Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Following the Star Retreat
Following the Star Retreat offered young ladies the opportunity to know how they are to be bright stars in a world which could be covered with many different types of clouds.
As they began the experience, each young lady received a star. On it, they had to write a gift, a talent they have. This star was folded to cover the talent they wrote. This gesture served as a reminder that even though there are bright stars, and we all have talents, we can hide them. Some times the clouds hide the stars. In our lives, what are the things that take us to hide our talents, our gifts? The letter to the Phillipians tell us that even when it gets very dark out in the "world", our star (talent) needs to shine. With this in mind, the retreat continued on with stories of people who decided to follow the star in their lives.
May the Good Lord help each one of us to follow the star, Jesus Christ. May his light guide each and every one of our steps so we can be Christ-like to all who know us!Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
2012 LIFETIME CATECHETICAL LEADERSHIP AWARD
El sábado 3 de
noviembre la Arquidiócesis de Miami celebró como cada año el Día Catequético.
Este año revistió
un significado especial, pues por primera vez el Arzobispo Thomas Wenski hizo entrega de un
reconocimiento por parte de la Arquidiócesis a tres hermanas que se han
distinguido por su liderazgo en la catequesis por más de 30 años. Entre ellas
estaba nuestra hermana Carmen Álvarez.
En este evento
participaron con gran entusiasmo unos 1500 catequistas. Desde hacía varios años
no se veía una respuesta tan extraordinaria.
La reunión se tuvo en la parte norte de la Arquidiócesis.
Catechesi Tradendae.
recognition to outstanding ministry,
faithful service, joyful commitment and
visionary leadership in the Catechetical
Ministry of the Archdiocese of Miami
On Saturday the 3rd of November the Archidiocesis of Miami
celebrated its annual Catechetical Day with the participation of almost 1500
catechists. This overwhelming response had not been seen for many years.
During the Encounter the Archbishop Thomas Wenski awarded a
recognition to three sisters who have distinguished themselves in Catechetical
leadership. Among them was our Sister Carmen Alvarez.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Re-eleccion y Re-estructuracion
Ayer estaba escuchando las noticias en la cadena CNN. Me pareció muy interesante los comentarios que hacían sobre el triunfo de Obama y la derrota de Romney.Unos de los comentaristas enfatizaba en la necesidad que tiene el partido republicano de revisar sus líneas de acción, su proyecto, su política. El decía que algo no estaba funcionando cuando en una y en otra elección los votos de los hispanos, el voto popular lo estaban perdiendo. ¿Qué deben hacer distinto? A la misma vez retaba al partido democrático, ¿qué van a hacer una vez que Obama no esté? Hacia dónde debe caminar su política?
Interesante la evaluación que hacía aquella persona.
A mi me llevó a pensar en la misión que nos hemos propuesto de reestructurarnos como Congregación. ¿Qué es lo que tenemos que enfatizar en este momento de nuestra vida congregacional? ¿En qué debemos gastar nuestras energías ministeriales? ¿Hacia dónde tenemos que caminar como cuerpo congregacional?
Incluso, me ha llevado a conectarlo con la lectura de hoy: "Dejó 99." El pastor fue por la 1, por aquella que se había alejado, por aquella que ya no estaba.Como ese pastor, el republicano tiene que dejar lo que conocía para poder acercarse al pueblo; las Claretianas debemos dejar lo que nos parece muy bueno y arriesgarnos a buscar lo que es esencial. En ambos casos, tenemos que ser pastores de nuestro pueblo allí donde está y con lo que necesita.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Called to Renew Our Faith
The Apostolic Exhortation from Benedict XVI Porta Fidei, the Door of Faith, invites us
to enter into the renewal of our faith, to embark in a journey that will
enhance and nurture our Catholic faith in the XXI century.
Introduction
On October 11, Benedict XVI announced to the universal Church with his apostolic letter "Porta Fidei," a Year of
Faith, it will begin Oct. 11, 2012, and conclude Nov. 24, 2013. The
dating for the starting and ending of the Year of Faith commemorate important
events for the Catholic community:
With the Apostolic Letter of 11 October 2011, Porta fidei, Pope Benedict XVI declared a Year of Faith. As
already stated this year will begin on 11 October 2012, on the occasion of the
50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Ecumenical Vatican
Council, called by Blessed Pope John XXIII, and the twentieth anniversary of
the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, given to the
Church by Blessed Pope John Paul II (11
October 1992). It will conclude on 24 November 2013, the Solemnity of our Lord
Jesus Christ, Universal King.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we learn that God has
opened the door of faith for the early Church. …They called the church together
and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of
faith..." (Acts 14:27). Benedict XVI affirms that the door of faith is
always open for us. "The 'door of faith' (Acts14:27) is always open for
us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his
Church."---Pope Benedict XVI,
Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei for the Indiction of the Year of Faith.
