A Divine Romance: Guest blogger: Sr. Kathryn Williams, pddm

-
I am happy to share some of Sr. Kathryn's thoughts which are published weekly in the parish bulletin of the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Athlone. Sr. Kathryn is one of my PDDM sisters in our Athlone community.


 
 "I belong to a congregation called the Disciples of the Divine Master. So whenever the word disciple pops up in the gospel, it immediately connects to something very close to my heart. It’s heartening to acknowledge that I belong to a people whose vocation to discipleship can be traced right back to the Gospel story. Actually, we can all claim to be a thread in the long line of sinners or saints or in-betweens that Jesus looks upon so lovingly.

Today we are given a glimpse at how Jesus calls his first closest friends. Our own call is just as authentic as theirs. As we know, the initial encounter is just the beginning. We don’t just follow Jesus or remain with him. As our Gospel unfolds, we too are invited to enter into a very close friendship and familiarity with him.

In fact, it might evoke a little self-consciousness or embarrassment to admit it, but at the heart of each call to discipleship there is a very personal invitation to enter into a divine romance - and let’s face it, most of us are captivated with stories of romance. Perhaps today, I can pray in thanksgiving for the millions of disciples throughout the ages who have responded to such a gift. And especially, during this Year of Consecrated life, let us thank God for the witness of those who live their total yes!"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Just to say 'thank you' (Sr. Louise's words of thanksgiving for the celebration of her Perpetual Profession)

-
Image
When I look at the mosaic of my life and all the people who compose it. God’s hand gathering lives of colour to form a masterpiece, a body, cell by cell.  Tiny little pieces put together colour by colour and forging something unforgettable, something that fits perfectly into the master plan, God’s handiwork where his grace allowed our paths to meet in life. Reflecting back upon the years of my life, I have found that the pieces fit perfectly, not always by my doing and not always by my understanding. Happiness and pain fitting together because one can’t know one without the other.  The ups and downs, the ins and outs, all mean there is a perfect balance somewhere and we spend our waking hours searching for it, knowing that we are restless until we rest in God. Each one of you here today would merit a personal ‘thank you’ : by your presence, your accompaniment, you remind me that this vocation is not my vocation but a vocation for the Church, for the world, for each of you! Everyon
Read more

Holy Hour of Thanksgiving for our Silver Jubilee of presence in Dublin.

-
Image
The following is a guided holy hour prepared in occasion of our silver jubilee of presence in Dublin, celebrated this year. The Holy Hour follows the method of prayer given to our Pauline Family by Blessed James Alberione- to honour Jesus as Way, Truth and Life. Song: Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You, I want to see You (x2) To see You high and lifted up, shining in the light of Your glory Pour out Your power and love, as we sing holy, holy, holy Guide: We pray before Jesus as we behold the mystery of the God who became flesh out of love for us. We gather here to pray and spend time wi th the Lord, in silence, in prayer and in song . Each of us have a different story but tonight Jesus has united us in mind and in heart just as He did with the early Christian communities. In   Acts of the Apostles we read: ‘they were all of one mind and one body’. This evening we let our hearts enter into communion with the Lord Jesus and with our brothers and sisters. Let us op
Read more

The Icon of Friendship

-
Image
Icon of Friendship Last week I received a beautiful surprise parcel in the post containing an icon and a book. Those who know me know that this almost equates to being Christmas for me: books and icons, both on my list of 10 favourite things! The icon was one I had actually never seen before and was a gift from Taize, a copy of the Coptic icon which belonged to Brother Roger Schultz, the former prior there. The original icon dates from seventh century Eygpt and is usually referred to as “Christ with the believer” but is just as frequently referred to as “the icon of friendship”. Although simple in its presentation, it is nevertheless a sophisticated image. Jesus is shown putting His arm around the shoulder of a friend; this man is called Menas, but he represents each one of us. Jesus does not face Menas, rather He stands alongside him; He accompanies him, sharing in the burdens of life. In His left arm Jesus holds the Scriptures, God’s word. The word tells the story of the love b
Read more