Outreach by mhmcorrespondent

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Message from the Editorial Team

Okaulo Vicent Michael Chief Editor Ugandan 3rd Year

Loola Prince – Editor Congolese

Kevin Brown - Editor Kenyan 2nd Year

Simiyu Wekesa Victor Assistant Chief Editor Kenyan 1st Year

The MHM General Superior’s Visit To Jinja Formation House

It is only human being among God’s creatures that has the ability to reflect upon life situations. God has blessed humanity with rationality to make right judgments for the good of the entire universe and all that it contains. This is only possible through deep reflection on what life has for us. This magazine presents some reflections done by the Mill Hill philosophy students in Jinja Formation House. These are an expression of their continuous searching. We hope that they will have something to say to you in different aspects of life. As the anniversary of our Lord Jesus’ birth comes closer, may love, peace, unity and justice be our guide and wisdom. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year 2017. God bless!

Emeru Joseph - Editor Ugandan 3rd Year

constitutional right of every human being, then such happiness depends on the vote or on the consensus of the majority who decide what happiness is or is not; and who is entitled to be happy and who is not. If that is the case, then such happiness will become an item to be bought and sold. What about the rest of humankind who hold that happiness should not be seen as a constitutional right but the fundamental right of every human person? Are they not right too? Where can we find our happiness then? Can we perhaps find happiness in what we are, the state of our being; or of who we are (our titles); or in what we have achieved? Surely we are not happy just because we are a priest or a professor. But being a priest, a missionary, or a teacher gives us an opportunity to serve and be effectively present for others in our capacity. Such can be seen as a source of happiness and joy if it comes from one’s willingness and freedom. Some people may want to explore what happiness is before they make a long term commitment. It would be interesting to find out how people express their joy if they have won a football match, or received high marks at their final exams and consequently the feeling of being happy for many days after that. Perhaps it could be overshadowed by a long wait for unprecedented achievements to happen while we fail to live the moment. There may come moments in life when one feels betrayed by 26

one’s choice: “what the heck am I a priest for! I may be happier if I had chosen a different life or a different career”. But again, one never knows for sure what can make one happier. Some people believe that happiness is an expression of love, showing one’s gratitude or receiving acknowledgment for a work well done, love shown. Such happiness won’t last long because there will be times when there is no one to show love, no one to give words of appreciation or gratitude. Some others feel happy when they receive full attention from those around them and they are not happy if their needs are not met. Such a demand for happiness is a dangerous and greedy attitude and can be unhealthy for any relationship. Where could one find one’s true happiness then? Trusting that you and I may find true and everlasting happiness. Wishing you all a very Blessed Christmas and a very Healthy and Happy 2017 Fr Paul Hien mhm Formator

Outreach

I appreciate the articles presented in this edition with an invitation to widen the scope of the topics in the light of the threefold aspects of this exciting and challenging title. Thank you to the Editorial Board and all who generously contributed articles and photographs. My predecessor Fr. Philip O’Halloran, to whom I am very grateful, wrote his message to last year’s edition on The Feast of the Immaculate Conception when the Holy Year of Mercy was officially opened. I am writing this message on the Feast of Christ the King when The Holy Year of Mercy is officially closed. However, we are reminded to continue to reach out in mercy to our broken and wounded world. Christmas is near; it is a powerful reminder of how a vulnerable Child reaches out to us, inviting us to reach out to each other. Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a peaceful 2017 Wijnand Huijs mhm Rector

“The church must go out in to the streets----and REACH OUT” famous and challenging words of Pope Francis recently quoted by our General Superior, Fr. Michael Corcoran, during his visit to our formation house. When I was offered a copy of the last edition of this Newsletter I was quite inspired and excited by the choice of its title OUTREACH with on the front-page a beautiful picture of the Mill-Hill community taken close to the source of the Nile, a powerful river reaching out and sharing its life on its long journey to the Mediterranean. Outreach, a title which encapsulates our missionary vocation: reaching out to the poor, the marginalised, the down trodden the broken hearted, the homeless, the migrants, the emotionally wounded, people from different beliefs and cultures, but also reaching out to our inner self and to God. Henri Nouwen in one of his earlier books called “Reaching Out” speaks about a threefold reaching out 1) to our inner most self—from loneliness to solitude; 2) to our fellow human beings---from hostility to hospitality; 3) to our God---from illusion to prayer. Pope Francis message summarizes the essence of Henri Nouwen’s book: “In the midst of a turbulent, often chaotic world we are called to reach out with courageous honesty to our innermost self, with relentless care to our fellow human beings and with increasing prayer”.

Fr Wijnand Huijs mhm

St Joseph as a Role Model for Missionary life

Flexibility is an important and necessary tool in our formation and missionary life. It is good to imitate St. Joseph. He was strong because of his obedience and flexibility. When we apply obedience, everything will be possible. Of course this obedience is not a blind one, but comes after dialogue.

