Self reliance is part of our integral formation!

WITH ALL YOUR GETTING, GET UNDERSTANDING:

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding. (Prov. 4:7)

Getting understanding is not the same as getting a breakthrough. It is certainly not an instant solution. Nevertheless, understanding will lead you to the solution. Wisdom is most useful for direction.

When you have wisdom and understanding, you will be a different kind of woman/man. Women/men who give themselves to reading are people of understanding. People who bother to go to university are people of understanding. In the natural, such people have an easier life.

When you thoroughly understand the cause of a problem, you are able to solve it better. That is why medical doctors spend so much time trying to diagnose problems. Understanding the problem is often 80% of the solution.

Do you want an easier life? Then get understanding. Make the effort to understand the curse of the Garden of Eden. Understand the root cause of all frustration. I cannot say anything greater than the Word of God. Understand! Get wisdom.

Prepared by:

Frt BikolwaMungu A, Stephen (Archdiocese of Mwanza)

SEGEREA SENIOR SEMINARY.

Segerea Senior Seminary is a Regional Theological Seminary, located in Dar es salaam Tanzania, about 14 kilometers South-West of the City centre. For more precision, it is about 3 kilometers North-West of the Dar es Salaam International Airport.

This Seminary was opened in 1979, and is being run by the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (T.E.C.) with aim of training future Catholic Priests for facilitating the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ of spreading the Good News till the end of the times.

The four pillars of the formation of the seminary are:- Human, Intellectual, Spiritual and Pastoral formation. In regard human formation, the Seminarians are trained to develop human qualities such as Sincerity, constant love of justice, fidelity to one’s promises, courtesy in deed, modesty, and charity.

On Academic formation, Seminarians are being taught different disciplines such as Sacred Scripture, Moral Theology, Dogmatic Theology, Liturgy, Church Law, Spiritual Theology, Pastoral Theology, Catechesis, Patrology, Missiology, Islamics, Homiletics, African Tradition Religion, Greek and Latin languages.

Spiritual formation is aimed at preparing future priests for the life of Holiness. Through spiritual formation, seminarians are taught to inculcate a sense of mission to exercise ministry with lively faith and charity and to cultivate those virtues which are highly valued in human relationships.

Pastoral formation is provided to students especially in matters pertain to the sacred ministry and in a special way in the celebration of the Sacraments, in dealing with people including non-Catholics and unbelievers. All these are being guided by our motto “Et eritis mihi Testes” (Act 1:8).

Moreover, realizing and acknowledging the gifts and talents of the community, the seminary has not lagged behind in concretizing the police of self-reliance, indeed as you get in the circumference of the seminary what catches your eyes, if not your whole being is that which the implementation of self-reliance policy has produced. The seminary has also taken to heart the saying of the wise men that “we do not stop playing because we grow old but rather we grow old because we stop playing”. Hence different kinds of sports have been introduced in the seminary.

All in all, the seminary is doing a lot to ensure that the goals are met.

By

Frt Wilhelm Soni (Theology IV)

TRUE FREEDOM

With all the spiritual writers and all the wisdom traditions and faith, Iam saying that true freedom is not freedom of the ego but freedom from the ego. Personal freedom is often thought of as freedom of the ego to do whatever one’s selfishness dictates. But what we are talking about here is freedom from the ego, from the tyranny of selfishness.

Freedom of the ego is the freedom to exploit, kill, victimize, marginalize, or just ignore others when it is for my benefit or the benefit of my group. On the other hand, freedom from my ego is freedom to love, serve, and care for others, unhindered by my own hang-ups, obsessions, and selfishness. It is the freedom to pursue the common good. This is, of course, easier said than done. It is a great ideal, but how practical is it?

Freedom from one’s ego obviously takes time. Short-term measures like law enforcement and moral laws are needed, but there will be no lasting peace until we set out on this course of personal liberation. Nor is it something that goes against our nature as human beings. All human beings want to love and be loved, to have inner freedom and peace.

             

 Prepared by:

Frt. BikolwaMungu A, Stephen (Archdiocese of Mwanza)

JUMAPILI YA 3 YA KWARESMA 11/03/2012

Masomo: I. Kutoka 20:1-17

              II. 1Kor 1:22-25

            III. Yohane 2:13-25

Tafakari:

            Katika kutafakari Kwaresma, tunaalikwa na somo la kwanza kuzitafakari Amri za Mungu. Mungu anawakumbusha Waisraeli kuwa ndiye aliyewatoa utumwani, ana agano nao na hivyo anawapa amri za kuzingatia katika agano hilo.

            Maelezo ya amri hizo yameelezwa vizuri katika Katekisimu ya Kanisa Katoliki. Kwa ufupi amri hizi ni za kutuongoza ili kuhusiana vema na Mungu na ndugu zetu ambazo Kristu anatoa ufupisho wake katika amri kuu mbili; Kumpenda Bwana Mungu kwa Moyo wote, akili na nguvu zote. Pia kumpenda jirani kama nafsi zetu.Sheria/amri ni kwaajili ya kurahisisha maisha na si kwa lengo la kumuadhibu yeyote!  

            Somo la Injili tunaona kuwa kwasababu ya kutoziheshimu amri na taratibu, Yesu anaingilia kati na kupindua meza zao.

