Let peace begin with me

Where does "peace" begin?  Peace begins with each individual and one’s own self-examination of what that means in our lives.  The word "peace" is referred to in the Bible many times.  Peace is something that from the beginning, generations have been searching for... fighting for... seeking for.  Peace must be united with faith, hope and love. 

Peace is such a gift from God and so often we take it for granted, or sometimes miss its blessing as we live our lives each day.  We find "peace" in the good things in our everyday lives. 

Jesus Christ, before he was crucified, spoke of peace to his disciples (John 14:25-27) when he said: “I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you. I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid.”

The Holy Spirit reminds us that we are always connected to God. It also reminds us that Christ left information that the Holy Spirit is active. He said: "He will teach you all things," and "He will cause you to recall everything I have told you."

The Apostle Paul in his writings also shared instructions on peace. In Philippians 4, he wrote to encourage Christ's followers: “Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.”

In Paul's writings to the Philippians, he encouraged the people to make every effort to agree and ask that they not argue. This is an indication that there will be differences of opinion in our lives, but it should not stop progress toward peace. Therefore, let peace begin with me.

Celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity with Sister Thecla Merlo

Venerable Thecla Merlo, co-foundress of the Daughters of Saint Paul, as early as 1931, had resolved to seek only the glory of God and peace of all people. On the feast of the Blessed Trinity in 1961, she made an offering of her life for the entire Congregation of the Daughters of Saint Paul so that everyone may become saints. 

On Christmas day of this same year, she made her gift known to her sisters when she said: “I write these things to you not only with the pen, but also with my heart. I wish you all to be saints: for this I have offered my life—for everyone, that we may achieve the holiness God wants of us.” She died on February 5, 1964, leaving her daughters this rich spiritual heritage and the sure road in the Church.

We wish to highlight a few of her writings which could help every person live well his/her life in sanctity especially during this Year of Faith that we are celebrating.

Her inspiring words:

 “All our life must be spent for God.”

“Everything passes, except paradise”.

“Let us do everything with the Blessed Virgin Mary. With her, everything becomes easy...”

Prayer for her Beatification:

Most holy Trinity, we thank you for the singular gifts of light,

grace and virtue which you granted to Sister Thecla Merlo,

and we thank you for having chosen and constituted her

the wise mother and sure guide of the Daughters of St. Paul.

  

Through her intercession, grant that we may live of her great loves:

Jesus Master in the Holy Eucharist,

the Church, the Gospel and souls souls sought and served through evangelization

with the instruments of social communication to the point of total sacrifice.

O Lord, if it be in the design of your divine wisdom,

carry out even on this earth, for this very devoted Daughter of St. Paul,

your divine promise: “If anyone serves me, my father will honor him.”

Exalt this faithful servant to the joy of the Church

and the good of many souls and grant us, through her intercession,

the favor we ask of you.

Amen.

The vocation of the Pauline missionaries

God calls all of us by our own name and He has a wonderful dream for each one of us. He calls us through prayer and reflection, speaking through events and through others about our hopes and desires, our gifts and talents. In responding to God’s call to each of us, we can experience what Jesus has promised: “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

We Pauline missionaries are given this task to be open and to encounter other cultures, entering into a free relationship not only with God, but also with others in the place and country where we had been sent by Him. We are called to realize our missionary vocation utilizing the instruments of the communications media so as to bring God’s message of peace and love to all people.

Blessed James Alberione, founder of the Pauline Family, said, “Jesus entrusts to the apostles the world and all men and women. They will be the light and salt of the world; fishers of souls and sowers; pastors and witnesses of Christ!”

Happy Easter to all!

The journey through Holy Week is always one of highs and lows - walking with Jesus during the dark hours of Holy Thursday and bearing witness to His suffering on the Cross on Good Friday, and the joy of the Risen Lord on Easter Day. It is a pattern that Christians have gone through for hundreds of years, but it remains a faith-affirming period where our personal relationship with God is made manifest in the Risen Lord on Easter Day.

Journeying through Holy Week is a very personal experience and is borne from a personal relationship with God. As we experience the uncertainty and loss, as the disciples did after Jesus was arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane, we emerge through it all to experience the wondrous joy of Christ's resurrection and a personal promise to each of us for life everlasting.

