Latest Posts

Community gathering

Published by Juliana

Saturday morning, novices, sisters and brothers of Sion joined the Yom HaKehilah, a meeting arranged by the Kehilot (Hebrew-speaking Catholic communities). The event took place in Kiryat Ye’arim, near Abu Ghosh (Israel). (written by frinds of sion)

 

Sharing the gift of life

Published by Juliana

I do not want your hearts to be less all-embracing than the sea which surrounds you.
It is charity which expands them to infinity.

Fr. Theodore Letter to the sisters at Chalcedon, September 3, 1866

We have had such a wonderful week. To star our week with Rozeni’s birthday, it was so nice sharing the gift of life. God has created us with our own values and personalities. Each one represents a kind of flower so living together we are able to make a beautiful bouquet.
Last week we went to Ecce Homo to have the opportunity to celebrate Yum Kippur with the Jewish people at the Western Wall. We were walking in Mea Shearim’s streets going to the Synagogue and then we celebrated Sunday mass in the Patriarch Greek-Catholique church. And this week we are having the opportunity to experience Sukkot.
Sr. Anne, sister of Our Lady of Sion, gave us a little input about Sukkot. Sukkot is derived from the root meaning “shelter, booth or tent” and signifies a temporary dwelling in order to remain the simplicity of life, some people who are living for their whole life like that, the frailty of human being and the most important and significant to remind God the only one who is protecting everyone.
We are excited for our Galilee walk so in order to be ready we are training ourselves walking every afternoon around the village.

written by Clara

Yom Kippur

Published by Juliana

Yom Kippur Necklace: The Day of Awe and Atonement

Understanding Yom Kippur using the method of “necklace”. The necklace is one of the methodology in studying Jewish Text. According to the Jewish Sages, using the necklace in Torah study shows the unity of the text from Torah, Neveim and Ketuvim.

Torah/The Five Books of Moses

“This shall be an everlasting ordinance for you: on the tenth day of the seventh month every one of you, whether a native or a resident alien, shall mortify himself and shall do no work. Since on this day atonement is made for you to make you clean, so that you may be cleansed of all your sins before the Lord, by everlasting ordinance it shall be a most solemn sabbath for you on which you mortify yourselves.” (Leviticus 16:29-31)
Leviticus 23: 27-32 : “The tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement, when you shall hold a sacred assembly and mortify yourselves and offer an oblation to the Lord.”

Neveim/Prophets

Isaiah 57: 14 & 58:14 “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove the stumbling blocks from my people’s path.”
“Then you shall delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father, for the month of the Lord has spoken.”
Hosea 14: 1-10 : “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return to the Lord; Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls”(vv. 2-3)

Ketuvim/Psalms or Writings

Psalm 51 Recognizing one’s sinfulness before God…Prayer of repentance

“Have mercy on me, O God in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.” (vv. 2-4); “Be bountiful O Lord, to Zion in your kindness by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem; Then you shall be pleased with due sacrifices, burnt offerings and holocausts; then shall they offer up bullocks on your altar.” (vv. 20-21)

The Book of Jonah

“When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.” (Jonah 3:10)

written by Arlyne

Jesus the Healer

Published by Juliana

Retreat with Fr. Putmann

September 29-30, 2014

The theme for our retreat this month was “Jesus the Healer”. The stories in the gospel such us , the man possessed by the devil (Mark 5:1-20), the blind man (John 9: 1-41), Jesus’ healing the lepers (Matthew 8:1-4) and the Samaritan woman (John 4:3-30) shows how Jesus healed them and brought them back to life. We had reflected through these passages that healing happens when we allow Jesus to touch us (“Lord if you choose, you can make me clean.” –Mt 8:2) and when we allow our hands to stretch out to those people we avoided to touch and heal (“Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and saying, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!”–Mt 8:3).

written by Arlyne

Rosh haShana

Published by Juliana

We the novices celebrated Rosh haShana together with the apostolic sisters, brothers and associates of Sion. Sr. Ann Kathrin explained to us all the symbols for the feast of Rosh haShana. Apple and honey on the table remember that life is sweet and free of suffering. On Rosh haShana the Jews celebrate that God is the creator of the universe and their father.
Written by Rozeni