Month: February 2017

„St. John in Montana“ News 01&02/2017

Dear Brothers and Sisters January and already one months into the New year of 2017 and February brought much life and excitement to us. We began the Year 2017 with a time of petitions and thanksgiving. Where some of us thanked God for the people who were a light on our way, some thanked for the wonderful experiences that we had during 2016 and some asked for a new year full of peace and hope for all the nations. With Sr. Ivete , we had an opportunity to study some topics in the Bible. Together with the Junior sisters, Cida Duca, Joselia, Leah, Wafaa and Victoria Sr. Ivety discussed with us the different ways of understanding the Bible from different and particular texts of the Scriptures in which we were always invited to relate to the Tanach. The second week the novitiate Community continued with Sr. Ivete on texts where the question was? What is the meaning of discipleship? The answer to this question can be easily found in a dictionary but the deep meaning …

Purim 2017

Purim is the feast of an upside down world[1]. Indeed the book of Esther is full of oddness, incoherencies, things which seem to happen “by chance”, contradictions, even scandals. It begins like a fairy tale: A king who repudiates his wife because she refuses to attend a banquet (ch.1). He then convokes the most beautiful young maids of his kingdom in order to choose a new wife. And here we are. His choice falls on a young Jewish woman, Esther (ch.2). If the king did not know that she was Jewish, she knew it. Then how could she marry a pagan king? How she and her uncle Mortdecai could take part in banquet, for sure no kosher? A plot against the king is discovered “by chance”(ch.6), and thanks to this, the decision to exterminate all the Jews (for the only reason that  they were different : c h 3,8-9), is reversed; and to Haman is inflicted what he wanted to inflict to Mordechai. The supplication of Esther has been heard (ch 4 and 5 ). …

A beautiful volunteering 2017

Andrea and Lúcia started as volunteers in caring for the Migrant’s children in the Kehilla, which is the Hebrew- speaking Catholic Community in Jerusalem. We are looking after the babies ranging from 6 months to 3 years. We go twice a week and the children are from different countries such as the Philippines, India, Ecuador, Israel and Ethiopia. Every week we have a special topic to work with them, so we have been learning some Hebrew words so that we can communicate with them in the various activities and games. These activities include painting, dancing, drawing, learning the colors, movement of the body, etc. Also, we give them their food and take care of their needs during the day. We do everything with joy and love because with the little and simple things that we do with them, we are helping them for their future. It is like the butterfly effect, with a simple flutter of a butterfly, it can be felt on the other side of the world, that is to say, there is …

Sharing with ConnecSion

“They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race according to the flesh, is the Christ. God who is over all be blessed forever. Amen”. Rm 9,4-5 During three months ConnecSion group will be living here in Ein Karem. They are six Sisters, Leah and Beth from Philippines; Wafaa from Egypt and Cida A. Cida D and Joselia from Brazil. The Sisters who are working with them are Sister Darlene, Ivone and Maureen. This session is a preparation for their perpetual vows in Sion. We are going to join them in their sessions about Sion Charism. This last week was the beginning of it. On Monday 6th and Thursday 9th we had our first two sessions given by Sister Darlene. The first one was an introductory session working with the NDS Constitution. We had a moment for personal reflection to find which three numbers of the Constitution best articulate the Charism for …

Tu BiShevat 5778

“Tu biShevat “ (the 15th day of Shevat the 11th month of the Jewish calendar) is a feast which is mentioned in the Mishna: “The 1st of Shevat is the new year for the trees, according to Beith Shammai; however, Beit Hillel says that it is on the 15th of Shevat”.(Mishna Rosh Hashana 1,1). After the season of rains, the earth is ready to receive the seeds. The tradition is to celebrate on this day the planation of the trees, when the sap begins to go up in the trees and the earth is waking up after the winter. In the 16th century, the kabbalists gave a mystic signification to the feast, celebrating the strong relation which exists between human being and creation. They invented a “seder”, meal where they eat all kinds of fruits, especially the 7 traditional fruits of the promised land (Dt 8,8) and of course the meal is punctuated by several cups of wine. It is for many the moment to renew their awareness regarding the responsibility toward creation. Laudato si …

Our February First week news

Mission in the Synoptic Gospels This week we finished our classes with Sr. Ivete about mission in the synoptic gospels – the mission that can only be based on the living Word and witness of the Scriptures. As we shared our personal reflections and insights, we felt that Jesus left a great responsibility to us, His Church to go into the world to proclaim the Good News of God’s love to all people. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20). The Synoptic Gospels tell us that God so loved the world that He sent His only son Jesus Christ. It is the UNIVERSAL message for our mission as Church. As Jesus who was sent by God, now it is extended to us to go and to be God’s witness into the …