The name St. Joseph is our substantial tool to carry on with missionary life. Cardinal Herbert Vaughan, the founder of the society of Mill Joseph lived a Hill missionaries life of service. As an admired St. artisan, he was always Joseph. He aiming at beauty. respected the When we emulate him name Joseph then whatever we do which literally there will be beauty. means: Just, As imitators of Obedient, Joseph, carpentry is Service, our pastoral work. Exemplary, Whenever I go for Patient, and pastoral, I ask myself Humble. The Lokuli Is’ikoka Louis what am to do and meaning of this how to do it. If love name can help is our guiding principle in service one succeed in today’s mission. then we shall overcome all pastoral Joseph was a just man. We challenges. need justice in the current world. We can bring justice by avoiding Joseph lived an exemplary discrimination, and letting love life. He never used words to teach prosper. Aristotle in his book of people, but by his life. We are domestic justice said, “parents invited to teach people through our should not be unjust to their life-style. Patience was a gift of children because children are part Joseph. We need patience in order of them; therefore, being unjust to to succeed in life. Rushing cannot their children is being unjust to help us to achieve many things. themselves.” We need justice Aristotle said, “in order to live a wherever we are in order to love happy life one has to strive for and serve people. virtues.” Among his virtues he talked of patience. By being patient Joseph was obedient to the we will experience the inner point of accepting Mary as his wife. strength which will lead us to do There is a saying that “strength is what is good and acceptable. nothing without flexibility.” Joseph was a very humble 4

though we are not able to achieve something great. Feeling happy and wanting to be happy are not the same, are they? It seems that feeling happy is a part of our human nature, it is a state of our being. We are happy because our happiness comes from our heart, from deep within our being. Whereas wanting to be happy is seen as a strong urge to make one happy. One may feel an urge to do something that can make one happy. Their achievement is their happiness, and their failure can be seen as sadness. Seemingly, many athletes and football players have set themselves ambitious goals. They really work hard to achieve what they have set out to do. Often, the result can be a big surprise which may be positive or negative. It can fall below one person’s expectations and surpass another’s; it depends on how such a person has prepared him/herself to receive such news, as there are always people who are more capable and more successful than they are. But is it true that happiness depends completely on our intellectual, physical, or economic achievements? Is there something else that can make people happier? Aristotle, one of the greatest Western thinkers, spent much time trying to understand what might make people happy and where people might find happiness. He suggests that “in order for a man to be happy, he must live an active life of virtue, for this will in turn bring him closer to the final end.” After all “happiness depends on

Fr Paul Hien mhm

ourselves.” See: The Pursuit of Happiness. [Online] http:// www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/ history-of-happiness/aristotle. Perhaps Aristotle’s wisdom can be used as a compass to guide us in a search for happiness. Some people maintain that they feel happy even when they have not managed to do many great things like building a house, and hence have not been able to achieve what they wanted. But they have learnt a great lesson from a mistake, or an uncompleted task which they had intended to perform. There are some challenges we may need to consider. For example, if happiness depends on a feeling of being loved, being appreciated, or being grateful for what one has done, it cannot be real as it ought to depend on one’s own efforts. If happiness is seen as a 25

people of different backgrounds. They advised me to try to work on my own, listen to my friends’ advice and trust the people taking care of me. This is because the person who sees your blind areas may help you more than you do on your own. Searching for an integral spirituality is not an easy thing. Those who have never tried it may find it discouragement. Some of those who have tried say that it is difficult. Surely, I have

Stephane Bayolo Bak’ Ilanga

often found it a hard and lonely search. It is good to have awareness that the search is difficult. However, it is better to transcend that level and come out with an alternative that enhances our spiritual nourishments. I wish you well, may the Lord bless you 24

all in your spiritual search as we continue in this challenging quest. Stephane Bayolo Bak’ Ilanga, Congolese 2nd Year

In Search of Happiness: A Reflection An intellectual-looking youth approached an old priest saying, “Father, I want to be a priest.” “Why?” the priest asked. “I want to be happy” the youth replied. “Do you think you can be happy if you are a priest?” the priest asked him again. The young man realised that the old priest had more questions to ask than the answers to give. He became hesitant and decided to remain silent, fearing he may give the wrong answers. He looked down, avoiding the curious look of the priest. Is it true that if we are somebody, for example a priest, a religious, a professor then we are happy? What about if we are “nobody” no title - can we be happy? Some people feel happy when they have achieved something or fulfilled a difficult assignment. Such may give us a sense of feeling happy. There is a strong reason to say that we are happy when we are able to accept who we are even

man. Humility is a struggle for many of us. We cannot serve people if we are not humble. We need humility like the example which Jesus showed his disciples on Holy Thursday.

liberal and should not be influenced by the external forces. This applies to all our callings in different capacities. However, there is a need to consult some vital ideas from other people. The concept of choice is universal but implemented by particulars or individuals. Why do