To everyone and especially our visitors in this blog, we wish you the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus! Happy Easter to everyone!

Praying for our new Pope

Lent is a privileged time for us to listen to the voice of God in prayer. Like Jesus we must find our own “desert place" where we can listen to God without distraction.  

In Lent we set aside extra  times to go to our "desert place" -- whether it be in church or in nature or in the quiet of our hearts — to listen for God's voice in the solitude of prayer.

Our new shepherd of the church, Pope Francis I, also sees the need of prayer in his life. We saw this when he expressed his spiritual need to the people in Saint Peter’s Square asking them to pray for him.

Together, let us say this prayer for our new spiritual leader in the church:

O Lord, guide Pope Francis I in the way of Jesus. May the Gospel inspire him and may truth be his guiding force. Give him wisdom, zeal and the gift of governance as he leads the Church on the journey to your Kingdom. Amen.

Celebrating the birth anniversary of Sister Thecla Merlo

Today, February 20, we Daughters of St. Paul celebrate the birth anniversary of our Co-Foundress. Sister Tecla Merlo, a woman of steadfast faith and willpower, placed her future into the hands of Blessed James Alberione, founder of the Pauline Family.

Tecla's desire was to serve God. She was convinced that in Alberione, God was directing her life. She was of poor health. But, as St. Paul says, "God chooses the weak...." And today, the Pauline Family has spread across the globe living and communicating Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life through the means of the communications media.

Mother Thecla has been an intercessor for us and for friends of the Pauline Family for many years. Now declared "Venerable," by Pope John Paul II in 1991, Mother Tecla is well on her way to beatification.

We invite you to join us in praying that this faithful servant may soon be recognized among the Blessed.

Prayer to Obtain Favors through Mother Tecla's Intercession:

Most Holy Trinity, we thank you for the singular gifts of light, grace, and virtue which you granted to Sister Thecla Merlo, and we thank you for having chosen and constituted her the wise mother and sure guide of the Daughters of St. Paul.
Through her intercession, grant that we may live of her great loves: Jesus Master in the Holy Eucharist, the Church, the Gospel and souls--souls sought and served through evangelization with the instruments of social communication--to the point of total sacrifice.
O Lord, if it be in the designs of your divine wisdom, carry out even on this earth, for this very devoted Daughter of St. Paul, your divine promise: "If anyone serves me, my Father will honor him."
Exalt this faithful Servant to the joy of the Church and the good of many souls, and grant us, through her intercession, the favor we ask of you. Amen.
Glory Be...Hail Mary...

Bienaventuranzas de las Hijas de San Pablo

Celebramos el aniversario de nuestra fundación el 15 de junio y querríamos compartir con todos vosotros las Bienaventuranzas de las Hijas de San Pablo escrito por nuestro Fundador, el Beato Santiago Alberione.

Dichosos los pasos de quien anuncia el bien, de quien anuncia la paz.

Dichosas las siervas de la Iglesia, que poseen el corazón de esta madre.

Dichosas las caminantes de Dios, que en el silencio místico de la comunidad estudian los caminos del mundo que manana recorreran para llegar a la gente.

Dichosos estos ángeles del Señor en busca de los hombres que han perdido o nunca han conocido el camino de la Iglesia.

Dichosas las portadoras de Jesús, que llevan a todas las familias la buena noticia del amor.

Dichosas las colaboradoras de la misión sacredotal, que anuncian en silencio a Jesucristo, camino, verdad y vida.

Dichoso el perfume de pureza, de amor y de humildad que dejan a su paso.

Dichosas las imitadoras de María, que presentó a Jesús a los pastores, a los magos, al templo, a los discípulos y al mundo.

Dichosas las Hijas de San Pablo, que tienen el corazon de este padre, dan la palabra del padre, y sufriendo, rezando y actuando con  él, realizan la tarea que el Señor les ha encomendado.  

Desde todas las partes del mundo los caminos convergen en un punto de encuentro: ahí está Jesús, que os ha dado una cita: “Venid, vosotras, benditas de mi Padre, heredad el reino preparado para vosotras desde la creación del mundo” (Mt 25,34).  

