¡No puedo creer que ya es el 25 de enero, la conversión de San Pablo! Hoy hace exactamente un año que comenzé el aspirantado. (Usted puede leer más sobre nuestras etapas de formación en nuestro web site http://www.daughtersofstpaul.com/daughters/vocations/vocdiscern.html). Ahora usted se ha dado cuenta que cada día esta lleno de sorpresas. El viernes nosotras invitamos un grupo de girl scouts a nuestra librería. Mientras ellas almorzaron compartimos con ellas sobre como es nuestra vida de postulante. En vez de nosotras explicarles nuestra misión les mostramos a ellas un video de la vocación Paulina y tuvimos un actividad. Ellas tuvieron que encontrar algunos de nuestros libros y cd’s, discubrir quien son nuestros fundadores, y contestar preguntas sobre nuestra espiritualidad y misión. Fue una gran manera de proveerles la oportunidad de hablar con las hermanas y nosotras postulantes tambíen. Después ellas compartieron con nosotras las respuestas que ellas habían encontrado y Emily concluyó el encuentro con un tiempo de oración en la capilla. El martes nosotras dimos la bienvenida a el Hermano Aloysius Milella, un religioso de la Sociedad de San Pablo y amigo bueno de la comunidad. El Hermano Al pasará una semana con nosotras. El miércoles por la noche él dio una conferencia sobre la conversión de San Pablo. ¡Un gran número de personas vino y algúnos manejaron casi una hora para llegar! Cuándo todos se habían ido, él Hermano Al nos desafió a un juego de Scrabble que él mismo ganó. Me conmovió especialmente las muchos experiencias que él nos compartió durante la semana. ¡En sus viajes él ha encontrado tantas personas de gran fé. Pero lo mejor es que él aún conoció a nuestro fundador! He leído tantos libros sobre la vida de Alberione pero oír estas anécdotas personales de él me he enriquecido tanto. Gozamos también en tener a la hermana Laura aquí. Ella ya nos ha preparado tarjetas de vocabulario en Italiano para que podamos aprender con ella. Tenemos tanto por lo cual estar agradecidas. Continuamos en oración y en estudio y seguimos adelante. San Pablo, ruega por nosotros.
-Alina
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Comings and Goings!
Vocation talks, exhibits, and book clubs, oh my! It has been an action-packed week here in the postulancy of the Daughters of St. Paul. Last Friday morning we gave a vocation talk to about 90 first- to fourth-grade girls at Queen of All Saints Parish. It was great – we taught them a song about following Jesus that they really liked, and they had a lot of good questions for us.
Then Friday afternoon we left for our book exhibit at the Marian Conference. It was a beautiful experience. I am always struck on exhibits by all the different kinds of people who stop by our table to look at our books or just to share their stories with us. This exhibit was no exception – a lot of people touched my heart and will remain in my prayers.
The first meeting of the Mother Thecla Book Club was Saturday afternoon. We had four girls come, and we had a wonderful discussion on what holiness means, and then we shared a time of Eucharistic Adoration.
To wrap up our "Mission Weekend," Sr. Carmen and Julia gave a vocation
talk to the 8th graders at St. Gerard Majella Parish on Monday evening. Together with a Sister of St. Joseph, one of their novices, and a diocesan priest, they formed part of a panel and gave their witness and answered questions for the teens. Thank you for your prayers for
all our apostolic and vocational activities – it is beautiful to see how God is working!
In the midst of all this, we continue with our prayer, formation, and studies. We are all thoroughly enjoying Sr. Rose's class on the Catholic Church and social communications. My favorite part of the class this week was reading and reflecting on John Paul II's message for World Communications Day in 1984 on the encounter between faith and culture.
I know this is a long post! But there's one more thing: we have a new addition to our community! Sr. Laura Rhoderica joined us on Thursday. Her last assignment in the States was in Philadelphia, but for the past six months she has been in Italy studying Italian in preparation for a course on the Pauline charism. We will try to post a picture of her soon!
God bless each of you in the next week!
Some quotes from the week...
Alina says: "Sr. Rose's class is awesome...Yay for Sr. Laura coming...The pope's new encyclical rocks!"
Julia says: "I went with Sr. Carmen on Monday to speak to a Confirmation group about vocations and participated with the Girl Scouts today…it was so nice to be among the youth of the Church again! Thank you, Jesus!"
Sr. Carmen Christi says: "La vita e bella......Our community is growing -- Praise the Lord!"
Emily says: "I am also thoroughly enjoying the new encyclical, Spe Salvi. We are saved in hope -- how beautiful!"
Then Friday afternoon we left for our book exhibit at the Marian Conference. It was a beautiful experience. I am always struck on exhibits by all the different kinds of people who stop by our table to look at our books or just to share their stories with us. This exhibit was no exception – a lot of people touched my heart and will remain in my prayers.
The first meeting of the Mother Thecla Book Club was Saturday afternoon. We had four girls come, and we had a wonderful discussion on what holiness means, and then we shared a time of Eucharistic Adoration.