As Christians, we should not behave like atheists. For instance, Nietzsche’s idea of the superman, “a man cannot accept to be defeated, dominated, and ruled.” If one consents with this kind of thinking one will find oneself boasting to be powerful. Instead, our power is not to dominate but to serve. Humility is the key to difficulty doors. Lokuli Is’ikoka Louis, Congolese 3rd Year

Othieno John Peter

Choice as an Unending Question some people feel undecided in the choices they have to make in life? Being undecided seems to be the source of anguish to humanity. St Augustine talks of free will that God gave to each one of us. We are free to choose what is good or bad. In the same way, Satre brings in the aspect of being responsible and committed to the choices we make. I suppose if these aspects are not absorbed in us, we shall remain as an empty tin. In our modern time, many people tend to hop from one choice to another. This seems to be like an empirical observation in the laboratory. What could be the end

Choice is a conflicting reality throughout human phases. It involves deciding on what to chose among many subjects around us. This concept seems to be fundamental in our daily living. Is it possible not to choose? Satre, one of the existentialist philosopher refutes this question in his book of Existentialism and Humanism. He says that the fact that we refuse to choose, we have chosen. Are we then in position to choose correctly? Satre advances to stress freedom of choice. This, to me, means that our choices should be 5

result of this, guess? Sit back and reflect on this! My friends, In relation to Jesus’ word in the gospel of Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve both mammon and God”. What could be our mammon? The choices we make may answer this. The attitude may also affect our choices in life. In the same way our inner motivations also drive us towards our choices. As people discerning, what do you think can help us make a right choice? I think by being open to the challenges of life, being ready to learn from others and avoiding egocentric ideas. Above all, listening to ourselves as God communicates to us through events. For one to make a good choice, it requires a free environment where one can express oneself maturely. Furthermore, some people choose in order to please other people. This is very dangerous for a person who is searching for true happiness and peace. It is a sign of fear and masking which may result into anguish and despair. Thus, the choices that we make should be inter-subjective and should bring happiness, love, joy, and kindness to ourselves and the community we live in. Finally, as people of God we make a choice to follow Christ in the promises of baptism, matrimony, Holy Order among other Sacraments. We need to remain committed despite the challenges we encounter in our daily living. Also, we need to be responsible for the freedom that God has granted us. I am quite sure that once we choose to commit our lives to Him, we will make a perfect choice. This will lead us to the true source of the ultimate 6

happiness. Which choice do you intend to make? Othieno John Peter Ugandan 2nd Year

Lost Freedom ‘‘A candle does not lose anything when it lights another.” Responsibility requires giving an accountability of how and what a person has been in charge. It arises from freedom so that a

Max Egunyu people do what is required of them out of their own will. However, freedom does not come from anywhere other than being independent. This is a state in which one is free and responsible of one’s actions as well as other’s. In accordance with the "three lost things" that is to say: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son (prodigal son). In the first instance, the sheep gets lost from a crowd and it loses track of the other sheep. It fails

two sayings clearly bring out the importance of having people around in the name of friends. Friendship is something noble, precious and uplifting. It is something that the world greatly needs and genuinely hungers for.

friend has indeed an everlasting treasure and definitely will go far.

A friend is “a person whom one knows and with whom one has bonds of mutual affection”. Nearly everyone on a daily basis is looking for not just a friend but a faithful friend. Friendship cuts across all spheres of life. It is indeed a cohesive force bonding all the people together as one. However, friendship is never forced but springs up gradually from daily actions. It involves understanding, affection and intimacy. It is opening the ‘I’ in order to admit the ‘you’. It is a habit of giving oneself without demanding or expecting and making the friend share one’s thoughts, joys, sorrows or disappointments. Friendship looks on a friend as he or she is and not only in the light of virtues, talents or the background of the other. It does not regard others as ‘it’ but as ‘you’. Friendship is indeed good and great. Whoever finds a friend, has found a treasure to cherish in life.

Spiritual Growth in the Formation

Simiyu Wekesa Victor, Kenyan 1st Year

Some people may not understand what the formation is and what it entails. Our formation moves together with spirituality which encompasses wholeness of human life. Being a process of discernment, formation gives one an opportunity to discover one’s treasures and it answers questions within the self. This can be achieved through exploring different methods especially through listening. Henri Nouwen said, “Listen attentively to your own struggle since the answer to your question is hidden in your own heart.” I once asked one of my friends whether the people in formation are the same. In reply he asked me, “What do you think will happen to a chimpanzee when you remove it from the forest and take it to a desert place?” This reminded me of my parents’ advice when I was to leave home for formation. They bid me a nice farewell and reminded me of the kind of community I was going to live in. They stressed that I will be with

In a true friendship, a new meaning in life is attained. This comes when one has a capacity to experience the love of a caring friend in one’s heart. A genuine friendship has no room for hatred, tribalism, ethnicity, racism, corruption and any other malpractices that infringe the right harmony. Friendship must begin with me. He who finds a faithful 23

