I AM GRATEFUL TO GOD

Br. Peter Tar Fonyuy

Brother Peter Tar speaks, sharing to us his source of inspiration for over 25years. « As I celebrate the 25 years of religious profession, I look back in gratitude to God, thanking him for his grace which has not abandoned me. He has always been by my side, a very faithful God. Looking back to the past where many of us started, I can only thank him I am still there. This is not by my might; on my own, I can do nothing. His grace alone is sufficient for me.”   

Brother Peter acknowledges the role the Franciscan Capuchin Charism of Fraternity has played in his life. 

  “For the past 25 years, Fraternity has been the inspiring word for me. For surrounded by my brothers, I feel and have always felt secured; my gifts received from God are developed in the fraternity. So, I love and cherish our fraternity as a principal pillar for us Capuchins.”

Throughout this journey, the words of Father Francis have played too a great role in his life as he himself tells us: “As I thank God for this wonderful gift of fraternity, the words of Saint Francis of Assisi, where he says: Until now, we have done nothing, let us begin anew, kept me and continue to keep me going especially in the face of challenges where I have to begin anew, learning never to give up.

His priestly ordination of April 12, 2007, was another marking event in his life, where he found another pillar, saint John of the Cross.

“Then, for my priestly ordination, I chose the words of saint John of the Cross who says: “Where you do not find love, implant love and you will find love. These words have always been inspiring to me since they help me to cultivate love, to live it and strive to make it part of me. Even though, this remains a challenge. Once I let love reign, other things become easy to me, to forgive, to be joyful in the face of adversity and difficulties.”        In all, gratitude to God remained his key word for this celebration of God’s fidelity to him. He then prayed to remain a faithful collaborator with God and let God be God in his life. Let us read his beautiful articulation on this subject.                                                                                                             “So celebrating 25 years of religious life, I look back to God in gratitude, and to the future with hope, that the God who has accompanied me for the past 25 years will not and will never abandon me, for his grace is at work in my life. And as saint Augustin says, the God who has made you without you, will not save you without your collaboration. The grace I ask for now is to collaborate with God so that his grace remains active in my life and in my journey of conversion.”

May God who has begun the good work in you, bring it to completion.

compiled by br. Cedric Verbe KOHYEN