Mar 12, 2024 | NEWS
A workshop for the new General Board began at the General House on Sunday, March 10. The intensive meetings and workshops will last until Saturday evening. The meeting began with Mass in the Colosseum. The purpose of the meeting is to prepare for the work of the Generalate and to set the main tasks for the Board and for the congregation for the next six years, as indicated by the General Chapter. The program also includes a day of recollection and a pilgrimage to the Holy Face of Jesus in Manoppello. During this time we also surround all the Sisters with our prayers.
Mar 11, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of the 4th week of Lent
Gospel John 5:1-3,5-16
“‘Sir,’ replied the sick man ‘I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; and while I am still on the way, someone else gets there before me.’ Jesus said, ‘Get up, pick up your sleeping-mat and walk.’ The man was cured at once, and he picked up his mat and walked away”. Here we can find two important aspects of faith. First of all, we find Jesus appearing before a person who has no one in his life to help him. He was sick for thirty-eight years and no one was in his life to help him. Jesus recognizes this and is appearing before him. This is very consoling for us. Jesus recognizes our helplessness and appears before us. Then there is another important message which the story of this paralyzed person is telling us. He was waiting to be put in the pool for being healed but God had a different plan. This means, we must be open to the plan of God and not to be stuck in our narrow way of thinking. Faith must open up our way of thinking and must not close us in our narrow boxes. There is always a possibility of just picking up the mat and walking way instead of being put into the pool in the first place the water is moved. Let’s reflect: Lent is the time to make our faith open us up to the plans of God and not closed in our plans.
Mar 10, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of the 4th week of Lent
Gospel John 4:43-54
“The man believed what Jesus had said and started on his way”. This is the faith. They were all looking for signs and portents. That is why Jesus is asking him, “So you will not believe unless you see signs and portents!” And this court official from Capernaum is not asking for signs but asking Jessus to come to his house to save his child. But Jesus just asked him to go home and that his son will live. When this court official accepted the Word of Jesus and believed in that, he made his conversion. His conversion from searching for signs into believing in the most visible sign, Jesus Christ. The Word of God is the most powerful sign in our midst. And when we start believing in that Word of God and not in the signs or miracles that Word God performs we also make this conversion. We have to move from searching for miracles to believing in the Word of God. And without any assurance we must start our journey like the court official. Just the Word of Jesus is enough. Lent is time to go in faith by moving forward just by trusting in the Word of God.
Mar 9, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
4th Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday)
Gospel John 3:14-21
“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life”. The fourth Sunday of Lent says ‘Lætáre, Ierúsalem, be joyful, Jerusalem, and all who love her!’ because she herself is loved by the Lord. We, the people of God, are called to rejoice because we are loved by the Lord. And today’s Gospel is saying how much the Lord loves us. God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. And we can also read the reason for this love. God loved us so much that we have a life with Him, an eternal life. God’s intervention is not to condemn but to save. When we do sin, we hide ourselves in the darkness of sin. But Jesus brings light into our darkness. We can let this light come into our life by believing in Him. When we believe in Him, we will not be lost in the darkness of sin. We will be saved by Him in grace. Let’s reflect: Lent is to understand how much God loves us so that we can embrace that light by believing in His love.
Mar 8, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent
St Frances of Rome (1384 - 1440)
Gospel – Luke 18:9-14
“Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else”. This happens when we feel happy and virtuous about our own accomplishments without any relationship with God or with our brothers and sisters around us. Everything is around me. I do a lot of good things and the relationship is not with God or with others but with myself. I do prayers or fasting but these prayers or fasting have no connection to my relationship with God. My activities are just actions to make myself happy and to make me feel different from others. Once we are in this vicious circle, we will start despising others also. Then we become more and more centered around ourselves. This is what we can see in this Pharisee. Whereas the tax collector relates his life with God, he recognizes the need for the mercy of God. He gives the apt space for God in his life. Let’s reflect: Lent is to assign the right space for God in our life by eliminating our pride.