Descienda sobre ellas la bendición de Dios, Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo, y las acompañe para que caminen y lleven frutos duraderos, para gloria de Dios y paz de los hombres. Amén.

¿Señor, qué quieres que hagamos, como misioneras Paulinas?

San Pablo, apóstol asumió plenamente el mandato de Jesús: "Id al mundo entero y proclamad el Evangelio". Hacia el final de su vida declarará, escribiendo a los Romanos: "Ya no tengo campo de acción en estas regiones (del Oriente Medio) y pienso haceros una visita de paso para España".

Es decir, el Apóstol cambia con decisión su marco geográfico conocido con tal de anunciar a Cristo en los confines del mundo, en las tierras situadas en el extremo Occidente.

Su actividad misionera no conocío pausa después de haber encontrado a Cristo en el camino de Damasco y rendirse a él, "profundamente convertido" de perseguidor en loco enamorado suyo.

Señor, has instruido a todos los pueblos con la predicación del apóstol Pablo: concedenos a caminar hacia Ti siguiendo su ejemplo.

Celebramos la solemnidad de la Pascua de Pentecostés

Cristo resucitado también se hace presente en nuestras vidas en la medida en que somos coherentes con su mensaje de amor, un amor que ha de vencer todas las resistencias, todos los miedos y complejos.

Pentecostés, la celebración posterior a la Pascua, cincuenta días después, supone un nuevo impulso a la acción misionera, a la vida de la Iglesia, a la fe de cada persona creyente. El Espíritu viene en nuestra ayuda. Y la espiritualidad nos puede ayudar a ser más conscientes y coherentes.

¡Ven, Espíritu divino! Colma de paz mi corazón e impúlsame a hacer el bien para que mi vida se convierta en un constante milagro de fraternidad. 

The Church celebrates the 46th World Communications Day

We, the Daughters of Saint Paul, missionary sisters of the communications media, join the whole Church in the celebration of the 46^th World Communications Day on May 20. It is the only worldwide celebration called for by the Second Vatican Council and is marked in most countries, on the recommendation of the bishops of the world, on Ascension Sunday, a week before Pentecost Sunday.

For this year’s theme, Pope Benedict XVI selected: “Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization.” In his annual message in this yearly communication event, he explains that “it concerns the relationship between silence and word: two aspects of communication which need to be kept in balance, to alternate and to be integrated with one another if authentic dialogue and deep closeness between people are to be achieved.”

In a time when messages and information are plentiful – the Pope says - silence becomes essential if we are to distinguish what is important from what is insignificant or secondary. He mentions the role of search engines, social networks and the internet and pointed out that people today are frequently bombarded with answers to questions they have never asked and to needs of which they were unaware.

And he says that amid the complexity and diversity of the world of communications many find themselves confronted with the ultimate questions of human existence: Who am I? What can I know? What ought I to do? What may I hope?

It is important – the Pope continues- to affirm those who ask these questions, and to open up the possibility of a profound dialogue, not only by means of words and interchange, but also through the call to silent reflection, something that is often more eloquent than a hasty answer and permits seekers to reach into the depths of their being and open themselves to the path towards knowledge that God has inscribed in human hearts”.

So, the Pope points out that attention should be paid to the various types of websites, applications and social networks as well as making space for silence and occasions for prayer, meditation or sharing of the word of God.

In conclusion, Pope Benedict says “learning to communicate is learning to listen and contemplate as well as speak. This - he explains - is especially important for those engaged in this task of evangelization”.

Hermanas Cinthia y Rosaria en la misión en Santo Domingo

¡Hola, queridas hermanas, amigos, amigas y visitantes de este blog!

Damos gracias a Dios porque Él les ha enviado a nuestras hermanas Cinthia y Rosaria a esta misión en Santo Domingo.

Aquí están las fotos de una presentación de libros que ellas organizaron durante un congreso de los religiosos y religiosas.

Pedimos vuestras oraciones por el futuro de nuestras hermanas en este lugar ya que es un terreno muy bello y la gente muy buena, según nuestras misioneras.

