Month: January 2014

Community prayer based on Father Theodore words.

We began our prayer life with the words of Father Theodore. Directions given to the sisters of the Holy Land. book 5 (page85) You must no longer have any other thought than the glory of God, the hope of Israel, the fulfilment of the promises, the reign of Jesus Christ. By sending the sisters to Jerusalem, Father Theodore started them out on a great adventure, one might almost say a mad adventure since they lacked any preparation, any knowledge of the East and maturity to make this foundation successfully so far from the Mother house, and considering the almost continental absence of Father Mary. What where Father Theodore reaction faced with this situation and how was he to help the sister to profit by their experience? Charity is the indestructible cement which must unite the first stones of the building of Sion.

My experience at Ecce Homo

In the beginning I would like to say that this experience was not easy for me. There were many challenges like: the language, the place and the community. The Christmas feasts with the community, helping in the house with different people, and young people, visits to the elderly, Christian and Moslem, activities with the group living in Jerusalem, different cultures. The language: I took an English course for 2 months in West Jerusalem. My teacher was a Jewish woman. I learned a lot from her because I asked her about a lot of things regarding the Jews. She was a very open person and she liked answering my questions. She was very happy with me because I am a person who is open to others. The kind of person doesn’t matter to me neither their religion or race or color: what’s important for me is the person, because the Lord created us all alike. We began to read from the Bible, each time 2 or 3 chapters and we discussed together our different points of …

Mary, Daughter of Sion

Charity, the capital virtue of the Daughters of Sion

Coming a step closer to our Novitiate is reality during this coming week. Victoria will be moving Wednesday afternoon from Ecce Homo to Ein Karem, the same night we will go to pick up Maria Clara and Aeljandra in Tel Aviv during early hours of Thursday morning. Rozeni is coming on the 7 of February during afternoon hours and Michele will arrive 31 of January. This last day I have been preparing for the arrival of all our sisters. Victoria helped me with shopping to make our little apartment “Room Nm13” a welcoming space and also useful for our needs in this Orientation time. We are invited over the weekend the 14 to the 18 of February by Ecce Homo so we can visit Jerusalem with its holy places. The Contemplative sisters offered help in getting to know Ein Karem and its History. The brothers have been helpful in giving us space for prayer use, and the sisters in Ein Karem are mostly welcoming in helping and adjusting to our being in the house. The sisters …

Good Wine

John 2: 1-11 There was a weeding and Jesus was there. In the Bible we find vine as  a symbol of Joy, of lightening up the bitterness of life and so we read in Psalm 104:15 “and wine to gladden the human heart,” or Proverbs 31:6 “Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress.” Jesus changed water into wine, was joy being damaged at the wedding of Cana and so Mary went to Jesus telling him that there is no more wine, no more joy. I hope you all have good wine in your communities and Family. Happy Feast of 20 of January 2014

A New Beginning!

After my first farewell in Berba in Eypt I spent time in Brazil, Guatemala and Costa Rica. Now for the final say good by I come back to Berba once more. The road to Ein Karem, in order to take up my new ministry within the congregation leads me via Rome. Today its Sunday, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This gave me the opportunity to share Sunday Mass in the church Andrea delle Fratte. It was in this church where 172 years ago, Alphonse Ratisbonne was lead to his Baptism through the intervention of Mary Mother of Jesus, Mother of God. I prayed for God’s blessing on our new ministry the International Novitat in Jerusalem. And I asked Father Mary Alphonse and Father Theodore to pray for our Congregation “Notre Dame de Sion“ which was founded by Theodore Ratisbonne, the oldest brother of Alphonse Ratisbonne when he heard from his brother about the event of January 20th1842 in this church. “She said nothing, but I understood all.” Alphonse Ratisbonne “Mary’s silence, when …

Guatemala und seine Schönheit!

Quetzaltenango, (oder mit dem einheimischen Namen Xela) ist die Stadt, wo ich Spanisch lerne. Xela liegt auf einer Meereshöhe von 2300 m, und anfangs merkte ich das sehr stark, weil mein Blutdruck stieg. In der Region von Xela leben ungefähr 225000 Menschen. 61 % sind eingeborene Indianer, 34 % Latinos, und 5 % Europäer. Die Stadt wurde am 7. Mai 1524 gegründet. Es gibt hier etwa neun katholische Kirchen und auch den größten Mormonentempel in Mittelamaerika. Die protestantischen und evangelikalen Kirchen zählt man gar nicht, weil es so viele sind. Auch Baptistenkirchen und freie Kirchen findet man überall. Die Kultur der Mayas ist besonders mit dem katholischen Glauben vermischt. Die Frauen haben farbenfrohe Kleider und tragen ihre Kinder eingewickelt am Rücken. Die Guatemalteken am Land sind klein: Männer nicht größer als ich, und Frauen noch viel kleiner. Die Bewohner in der Stadt sind offenbar gemischter; man nennt sie Latinos; sie sind größer und haben eine hellere Haut. Der 1. November ist ein großes Fest für die Toten, ähnlich wie Allerseelen in Österreich. An diesem Tag …