The Year of the Faith is not only an invitation but a summons to an
authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord (PF 6). It is the intention of Benedict XVI to arouse in every believer the aspiration to profess the
faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope. It
will also be a good opportunity to intensify the celebration of the faith in
the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist, which is"the summit towards
which the activity of the Church is directed; ... and also the source from
which all its power flows."[14] At the same time, we make it our prayer
that believers’ witness of life may grow in credibility. To rediscover the
content of the faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed,[15] and
to reflect on the act of faith, is a task that every believer must make his
own, especially in the course of this Year (PF 9).
The USCCB wrote to all of us Catholics in the US: But
did you know that God has opened the door of faith for each one us and he
invites us to step through the threshold into a deeper relationship with him.
The upcoming Year of Faith is an opportunity for every Catholic to turn towards
Jesus Christ, encounter him in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and rediscover
the Faith and Church.
In this spirit this
conference will focus on faith, as a gift received from God and as a task
entrusted to us to make it grow as we live it in our daily lives.
Verbum Domini 20. The economy of
revelation has its beginning and origin in God the Father. By his word “the
heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth” (Ps 33:6). It
is he who has given us “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Christ” (2Cor. 4:6; cf. Mt 16:17; Lk. 9:29).
In the Son, “Logos made flesh” (cf. Jn 1:14), who came to
accomplish the will of the one who sent him (cf. Jn 4:34), God, the source of
revelation, reveals himself as Father and brings to completion the divine
pedagogy which had previously been carried out through the words of the
prophets and the wondrous deeds accomplished in creation and in the history of
his people and all mankind. The revelation of God the Father culminates in the
Son’s gift of the Paraclete (cf. Jn 14:16), the Spirit of the Father and the
Son, who guides us “into all the truth” (Jn 16:13).
All God’s promises find their “yes” in Jesus Christ (cf.
2 Cor 1:20). Men and women are thus enabled to set out on the way that leads to
the Father (cf. Jn 14:6), so that in the end “God may be everything to
everyone” (1 Cor 15:28).
Verbum Domini 21. As the cross of Christ demonstrates,
God also speaks by his silence. The silence of God, the experience of the
distance of the almighty Father, is a decisive stage in the earthly journey of
the Son of God, the incarnate Word. Hanging from the wood of the cross, he
lamented the suffering caused by that silence: “My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?” (Mk 15:34; Mt 27:46). Advancing in obedience to his very last
breath, in the obscurity of death, Jesus called upon the Father. He commended
himself to him at the moment of passage, through death, to eternal life:
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk 23:46).
This experience of Jesus reflects the situation of all
those who, having heard and acknowledged God’s word, must also confront his
silence. This has been the experience of countless saints and mystics, and even
today is part of the journey of many believers. God’s silence prolongs his
earlier words. In these moments of darkness, he speaks through the mystery of
his silence. Hence, in the dynamic of Christian revelation, silence appears as
an important expression of the word of God. (Verbum Domini 20).
It is to this
revelation that we are called to take a stand.
Called to the covenant with God
Verbum Domini 22. The mystery of the
Covenant expresses this relationship between God who calls man with his word,
and man who responds, albeit making clear that it is not a matter of a meeting
of two peers; what we call the Old and New Covenant is not a contract between
two equal parties, but a pure gift of God. By this gift of his love God bridges
every distance and truly makes us his “partners”, in order to bring about the
nuptial mystery of the love between Christ and the Church. In this vision every
man and woman appears as someone to whom the word speaks, challenges and calls
to enter this dialogue of love through a free response. Each of us is thus
enabled by God to hear and respond to his word. We were created in the word and
we live in the word; we cannot understand ourselves unless we are open to this
dialogue. The word of God discloses the filial and relational nature of human
existence. We are indeed called by grace to be conformed to Christ, the Son of
the Father, and, in him, to be
transformed
Obedience of faith to
God’s revelation
Verbum Domini 25. “‘The obedience of faith’ (Rom
16:26; cf. Rom 1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6) must be our response to God who reveals. By
faith one freely commits oneself entirely to God, making ‘the full submission
of intellect and will to God who reveals’ and willingly assenting to the
revelation given by God”. In these words the Dogmatic Constitution Dei
Verbum gave precise expression to the stance which we must have with
regard to God. The proper human response to the God who speaks is faith. Here
we see clearly that “in order to accept revelation, man must open his mind and
heart to the working of the Holy Spirit who enables him to understand the word
of God present in the sacred Scriptures”. It is the preaching of the divine
word, in fact, which gives rise to faith, whereby we give our heartfelt assent
to the truth which has been revealed to us and we commit ourselves entirely to
Christ: “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes from the word
of Christ” (Rom 10:17). The whole history of salvation progressively
demonstrates this profound bond between the word of God and the faith which
arises from an encounter with Christ. Faith thus takes shape as an encounter
with a person to whom we entrust our whole life. Christ Jesus remains present
today in history, in his body which is the Church; for this reason our act of
faith is at once both personal and ecclesial.
