Nov 29, 2020 | POSITIVE IMPULSES, SPIRITUALITY
It is like a man travelling abroad:he has gone from home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake!
Three points: Stay awake, I am in charge, Do my task!
To stay awake is to feel the ardent desire to be at the presence of the Lord who is molding the clay. Feel that you are the work of His Hand (first reading)
I am in charge of what: of all the graces I have received through Jesus Christ. So, don’t stop thanking the Lord in prayers and witnessing. (second reading)
Each one with his own task: That is to respect the task of each one and to help the other with his or her task. Each task is important as it is entrusted by Lord.
Don Giorgio
Nov 29, 2020 | SPIRITUALITY
We are sisters of Mary Immaculate and we draw our spirituality from Her.
We want to trust in God and obey Him, just as Mary
“Let it be your word for me.” (Lk 1:38)
Mary, regardless of public opinions, external circumstances or her own life situation, trusted God completely and did His will, even when she did not humanly understand where God leads her.
Sister of Mary Immaculate seeks perfect obedience to God and boundless trust in Him. She learns to seek and discern her will every day in ordinary things and in prayer.
We want to pray like Mary
“Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Lk 2:19)
Mary was just always with Jesus. She participated in His life and pondered and kept His words and actions in her heart.
Our prayer in the Marian spirit is a constant stand by Jesus. Not only in the chapel, but also in everyday activities. We build our bond with Him in the holy Sacraments, among other important in our spirituality is: adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, meditation and joint meditation of the Word of God and rosary prayer.
We want to look at others, their shortcomings and needs, just as Mary
And when wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no wine anymore.” (J 2,3)
Mary is close to our earthly, ordinary things. With the sensitivity of the mother, she deals with problems that seem insignificant and, as a result, cause great trouble. She reacts before we know we’re in trouble.
We learn from Mary the sensitivity to the needs of others, to notice problems that others do not pay attention to for comfort. We want to help those in need for their good and in the name of Jesus without expecting gratitude or recognition in return.
We want to continue and support the weak, the sick and the rejected, just as Mary
And next to the Cross of Jesus stood His Mother and his mother’s sister, Mary, the wife of Cleofas and Mary Magdalene. (J 19,25)
Our Lady has experienced the great, unjust suffering and painful death of Her Son. He knows what a person who is excluded by society feels rejected.
Mary teaches us attitudes towards the suffering and dying. He continues to the end and support even a quiet, compassionate presence. We try to follow her in our apostolic tasks and in our daily lives.
We want to give our lives to others every day, serving them in simple activities, just like Mary
“Behold, the handmaid of the Lord.” (Lk 1:38)
Mary, despite the fact that she did not carry out any great and spectacular works in her life, played a huge role in the Work of Salvation of Mankind. But she didn’t do it with her own efforts. Her merit was only humility and servitude, and this allowed God to act in her and to do great things through her.
In our conduct and manner of being, we cultivate humility and a well-understood ministerial attitude. Simple and joyful service characterizes our spirituality. We have given our lives to God, just like Mary, and He calls us to give it to others in His name every day.
We want to shape within us the attitude of a loving mother towards all we serve, just like Mary
So when Jesus saw the Mother and the disciple he loved next to her, he said to the Mother, “Woman, behold your son.” (J 19,26)
Mary is our Mother; she is the Mother of all people. We turn to her with confidence, and she is never indifferent to our affairs and needs.
With the personal experience of Mary’s maternal love, we also strive to shape in our way of being the mother’s attitude towards those we serve and live with. In this way, we want to realize our vocation to spiritual motherhood.
We shape our Marian spirituality by living in a religious community according to the Constitution based on the Rule of St. Augustine
“This is my mother and my brothers. For whoever does God’s will, he is my brother, sister, and mother.” (Mk 3, 34-35)
Our environment of everyday life and formation is the religious community. Here we first realize our spirituality and charism. Living in a community that operates according to strict rules is the basis of our apostolic activity.
Nov 28, 2020 | NEWS
On the 21st of this month ( November) we have celebrated the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In unity we came together in a special way to thank God. This day touched me in a special way, I was able to thank God for the gift of calling, as well as for the various talents of my fellow sisters. These talents are really the enrichment of the Church and the congregation. Through our talents we can offer a variety of services happily.
