(Wittem, Netherlands) “What is the paradigm for your own life?” That was a question raised by Prof. Martin McKeever C.Ss.R. at the end of a yearly ‘ Master Class’ in the monastery of Wittem, the Netherlands. His audience consisted mainly of a group of young man from the Collegium Josephinum in Bonn (CoJoBo, Germany) and Redemptorist Volunteer Ministries. Martin McKeever, director of the Accademia Alfonsiana in Rome, was invited by the Redemptorists of the Province of St. Clemens, to talk about his book ‘One man, One God – The Peace Ministry of Fr. Alec Reid’.
He used an interactive way of teaching, with many short role plays to let the participants better grasp the understanding of ‘Peace making, as a gift and task of the Gospel’. Fr. Alec Reid was a Redemptorist and peace maker in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 1998.
It became clear from the presentation, that Fr. Alec Reid risked his life and had an attitude of patience and perseverance to reach his goals: peace in Northern Ireland. He was motivated to do his peace ministry by a life of prayer and by taking the meaning of the Gospel seriously. That was his paradigm, the pattern or model of behavior that influenced all his actions. Hence, the question about the models of behavior of the young participants. Not only for the present, but especially for the future: “What will reign your life in the future? What will guide you in the important decisions of your life?”
It was the fifth time that Professor McKeever held an inspiring Master Class in Wittem.
Jelle Wind
