• How are Small Christian Communities (SCCs) concretely a “New Model of Church,” a “New Way of Being Church” in Africa today. One practical example is the special celebration of the Eucharist in a SCC, usually in the home of one of the members. What we call a “Jumuiya Mass” (“jumuiya” means “community” in Swahili, the main language of Eastern and Central Africa). The plan for a Jumuiya Mass in an institutional or larger group setting is as follows:

African Inculturated Small Christian Community (Jumuiya) Mass on Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time

12 Noon

Hekima College

Jesuit School of Theology

Nairobi, Kenya

Wednesday, 23 February, 2011  

1.      Entrance Songs:

“Nalifurahi Sana” (No. 6).”

“Here I Am Lord”

2.      Introduction by Celebrant Father Joseph Healey, M.M.

3.      Penitential Rite following the order of the Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) Rite.  An African Exchange of Peace using a sign of peace from Sudan: Place your right hand on the left shoulder of the other person and say “Peace” in your home language/mother tongue. At the end sing: "Bind Us Together, Lord" (No. 361).

4.      First Reading: Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 4:11-19 followed by Silence (Lectio Divina).

5.      After First Reading instead of the Psalm sing: "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace"

(on sheet).

6.   Gospel:

a. Introduction to Shared Homily: NO Preached Homily. Instead Buzz Groups.

            b. Matthew 9:38-40. 

            c. Silence (Lectio Divina).

d. Five minutes of sharing in Buzz Groups of two people each reflecting on the two readings and applying them to Africa today (connecting our faith and the Bible to our daily life). Guided question: “What Bible words, phrases or verses struck you and what do they mean for our lives today?”

7.      Spontaneous "Prayers of the Faithful" starting from our everyday local experience ending with the Shona ( Zimbabwe) name for Jesus Christ: “The One Who Turns Things Up-side-down.”

8.      Offertory Song: “In Bread We Bring You, Lord” (No. 186).

9.      Our Father: Substitute "Food" rather than "Bread" to express solidarity with hungry and starving people in Northern Kenya and other places in Africa.

10.  Before Communion: Ugandan proverb: Relationship is in the eating together.

11.  Communion Song: “Tazama, Tazama” (on sheet).

12.  Prayer after Communion: The ending uses the Sukuma ( Tanzania) names for Jesus

in the coming Lenten season: “Jesus Christ the Great Healer and Victor over Death.”

13.  Concluding Rite: Saying about being sent: When you go down from the altar of

 sacrifice, bring not the ashes, but the fire. “The Mass is beginning, go in peace.”

14.  Recessional Song: “Upendo” (No. 318).   

Prepared by St. Josephine Bakhita SCC, the members of the class Small Christian Communities as a New Model of Church in Africa Today (TE14)

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Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Maryknoll Society
P.O. Box 43058
00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Telkom Orange Wireless: 057-2522977
JGHealey@aol.com
www.maryknollafrica.org