I would like to share with you about the mission I serve as a Catechist. Some years ago I did this mission in various parishes in my country Tanzania, now I am doing this mission in the parish of St.Francis of Assis here in Rome, Italy. I am preparing children to receive various sacraments including first communion and confirmation . For the first time here in this general house community of Rome, the leaders have seen it worthy to be close to the society around us for the testimony of our mission. So I happily started my mission this year. At the beginning I faced some challenges in terms of language, culture and even the manner of teaching which is quite different from Tanzania. Since I have a passion to this mission I rejoice and now I no longer find it difficult . On 21/11/2020 ten children received the first communion. And despite this Covid 19 epindemic , these children received Jesus with great joy in their hearts. And although their lips were covered with masks, their smiles of joy appeared in their bright eyes.
Let us be proud of our talents and use them in the benefit of others instead of hiding them . Our first mission is prayer, then in every other mission that each one of us is entrusted, we should offer the very best of ourselves for the praise and glory of God. We will be more blessed wherever we are.
Sr. M. Clementina
Nov 23, 2020 | FORUM
A gift out of this world.
A wonderful medal that we receive when making our first religious vows is not only a sign of belonging to the Congregation of Mary Immaculate, but it is also an expression of our dedication to God in imitation of Mary. Can it therefore be concluded that the miraculous medal is a spiritual gift from Mary, offered to the brave women who want to express their ‘fiat mihi secundum verbum Tuum’ in their lives (Luke 1:38)? Certainly! The guarantee is the assurance that the Mother of God has given st. Catherine Labouré, revealing to her this sign of its strange presence: All who wear this medal will enjoy great favors, especially if they wear it around their necks. For those who trust in me I will grant many graces. The power of calling Helena Joanna Hoffmann, a real Silesian, boldly crosses our thresholds Congregation with a living desire to imitate Mary and be like her. Helena, as a novice, was given the name Maria Dulcissima, and when she made the first vows, as a sister of Mary Immaculate, she received a miraculous medal of her image. The desire to “be like Mary” is nurtured in prayer, where she asks, that Mary would mold her soul like the joyful song of thanksgiving “Magnificat” (Luke 1: 46-55). Miraculous medal of Sister Maria Dulcisisma has established herself as the one who carries Jesus, who – how Mary – quietly serves the gift of prayer. Her prayer changes a lot, it becomes a source of joy, it smells of the greatness of God’s Mercy and contributes to many changes in life attitudes, but also healings. In Brzezie nad Odrą, in the place where she spent her last years of service, she is called the “Angel of Goodness”. By visiting Brzezie families with their guardian, Sister Maria Lazaria Stefania, the superior, it brought faith and kindled hope where the experience of illness weakened love and trust in God. Today I still see how Sister Dulcissima came to us with Sister Lazaria. she was leaning with one hand on Sister Lazaria and with the other hand under her arm “Wooden scepter” Sister Dulcissima made signs of crosses on our foreheads and she blessed – remembers Kazimierz. ‘In the sixteenth week of pregnancy, I was diagnosed that I would give birth to a boy with a big severe heart defect. The doctors’ prognosis was not favorable. Then my grandmother gave me a wonderful medal from Sister Maria Dulcissima, which I wore until the day of delivery. At that time, I only asked my sister for strength in this difficult trial, and the suffering I experienced, I offered for the intention of my son – confesses Grażyna’. Medals and many other memorable belongings to Sister Maria Dulcissima, people brought and still bring to the Memorial Chamber of the community in Brzezie. One of the oldest female residents of Brzezie, Mrs. Lucy Bugdol (95), tells about Fr. The “extraordinary visit” of God’s handmaid in their home: Dulcissima used to visit her mother and little sister Teresa. She said that she would be a spiritual mother for her and she gave Teresa a medal. I have this precious medal. It’s a relic. ABOUT! As in many families, even in hospitals, I always borrow as soon as someone asks, but I have to be sure that she will come back to me when it fulfills its purpose. I already told my [relatives] to give it to the monastery when I die. In this way, the miraculous medal, a precious family heirloom, travels through the families of Brzezie on the Oder. Passed from hand to hand, it enlivens and strengthens her love for Mary’s presence in so many homes. And the prayer of Sister Maria Dulcissima continues:
Dear Mother of God, You must lead souls to the Savior. You know the best you can get started and how you can get it. I am sure that it is also thanks to the conviction in the effectiveness of intercessory prayer of Sister Maria Dulcissima, the promise of the Immaculate is fulfilled, which pours graces on all people who ask her for it. Let the cry bear its fruit:
O Mary, conceived without original sin, pray for us who have recourse to You, which rises in our hearts to Heaven and is repeated at the request of the Mother of God countless times by Christians around the world! May the request of Sister Maria Dulcissima be granted: Mary, You are our Advocate and Comforter, do everything well and lead us through the darkness to the eternal light!
