Jan 31, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 4 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Hebrews 12:4-7,11-15
“Suffering is part of your training”. The author is presenting a Christian way of looking at our difficulties and sufferings. The suffering is part of our training. God is treating us as his sons and daughters. He granted us all the freedom. Our freedom and wrong choices of ours or others bring suffering to us. Then God as a Father stands at our side and transforms our pain into a redemptive suffering as Jesus on the cross. Cross lead to resurrection. That is why the author says, “it bears fruit in peace and goodness”. Therefore, we should stop complaining about our difficulties and must see it in a different perspective. Our difficulties and pain must not deviate us from our path of Christian choices. “So, hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again”. The suffering must not be transformed into weaknesses but must be transformed into strength to walk in the way of the Lord. Strength to make peace with all and to take out any hatred in us. Let’s reflect: Am I transforming my sufferings into strength to make peace with everyone or into weakness to be angry with everyone?
Jan 30, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint John Bosco, Priest
First reading – Hebrews 12:1-4
The test is speaking about the necessity of perseverance in keeping our sight of Jesus. We must not lose sight of Jesus any moment of our life because He is the one who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection. To keep sight of Him we must throw off everything that hinders us in avoiding sin. Keeping the sight of Jesus means understanding the triviality of everything except Him. Keeping the sight of Jesus mean giving up everything that takes away His place in my life. Keeping the sight of Jesus is embracing the cross as He has embraced it. His path becomes our path. We must really fight against sin because we are really going against our own ego and our selfishness. Moreover, we must face the world around us which attracts us to follow its charm of being selfish. Let’s reflect: Are we losing sight of Jesus in our way because of the charm of the individualism and selfishness?
Jan 29, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 4 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Hebrews 11:32-40
“These are all heroes of faith”. The heroes of faith, how beautiful is the title. How did they achieve that? They achieved that by letting the promise of God enter their life. They let their life be completely guided by the plan of God. They did not run away when difficulties came. They managed to see the difficulties as part of their faith. They were weak but the faith gave them strength. They were ill-treated by the world, but their faith gave them strength to go to desert where they found the truth of faith. The heroes of faith are those who are with us in our way of faith since the walk in this path is not alone. We walk with the heroes of faith. “These are all heroes of faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had made provision for us to have something better, and they were not to reach perfection except with us”. Let’s reflect: Do you feel that in your walk of faith, you are walking with the heroes of faith?
Jan 29, 2023 | NEWS
Yes, good luck and many blessings we have wished on January 26th
we wished our Sister Judith on her 90th birthday.
Sister Judith has been living here in Cochem for 62 years – first in the old hospital on the Klosterberg , then in the new hospital in the Avollonstraße and since a few years again here on the Klosterberg.
Cochem is a small town where the Sisters of Mary simply belong.
This is because many Cochem residents were born on the Klosterberg and thus had and still have very early contact with the Sisters of Mary.
Sister Judith was active in nursing education for 35 years. So Provincial Superior and Superior – not unknown. Yes, and when one is known – congratulations are also sent. The District Administrator sent his congratulations along with the Mayor of the Association, Mr. Lambertz (a dear friend of our convent) – because Mr. Lambertz did not miss the opportunity to come in person to congratulate Sister Judith, to tell her story and to have a cup of coffee.
The mayor of the city, Mr. Schmitz, also personally brought his congratulations and many other people of Cochem congratulated Sister Judith.
In a small circle, Father Andreas Pohl, a Sacred Heart priest from the Maria Martental Monastery, celebrated Holy Mass with us in thanksgiving for Sister Judith`s life.
It was a special joy for Sister Judith that our former managing director Mr. Mohr and his wife came to the service and then drank coffee together with us Sisters.
Good Agathe – who has been connected with the Sisters of Cochem for over fifty years and is still loyal to us as a pensioner – was also present and as always… she baked the best cake there is and brought it with her.
A day full of joy and gratitude has come to an end.
We wish
SisterJudith
God’s blessing,
much courage and strength for her everyday life
and the certainty.
“The best is yet to come” !
Sr. Felicitas
Jan 29, 2023 | NEWS
It has been a while since we celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of our Sister Augustina here in Cochem on the Klosterberg….but I think 60 years of being a Sister of Mary – is worth sharing the memories even now.
Because of the Corona time our way of celebrating has changed – nevertheless we did it on the last Feast of Christ the King and it was a beautiful celebration with many surprises. The Provincial Superior came from Berlin and brought Sister Carla and Sister Ursula with her – because they were on retreat.
The Benedictines from Maria Laach are very close to us and because Father Basil is our special friend – he also celebrated a wonderful festive service with us.
Sister Augustina had secretly wished it, but she did not expect him to come and it remained a secret until he entered the chapel for Holy Mass.
Also the organist, who is seriously ill, did not miss the opportunity to embellish the service with his special way of playing the organ. Jana, a young woman from Sister Augustina’s circle of acquaintances, also arrived and delighted everyone with her wonderful voice.
Sister Augustina could not believe what was possible that day.
Even today she is full of gratitude and always talks about her jubilee.
She told me…. the memory of this beautiful day give her strength in her old age – for her everyday life
Sr. Felicitas