Life's learning

Life is not measured by how you  act or think or see. It is to be held with the lense of purity of thoughts and intentions.

One should not form biases based on what others say. Not every eye sees the truth, and not every ear hears it.  eyes see the truth, and not all ears hear it.

Ofcourse,  everyone has the freedom to see, hear,  speak and act as what they wish—but never at the cost of destroying others.
 
Inner beauty is what makes a person great before God. The external has to return to the earth,  where it wil be consumed by time and decay.

So why fail to recognize the inner beauty of the peson standing front of you? 

MISSION.... JOURNEYING TOGETHER....

 MISSION…. JOURNEYING TOGETHER….

 

In Le Puy’s heart, a mission takes flight

The vision of Medaille is its guiding light

A band of sisters journeying together

Weaving the tapestry of life with one another

 

An invitation extended like pines intertwined

Like the branches of mustard tree shelter defined

Make Charism of Communion the hallmark

Journey together on a harmonious path

 

O pilgrim, join the voyage, hand in hand

From Lepuy’s soil to every distant land

Build bridges of peace, brick by brick

A sanctuary where love and serenity stick

 

You, O sojourner, partaker of this great mission

You, O weaver, weaving the web of compassion

Keep going on this sacred quest

Make a tapestry of faith in every crest

 

Sr. Laveena D Souza/Tanmaya Province, India

LISTEN WITH THE EAR OF YOUR HEART :

 

Theme song composed by Laveena csj
for the Provincial Chapter - October 2022
Tanmaya Province/Bhopal/India
Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery

Listen with the ear of your heart
Be filled with the Spirit of the Lord
Be the light, Be the salt, 
Be a ray of hope
Be a leaven of unity

Immersed in the Spirit
Connected with the World
Witnessing Love, Witnessing Love, Witnessing Love

Be Trinitarian in relationship

And Samaritan in service

Be a channel of grace 
Live a mission of integrity
Be a leaven of unity

Immersed in the Spirit
Connected with the World
Witnessing Love, Witnessing Love, Witnessing Love

Be connected in this multicultural world
And co-creators in this common home

Touch the world with love
Make it a better place to live

Be a leaven of unity

Immersed in the Spirit

Connected with the world
Witnessing Love, Witnessing Love, Witnessing Love

RYTHM OF LIFE

Mesmerized by the splendor of your majesty

Lord, I want to swim the ocean of your love

Sufficed by your grace

Lord, I want to play the rhythm of life 

 

Confused and tossed amidst the whirlpool of life

Lord, I raise my eyes to capture a glimpse of your light

Battling between the past and the future

Rattling with the demand of yesterday and the anxiety of morrow

Lord, I’ve messed up with the presence of the present.

 

Now that I want to infuse in your divine aura

Lord, enthuse my spirit to live your Torah

Instill in me the grace of humility

Lord, help me to live a life of serenity

 

JOURNEYING TOGETHER

Souls journeying together

Being intercultural in this common home

Forgetting differences while walking together

towards the heavenly home.

No bias, no prejudices

Church is open to all views

separation of clergy, religious and laity it bans

equal sojourners what it cares.

The beauty of young taking initiative to lead

While the old graciously promoting this good deed

Boundaries of country and region are lost

While walking together is found best.

Disable, able, injured and sick in wheelchair

Each giving their might to keep up the journey

To live the Kairos of Syndoality

Is the path of pilgrim and missionary ecclesiology.

Speaking with courage, listening with openness

To address the complexity of time

To be a catalyst, a springboard

To enter into the expansion of God’s horizon.

Let’s be the part of this synodality

While living a life of solidarity

Be the witness to the charism of communion

While entering this new phase of evangelization.

EMBRACE THE NOW

A drop of honey attracts more flies than a barrelful of vinegar. Yes, you read it right! It’s an old saying, relevant for all ages. Richard McKenzie one of his poem writes, “I have only one mouth, yet can choose to speak wisely. I have only two eyes, yet can choose to see hope. I have only two ears, yet can choose to hear joy. I have only one heart, yet can choose to love unconditionally. I have only one mind, yet can choose to think positively. I have only two feet, yet can choose to stand up and make a difference.” Do you experience something similar? Suppose we had more of them, what would this world have been? Can we give this a thought?