Sister Maria Małgorzata Cur SMI
Nov 22, 2020 | SPIRITUALITY
It happened when I was 15.
The days of my teenage life passed fast and intense, they were filled with science, with fun, meetings with peers and help at home.
Like every teenager, I also wanted to replace my wardrobe from time to time, unfortunately due to the fact that in my family we did not have much money, clothes purchases were rare and really for great events. And such a circumstance happened to me. One day I went shopping for pants. Going from shop to shop, I could find anything suitable. I knew I had to buy what would be suitable for various occasions. Weary of the long search, I decided to enter the last shop with the thought that “if I find nothing here, I will return home”.
I even liked one pair of pants, so I took them off the hanger and went to the fitting room. Unfortunately, the pants turned out to be too small. Worried that nothing I managed to find and I go home with nothing, I started getting dressed, and suddenly leaving the fitting room, I noticed that there was “something” on the ground. I bent down and I picked it up. It was a medal with the figure of Mary.
The medal was large, not as tiny as is usually worn around the neck. Surprised by what I found, I began to look around anxiously if someone might have been around has lost it. I didn’t see anybody. After a while I asked the saleswoman whether maybe she lost such a medal, but she replied “no” and since it was me who found it, it’s mine and I can take it. Returning home, I looked at it for a long time, wondering who was carrying such a big medallion? and how did he get there? ”. After returning home, I did not show anyone what I found. At that time I also thought that “no one normal wears such a big medallion around her neck, and when it is, it’s a devotee, ”which is why I didn’t want it either hanging around my neck, I just removed it away, and every now and then took it out and I watched, sometimes wondering how it happened that when I entered the fitting room I didn’t see it and what does it all mean. Over time, I forgot completely about the medal I found and the whole story.
Years passed. When I was 20, I decided to enter the Congregation and then a thought appeared “but of what?”. For this intention, I went on a walking pilgrimage to Częstochowa. There from the Vocation Center, I took several flyers, including our Congregation. In my heart I felt that it should be the so-called Marian Congregation, but also as a young girl, I paid attention to the dress of the sisters “by no chance it was not built up too much”. Looking at the flyer, it caught my attention. It said that the Sisters wear the Miraculous Medal, its photo was also posted. I made this story because it reminds me of something. After returning home, I found the “treasure” of previous years and compared with the photo I saw in the flyer were different. The one which I had, had “holes” and the one the sisters were wearing was “full”. Despite that I noticed this difference as a sign of where I should go. After joining the congregation I got to know the symbolism and meaning of this medal. I also found out to my surprise and joy that the sisters in Africa and Germany wear the same medal as I found years ago. Since then, the Miraculous Medal accompanies me every day, as does each of us.
I admit that I often forget about it, and feel guilty that I don’t wear it perhaps with the honor that is due to it, but I always make a novena before its memory, everyday I try to kiss it reverently, offering my life to Mary and looking at her, as I did when I was 15 and then not knowing that finding pants on that day wasn’t as important as finding a Wonderful mental. This medal was one of the signs that the Congregation I am in is my true place, and the once “great” medal that maybe someone “died” was supposed to wear, I wear it on my breast with pride and without fear.
Sr.M. Noemi Stanilewicz SMI