Experience The wise say that experience is the best teacher. Henceforth many things have been said and many things will still be said about experience. When you go to a new place and meet new people the question you encounter is “what was your experience?” As human beings, when we find ourselves making mistakes, we blame our experience. We say that next time we shall probably do better, arguing that everyone deserves a second chance. This means that one does not repeat the mistake but corrects it. However, it is not the case. More often our past experiences seem heavier than our present life situations. They may be discouraging or encouraging. Henry Nouwen emphasises that we live our

to sit down, relax and say, “Dear past, thank you for all the experiences and the life lessons that you have taught me.” Likewise we have to sit down and relax and tell the future too that I am ready to move forward. I relate experience to friendship where the language of those involved is not love itself but the meaning. When we value our present life it becomes more meaningful than when we keep regretting our past. All we have to do is to sincerely accept our past with gratitude. This is because the truth lies right where we are. We cannot rely on our experiences to define our present life because it is something which changes with time. To achieve our goals, we have to be aware that our lives are stretched far beyond our past experiences. Therefore, we can not live a grateful and a happy life with an ungrateful past. As far as experience is concerned, different moments, both past and present are not meant to humiliate us whatsoever but to bring us into deeper recognition of God’s mercy. Experience is more than what we think/perceive. It is real. Julius Oketch, Kenyan 1st Year

Friendship in Life

Julius Oketch

life in the present state and right where we are. Sometimes we need 22

It is commonly said that “no one is an island”. This is complemented by another saying that “if you want to go faster go alone. But if you want to go far, go with people.” These

to come back to the rest of the flock until someone goes to look for it until it can be found. For the lost coin, it does not choose to get lost but someone has to misplace it. To get it back, someone has to be responsible and search for it. Since the sheep and the coin are irrational, they cannot find their way back to the respective owners. In contrast to these, the lost son (prodigal son) chose to be independent from his family and wishes to be free, forgetting that he has to be responsible for his choice. He looses the entire share that his father has given him. This son becomes miserable due to the hardships that come on his way and his life becomes meaningless. Coming to his senses, he realises that in his father’s house there are chances of survival. Having come to this conviction, he finds his way back to his father with a repentant and pleading heart. On his arrival, he encounters the merciful father. Before he speaks out his words of repentance, the father warmly welcomes him with a kiss as a sign of reconciliation. In this greeting, the father is not concerned about the wasted property but pays attention to the broken relationship which must be restored. The father's happiness and the warm welcome for his son include gifts of a robe, a ring and sandals. The robe is a sign of honour, the ring signifies authority and a mark of restoration in the household. The sandals signify the lost freedom which has been restored. Just as the father of the

prodigal son, God, the merciful father, has given us the independence and freedom. So let us be responsible for all that we do. By doing so, he will finally lead us to his glorious kingdom. His love and compassion are so great that he wants to immediately bring the marginalized sons and daughters back to his own family. For the greater glory of his name "ad majiorum Dei gloriam" Max Egunyu, Ugandan 3rd Year

On the Wings of Hope Often in life, some people begin to do things with a lot of courage but as time goes by they lose focus. This may come especially if the situation they are in becomes harder than the past. When life toughens it does not mean that one may not accomplish one’s task. There is a common saying that life is not always a bed of roses. This

Ochwo Valeriano

implies that life also entails suffering and not only good moments. The most important thing is to be hopeful. One day, I met an old boy whom I was with in high school. After ‘O’ level, he went for a course in Motor Mechanical Engineering. He shared with me that he almost gave up with the course because it had a lot of calculations yet he was not good at Mathematics. Some of his friends tried to discourage him as he struggled with the course. However, he had hope that he would do well since he chose the course by himself. With this in mind, he worked hard and was among the best students at the end of the course. It is neither bad nor good to spiritualise or philosophise everything, but in this scenario, prayer without work can be seen as illusive. Moreover, one cannot pray without working and expect to receive whatever one wants. “Ora et labora” (pray and work), a Latin motto has always been an inspiring statement for me, because the two move together and bear hope. If you use the one without the other, then you may not achieve the best of your expectations. On the other hand, you may end up blaming God for your own failures. Carl Rogers said that a good life is a process and not a state of being; a direction not a destination. He also added that the only person who cannot be helped is the one who blames others.

