Month: October 2016

Sukkot feast of joy!

“Throughout the seven days of the Feast, one must make his Sukkah a regular dwelling and his house a temporary dwelling.” Miska Sukka 2.9 October 18th, our class with Sr. Anne-Catharine was about Sukkot (Jewish Biblical Feast celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei – varies from late September to late October). Sukkot originates in the Torah, and celebrates the tents in which the Israelites lived in the desert after the exodus from Egypt. The sukkah is a temporary dwelling, usually made of wood or fabric in at least three of its four sides and the roof is made of tree branches, through which one can see the sky. “During this week every native Israelite among you shall dwell in booths, that your descendants may realize that, when I led the Israelites out of the land of Egypt” Lev. 23, 42 – 43 The sukkah: For the Jew not to forget the true purpose in life, God, in His infinite wisdom and goodness makes them leave their comfortable homes at this time, …

Jom Kippur 2016

On the evening of October 11th, we went to the synagogue to join the prayer on the eve of Kippur called: Prayer of the “Kol Nidre” (asking for the cancellation of all vows, oaths or promises, that we could have pronounced from last Yom Kippur or will pronounce until next Yom Kippur). There was a wonderful chorus, they song all the prayers. Also, there were a lot of people because we shared and joined with the people of the Biblical program from Ecce Homo. We could feel a spirit of Prayer and a spirit of unity with Jewish people. “The whole community of Israelites will be forgiven, as also the alien residing with them, since the entire people acted by inadvertence.” (Numbers 15, 26) Next day, we went to walk around the city in Mea Shearim to feel the atmosphere there and how they live this time of Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). The streets were so quiet and there were no cars. Also, we could hear the prayer of Jewish people in the …

Fr Mary Alphonse

Egger: Alphons Ratisbonne

Br. Gottfried Egger ofm writes an interesting report in german language about Fr. Mary – Alphonse Ratisbonne in the german speaking magazine of the Franciscan brothers „Im Lande des Herrn“. It consists of four parts which you can download as pdf from the download section on this website or read as posting on the website www.sion.at. Br. Raynald Wagner the editor-in-chief of the magazine was so kind to give us permission for posting these articles. P. Gottfried Egger OFM: Alphons Ratsbonne; Ein Elsässischer Jude wird Ordensgründer im Heiligen Land (1) P. Gottfried Egger OFM: Alphons Ratsbonne; Ein Elsässischer Jude wird Ordensgründer im Heiligen Land (2) P. Gottfried Egger OFM: Alphons Ratsbonne; Ein Elsässischer Jude wird Ordensgründer im Heiligen Land (3) P. Gottfried Egger OFM: Alphons Ratsbonne; Ein Elsässischer Jude wird Ordensgründer im Heiligen Land (4)

Computer Sessions 2016

From September 26th to Tuesday October 4th Liz, a friend of Sister Darlene spent a few days with us. She is from the United States and working as an IT Consultant. We had two sessions with her. One session was about the software Excel and the other one was a PowerPoint presentation on Social Media. In the first session, we learned how to create a budget using Excel. For some of us it was not the first time using this software; however, we got new information on how to use some of the tools of this application. The second session about Social Media reminded us of its importance nowadays. Liz focused her presentation on what Social Media means, the pros and cons of the usage of it and also the precautions people should take when they use it. We finished the session emphasizing the importance of being responsible with the use of Social Media. Besides, some people shared examples of how they can use Social Media to promote positive or negative situations for themselves and …

Rosh ha Shana 2016

“You will again have compassion on us;you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micha 7:19) Sept 30, our class with Sr. Anne-Catharine was about the Jewish Feast, Rosh ha Shana as the Jewish people celebrate this feast this year on the 3rd of September. We started our class by reading Leviticus 23 identifying the five main Jewish biblical Festivals where all of them are related. Rosh ha Shana is not mentioned particularly by name on the text because in the time of the bible, it was only special first day of the seventh month. It developed during the time of the Second Temple. Then it was mention in Misnah as the head of the year. We saw very clearly the difference between the three pilgrim festivals with both agricultural and historical aspect (at least for Pesach and Sukkot), while Rosh ha Shana and Yom Kippur have quite a different character. Then we studied the main prayer of the day quoting the scriptures three time in …

Admiring spectacular Beauty!

“Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13) On our last day, the 7th day of our Galilee Trail, we went up to Banias (Philip Caesarea) via Safed. On our first stop in Safed, we had Shmuel (Samuel) who voluntarily gave us a free tour around the village. We were so lucky and he was really our “angel” of the day. Shlomo was so friendly and also entertaining that he made sure we visited the Art Candle Shop and the local Safed cheese shop. We bought some beautiful art candles and some local cheese as well. As Safed had been known as an important spiritual center in history during the medieval time, this mystical city on a mountaintop became the home for the Kabbalah. Many important works were written here including the Shulchan Aruch (“the Code of Jewish Law.”). Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz was one of the Kabbalists, composer of the …