God has given us two gifts: one is CHOICE, the other is CHANCE. Choice is to select the best and it is up to each one of us to make a choice. “In life never be like the hand that crushes the flower but be like a crushed flower which leaves behind a fragrance in the hand which crushes it.” Problems, sufferings, pains, sorrows come and go. Do not linger with these, for they too will pass. Just become aware and live with your true self. Always remember you are

precious, special, loved, and a unique

masterpiece of God, the Master Craftsman.

“Life is a one-way street. No matter how many detours you take, none of them drives you back. So, enjoy life’s every moment as none of them will be the same again.” Try not to hang on… Just let it occur and let go. Learn to find joy in all the happenings… this is what St. Ignatius means, “Finding God in all things.”

Recently, in my readings, I came across the seven questions posed by Robert D. Smith on how to seize the Essence of Today. They are:

1.Whose life am I going to brighten today?

2.What three things am I most grateful for today?

3.What memories am I going to create today?

4.What challenges am I going to overcome today?

5.What value am I going to create today?

6.How much joy can I create for others and myself today?

7.What life changing decisions am I going to make today?

An old tale goes thus. Once a parched seeker tracked down an unseen clay

pot filled with water. He approached

the pot for a drink. As he drank the cool water from the pot, he asked the pot for no specific reason, “Dear pot, why are you so cool in this hot summer.” The pot coolly replied, “See, my past is clay, and my future too is clay, then in the remaining days between, why do I need to be hot. Let me be cool.” This is what we are called to be. “Remember thou art dust, and unto dust thou shall return.” So be humble, be grateful and be present; enjoy the ‘now.’ It’s up to each one of us what we want to become - ‘A drop of honey or a barrelful of vinegar.’

As you walk along and the path of life seems hard to plod, then muster courage to sing aloud…

“One day at a time sweet Jesus

That’s all I’m asking of you.

Just give me the strength to do every day what I have to do.

Yesterday’s gone Sweet Jesus,

And tomorrow may never be mine.

God help me today, show me the way, one day at a time.”

JOSEPH - A MAN FOR ALL TIMES

 

WHO IS GOD?

One fine evening,

I walked across to a shop.

A kind gentleman came on my way and asked,

Who named God?

Amazed by his question, I said,

Beg your pardon

He repeated,

Who named God?

I said, “God himself”

No, came the answer

Who named God? once again he asked

Perplexed and puzzled, I remained dumb

With a broad smile, he continued

One fine day, my child,

A man had a sheer glance of God’s canvas

Mesmerized by the wonders

He exclaimed, Oh God!

Oh, God! Awesome Thou Art

The gentleman smiled

And concluded,

GOD: Great Organizer and Developer

by Laveena CSJ,
Province of Tanmaya/India

AN ODE TO GOD, MY LOVE!

     AN ODE TO GOD, MY LOVE!

Down the corridor of time
I’ve known a love so fine
Years passed by, love remained the same
A fine friendship became
Who knew this could happen?
Yet Love made it happen
For life is but a mystery
Filled with unknown history!
 
Pained and broken was I
Ignored and left to sigh
Poor fragile me, I cried
Handle me with care, I begged
Few hearts heard my cry
Tears rolled never to dry
By gone are those days
Marvelous are God’s ways!
 
Years went by, we found each other
Love put my broken pieces together
Touched me with gentle gesture
Pressed me with tender care
Life seemed wonderful
It was no more dreadful
Love and care was all I knew
Life bloomed once again anew!
 
