Daughters of Divine Charity

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Whispers From The Hill

Lenten Reflection: Easter Sunday

Acts 10: 34a, 37 – 43 Colossians 3: 1 – 4 John 20: 1 – 9

HE LIVES !!!

HE SPEAKS !!! “Why do you look for the living among the dead ?” ” I have risen and I am still with you.”

“Peace be with you. Do not be afraid.”

We feebly try to respond with profundity to the mystery of the Resurrection, but we cannot quite capture its essence. We probably would do better if we used the arts( poetry, music, art, dance) to express the wonder, the awe, the ongoing effect the Resurrection has on all humanity.

And so, I offer for reflection, not my words, but the words of Pope Benedict XVI.

“Faith in the Resurrection of Jesus says that there is a future for every human being: the cry for unending life which is a part of the person is indeed answered. Through Jesus we do know the room where exiled love lays down its victory. He himself is this place, and he calls us to be with him and in dependence on him. He calls us to keep this place open within the world so that he, the exiled love, may reappear over and over in the world . . . God exists: that is the real message of Easter. Anyone who even begins to grasp what this means also knows what it means to be redeemed.”

Have a blessed Easter!

by Sr. Gerrie Contento, M.P.F

Lenten Reflection: Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday, April 9, 2017
Readings: Is 50:4-7
Phil.2: 6-11
Matt 26:14-27:66

This Sunday, Palm Sunday, begins the most solemn week of the entire church year, Holy Week.

The events of this week: the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the tragedy, the suffering, the death of Jesus, his love and forgiveness for us through it all, and his glorious resurrection, evoke one major response from us. FAITH !
Faith in life! Faith in our God who brings good out of everything! Faith that the God who loves us will raise us up from death, and bring us to live with him forever!

The Gospel of Palm Sunday rapidly relates all of the above events in the narration of the Passion of Jesus Christ. The quick reporting of the events, as well as the length of the Gospel, make it difficult in a Sunday setting, to reflect and meditate on the significance of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. However, the second reading for Palm Sunday’s Liturgy, from Paul to the Philippians, has embedded within it a real gem for us to contemplate during Holy Week.

” God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on him the name above every other name,
that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend . . .and every tongue confess
*”Jesus Christ is Lord !- to the glory of God the Father! ”

Perhaps we can ritualize these words during the week by displaying a cross or crucifix in a prominent place in our homes. Each time we pass this symbol of our faith, we can pause for a moment and softly pray, “Jesus Christ is Lord!” We may want to gently touch or kiss the cross as an expression of our gratitude and love.

Invite your family and friends to consider this practice during the Holy Week along with you.

Note: * “Jesus Christ is Lord” (these 4 words were the very first Proclamation of Faith
confessed by the early Christians)
May our voices join in solidarity with the voices of the first century Christians, and all
believers down through the ages, as we humbly proclaim:
“JESUS CHRIST IS LORD ”

Peace and Hope be yours,
Sr. Gerrie Contento, M.P.F.

Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Scripture Readings
Ezekiel 37:12-14
Romans 8:8-11
John 11:1-45

Today’s Gospel places Mary, Martha and a crowd of people at the tomb of Lazarus. Jesus finally arrived -four days after his friend’s burial. Some of the people had hope that Jesus could and would do something. Others were deeply grieving, thinking it was too late for him to do anything. Most of the people wondered what course of action Jesus would take.

None of them expected to hear the words:
” Roll away the stone.” . . . and they did !
” Lazarus, come out” . . . and he did !
” Untie him and set him free . . . and they followed Jesus’ command !

I have often wondered how Lazarus lived the rest of his life.
But right now that really does not matter .
What does matter is how I will live the rest of my life, remembering what God has done for me.

Remembering how His grace removed stumbling stones from my life?
Remembering how God called me out of my comfort zone and led me beyond my fear?
How God has set free from the chains of selfishness,unfair judgements, the resistance to move on in life, to forgive, to reconcile, and the inability to embrace myself and others with compassion?

What does matter is how will I give gratitude to God who calls me to new life each day. How will I use my gift of freedom to set others free?

Live life to the fullest this Lent
Sr. Gerrie Contento, M.P.F.

Lenten Reflection: The Fourth Sunday

1 Samuel 16:1b- 7, 10-11a
Ephesians 5: 8=14
John 9: 1-41

The only thing worse than being blind, is being blind – and not knowing it.

The Gospel for this Fourth Sunday of Lent features a man who was blind from birth. This unnamed man was well aware of his blindness, and he was keenly impacted by the ever present challenges of being sightless: marginalization, poverty, vulnerability, insecurity, ie. a daily struggle just to hang on to life.

