Jan 31, 2021 | POSITIVE IMPULSES
Our sense of wonder or admiration at inspiring thoughts and reflections could act as a block of really making differences in our life. We like the reflection but that is it! No effect in real life! Because to admire is easy, but to change is difficult. We admire the thoughts and with that admiration finishes everything. Admiration becomes the closed door to the heart where the inspiration is supposed to make changes and betterments. So, watch out, whether your admiration about models, reflections or thoughts are being closed out at the door of your heart or are you letting them make betterments in your life?
Don Giorgio
Jan 31, 2021 | NEWS
Sr. Innocencia was one of the first founders of our missions in Tanzania. Below we present the biography which Sr. Innocencia wrote a few years ago.
“I entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate in Katowice in 1963, I had my veil on August 16, 1964 in Wrocław. The first Profession on December 8, 1966 in Wrocław. My first job in the Curia was the secretary of Bishop Bednorz. At that time, I also attended the three-year Catechetical School. Working in the office did not give me satisfaction and I undertook this effort with the hope of changing my job. It happened, although it was not easy, because the Bishop did not want to fire me. It was with great joy that I went to teach the children in Brzezie, that was my element and I joyfully brought the children closer to God. In 1971, on 08/12, I made my perpetual vows. Brzezie is like my second home. Working among you, I learned to grow up in mercy. Noble Omy and Starki with their lives opened the way to the future for me. By teaching children, I got to know not only them but also their families. My stay here prepared me for my missionary trip, and it happened. In 1972, I went to Tanzania, a different world that did not scare me. The beginnings were difficult, the difficult of the language. It was the first thing to sit with the children on the first steps, and they were teachers. I went everywhere with pen and paper, writing down words. And so was learning at an accelerated pace. In my favor, I quickly learned to speak. Lots of children came every day, so the priest said we would open a kindergarten. And so it happened, in the great square in front of the house, children gathered. It was fun, singing, games and other activities made the children happy. Then we started building a kindergarten and looking for older girls to help, we succeeded. Work flourished and bore fruit, children acquired culture and religious education. On the bishop’s order, there was work among Catholic women, setting up household help, teaching hygiene, cooking, sewing, growing vegetable gardens and culture. It was beautiful, but linguistically difficult. The time came that I was able to finish my Swahili language course at Lake Victoria and the problem was solved. Despite other classes, I started teaching children religion in the school. The beginnings are always difficult, but I wasn’t afraid of them. We started various construction sites, a boarding house for girls, a house for women, we had a lot of farmland. We adopted cooking in our style, and breeding was better year after year. I loved children and these people and I left a piece of true love there. I knew I was needed, and with them I experienced a feeling of hunger and joy. Today, in Tanzania, we have our black Sisters, and I am with them in my prayers and various gestures of help. I was in Tanzania for 21 years, I came back because various ailments did not allow me to stay longer. After my return, I returned to Brzezie, worked in the sacristy and prepared small children for Early Holy Communion. It was wonderful. After the lapse of time, I went to Gorzów to the Bishop’s Curia as superior, and after a few years to Studzianna in the same capacity. I was in Domachów, Strzybnica, and now I’m in Brenna Leśnica. Brenna is beautiful, we work with young people and people who come to rest, we have places, please. ”
From Brenna, Sister Innocencia, due to a serious illness requiring care, was transported to
Provincial House in Wrocław. The Lord took her to eternity on January 26, 2021.
May her soul rest in Peace.
Jan 28, 2021 | POSITIVE IMPULSES
Encouraging the positivity in others is essential to create a good atmosphere around us. The world would have been a better if every good has been acknowledged and appreciated. Stirring a response from others in love and in good works is reconstructing situations in peace and in hope. Encouraging others is also an effective way of boosting up your own positive energy. Do not miss to see the good and appreciate that. It is joining forces for a better world.
Don Giorgio
Jan 27, 2021 | NEWS
First of all, it is better to know the background.
What is the Christian community?