Ochwo Valeriano, Ugandan 2nd Year 8

Addiction Under the Lens In a supermarket or at a onestop shop, a customer goes in, picks an item on the shelf, goes to the cashier at the counter and pays the price and the deal is done. One walks home happily to go and utilize the commodity purchased. In contrast, addiction takes quite some time. It is not a one minute, one hour, one week or one month activity. Apparently, there are many forms of consistent attraction to particular aspects of life that we finally succumb to as slaves. This process happens in a given span of time as it gets into the system of someone’s life and it’s cultivated as a daily life obligation. So uprooting this pattern of life equally demands a time frame and gradual cultivation of ways to undo the identified negative effects that with time might prove a menace to an individual’s life. In my perspective, this defines addiction and how to respond to an addict. Of course we are not going to walk down the path of addiction and fail to meet stumbling blocks that come along in terms of questions. Is there negative or positive addiction? Hey wait a minute! Maybe we consider a few areas that we often regard to be generally positive, right? Well, we have prayer, love for neighbour, charity work, peace and justice, helping the poor, etc. Forgive my

zone also makes one proud with no respect for relationships. The self interest brings many laws to punish others. It makes one forget all the good things done by others and breaks down the aim of absolute unity. Thus, in order to make an ideal leader, we should remove all the hindrances and improve our leadership qualities/skills. Daniel Reagan Bangamodjo Mosuku, Congolese 3rd Year

Ethical Treatment Philosophically, Wonder is regarded as the beginning of human knowledge. In my first year, philosophy was defined as “the love of wisdom,” which starts with wonder. The early thinkers like Thales and Ionians were speculating on the origin of things especially the universe. From this, they came up with different ideas concerning the cause of the universe. Often, I wonder why and how people come to live on earth. How people treat one another especially the employers. How people should live with respect, love and responsibility for one another. These are puzzling questions that have always challenged my mind. Over the years, I have lived in various places, societies, families, countries and communities. I have

observed many great and good things as far as treating one another is concerned. Amidst the good realities, I have also observed certain questionable behaviours which have and are still striking, haunting and disturbing my mind. This has been that some employers treat their employees. I have met people who say that they relatively pay well their workers. However, when you critically try to analyse and understand the conditions and the work a person does, it is something ethically wrong and disrespects human dignity. I have been disturbed by the work some housekeepers do. These people normally do a lot of activities. Despite the activities one accepts to do, they are indirectly abused by the employers. I feel such people lack a sense of love and respect of others. Emmanuel Levinas, a Jewish philosopher, said, once we meet with another person we are challenged to recognize the “otherness of the other”. The otherness of the other is God. People who treat their workers in this way, are missing the aspect of God’s invitation to treat every human being with love, respect and responsibility. I encourage all employers with housekeepers to ethically treat their employees.

Emeru Joseph, Ugandan 3rd Year

yourself am I happy overall?) 2. Do something you are good at. (When you know you are doing a thing well, you get into a rhythm that is really therapeutic) 3. Like yourself. (This isn’t about thinking you are a fabulous person without any faults) 4. Look at yourself from the other direction. (Next time you are tempted to feel sorry for yourself, look for a different angle.) 6. Mix it. (Don’t be immersed all the time in work or in college or anything else) 7. Find a distraction. (If you can change your thoughts, you’ll change your mood) 8. Know who you value. (A strong relationship with your friend, your parents or your siblings will get you through even the worst trauma). 9. Break down the blocks. (You should know by now that all the barriers to happiness are inside you) 10. Take control. (There’s always an alternative, however bleak).There is a question heating in my mind “Is happiness sometimes real or framed by some people just because their friends are happy too. “I wish you a fallow up of the year of God’s mercy. Sserunkuma Kato Paul, Ugandan 1st Year

The Absurdity of Power What lies behind power? Can life be meaningless without power? And what could be the origin of power? Who could be the author of power? Is power a feeling? Is it a thought? Is it something innate? Is it by 20

chance that people become more powerful than others? If power is something innate, are all human beings capable of becoming leaders? If they can, which approach do they use to lead others? In my understanding, it is believed that power comes from God. Where then, does delinquency and deceptiveness come from when one is entrusted with leadership? Should we say that God is unjust? Yet he is

addiction to “etc” when I can’t give more examples even though there are a million more. What about the negatives? Excessive consumption of alcohol, hatred, corruption, jealousy, etc. Let us see what our weighing balance will read when we try to strike an equilibrium between the positives and negatives. When one is addicted to prayers, they may pray to pass an exam which sadly they did not prepare for. They will fail for sure. Equally, when one is addicted to alcohol consumption, they may have an illusion that an exam would be easy the following day, so they resort to drinking overnight. When the exam comes, they will fail for sure. Perfect equilibrium!

let us make this world a better living space than we found it! Kevin Brown, Kenyan 2nd Year.

A Hopeless Life As we are waiting for the coming of our savior Jesus Christ, we should not lose the hope. He is the hope of the hopeless. Knowing that our life is from God, why should we be hopeless? A hopeless life involves disappointments to oneself and to others. In such life one may loses the courage of admiring others. Sometimes it involves emotions which may provoke mental problem. Whenever I am hopeless, I always remember the words of St Ignatius, “what are your deepest desires?” Some people blame others when they are in tribulations. Hopelessness narrows our thinking capacity. A hopeless person thinks life has ended. People who become