Perfect is this love story
All I see is God’s great glory
Life seems now brighter
For Love made it lighter
With multi-colored hues so clear
Smiles and hugs ever so dear
God is Love and so very special
Whose touch is ever so perennial!

by Laveena CSJ,

Province of Tanmaya/India

Patron Saint - St. Joseph

 God the Father watched the earth carefully

Found Joseph carving the wood skillfully

Perfect! Thought God the Father

Chose Joseph to be the foster-father

 

An angel stood by Joseph peacefully

Watching the sleeping man blissfully

Revealed the plan of God gently

Announced the birth of Jesus gladly

 

Took Mary as his wife diligently

Set the manger in Bethlehem anxiously

Helped Mary in her pain carefully

Cared for Jesus so lovingly

 

Followed the dreams so wisely

Rescued Jesus from Herod’s wrath hastily

Returned to Nazareth obediently

Carved woods so artistically

 

Laboured for Jesus with paternal care

Till he grew to manhood fair

May we learn your virtues dear Joseph

Father, Patron, Protector St. Joseph

 

Laveena D’Souza

Tanmaya Province/India

JOSEPH OF NAZARETH

 Amidst the simplicity of that carpentry shop

Worked a saint of great hope

A skilled labourer, a great craftsman,

A renowned woodworker, Joseph of Nazareth

 

Perfect in work, humble in thoughts

Noble in ways, father so great

A just man, acted on dreams

Never questioned, never doubted, just believed

 

Husband of Mary, Foster Father of Jesus

Obedient, kind and faithful

Knew the pain of exile, yet followed God’s command

Searched Jesus in the ancient city, when he was lost

 

Who else than Joseph to be protector of the church?

Who else than Joseph to be patron of dreams?

Who else than Joseph to be patron of Little Design?

Who else than Joseph to be our guide?

 

Go to Joseph - was said in the old

Go to Joseph - is all that is asked

Go to him, and he will take you to Jesus

For Joseph has the greatest treasure with him. 

With Gratitude

A fallen stone in the womb of the earth

Trampled, unnoticed, and forgotten
Its creator caresses it from afar
The lonely fallen stone.

People walk up and down
Fail to notice the beauty of this stone
An angel in human form passes that way
Picks this lonely fallen stone away

She cleanses this stone with love, 
Glitters with her tender loving care
With warmth, she colors it with all hues
Makes it beautiful and precious once more

Vocation Sunday

 “God’s call makes our greatest dreams come true” – Pope Francis

The first Vocation Sunday

Pope Paul VI in 1964, established the first World day of Prayer for vocations on Good Shepherd Sunday, which is now celebrated on the Fourth Sunday of Easter and known as ‘Vocation Sunday.’

 

The 58^th World day of Prayer for Vocations falls on April 25, 2021

Being dedicated this year to our dear Patron Saint Joseph, Pope Francis in his message enumerates the life and the vocation of St. Joseph.  

Pope Francis connects the message to his Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, which was released on 8 December 2020. Through this letter Pope urges every faithful to increase their love towards this great Saint.

Highlights of Pope’s message

St. Joseph being an extraordinary figure, yet he is so close to our own human experiences. He did not have unique charisms nor he was highlighted in the Bible. Lived an ordinary life accomplishing extraordinary things in the eyes of God.

The Three Keywords from the life of St. Joseph that are very much connected to each individual’s vocation.

1-      Dream: St. Mathew in his Gospel recounts four dreams of St. Joseph. In each dream Joseph gets a difficult call from God to change his plans and to take a risk in order to follow the divine plans. Why did Joseph hastened to fulfil the dreams?  Pope Francis says “Because his heart was directed to God, it was already inclined towards Him. A small indication was enough for his watchful ‘inner ear’ to recognize God’s Voice.”

 

2-      Service: Pope Francis considers St. Joseph’s vocation to service. Joseph lived entirely for Jesus and Mary and never for himself. He serves them, protects them and cares for them. Pope Francis calls this great saint as ‘Protector of Vocations’.

 

3-      Fidelity: Pope Francis says, “Success in life is built on constant fidelity to important decisions.’ As consecrated persons, what matters is one’s fidelity in the light of God’s faithfulness.

 

Pope Francis concludes the message by urging the consecrated to fill their homes / communities with simple and radiant, sober and hopeful joy that was present in the home of Nazareth.

Click on the following link to read the full message.

http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/vocations/documents/papa-francesco_20210319_58-messaggio-giornata-mondiale-vocazioni.html

 

Laveena CSJ

Tanmaya Province / India