The Gospel informs us that the blind man’s encounter with Jesus, the Light of the World,

was life changing for him. The story goes on to tell us that he also encountered the curious,

doubting townspeople, the threatened, skeptical Pharisees, and his bewildered, fearful parents.

These people were unable to understand the fact that the man born blind was given sight.

The newly sighted man was not to be silenced. To those who were blinded by doubt, skepticism,

and fear, he boldly proclaimed” One thing I do know is that I was blind, and now I see.”

To Jesus , who restored his sight, his dignity, and his life, he confidently confessed:

“I do believe Lord”, and then with humble gratitude, “he worshipped Him”.

This Gospel, this entire Lenten Season can give us the opportunity to allow Jesus to restore our sight,

our dignity, and our very life. Through our faithfulness to prayer, sacrifice, and extending ourselves to those in need, Jesus will work in and through us. He will open our eyes to see the truth. He will expose our unfounded doubts. He will soften our hearts hardened by skepticism. He will break open the chains of fear that prevent our experiencing his love for us, and our expressing that love to others.

Like the blind man who was given not only sight, but also new life, Jesus will open our mouths to proclaim: “Yes, Lord, I do believe, and He will soften our hard hearts and our stiff necks empowering us to humbly, and gratefully bow down and worship the Lord of Light and Life!

Let’s keep our eyes and hearts open this Lent!

Sr. Gerrie Contento, M.P.F.

Lenten Reflection: The Third Sunday

Readings:
Exodus 17: 1-7
Romans 5: 1-11
John 4: 5-42

Water is the most significant and essential element in our lives. There would be no life on earth without water. The human body consists of 75% water, and 2/3 of the earth’s surface is water. It is easy to see all of the things that depend on water for life and sustenance.

No wonder today’s readings use water for our reflection which is presented as a gift from God, the source of love and all life.
In the first reading, God provides water in the desert to sustain his people, a symbol of God’s constant care and presence not only for the Israelites, but for us as well.

The second reading tells that God’s love for us is poured out into our hearts even though we are sinners..and God will help us if we truly believe and trust in the immensity of God’s love for us. There is nothing that we can say or do that will take that love from us.

We are all familiar with today’s gospel story which tells us of the sensitive but controversial meeting of Jesus with the un-named Samaritan women at the well. This was a unlikely encounter, since a Jewish man would not be seen speaking to a woman in public and to complicate it more…to a non- Jewish woman with a reputation!
Jesus asks her for a drink but did not really thirst for water . Christ thirsted for her faith and wanted to awaken that faith in her heart by proceeding to tell her that he knows all about her tainted life. He offers her the Living Water of God’s love and boldly tells her that he is the Messiah, the one they are waiting for. She is amazed at his knowledge of all she has done and runs into town to tell the people what she has seen and heard. They also began to believe and invited him to stay a few days in Samaria, which he did, although against Jewish law.

Does this story give us hope and trust as well? Do we really believe in God’s loving care and concern for us? Can we likewise reach out in friendship and love to others to offer them the Living Water of Jesus, the good news of God’s unconditional love for them? 

Lent is a special season of grace in the church and a good time for us to examine our own lives and nourish our souls with the Living Water of God’s love, which will transform us in unimaginable ways!

A happy and blessed Lent to you.

Sister Josita DiVita, F.D.C.

Lenten Reflection: The Second Sunday

March 12, 2017

READINGS: Genesis 12:1-4a
2 Timothy 1: 8b- 10
Matthew 17: 1-9

Light, Fire, Love, are transformative!
Light, Fire, Love, manifest the presence of God!
Light, Fire, Love, have fascinated human beings all through all the ages!

In today’s Gospel, Peter, James and John were overshadowed by the Transfiguration of Jesus. The light, radiance, and glory of the Lord moved them to respond to the miracle right before their very eyes. Albeit, their desire to build three tents wasn’t exactly where they were being led. But their insight, “Lord, it is good for us to be here” was a Eureka moment.

Here and now, this moment is where we encounter the Living God, the radiant face of God, in Jesus. Here and now, we are offered the fire of God’s love through the Holy Spirit. Here and now the power of God’s love (grace) will energize us to live this moment to the fullest. Every second of every day blesses us with a transforming opportunity, a miracle to see, and to know how “good it is for US to be HERE”. How awesome it is when sometimes in some of those moments we actually notice and are aware of the miracle working within us. How we long to hold on to those moments to keep them in our memory and within our hearts.

Perhaps this week and all throughout Lent we can pray for this graced awareness. Perhaps we can pray to be faithful enough to let God’s Light, Fire, and Love transform our hearts, so that our faces, our words, and our deeds, manifest the joy of our Risen Savior.

Be aware this Lent!
Sr. Gerrie Contento,M.P.F.