marks the one hundred years since the birth of noble man and forefather and now declared founder of Ghana-Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Masses of Ghanaians are jubilating as they are privileged to have a public holiday in honor of the Icon and the person who lived the black star. Hope remembering him will challenge all to live the ideals and principals that he stood for.
As we mark these events let us learn and live the promise, to act on behalf of Peace, not only for the day or this week, but for all of the days of our life.
May Jesus’ peace live in the hearts all humanity-Forever!!

(Sydney)

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What do we want this novitiate to be?

There is a saying that goes something like this: “If we don’t do what we believe in, then we’ll end up believing in what we do”. Without a vision that is authentic and alive to guide our actions, then we can settle for rationalizing the status quo or what is convenient and comfortable.
One of the first things the new team in Tamale did was to spend time beginning to articulate its vision of a novitiate beyond the basics laid down in our Constitutions. Here are some elements of what we came up with:
Novitiate is a journey, a process that involves KNOWING, EXPERIENCING and CHOOSING.
It is an INITIATION into Christian Brother religious life, so a “rite of passage” into a new identity, a time of learning and testing.
Novitiate confronts the novices with the Brother’s vocation as a call to brotherly solidarity and community, not to privilege, status and security.
It involves exploration of the basic values of faith and vocation, and the challenge to embrace these out of personal conviction and free choice.
Novitiate means understanding that a religious vocation makes a claim on the whole of the person and his life, including his inner life, his relationships and his professional activity (ministry). Furthermore, it challenges the novice to see the dynamic inter-relationship of these areas and to learn what their integration means.
Novitiate is a time of DISCERNMENT. The novice learns more deeply who he is, and what this Christian Brother life is. There is a constant back-and-forth movement between these two poles as an answer is sought to the question, “Is this where I am meant to be? Is this the life that will enable me to find my true self in God?”