There is no positive or negative addiction. It is not healthy to get addicted to anything because

they rob us of our own selves. Daniel Reagan Bangamodjo known as Supreme Being, all good, loving, and omnipotent. Should we say that those who receive power and misuse it were chosen by a different god? Human beings are driven by many desires in life and power is one of them. People entrust others with leadership but the results, in most cases, are the opposite of what it is expected. Power transforms and makes one feel up lifted. The superiority complex makes someone neglect others. One becomes self-centered and noncompliant. The comfort

These addictions steal away our original blessing from God who created us in His own image and likeness. Cautiously, I believe that those addicted do not need advice. We often spread the communicable virus of advice addiction. Instead, please let us come to the aid of those addicted by exploring their inactive abilities which they are unable to rejuvenate. Put the writing on the wall with clear illustrations and show them how better they can see and act upon their addiction. This is actually a potential research topic that I am trying to fit in a small article; meaning I am never going to exhaust it. But thank you for glancing at my thoughts. Together

Thomas Ifesu Likofata

hopeless tend to lose interest in activities such as outings, working, and sport. It also includes losing interest in having a healthy relationship with others. Hopeless people tend to say, “I don't care anymore”, or “nothing matters anymore”. In leadership, a hopeless person is fond of being egocentric. Being hopeless does not only mean losing a sense of being, but also being dead. The more courage we have , the more hope we get. Thomas Ifesu Likofata, Congolese 1st Year

Master the Books of the Bible I went to the hotel Genesis, through the Exodus road. On the way, I saw Leviticus registering Numbers of people in the book of Deuteronomy while Joshua was waiting at the pretty door of the Judges. I heard Ruth calling: "Samuel, Samuel". At that time, the two Kings of the two Chronicles went to console Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith and Esther about the misfortune of their brother Job. They sang the Psalms and they taught their children the Proverbs related to Ecclesiastes and how to sing the Songs of Solomon which were full of Wisdom. This happened as Sirach and Isaiah were comforting Jeremiah in his Lamentations, together with Baruch, Ezekiel and 10

Daniel. Hosea knew what had happen but he did not inform Joel. Later on, Amos and Obadiah informed him. Three days later, Jonah travelled to Jerusalem with Micah and Nahum in the same ship. Meanwhile, Habakkuk visited Zephaniah who introduced to him Haggai, a friend of Zechariah who is the cousin of Malachi and also the two Maccabees. After observing the tradition, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were suing Paul for writing the Acts of the Apostles. This pleased the Romans who were behaving like the first Corinthians and not the Second Corinthians who disagreed with the Galatians. Saint Paul realized that the Ephesians and Philippians were close to Colossians. So, he visited the first Thessalonians. During his Second Thessalonians visit, he begun by visiting the brothers of the Two Timothy who went to the house of Titus to teach Philemon their younger brother how to read and write in Hebrew. Finally, James was reading the First and the second latter of Saint Peter to know why the three epistles of John revealed to Jude the Apocalypses of his trip. Camille Loola Pongo Prince, Congolese 3rd Year

Happiness

we manage our own waste materials such as plastic materials from our offices and homes. From my observation, pollution is mostly propagated by individuals rather than industries. Consider 64 passengers travelling by bus and 50 of them have plastic bottled water. In most cases these people will surely dispose these bottles by the roadside. This is just one example, but how many people travel each day? This is one of many ways through which we contribute towards pollution. From the saying that one by one makes a bundle, how many pieces of plastics are carelessly disposed? How many litres of detergents are let into water bodies on daily basis? What are we doing to our environment? I am also aware of the many other forms and causes of pollution. If we make a critical analysis of them we shall discover that individuals are at the background. So let us stop projecting our carelessness to the objects we have manufactured. It is a high time we accepted our mistakes, learn and correct them. Additionally, we are investing time in advancing our technology which has always been successful. We can also spend time to discover ways of preserving the environment for the next generation. Remember, the environment has no mouth to speak except yours and mine.

Happiness is not a permanent state of life. It is a transient thing. There will always be bad days, dark times, and bleak years. Understanding this is the first step to greater happiness. Without the lows we wouldn’t appreciate the highs, and happiness is very much about appreciation. As much as one cannot avoid the lows, there’s plenty one can do to feel happy.

Sserunkuma Kato Paul This helps one to keep on the highs. Being happy may become a habit. The more you train yourself to feel happy, the happier you become. Some people may fear to create this habit because it requires efforts. In life we all choose to either be happy or unhappy. In living a happy life, Richard Templar suggests the following ten rules.

Oketcho Ignatius, Ugandan 2nd Year

1 Take the long view (Don’t ask yourself am I happy right now? Ask 19

because they were still too young. The man decided to kill them because taking them home would be a kind of witchcraft, a curse or evil in their culture. According to their culture, if this happened, it would mean that parents were to die as it was believed to be bad luck. The woman contested that they could not kill their daughter although they could not identify her. She instead suggested that they could take care of the three girls hoping that one day they would come to know their true daughter, after which the two agreed. Later, when these girls grew up, they got married. The parents decided to visit their daughters. When they reached the home of one of the girls, they were warmly welcomed. The in-laws appreciated them for appropriately raising the girl. However, they complained that the girl was fond of eating left over bones from the dust bin. On visiting another girl’s home, the in-laws complained that the girl was fond of eating the left over of cassava leaves from the dust bin. This helped the parents to identify the goat and the dog from the three girls. Upon reaching the third home, they were convinced to have found their daughter. This made them happy. This story teaches us that we need to be patient when encountering challenges. Olivier Lomboto Bofosa, Congolese 2nd Year

Healthy Environment Equals Healthy Life.

