Month: January 2018

First Commitment by Vows 2018

Today we celebrate the feast of Mary and Joseph, presenting Jesus in the Temple, as in accordance with the law. Others were also involved in this presentation too, such as Simeon and Anna, who pronounced Prophecies on Jesus and his mother. History tells us about the feast: This Feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple on February 2nd became the celebration of the World Day of Consecrated Life established by John Paul II in 1997. Today on the combined feasts of the presentation of Jesus by Joseph and Mary in the Temple, and of consecrated life, I would like to present to you the four women who, during this last two years, prepared themselves here in Jerusalem for their consecration within the congregation of Our Lady of Sion. Andrea Chacon Carmona from Costa Rica, Central America Lucia de Fatima Alves Nogueira from Brazil, South America Maria Odor  Malau  from Indonesia, Asia, and Nancy Mena Fernandez from Costa Rica, Central America During these last two years, we the Novitiate Formation Community, (Sr. Colette, …

Feast of Our Lady of Sion, 2018

“But of Sion it will be said, ‘Everyone was born there,’ her guarantee is the Most High.” (Psalm 87,5) On January 20th, we had a beautiful mass at Ecce Homo. Fr. Rafic Nahra from the Kehila Community (Hebrew Speaking Catholics in Israel) celebrated the mass and Fr. Carlos NDS, Fr. Jose Maria NDS and some other priests concelebrated. We, the Contemplative and Apostolic Sisters, the Brothers of Sion, volunteers and friends of Sion felt a great joy in thanksgiving for one hundred and seventy-six years since Mary´s sign to Alphonse Ratisbonne at St. Andre delle Fratte Church in Rome. We also thank God for the life of Br. Cristóvão Oliveira Silva NDS and for his journey in the congregation, since he made his perpetual vows on this day in the congregation of Our Lady of Sion. Mary was a woman of wisdom, silence and courage, who carried the word of God in her womb and who today invite us to continue walking and being a witness of the love of God wherever we are. Father …

Spanish-Portuguese Biblical Program 2018

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” Psalm 119,105 The Spanish-Portuguese Biblical Program began on Saturday 6th January with seventeen students from Spain, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Brazil attending the course. This program is coordinated by the Brothers of Sion who are also teaching in it. They also have Anne Catherine NDS and other professors from abroad presenting. The focus of the course is to offer students an experience of being in touch with the land, and with the people of the land. It is very important to understand the historical and the theological contexts in which the bible was written. It digs more deeply into interpretation and understanding of the bible, enabling students to live our faith more authentically. Some of the specific objectives of the program are to: renew the knowledge of the Bible in the land that it was born; discover the roots of Christianity in the Jewish Tradition that shaped the religious experience of Jesus, his disciples and the early Church; know better …