It is the connection and solidarity that families share in order to help each other in any way of life such as their problems, joy, love, peace, and humility in their Christian life in the church (Act 2:42-47)
The church in Africa, especially the countries of AMECEA (Southern and Eastern countries), have a system to simplify evangelization. Namely, to invite the Christian near by the apostolic activities and to share the ministries of the church. This begins with small communities and even individual families.
When we speak about the needs of small, Roman Catholic communities, we include the sacraments and other needs as Roman Catholics. There are some orders to follow: first, they should contact the leaders of the small community of his or her local zone to see if there are any needs; second, they offer a letter of introduction to the parish priest and other local, church leaders. That is the standard way of getting to know the community, leaders, and its needs.
So, the catechist and the priest are those who confirm if the correct order has been followed, if the faith and regulations of the church has been followed, and simply, if the relationship is beneficial to the local community. If this is indeed the case, the distribution and reception of sacraments and other important services, should begin. This is a good evangelizing model for the People of God.
According to my experience of evangelization, this small community model is a good way to help the all the People of God, the local parish and also trains students trained teach the sacraments. Happily, a good example of this occurred in 2020-21. We had 110 students receive their first Holy communion.
Prepared by Sr Teresia Mgwilanga
Jan 26, 2021 | FORUM, NEWS
“And Enoch lived in intimacy with God. Then he disappeared because God took him. ” (Genesis 5:24).
The literal translation of this text is: “Enoch walked with God, and then he was gone, because God took him.” “… walked with God …” that’s right. But what does that actually mean to me?
Well, recently this short phrase has become the basis of my relationship with Jesus, because I discover the beauty of being constantly in His presence. It seems to be obvious for a nun, but I must honestly admit that it was not always like that for me. I mean, of course, the awareness of his constant presence, not on the basis of fear and the feeling of being trapped. On the contrary – on the basis of freedom and an awakened desire to “live abundantly”. This “walking with God” is characterized by simplicity of expression, simple gestures. For me, staying in His presence means, for example, not dividing my time during the day into pieces such as: now it’s time for work, now for prayer, and now “for myself”, etc. If my life were to be cut, I risked that I would not want to invite Him everywhere … Because I find that some part of my world is not “holy” enough to accept His presence. But it is He who sanctifies with His PRESENCE. And I don’t want to share this anymore. And most of all, I am aware that He does not want it. He, on the other hand, wants to share every time with me… literally.
On this occasion, I will reveal my, maybe a little funny, habit of drinking tea. When the circumstance causes me to do it myself (which I generally dislike), I put two mugs on top and invite Jesus. Sometimes we drink in silence, but most of the time He just listens… and that’s enough. It may be strange or banal, but such a gesture helps me a lot to remind myself that time belongs to Him. And if I would spare 15 minutes for Him now over a cup of tea, what will I do with Him for all eternity?
The feeling of being constantly before God’s face helps when temptations come. It is easier and faster to reflect then and ask Jesus: “Do you like what I did?”
“Walking with God” is also the basis of a mindful and simple life, living in the present. If I walk “by the hand” with God, I am focused on the signs of His presence in my life, in the world around me. Then I don’t need a lot of things, experiences, crowds of people around me. On the contrary – I can “settle for little”, because I have HIM with me… so I have everything (I do not try to feed myself with just anything when I have SENS with me). And I live in the present, because God is in it (not in dwelling on the past and not in worrying about tomorrow).
Every now and then I ask myself a question that verifies and sets me up spiritually: do you see that my heart is really already occupied? (i.e. am I really the bride? Is it known that I am already “walking” with Someone? Is there a recognizable sign of being a “woman of God” in me apart from my habit?). My answers are painful, but they help us return to the trodden path with Him.
“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he would not see death, and he was not found because God had taken him. Before he was taken away, however, he received a testimony that he was pleasing to God. ” (Hebrews 11: 5)
Oh, how much I would like to receive such a testimony from God …
Sr. Franciszka Jarnot