Prejudices: a Problem to Service

Pollution is simply poisoning whatever surrounds us such as air, land and water. Our surrounding is continuously undergoing several changes and we are the cause. Some changes seem to be good whereas others threaten the environment.

Prejudices are prior beliefs and information one may have about a

Godfrey Mugoya,

Oketcho Ignatius I cannot deny the fact that we are living in a modern world with several industries, advanced technology and infrastructure. Most of these are geared towards making the world a better place. However, let us take a look at how we dispose waste materials from industries, households and places of work. When most people hear of pollution they tend to think of industries and motor engines to be only the causes. Let us turn to ourselves and ask how

person,a place, or group of people. These usually give negative energy to individuals. Negatives prejudices make us have wrong perceptions. When it comes to service, one might be discouraged to serve others because of prejudices. A common example which almost everyone in Uganda uses is, “We shall not wait for the Karamajongs to develop before we develop”. I grew up hearing this statement from many people. I could not trace its meaning until I went for pastoral in Loyoro Parish, Kotido Diocese. I came to realize that the Karamajongs have the potentials to develop. Due to neglect by the concerned individuals, the prejudice ends up thriving in the region. In 11

Philosophy of Education, we learnt about Appropriate Basic Education for Karamoja (A.B.E.K) which is a special system of education designed for the Karamajongs. It was based on the prejudice that they do not want to study. However, based on my experience in Karamoja, this prejudice is an insult to the people I met and interacted with. There are potential youths who are yearning to go to school but they lack the necessary requirements due poverty. Schools in Karamoja are in poor state. Teachers come to school once in a while and student struggle with hunger. With all these difficulties, they still try their best to go to school. Why then the prejudice? I would therefore suggest that we get rid of prejudices we have towards others. This will enable us to render good services to the people without segregation. Godfrey Year

Mugoya,

Ugandan 3 rd

Making Choices in Life We should always remember and be aware that when one rushes into something, one may crash. When one crashes, it may lead to complains and regrets; thus, leading to confusion in one’s life. Life is about of making choices. There is no person on this planet who makes choices that bring only despair to one’s life. The choices we make now determine our future life, either of happiness or despair. In any choice we make there is either

success or failure, thus we should be ready for anything that comes our way. Avoiding problems is not a solution. Troubles are temporary, they are meant to make us strong and prepare to achieve of our choices. In case of failure, we should never blame anybody because by blaming shall disown our responsibility. Good days bring happiness, bad days give

Wilson Karugaba, experience and worst days give us a lesson. All these are essential in our lives. We should also remember that for better achievement of our choices, actions speak louder than words. I know there are two things which determine our lives; these are: “the choices we make and our commitments to them”. Embracing change makes us live a better life while resisting it may lead to frustration. Finally, we have to believe in our dreams. May God bless us and help us to make good choices for our lives. Wilson Year

Karugaba, 12

Ugandan1st

Discovery It is Friday, 09, September, 2016, 05:45pm. Dear Diary, through my window I can see the last rays of the setting sun below the yellowish sky. I can also hear the long old train passing by. It is exactly a month since I joined Jinja formation house and PCJ. I had always taken myself as a person knowing much about things like life, God and other topics but I have realized it is not the case. The more I have studied and interacted, the more I have discovered that I really know very little. Even what I thought I knew, I have discovered I do not know. The more I have tried to control my life, the more it has strayed away from me. Now I open my mind and heart to confess that I am so ignorant of the things I thought I knew. To accept that without the guidance of God’s hand, all my talents, intelligence, knowledge and human wisdom is useless. I feel so happy that I have discovered my ignorance and am ready to embrace it for the better. The task I have is to be human, to know my limitations and to differentiate true wisdom from the false. To make sure I remain in him from whom I came and to whom I will go. I am to embrace education as a path for personal improvement in all aspects of life. Christopher Mukaajanga, Ugandan 1st Year

children in their homes. On my first visit, I was shocked by the terrible situation which one of the children faced. I really sympathized with the situation in which they lived. I encountered almost similar experience during my visit to other homes.

