“Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
Christmas is a particularly joyful celebration because the Savior is born for us. It signifies the certainty that we are not abandoned, and that our God takes care of our difficulties and miseries. He goes to the extent of becoming a small-weak-child for us so that we can receive divine strength from Him. From His weakness, we find strength and joy in our hearts.
In recent times, I have met various authoritative figures in the ecclesiastical realm, and from these encounters, a certainty has arisen in my heart: Koinonia is entering a new stage of its life, so new that it almost seems different from the first. This Christmas, I am particularly convinced, will mark the beginning of the novelty of this time, which, as I perceive it, will see Koinonia even more integrated into the ecclesiastical sphere.
Increasingly, bishops welcoming Koinonia see us as a precious pastoral and ecclesial resource in the particular time we live in.
A tangible sign of what I assert is the invitation from ecclesiastical authorities to collaborate in pastoral activities in various dioceses. A beautiful expression of what I am sharing is the invitation that a diocese in Argentina extended to our Father General Giuseppe, offering us a great opportunity to implement the unique characteristics of Koinonia—its Ke-Ka-Kò identity, i.e., the proclamation of the kerygma, the exercise of the charisms of the Spirit, and the realization of a community that, as a people, evangelizes. Father Giuseppe went to Argentina, accompanied by our brother Father Gennaro, to assess together with the bishop and his collaborators any steps to establish a Koinonia. As you can well imagine, this invitation has a deep meaning for me, as Argentina is my homeland. Father Giuseppe returned from the trip happy and grateful for how he was received by the residential Archbishop and the emeritus Bishops present in the episcopal curia.
Another event, a cause for great joy, was the visit to Camparmò on December 1st by the Bishop of Vicenza, which occurred after 40 years since the last one. The Bishop celebrated the Eucharist with the brothers of Camparmò, followed by a dinner. Present with the pastor of Camparmò were Father Alvaro, Father Sandro, and Father Claudio, who are the first brothers called by the Lord to Camparmò.
Remaining in the perspective of the new time, it is a reason for joy that the Patriarch of Jerusalem has recently been made a cardinal, who, as you well know, has already, as the Custodian of the Holy Land, welcomed and promoted the integration and settlement of the Koinonia Giovanni Battista in the land of Jesus. Throughout these years, he has not missed the opportunity to show his closeness to our community, and for this, Koinonia is grateful to him.
We know that the Lord guides history, and it is He who arouses relationships and friendships that contribute to carrying forward the joyful testimony of the Child who is born for us. I do not want to forget the powerful intercession of the ever-virgin Mary, present alongside Jesus in the work of humanity’s redemption. All of this should erase any discouragement or grumbling from us.
In conclusion, I invite you to join me in thanking Joseph, the spouse of Mary, John the Baptist, the precursor of Jesus, and our brothers Emmanuel, Ignace, and sister Franca, and many others in Koinonia who, in the presence of the Father under the action of the Holy Spirit, intercede for us.
Merry Christmas,
Merry Christmas, Your Founder, Fr. Ricardo Argañaraz