To wrap up our "Mission Weekend," Sr. Carmen and Julia gave a vocation
talk to the 8th graders at St. Gerard Majella Parish on Monday evening. Together with a Sister of St. Joseph, one of their novices, and a diocesan priest, they formed part of a panel and gave their witness and answered questions for the teens. Thank you for your prayers for
all our apostolic and vocational activities – it is beautiful to see how God is working!
In the midst of all this, we continue with our prayer, formation, and studies. We are all thoroughly enjoying Sr. Rose's class on the Catholic Church and social communications. My favorite part of the class this week was reading and reflecting on John Paul II's message for World Communications Day in 1984 on the encounter between faith and culture.
I know this is a long post! But there's one more thing: we have a new addition to our community! Sr. Laura Rhoderica joined us on Thursday. Her last assignment in the States was in Philadelphia, but for the past six months she has been in Italy studying Italian in preparation for a course on the Pauline charism. We will try to post a picture of her soon!
God bless each of you in the next week!
Some quotes from the week...
Alina says: "Sr. Rose's class is awesome...Yay for Sr. Laura coming...The pope's new encyclical rocks!"
Julia says: "I went with Sr. Carmen on Monday to speak to a Confirmation group about vocations and participated with the Girl Scouts today…it was so nice to be among the youth of the Church again! Thank you, Jesus!"
Sr. Carmen Christi says: "La vita e bella......Our community is growing -- Praise the Lord!"
Emily says: "I am also thoroughly enjoying the new encyclical, Spe Salvi. We are saved in hope -- how beautiful!"
Friday, January 4, 2008
2008 !
¡ Ha sido una Navidad hermosa aquí en San Louis! Esta semana pasada ha sido una celebración continua. Nos han visitado muchas personas inclusive mi familia, una amiga de Julia y la hermana de Emily. Esperamos tambíen la llegada de Sr.Laura quien formará parte de nuestra comunidad dentro de poco.
La Víspera de Año Nuevo pasamos con Jesus en la eucaristía recordando la noche entre los siglos (1900-1901) cuando nuestro fundador decidió irrevocáblamente “hacer algo por Dios y por los hombres del siglo XX”.
El primer del año celebramos tambíen el cumpleaños de Sr. Caritas. Ella pidió pastel de merengue de limón y un juego que se llama, “ apples to apples”. El calendario de este año ya se llenó. Empezaremos algunas nuevas clases y ya hemos programado las fechas de las noches de fé y film para la primavera, junto con las fechas para las conferencias y otras actividades apostólicas.
Una nueva iniciativa, y el primer evento de 2008 será nuestra club de lectores de Madre Tecla para chicas de 12-14 años. Deseo mucho ver que será el plan del Señor para Sus jóvenes.
En el espíritu de San Pablo miramos hacia el futuro encomendando cada día en las manos del Jesús nuestro Maestro Divino. ¡Muchas bendiciones a todos!
La Víspera de Año Nuevo pasamos con Jesus en la eucaristía recordando la noche entre los siglos (1900-1901) cuando nuestro fundador decidió irrevocáblamente “hacer algo por Dios y por los hombres del siglo XX”.
El primer del año celebramos tambíen el cumpleaños de Sr. Caritas. Ella pidió pastel de merengue de limón y un juego que se llama, “ apples to apples”. El calendario de este año ya se llenó. Empezaremos algunas nuevas clases y ya hemos programado las fechas de las noches de fé y film para la primavera, junto con las fechas para las conferencias y otras actividades apostólicas.
Una nueva iniciativa, y el primer evento de 2008 será nuestra club de lectores de Madre Tecla para chicas de 12-14 años. Deseo mucho ver que será el plan del Señor para Sus jóvenes.
En el espíritu de San Pablo miramos hacia el futuro encomendando cada día en las manos del Jesús nuestro Maestro Divino. ¡Muchas bendiciones a todos!
Friday, December 28, 2007
First Christmas in the Convent!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!!! Blessed Christmas to all of you! Our last days of Advent were spent eagerly preparing our hearts for Baby Jesus' coming – and preparing our gifts for our "Advent Angels"! On the last Sunday of Advent we went to St. Raymond's, a Maronite Rite Catholic Church (one of the Eastern rites of the Church). It was a very beautiful liturgy.
Christmas Eve we spent helping in the bookcenter, decorating the chapel, and practicing our Christmas Mass music one last time! We also went to a Christmas Eve Vigil Mass. That's one of my favorite parts of Christmas: to walk into church on Christmas Eve, when the lights are dimmed and the church is decorated, and to know that Jesus, Emmanuel, is with us at last!
Christmas Day was very beautiful as well. While it was difficult for all of us not to be home for Christmas, it was clear that God always gives us more than we could ever ask or imagine. Our many weeks of choir practice made for a beautiful Christmas morning Mass. After Mass, the sisters prepared a great meal, and after our meal, we provided the entertainment: a choreographed dance routine to a song on one of our Christmas CD's. Then, we opened presents! Each one of us bought/made a gift for each member of the community, and it was very exciting to see how creative everyone was! It was truly a beautiful celebration of Jesus' birth that made us very grateful for all God has given us and is to us.
