El Año de la Misericordia

Inmaculada Concepcion - Novena

This is Pope Francis' homily on the Immaculate Conception. I just wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!

 

The Gospel of St Luke presents us with Mary, a girl from Nazareth, a small town in Galilee, in the outskirts of the Roman Empire and on the outskirts of Israel as well. A village. Yet the Lord’s gaze rested on her, on this little girl from that distant village, on the one he had chosen to be the mother of his Son. In view of this motherhood, Mary was preserved from original sin, from that fracture in communion with God, with others and with creation, which deeply wounds every human being. But this fracture was healed in advance in the Mother of the One who came to free us from the slavery of sin. The Immaculata was written in God’s design; she is the fruit of God’s love that saves the world.

And Our Lady never distanced herself from that love: throughout her life her whole being is a “yes” to that love, it is the “yes” to God. But that didn’t make life easy for her! When the Angel calls her “full of grace” (Lk 1:28), she is “greatly troubled” for in her humility she feels she is nothing before God. The Angel consoles her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus” (v. 30,31). This announcement troubles her even more because she was not yet married to Joseph; but the Angel adds: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you… therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (v. 35). Mary listens, interiorly obeys and responds: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (v.38).
The mystery of this girl from Nazareth, who is in the heart of God, is not estranged from us. She is not there and we over here. No, we are connected. Indeed, God rests his loving gaze on every man and every woman! By name and surname. His gaze of love is on every one of us. The Apostle Paul states that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph 1:4). We too, from all time, were chosen by God to live a holy life, free of sin. It is a plan of love that God renews every time we come to him, especially through the Sacraments.
On this Solemnity, then, by contemplating our beautiful Immaculate Mother, let us also recognize our truest destiny, our deepest vocation: to be loved, to be transformed by love, to be transformed by the beauty of God. Let us look to her, our Mother, and allow her to look upon us, for she is our mother and she loves us so much; let us allow ourselves to be watched over by her so that we may learn how to be more humble, and also more courageous in following the Word of God; to welcome the tender embrace of her Son Jesus, an embrace that gives us life, hope and peace.

Mercedita

On February 11, 1956, the first Claretian Sisters arrived in New York City. The first sisters were Mercedes Sánchez (Cuban), Ana María Santamaría (Colombian), and Montserrat Bianchi (Argentinian).

Mercedes Sanchez.

Recuerdo haberla conocido en Bosa, Colombia. Nuestra casa Noviciado estaba en Bosa. Todas los formandas de la Provincia de Colombia y de Estados Unidos hacían su formación allí en Bosa. Mercedes era una de las profesas en aquella casa.

Primeros recuerdos que tengo de "Merceditas" como le decíamos cariñosamente, era su habito negro. Ya todas las demás estaban con habito gris. Ella decidió seguir con este.

Lo segundo fue su celo apostólico. Cuando yo llegué a Colombia con mis 22 años de edad, una mujer de 60 y pico de anos era considerada muy vieja. Bueno, Mercedita, mayor como era, estaba escribiendo un catecismo para enseñar a los niños. Lo mas seguro era un preguntas y respuestas. Al terminarlo lo entregó a las autoridades eclesiástica para ser aprobado. Fue aprobado.

Creo que lo mas grande de Mercedita, según yo, fue la capacidad de aceptar un cambio de casa a la edad de 65. Oh my God!

Aquello fue heroico para mi. ¿Cómo pudo aquella hermana nuestra dejar o que conocía, las hermanas, el clima, ministerio, etc. para seguir adelante y comenzar con una nueva misión? Después de tantos años, entiendo la razón.

Era misionera. La misionera siempre estaba dispuesta y disponible. Ella como misionera y como claretiana tenia que "trabajar hasta morir en llevar la Ley Santa de Dios a toda criatura". Y me imagino que si para ser fiel a ese carisma en aquel momento requería salir de su comodidad, de su seguridad, ella no vería ninguna otra opción.

 

La lectura de hoy dice:

In the daytime the cloud of the LORD was seen over the Dwelling;
whereas at night, fire was seen in the cloud
by the whole house of Israel
in all the stages of their journey.

 

La nube y el fuego acompañaba al pueblo en caminar por el desierto...

Esa nube y ese fuego acompañaron a Mercedita en todo su caminar.

 

Hoy, nuestra Delegación, da gracias a Dios por Mercedita, por su servicio y misión entre nosotros los de Estados Unidos.

Si Crees

El evangelio de hoy me llenó de algo bueno.
Marta le dice a Jesús "yo sé que al final mi hermano resucitará." Jesús le dice, "yo soy la Resurrección" Ahhh!!!
Este diálogo me habló sobre la cercanía de Dios. Es como si hubiese dicho, "esperas algo en el futuro. Yo soy ese futuro ya presente. Solamente tienes que creer que ya se da en mi."
ME salió del corazón un canto de gratitud. Thank you! Gracias.
Jesus gives abundant life now and forever
Jesus states unequivocally the he himself is the Resurrection and the Life. The life he offers is abundant life - life which issues from God himself. And everlasting life - the fulness of life which knows no end.copyright (c) 2015 Servants of the Word, source:  www.dailyscripture.net, author Don Schwager

Me gustó esta reflexión.