            Anaposema “Libomoeni hekalu hili na kwa siku tatu nitalisimamisha” anatabiri juu ya kifo na ufufuko wake. Hekalu ni mwili wake! Mtume Paulo katika waraka wake wa kwanza anaonesha kuwa kama wakristu tunashiriki katika fumbo hilo kwa kuwa sisi nasi ni hekalu la Roho Mtakatifu.

            Ikiwa basi sisi ni mahekalu ya Mungu, hatuna budi tufungue mioyo ili Kristu atusafishe na kila udhalimu na kila aina ya biashara ifanyikayo ndani yake, yaani , yale mambo yote yaliyo kinyume na mapenzi ya Mungu.

            Tuwakumbuke, siku ya leo, wakatekumeni wanaofanyiwa leo takaso la kwanza!

JUMAPILI YA 2 YA KWARESMA 04/03/2012

Masomo: I. Mwanzo 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13,15-18

               II. Rum 8:31b-34

              III. Mk 9:2-9

Mhubiri alisema:

            Changamoto ya siku ya leo ipo katika somo la kwanza, ambapo japo Ibrahimu alikuwa ana mtoto mmoja tu aliyempata kwa Sara katika uzee… tujiulize, Angemchinja Isaka, ahadi ya uzao mkubwa angeitimizaje? Hata hivyo Ibrahimu hakusita kumtoa Isaka-mwanae wa pekee sadaka kwa Mungu akiamini kuwa, yeye aliyempatia mwana katika uzee, atajua ni kwa jinsi gani atampatia huo uzao mkubwa kama mchanga wa pwani. Kutokana na tendo hili la ushujaa, Ibrahimu anastahili kuwa Baba wa Imani!

            Kumtolea Isaka (katika agano la kale) ni kielelezo cha Mungu alivyomtolea mwanae wa pekee – Yesu Kristu (katika agano jipya) kwaajili yetu!

            Katika somo la III – Injili, tukio la kung’ara sura kwake Yesu linatanguliwa na matukio kadhaa: - Yesu alimponya kipofu hatua kwa hatua (Mk 8:22-26) ikiwa ni ishara ya kuwafunua macho wafuasi wake juu ya utume wake wa kimasiha hapa duniani; kisha anawauliza kuona kama wamtambua yeye ni nani (Mk 8:27…)

            Kumbe tukio hili la kung’ara sura ni mwendelezo wa mafundisho ya Yesu kwa wafuasi wake juu ya kumtambua yeye ni nani na utume wake ni upi hapa duniani. Turejee katika Injili hii na tutafakari juu ya mambo yafuatayo yanakutwa humo:

Ø      Mlima mrefu

Ø      Kung’ara  ni dhihirisho la utukufu wa Kristu

Ø      Eliya ni mwamba mmojawapo wa agano la kale. Huyu ni nabii mkuu aliyepambana na dini za kipagani na kuzishinda. Anatabiriwa kuwa atarudi kumtayarishia masiha njia kwa vile hakufa bali alitwaliwa. Uwepo wake katika tukio hili waonesha ujio wa masiha.

Ø      Musa ni mwamba mmojawapo wa agano la kale. Huyu naye ni nabii mkuu – mtoa Torati, aliyewahi kuongea na Mungu uso kwa uso ambaye aliwaahidi waisraeli kuwa yuaja nabii mkuu kama yeye atokaye kwa Mungu – ndiye Kristu (Kumbukumbu la Torati 18:15)

Ø      Sauti yadhihirisha kuwa Kristu ni nabii mkuu

Ø      Wingu laashiria uwepo wa Mungu na kuhakiki utume wa Kristu-Masiha (Kutoka 19:9, 13:21, 33:9-11)

Ø      Vibanda ni rejeo la sikukuu ya vibanda (Zekaria 14:16-19) kuashiria kumbukumbu ya kukaa kwa waisraeli jangwani na tarajio la masiha. Sherehe hii ilitabiriwa kuendelea kuwepo hata baada ya ujio wa masiha.

Ø      Hofu  ni namna ya msisimko wa furaha na woga. Uwepo wa Bwana ni sharti uambatane na furaha yenye mshangao pamoja na tetemeko (Tremendum Fascinantia)

Tujifunze nini kutokana na haya:

-         Kuwa na ushujaa wa Imani kama babu yetu Ibrahimu tukimtumainia Mungu katika kila jambo.

-         Kuachana na malimwengu ili tuambatane na Kristu huku tukiikumbata imani kwake.

-         Tuache maisha mabovu ya dhambi ili tuifikie furaha na amani ya kweli.

Tujiulize pia:

Mambo yakienda kinyume cha matarajio yetu, je, twaweka tumaini na imani kwa Mungu?

            Mtume Paulo katika somo la II, anasema: Ni nani awezaye kututenga na Kristu kama tumeshikamana naye? Hata kama tutaonekana kama tumeachwa naye, tusimame imara, tusikate tama kwani mateso, kifo ni lazima ili kuufikia utukufu. Tukumbuke kuwa:

-         Hakuna Pasaka bila Ijumaa kuu,

-         Mchumia juani hulia kivulini,

-         Subira huvuta heri,

-         Mvumilivu hula mbivu; na

-         Mtaka cha uvunguni sharti ainame.