Scripture does not give a definition of what faith is all
about. The letter to the Hebrews gives a description of what faith is: Now
faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval. By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of
God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear (Hebrews
11:1).
We believe that what we hope
for will be accomplished in due time, and what we hope for is the salvation
brought forth by the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. Long ago, God spoke to our ancestors in
many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to
us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also
created the worlds (Hebrews 1:1-2).
Christ is the Word of God
made flesh, He is our Savior, in him we become sons and daughters of God, and
we are God’s children. All who
received Him (The Word made flesh) who believed in his name, he gave
power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of
the flesh or of the will of man, but of God (Jn1:12).
We have to become aware that
the act of faith is the greatest gift God has given to us. Jesus said: Everything
that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will
never drive away (Jn. 6:37).
We profess our faith each
Sunday. I profess the faith, within the community of faith, the Church, and I
proclaim that I believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The
first proclamation was made by St. Peter in Jerusalem, when the community
gathered in the Upper Room awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit, and receiving
the gifts of the Spirit, Peter stood up and proclaimed the gospel of salvation
(Acts 2:14-36).
There is an urgent need to
be renewed in our faith. It seems that we are becoming complacent with the
world and losing our being salt of the earth. It is appropriate for us to
remember that we are not alone in professing our faith; we have a cloud of
witnesses surrounding us, both from the Old Testament and the New Testament as
well as from people beginning with the first believers till our day.
The letter to the Hebrews
gives an exhaustive list of witnesses beginning with Abraham and Moses, Judges,
Prophets. And ends with this statement: they all were looking to Jesus the
pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 11:1-12:3).
In the New Testament the
first witness of faithfulness to the Word of God is Mary of Nazareth. The
Synodal apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini states:
Verbum Domini 27. The Synod Fathers declared that the
basic aim of the Twelfth Assembly was “to renew the Church’s faith in the word
of God”. To do so, we need to look to the one in whom the interplay between the
word of God and faith was brought to perfection, that is, to the Virgin Mary,
“who by her ‘yes’ to the word of the covenant and her mission, perfectly
fulfills the divine vocation of humanity”.[79] The human
reality created through the word finds its most perfect image in Mary’s
obedient faith. From the Annunciation to Pentecost she appears as a woman
completely open to the will of God. She is the Immaculate Conception, the one
whom God made “full of grace” (cf. Lk 1:28) and unconditionally docile to his
word (cf. Lk 1:38). Her obedient faith shapes her life at every moment before
God’s plan. A Virgin ever attentive to God’s word, she lives completely attuned
to that word; she treasures in her heart the events of her Son, piecing them
together as if in a single mosaic (cf. Lk 2:19,51).[80]
In the Apostolic
Church till our time we are also surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, martyrs
and saints, men and women that gave their life proclaiming the lordship of
Christ. Just bring to our heart and mind St. Anthony Mary Claret and Mother Antonia Paris who lived the faith and proclaimed it with courage and love.
M.
Antonia Paris, mujer de fe
Conclusion
San Antonio Maria claret, un
hombre de fe viva
¡Con qué
fe asistía a todas las funciones de nuestra santa Religión! Las funciones que
más me gustaban eran las del Santísimo Sacramento: en éstas, a que asistía con
una devoción extraordinaria, gozaba mucho. Además del buen ejemplo que en todo
me daba mi querido padre, que era devotísimo del Santísimo Sacramento, tuve yo
la suerte de parar a mis manos un libro que se titula Finezas de Jesús
Sacramentado. ¡Cuánto me gustaba! De memoria lo aprendía. Tanto era lo que me
agradaba. Autobiografía # 37)
Delante del Santísimo Sacramento siento una
fe tan viva, que no lo puedo explicar. Casi se me hace sensible, y estoy
continuamente besando sus llagas y quedo, finalmente, abrazado con él. Siempre
tengo que separarme y arrancarme con violencia de su divina presencia cuando
llega la hora. (Autobiografía # 767.
M. Antonia fue una mujer de fe,
urgida por un amor ardiente a Dios y la
Iglesia. En su corazón sólo había un deseo: consagrarse a Dios, ser religiosa,
en una palabra, ser toda de El.