Republic of Congo. They had one daughter, one female dog, one female goat and a far away garden. As they went to work in their garden, they could leave the goat and dog together in the house. On coming back, they could find the house disorganized since the goat and the dog were very During the Wednesday stubborn. pastorals, I met some elderly Christians who actively participated in One day they decided to go the church but their life situation was with them to the garden together with worrying. I came to realize that the their daughter. As they dug, they phrase of going to the whole world to decided to move further to the end of proclaim the word of God is real. The the garden because the garden was picture seen at the church is not big. They left the daughter with the enough it is very important to reach dog and the goat. When the time for out and experience the life of the returning home approached, they Christians. I once saw a woman found three girls. The goat and the dog sleeping in church, when I asked her had changed into girls and all had what was wrong, her reply was, “this similar faces. They could not identify is where I find peace.” Whenever we their daughter. They wondered and go out it does not mean meeting questioned what could have happened people’s demands but to be present to and how they could handle the them. Reaching out is important and it situation. should be encouraged. It is one way of The man thought of either spreading the word of God to the killing or leaving all of them in the entire world and inspiring many lives. forest. It was absolutely clear that if Michael Ouma Owuor, they were left, they would not survive Kenyan 1st Year

Patience Hurts but It Pays I always reflect upon this word Patience. What is the importance of this word to human being? There is a saying in French ‘La patience est la source de la vie’ which literally means that patience is the source of life. How is it the source of life? There was a man with his wife living together in Democratic 17

Olivier Lomboto Bofosa

of Mr. Common Sense With a sorrowful and heartfelt regret, I announce the death of our beloved Mr. Common Sense. He was a man of good will and always wished others the best of their desire. He dwelt in the hearts and minds of politicians, religious, lawyers, doctors, teachers and the entire public. Whenever someone sought to act in favor of personal interest, Mr. Common Sense was on standby to intervene. He loved to see that whatever was done was for the common good of the public. Mr. Common Sense died a suicidal death as a result of Mr. Corruption’s act of serving his self interest. Before Mr. Corruption besieged Mr. Common Sense, he first tore apart Mr. Reason, the brother of Mr. Common Sense. Due to this misery, Mr. Common sense became so weak to defend himself. This was an opportunity for Mr. Corruption to easily put Mr. Common Sense to death. After his death, Mr. Corruption took control of all Public offices. It is now about a century down the road since Mr. Corruption took control. He has much influence in all the offices to an extent that only Mr. Prayer who can fight him. May Mr. Common Sense rest in peace as we hope for his resurrection in the mind of all people. This is the salvation we all await. Okaulo Vicent Michael, Ugandan 3rd Year 16

Reaching Out

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark: 16; 15). This verse is very essential in life even though the real interpretation cannot be reached. Whenever I came across this verse, I never saw its essence. I could not imagine that someone can move around the world. Reaching out is very important in the life of the church. I realized this during my first year of basic formation. I did my pastoral work in one of the subparishes. There I was mainly helping \

Michael Ouma Owuor young children to develop strong faith. Working with the Pontifical Missionary Children was inspiring. As I interacted with the children I learnt a lot. It gave me a good experience of working with children. Whenever I was with them they were always happy and jovial. After some time, I felt the need to visit these

Putting this value into practice contributes towards morality within the society. By integrating respect and personal relations, a person can live in harmony with others. We should all know that the only way we can relate healthily in our societies is to respect one another in all aspects of life.

Respect is a Value Respect is one of the essential human values that people ought to have. There are also many other human values such as peace, justice, love, kindness, honesty, openness, loyalty and equality. Human values are universal and are to be taken into consideration in our societies when interacting with other people. Respect and other values help people of different nationalities, races, genders, ages, religions and cultures to create bonds. In the contemporary world, respect plays a crucial role in the establishment of peace and the protection of our societies. To show respect, one must be able to appreciate and recognize a person's opinions, rights, abilities, qualities and behaviour. Everyone should be willing to do to others what they expect other people to do to them. In reality, respect is the most basic value from which all other social standards originate. Valuing the relationship among human beings, respect is an important element in creating a peaceful co-existence and happiness. People should be able to control their feelings and reactions that could lead them to misunderstandings and troubles with other people. Respect helps people to behave and relate appropriately even when in a state of anger. Imagine of a society where people do not respect one another, how would the relationship among the individuals be? We should all know that respect is a mutual value.

Jules-Francois Bameko, Congolese 2nd Year

Jules-Francois Bameko,

José Nixon Litako Belengo Congolese 1st Year

Death Announcement

Fr Wijnand Huijs’ Growth Group From left to right: Jeremie, Louis, Gabriel, Wilson, Emmanuel, Victor, Stephane, Jose, Fr Wijnand, Max, Michael Ouma, Godfrey, Daniel, and Valeriano.

Gabriel Lofembe Is’ompendjo Congolese 2nd Year 14

Jeremie Efumo Liyandja Congolese 1st Year

Fr Paul Hien’s Growth Group Standing from left: John Peter, Paul Kato, Kevin, Ignatius, Camille, Olivier, Jules-François, Fr Paul, Thomas, Christopher. Squatting From left: Julius, Vicent Michael, François Nono, and Joseph

François Nono Konde Congolese 1st Year 15