The day after Christmas, the bookcenter was closed, so we went to the "City Museum of St. Louis." This is a very interesting place that has just about everything: arts and crafts, a circus, a "skate-less" skate park, caves, architectural displays, and stairs and slides and tunnels everywhere, indoors and out – all made from recycled materials! Fascinating! We spent the morning there with the sisters.
Enjoy the pictures: Julia, Sr. Jerome, Alina, and Sr. Carmen singing at Christmas morning Mass; the community with Fr. Edwards, the pastor at St. Elizabeth's; and Alina, Sr. Agnes, Sr. Jerome, Emily, Sr. Caritas, and Sr. Carmen at the City Museum circus!
Christmas Eve we spent helping in the bookcenter, decorating the chapel, and practicing our Christmas Mass music one last time! We also went to a Christmas Eve Vigil Mass. That's one of my favorite parts of Christmas: to walk into church on Christmas Eve, when the lights are dimmed and the church is decorated, and to know that Jesus, Emmanuel, is with us at last!
Christmas Day was very beautiful as well. While it was difficult for all of us not to be home for Christmas, it was clear that God always gives us more than we could ever ask or imagine. Our many weeks of choir practice made for a beautiful Christmas morning Mass. After Mass, the sisters prepared a great meal, and after our meal, we provided the entertainment: a choreographed dance routine to a song on one of our Christmas CD's. Then, we opened presents! Each one of us bought/made a gift for each member of the community, and it was very exciting to see how creative everyone was! It was truly a beautiful celebration of Jesus' birth that made us very grateful for all God has given us and is to us.
The day after Christmas, the bookcenter was closed, so we went to the "City Museum of St. Louis." This is a very interesting place that has just about everything: arts and crafts, a circus, a "skate-less" skate park, caves, architectural displays, and stairs and slides and tunnels everywhere, indoors and out – all made from recycled materials! Fascinating! We spent the morning there with the sisters.
Enjoy the pictures: Julia, Sr. Jerome, Alina, and Sr. Carmen singing at Christmas morning Mass; the community with Fr. Edwards, the pastor at St. Elizabeth's; and Alina, Sr. Agnes, Sr. Jerome, Emily, Sr. Caritas, and Sr. Carmen at the City Museum circus!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Prepare the Way!
This week went by really quickly! We last left you with our Faith and Film night, which was a success. We had our largest attendance yet! The movie was The Christmas Shoes, and it seemed the people who came really enjoyed it. We even split up into two groups because we had a number of young people. God is good to bring us so many people to share the Gospel with!
Last Saturday we had a lot of snow. Alina had her second taste of real snow, complete with snow angels and snow men. My parents were in town last weekend so I spent the majority of the weekend with them. My sister lives in St. Louis too, so we got to be together as a family before Christmas! Such a blessing! My sister is a professional ballerina for the St. Louis Ballet, so the whole community got tickets to see her perform in the Nutcracker! The Nutcracker has been such a part of mine and Emily's growing up (Emily's sister is also a ballet dancer) so it was beautiful to be able to share that tradition with my parents as well as the community. It was a great night out for all of us.
Alina's parents are coming next week, and Emily's sister is coming in Jan. to visit. It's so nice that our families get to come around Christmas time and share this joyous season in some way with the community. I know my parents really enjoyed time with the sisters.
We finally decorated our study and the living rooms for Christmas! We are preparing the way for the Lord around here through baking, gift wrapping, and decorating. Christmas trees, goodies, lights, and wreaths abound. We also are making time to get gifts for our "Advent Angels" this week. We each picked a community member's name to buy a special gift for. I can't wait to see who everyone got!!!
Jesus is coming very soon! Let us ready our hearts! God bless your last days of Advent. We will write again after Christmas, so until then- MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Peace,Julia
Last Saturday we had a lot of snow. Alina had her second taste of real snow, complete with snow angels and snow men. My parents were in town last weekend so I spent the majority of the weekend with them. My sister lives in St. Louis too, so we got to be together as a family before Christmas! Such a blessing! My sister is a professional ballerina for the St. Louis Ballet, so the whole community got tickets to see her perform in the Nutcracker! The Nutcracker has been such a part of mine and Emily's growing up (Emily's sister is also a ballet dancer) so it was beautiful to be able to share that tradition with my parents as well as the community. It was a great night out for all of us.
Alina's parents are coming next week, and Emily's sister is coming in Jan. to visit. It's so nice that our families get to come around Christmas time and share this joyous season in some way with the community. I know my parents really enjoyed time with the sisters.
We finally decorated our study and the living rooms for Christmas! We are preparing the way for the Lord around here through baking, gift wrapping, and decorating. Christmas trees, goodies, lights, and wreaths abound. We also are making time to get gifts for our "Advent Angels" this week. We each picked a community member's name to buy a special gift for. I can't wait to see who everyone got!!!
Jesus is coming very soon! Let us ready our hearts! God bless your last days of Advent. We will write again after Christmas, so until then- MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Peace,Julia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)