THE GOSPEL OF MARK TELLS US THAT JOSEPH WAS A RESPECTED MEMBER OF THE SANHEDRIN, THE HIGHEST JEWISH COURT AND ADMINISTRATIVE BODY. THEREFORE, JOSEPH WAS ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE, A VERY WEALTHY MAN, AND THANKS TO HIS SOCIAL POSITION, HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW WHO COULD OBTAIN AN AUDIENCE WITH THE ROMAN GOVERNOR, PONTIUS PILATE. THIS SOCIAL AND POLITICAL POSITION UNDOUBTEDLY PROVED USEFUL FOR THE SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT PRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER FOR JOSEPH TO APPROACH JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES. IT WAS INDEED A LIMITATION TO HIS OWN CONVERSION.
Joseph of Arimathea Asset Management Foundation, aims to support Christian priests, monks, nuns, religious and secular missionaries, in their daily financial needs. It is a non-public and non-profit organization.
Foundation has been inspired by the biblical figure of Joseph of Arimathea, taking care about the Body of Jesus Christ. In a similar way, we want to take care about those who dedicated all their life to the Christian Church giving up one’s life for the evangelization and conversion of the world.
We believe that these people represent today the Body of Jesus Christ.
We are confident that those who are committed to helping the community and promoting spiritual growth should receive the highest support.
Through our foundation, our aim is to provide and assist these people with the resources they need to live fully concentrated on the core of their mission, focused on developing the spiritual lives of others.
Founder
Vincenzo Trani founded Mikro Kapital in 2008 after acquiring extensive experience and leading development initiatives in emerging markets during his work at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and other prominent private banks and industrial groups.
We are aware of the economic difficulties faced by many priests, nuns, missionaries, and religious workers. We believe in the importance of their work and, therefore, provide financial support and assistance to help alleviate the burdens they might face. By reducing their financial worries, we help them focus on their spiritual and academic development and enable them to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve their goals.
We collaborate with organizations and religious communities that are effecting real change in the lives of individuals and communities. We work with them to identify and promote projects that address social, economic, and humanitarian needs. Through collaboration with institutions that share our values, we are able to assist those in need, upholding the teachings of Christ and the spirit of philanthropy.
Education is an essential part of personal and spiritual development. We support training opportunities for religious workers and missionaries to understand theological doctrines, develop pastoral care skills, and acquire leadership abilities. Through scholarships, grants, and partnerships with schools, we support access to quality education and training, providing spiritual leaders with the necessary tools to become the guides of their communities.
Having regards to the purposes of the Foundation, the Foundation shall ensure the occasional, short-term and/or long-term financial support of its beneficiaries, who dedicate their life to popularization of Christianity.
By helping people who dedicated their life to the Christianity’s values, the Foundation works to support spiritual growth, strengthen communities and contribute to people’s well-being.
The Foundation works internationally, recognizing that the need for support and guidance crosses national borders. By recognizing diversity and inclusion, the Foundation fosters an environment that celebrates the richness of diversity, culture and faith.
Through responsible management and financial management, our foundation ensures that its resources are allocated efficiently and effectively for maximum impact. By continually evaluating and adjusting its strategy, the Foundation can adapt and respond to the changing needs and challenges in the communities it serves.
Project supporting Father Jose Ignacio Gutierrez Morales, Founder of the Ecclesial Association „ALEGRIA Y ESPERANZA”
Project supporting Priest Pedro Santiz Gomez at „FRATERNIDAD MISIONERA APOSTOLES DE LA PALABRA”
Project supporting enhance the living conditions of students at the Foyer Universitaire de Carouge in Geneva, Switzerland
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him, nothing was made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not the Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me.’”
And of his fullness, we have all received grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
The Word of the Lord.
It is interesting that the liturgy for the last day of the year features a Gospel “of the beginning.” One might think it more suitable for tomorrow, but that is not the case, as we shall see.
Today, the Word invites us to reflect on the Prologue of John, a text that has fascinated scholars for centuries. Among its many themes, one stands out as particularly significant for this day: the journey of the Word/Logos throughout the Prologue.
The Word was with God in eternity, containing Life and the Light of men. God prepared the Word’s incarnation by sending John, a witness to that eternal reality. Some accepted John’s testimony, others did not. Those who accepted it were ready for the ultimate human experience: encountering the incarnate Word.
The eternal Word entered time. Life, Light, and Love became flesh, revealing their divinity in a body like ours. The Prologue ends with the Only Begotten Son, the incarnate Word, returning to the Father after completing his mission. He returns not as the Word alone but as the Only Begotten Son, enriched by the incarnation and humanity’s full experience—past, present, and future.
Thus, the One present “in the beginning” is also with us “at the end.” This gives the Gospel profound meaning for the year’s final day.
The Prologue offers us a framework for reflecting on the past year:
This reflection calls us to conclude the year with gratitude to God, who revealed Himself in 2024 and promises to do so again in 2025.
Best wishes for a blessed end to 2024 and a joyous start to 2025.
Pablo Muñoz
Verbum Dei Missionary, Cameroon
At that time, Jesus said to his apostles, ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have come to bring not peace, but a sword. For I have come to separate man from his father, and daughter from her mother, and daughter-in-law from her mother-in-law; and enemies of man shall be those of his house. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever keeps his life for himself shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it. He who welcomes you welcomes me, and he who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet shall have the prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous man because he is righteous shall have the righteous man’s reward. Whoever gives even one cup of fresh water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward’. When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.
…Jesus himself, sending his disciples on mission, says to them: ‘Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me’ (Mt 10:40). People must be able to perceive that for that disciple Jesus is truly ‘the Lord’, he is truly the centre of his life, the all of life. It does not matter if then, like every human person, he has his limits and also his mistakes – as long as he has the humility to recognise them -; the important thing is that he does not have a double heart – and this is dangerous. […] And here our experience as priests teaches us something very beautiful, something very important: it is precisely this acceptance of God’s holy faithful people, it is precisely that ‘glass of cool water’ (v. 42) of which the Lord speaks today in the Gospel, given with loving faith, that helps you to be a good priest! There is a reciprocity also in the mission: if you leave everything for Jesus, people recognise the Lord in you; but at the same time it helps you to convert to Him every day, to renew and purify yourself from compromises and to overcome temptations. The closer a priest is to the people of God, the closer he will feel to Jesus, and the closer a priest is to Jesus, the closer he will feel to the people of God.
by Vincenzo Trani
„At that time, Jesus said to his apostles:'As you go, proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven has come near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts; no bag for the journey, or extra shirt, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.”
Don Roustaveg is a Haitian priest who studied in Rome at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. In this interview, he explains what it means to be a Christian in a country plagued by natural disasters, corruption, and armed gangs, and how the Catholic Church is addressing these challenges through the education and formation of young people.
JUL 18, 2023
In a significant development towards empowering social causes, the registration of the Joseph of Arimathea Asset Management Foundation is now complete. This milestone will pave the way for the organization to actively contribute to the betterment of the community.
Last update: 07/23
Last update: 07/23
Founder
Born in 1974, after graduating and completing his specialization he worked for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and has worked continuously in Eastern Europe and Central Asia markets from that time onwards. He directed development initiatives on behalf of important private banks and industrial groups for eight years.
He gained official recognition as the initiator of some of the most important projects for small and medium-sized businesses in Moldova, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and other countries. He founded General Invest in 2007 and in 2008 Mikro Kapital, a micro-finance fund for financing small businesses in the regions that has established itself as one of the most successful such initiatives at a European level.