“Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke. 1, 45)
On the 19th of December, 2017, we had a beautiful mass to thank God for all the years that the Contemplative Sisters have been in Nazareth and in Ein Karem.
They first lived in Nazareth from 1969 to 1975 and later on they were founded in Ein Karem in 1971. They had been working in the garden, making jam and translating the liturgy into Hebrew. Also they have been participating in the Hebrew speaking Catholic community in different activities with the people.
After mass, the contemplative Sisters made a presentation of a PowerPoint about their lives from 1969 to the present day. So they related different aspects of their daily life, prayer and community life, recreation time, various places that they visited here and also all the people that they have shared with on the way. It was very meaningful because we could see all the life that was lived and the light that the sisters have given through these years of walking together with Jesus in this land.
Fr. David Neuhaus, sj mentioned in his homily, “Every departure from God is a new beginning.” So, they were called by God to come to this land, this was part of God’s plan just as the fact that they are going is also part of God’s plan. We wish them all the best and that they can continue to walk with God. We thank God for the sisters’ lives and for all the things that we have lived together.
Late on, we enjoyed a delicious dinner all together with the sister´s many friends, priests, religious sisters and brothers from different congregations.
“Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! hen that Day comes, the message for Jerusalem will be: Sion, have no fear, do not let your hands fall limp. The Lord your God is there with you, the warrior-Saviour. He will rejoice over you with happy song, he will renew you by his love, he will dance with shouts of joy for you.” (3, 14. 16-17)
Andrea Chacón Carmona, Novice NDS
Community St. John in Montana
December 22th, 2017.