Dec 4, 2020 | SPIRITUALITY
Advent is a season of preparation extending over four Sunday before Christmas. The word Advent comes from the Latin “advenio” means “to come to”, and refers to the coming of Christ. Thus, the term “the coming” includes three references: First of all to our celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas; Second, to the coming of Christ in our daily lives through Sacrament of the Eucharist; and finally, it refers to his second coming at the end of time. Therefore, our preparation during Advent should have all three comings in mind. We need to prepare our souls to welcome and receive Christ wholeheartedly.
What perfect example of receiving Jesus wholeheartedly, than Mary. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception just around the corner, stand as a reminder to us all, that Mary is truly the central figure of the Advent season. It reminds us all that God bestowed such favour on Mary, not for her sake, but for ours. She stands as the sinless one, the perfect disciple, the model of the church, and her assumption the promise of our resurrection. In fact, it through her “yes” consenting, that the Son of God was conceived and live among us in the flesh. It is through her “yes” that Jesus began his way along the road of humanity. Mary “yes” shows how complete and unconditional, her love for God without reservations. But more importantly, her saying “yes” tells the whole story of God saving Love; that “though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humble himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Philip 2:6- 9).
Thus, our daily saying “yes” to God creates our own salvation stories. It tells of how God work in and with us through the Holy Spirit for our redemption. God offered life eternal and we say “yes” in complete favour of his eternal love, and as a result life everlasting follows. It sound straight forward and easy but in reality, it demands sacrifices by dying to self-daily. It demands faithfulness and the joy of carrying daily crosses with Jesus each day. It demands perseverance through the uncertain and unclear moments of everyday life.
Pope Francis remind us that “we are experts on the half-yes; we are good at pretending not to understand what God wants, and what our conscience prompts us to do. We are also smart, and never give a true no to God, and say: ‘I am not able’, ‘not today, but tomorrow’, ‘Tomorrow I will be better, tomorrow I will pray, tomorrow I will do good.” It is through these half-yes and delay responses we offered to God each day, which leads us to sin.
Nevertheless, this season of Advent is an opportunity for us to reflect on our saying “yes” to God. Indeed, God desire to see us and awaits our “yes” wholeheartedly. Like Mary, we should be completely open to the actions of God in our daily activities. We should be like Mary, presenting no obstacle to the transforming power of God’s love. Like Mary, we should be pondered of all that God graces us with.
The Immaculate Conception of Mary speaks to us of the reality which will helps us draw close to her son. May our hearts grow like Mary’s in trust of God the Father, and we offer thanks to the Father for the gift of Mary our Mother, and through her tender maternal intercession may we grow firm in our everyday “yes” witnessing to her Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
Fr. Sione Hamala
Dec 3, 2020 | FORUM
LOGGED IN JESUS
Helena Hoffmann, who from childhood, certainly loved God she cared for the construction of an internal chapel. God saw her deep searches and intimate desires of her heart, he perceived the longing and urgent readiness to become a religious sister. Helena’s piety and the fact that she was willing to spend time for prayer that she valued the sacraments, and above all that she often participated in the Eucharist and had a passion for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, carved in her heart the space and desire to serve God. Undoubtedly such sincere child’s trust made Heavenly Father happy!
For this simplicity, God responded with trust to the child and bestowed many favors on Helena. I don’t think she was expecting it herself. On Trinity Sunday in 1925 in front of the altar she asked for a religious vocation. And to the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate she joined in 1927, although her parents were not thrilled with her decision. Helena, however knew what she wanted. She wanted to make Jesus happy: to build an inner chapel, to save souls – these are the urges born of the Holy Spirit. It’s Jesus who calls me to the victim, she said Mary Immaculate.
Helena, gifted with the charism of prayer and guided by God’s grace, entered Marian congregation, which from the very beginning aimed at saving girls and women against spiritual, moral and material poverty. It is Mother of God, Fr. John Schneider, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate (Congregatio Sororum Mariae Immaculatae – SMI), entrusted the work created as a gift of the Holy Spirit to Church and in the Church. She who crushes the head of the serpent (cf. Gen 3:15) – Mary Immaculate became the main patron of this Congregation. Servant of God in Mary who believed the Word of God and was the first man to be in the center of the fight against evil, he saw help and Defense. After all, it is she who stands up to fight for the soul that Satan does today still tempts to enslave her.
Mary’s sister
Sister Dulcissima often talked to Mary, she knew that she could stand this way get rich for eternity. She was listened to the request of Father Schneider, who said that the sisters of Mary should imitate Our Lady with humility and love, and sacrifice themselves for the most abandoned souls. Obedient, she entrusted not only to Mary during her life her affairs, but she offered herself and continues to intercede: Receive the sacrifice, Mary, a treasury of graces and give souls everything they need: love, love, a thousand times love!
1st degree of specialization: Saving Souls
The charism of the Congregation and the call of Fr. John Schneider: Help save souls, it very quickly became Sister Dulcissima’s first concern. Saving souls that they stood over gaps that were experiencing a collapse of spirit. Saving the souls of priests, who have embraced the world spirit, the lukewarm souls of consecrated and lost people, children and adolescents, sick people, educators, sinners, souls in Purgatory … –
it is a wide range of intentions that have become the object of prayer and sacrifice of the Handmaid of God. Sister Dulcissima, reading her call, not only made an effort realization of the charism of the Congregation, which lived it fully and the vitality of this gift it continues to delight radiating it to this day.
24/7 care
On the bet by Fr. John Schneider asked: What deed can be nobler and more beautiful than helping to save and win souls? Sister Dulcissima responds positively, winning, saving and supporting hers today a silent presence before God of all who ask her for help. And no intentions
missing. Some of them are:
Thank you for directing my prayers to Sr. Dulcissima. I have contact with her every day, and I also invite her to visit her every day Pompeian rosary (Andrew)
I am asking for effective protection against all visible and invisible evil.
I am asking for prayer, for deliverance from all evil. I am asking for all needed graces and abundance of graces (Sylvia).
Sister Maria Dulcissima, pray for us, ask for the favors we need God in our families and our homeland (veronica).
For the grace of freeing the house from the influence of the evil one. God bless you (Sophia).
I am asking for your prayers for the release of my husband Paweł from pornography. God I pray! (Gosia).
Through the intercession of B. S.M. Dulcissima, our Helena zgoda, please Lord, for the protection and protection of the entire parish of St. Josef on the Consensus. Surround under the care of the vicar priest of our altar boys and all children Concord, give mercy to all the sick and grant them grace healings, extend your merciful hand over sinners them to convert. Bless our families, parish communities and to all those who pray for our parish, protect us in this difficult situation during the epidemic. Finally, together with Sister Dulcissima, I am asking you for my recovery (Pastor of Concord).
Sister Dulcissima, pray for all the sick who suffer pandemic give them strength to overcome this disease in you I hope (Teresa).
Prayer
I come to you, my sister Dulcissima, to ask for advice and help.
You were always in a hurry to help other people. You carried their burdens and
you led them to heaven. I know that my request will be heard by you,
therefore I am asking you with confidence, obtain for me God’s grace … and lead me straight road to Heaven. Amen.
Sr. Maria Małgorzata Cur SMI