¡Que Dios les bendiga mucho y que tengan buena salud por todas las actividades que tienen que hacer!

Aquí están algunos detalles de este lugar:

Idioma: El Español es el idioma oficial, aunque también se habla el Inglés y un dialecto del Francés cerca de la frontera con Haití.

Religión: La gran mayoría de la población practica la religión Católica Romana, un porciento menor es protestante y un 1% de la población son espiritistas.

                                  (La Catedral Metròpolitana de Santa María de la Encarnación)

Situación Geográfica: La República Dominicana se ocupa las dos terceras partes de la Isla La Española. Sus fronteras son:  Norte: Océano Atlántico. Sur: Mar Caribe.  Este: Se separa de Puerto Rico por el Paso Mona.  Oeste: Haití.

Principales Ciudades:  La capital dominicana es Santo Domingo. Otras ciudades importante son: Santiago de los Caballeros, San Pedro de Macorís, San Francisco de Marcorís y Barahona.

Recursos Naturales: El recurso fundamental es la agricultura debido a sus suelos muy fértiles. También posee algunos yacimientos de níquel, oro y plata.

Cultura: Santo Domingo fue una de las primeras colonias españolas, por lo que se observa una gran influencia de esta cultura en el país. La arquitectura es una muestra de ello.  En la vida cultura en general, hay una fuerte tradición producto de la mezcla de los españoles y los africanos; estas raíces pueden apreciarse tanto en las tradiciones como en el folclore y especialmente en la música dominicana. La fusión de ambas culturas en la música dio lugar a ritmos como el merengue.

News from our missionary in Maputo, Mozambique

Sister Marie Lorahdawn Niro sends us her missionary experience direct from Maputo, Mozambique, where she has recently joined the community of sisters.

Even while still learning Portuguese, she is able to give her hand in the bookshop, in book displays and in vocation activities.

In her photos we can see her with the bishop of Angola (photo above) and with some other people (left photo) who visited them during their book display.

She also assisted in the recent vocation retreat the community organized for some young ladies.

To let us get more acquainted with the place that is Mozambique, we give you here a few details about it:

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest. The capital city is Maputo, formerly known as Lourenço Marques.

Here in the photo is shown the Cathedral of our Lady of Fatima.

The area was explored by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and colonized by Portugal in 1505. Mozambique became independent in 1975, and became the People's Republic of Mozambique shortly thereafter. It was the scene of an intense civil war lasting from 1977 to 1992.

The only official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, with roughly half of the population speaking it as a second language and few as a first language. Languages widely spoken natively include Swahili, Makhuwa, and Sena.

The largest religion in Mozambique is Christianity, with significant Muslim and African traditional religious minorities.

Misioneras Paulinas en el Curso en Roma

El encuentro de las Paulinas misioneras,organizado por el Gobierno General (15 de Septiembre - 10 de Octubre), en Roma, se realizó con el tema: “Al servicio de la Palabra con horizontes universales”.

Coordinadoras: Hna. Francesca Matsuoka y Hna. Margaret Moran; traductoras: Hna. Veronica Song y Hna. Germana Santos.


En este curso intensivo de formación misionera, a lo largo de tres semanas, han participado veintisiete hermanas misioneras en 10 países.

Algunas ya trabajan en diversos países, otras se preparan para ir como misioneras a diferentes lugares.






Ha completado el curso formativo, una visita peregrinación a los lugares de San Pablo en Roma, y la peregrinación a Alba, lugar de fundación de la Familia Paulina, y a los sitios significativos de la vida del Beato Santiago Alberione y de la Venerable Tecla Merlo.

El curso ha ofrecido una visión global, que parte de la realidad, de los países del mundo desde un punto de vista económico, político, social, cultural y religioso; visión que ha introducido la reflexión sobre la espiritualidad misionera.Hna. Antonieta Bruscato, superiora general de las Hijas de San Pablo, en su mensaje, invitó a las misioneras a centrarse en la experiencia carismática del Beato Alberione, profundizando estas palabras muy conocidas en la Familia Paulina como un programa de la vida: No temáis, yo estoy con vosotros. Desde aquí quiero iluminar. Vivid en continua conversión.