Esta fe tan
viva que ha puesto Dios en mi alma, me hacía descansar en medio de tantos
sobresaltos, y así quiso Dios en esta ocasión dar prueba de que no queda
confundido quien en su poder infinito tiene toda su esperanza. (Autografía #
152)
Y así armada de confianza con mi Dios,
y cierta que sólo Él podía guardarme a mí y a todas las que me había confiado,
de tantos y tan inminentes peligros como presentaba un viaje tan espantoso para
mujeres (y que quizá nunca se ha visto con iguales circunstancias) dije dentro
de mí misma: El Señor es el defensor de mi vida ¿podrán los más graves peligros
amedrentarte? Injuria sería esto al cuidado paternal que tiene Dios de sus
hijos, que los lleva a la palma de sus manos. Con esta firmísima confianza nos
embarcamos, más cierta y más segura que si fuera acompañada de la más fiel
escolta. Y ¿qué más fiel escolta que andar bajo la custodia de los Ángeles a
quienes Dios ha mandado que te guarden tanto en el mar como en la tierra? Así
hablaba la gracia dentro de mí. Esta confianza puso Dios en mi corazón desde
que empecé a servirle, y siempre he tenido continuamente delante de mis ojos al
Señor, persuadidísima de que está siempre a mi lado para sostenerme. (Autobiografía
# 135)
Lo
primero que sentí en la primera sensación del corazón fue un profundísimo
conocimiento de mi indignidad delante de la Majestad de Dios, que desde aquel
momento lo miré real y verdaderamente en mi corazón, este profundísimo
conocimiento de mi indignidad me avivaba la fe de mi Dios real en mi corazón y
esta certidumbre me hizo derramar una lluvia de lágrimas todo el día, de pura
confusión mía, sin poder hacer otra cosa que humillarme delante de mi Señor: ¡Y
qué mucho si traía la misma humildad en mi corazón!!!... (Diario #100).
Conclusion
This Year of Faith
is the occasion for us to profess our life with deeds and words. It is a good
opportunity to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with
confidence and hope. The challenge ahead of us is to enter into a closer relationship
with the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is an open opportunity to
listen to the Word of God, to enter into communion with Christ in the
Eucharist, to be fed and strengthen to continue our faith journey. In front of
us is the challenge to enter into a better and in depth knowledge of our
faith.
The Year of Faith
is the opportunity to entrust ourselves to God more fully; to take action to
proclaim the Good News that nourishes our heart and mind.
The Year of Faith
challenges each one of us to intensify the witness of charity, to live in
perfect harmony with the recommendations given by St. Paul to the Corinthian
community (1Co. 13:4-8a):
love is not
jealous or boastful;
Love does
not insist on its own way;
it is not
irritable or resentful;
believes
all things,
hopes all
things,
and endures
all things.
8 Love never ends
8 Love never ends
Recommended Documents:
Apostolic
Letter Porta Fidei (Benedict XVI)
Postsynodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini (Benedict
XVI)
Apostolic Letter in the form of Motu Proprio Credo
of the People of God (Paul VI)
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Porta Fidei y Claretianas
Mientras el resto de nuestra nación disfrutaba un descanso en la playa, nosotras nos dimos cita en el salón de la parroquia Santa Juliana en West Palm Beach. Nos reunimos todas las que formamos parte de esta nuestra Delegación.
El tema de nuestro encuentro fue Año de la Fe. Margarita, con un power point, nos hizo un recorrido sobre los puntos más importantes del documento base para este año. Y en ese recorrido, nos presentó a nuestros fundadores como modelos a seguir en nuestro caminar.Después de la presentación, tuvimos tiempo para reflexionar personalmente y compartirlo en una plenaria.
Al final del día, fue interesante comprender que estamos todas llamadas, en este Año de la Fe, a retomar nuestro caminar, nuestra conversion, nuestra fe para poder ser fieles a lo que el Señor nos pide.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Porta Fidei y Catequesis
En la Misión San Juan de la Cruz en Branford tuvimos un día de reflexión ayer dia 25. Los catequistas de cuatro parroquias se unieron para compartir en oración su reflexión sobre Porta Fidei. Comenzamos con la celebración de la Eucaristía con el padre Jan Ligeza. Sherri Ortega, DRE de San Francis Xavier, nos ayudó con un rompe hielo que nos puso en tónica. 
Margarita nos presentó el tema central del Año de la Fe. Los catequistas se mostraron interesados en todo lo que ella les presentaba especialmente cuando les hacía ver lo importante del camino de conversión personal al que nos llama este año.
Vivian Cuadras aterrizó parte de la presentación con ideas prácticas para la catequesis.
Terminamos la tarde con un tiempo de preguntas y respuestas. Creo que fue la parte más interesante de todo el día. Los catequistas comaprtieron con todos todas las dudas que cubre sus mentes y su manera de vivir su fe. Poco a poco, con mucha claridad y astucia, Margarita les fue aclarando sus dudas y enfatizando una imagen positiva de Dios y de la Iglesia. Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Republica Dominicana
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)