UT CHRISTUS REGNET. A publication of the School Sisters of Christ the King. Incarnate. Gentle King. Love

Transcription

1 UT CHRISTUS REGNET A publication of the School Sisters of Christ the King Gentle King Incarnate Love

2 blessings Shared Dear Friends, Years ago we began a wonderful tradition. After our Thanksgiving dinner we listen to each other share some of the graces and blessings we have received from the Lord in the past year. This rich sharing is a beautiful time of bonding and a time of great gratitude! After this sharing I find myself renewed in the remembrance that I am a beloved daughter of the Father and a chosen spouse of Jesus Christ who lives in community with Sisters who are committed to living a life shared in Christ s love. My wish for you at Christmas is that you may know and experience the great love our Father in heaven has for you. May you also realize more deeply the unfathomable love of Jesus as well as how loved you are by your family and friends. May the Infant of Bethlehem, Jesus our King, bestow upon you and your families abundant Christmas blessings. May He give you Christmas Joy and Peace. You will be remembered prayerfully by all the Sisters at Villa Regina during our annual Christmas novena of Masses. In the loving heart of Christ our Infant King, I am, with gratitude, In this Issue... Each Christmas, we bring out the nativity scene and remember again that first Christmas. The shepherds, goats, straw, and sheep bring to mind the story of that holy night in Bethlehem. In this issue, we invite you to take a few moments to reflect with wonder on what it meant for God to come so humbly and powerfully into our world.

3 A King is Born A Reflection from St. Alphonsus The Son of God, in becoming human for our sake, might have appeared in the world at the age of a grown man, the way Adam appeared when he was created. But since children usually attract greater love to themselves from those who take care of them, Jesus chose to appear on earth as an infant; and as the poorest and most miserable infant ever born. Saint Peter Chrysologous wrote: Our God chose to be born this way because he wanted to be loved. The prophet Isaiah had already predicted that the Son of God was to be born an infant and give himself entirely to us through the love he bore for us: A child is born to us, a son is given to us (Isaiah 9:6a). O my Jesus, almighty and true God, what else could possibly have attracted you to come from heaven and be born in a cave, if not your love for us? What convinced you to leave the lap of your Father and lay yourself down in a manger? What drew you down from your throne above the stars to stretch yourself out on a little pile of straw? What, from the midst of the nine choirs of angels, has placed you between these sheep and oxen? You inflame the seraphim with holy fire, yet look, you tremble from the cold in this stable! You give the sun, the stars, and the planets their paths of movement, yet now you cannot move at all without being carried in someone s arms! You provide food for all creatures, and yet now you depend on a little milk to sustain your life. You are the delight of heaven, and yet how is it that I now hear you whimper and cry? Tell me, who has reduced you to such lowliness? Who has done this? Love has done it, says Saint Bernard. Yes, the love that you have for us has done it. Affections and Prayers O dearest Infant, tell me what you came on earth to do. Tell me whom you are seeking. Ah, yes, I now understand you have come to die for me, a lost sheep, in order that I may no more hide from you, but love you. O Jesus, my treasure, my life, my love, my all, if O Jesus... who has I do not love you, then whom shall ever loved me more I love? Where can I find a mother or than You have? father, a friend or a spouse more loving than you? And who has ever loved me more than you have? I am sorry that I have lived so many years in this world and yet still love you so little, even having offended you and sometimes forgotten you. Forgive me, O my beloved Redeemer, for I regret that I have ever treated you so badly. I am sorry with all my heart. Forgive me, and give me your grace so that I may never again separate myself from you, and so that I may love you constantly for the rest of my life. O my love, I give myself to you entirely. Accept me, Lord, and do not reject me, even though I might deserve it. O Mary, you are my advocate. You always obtain whatever you ask from your son. Beg him to forgive me and to help me persevere until death.

4 Springtime of Salvation You could have been born in the spring: Blossoming with the flowers, Peeking Your head out from under Your blanket, Like the new grass first venturing above the ground. You could have been born in the summer: When even the sun and breeze could warm You, Or in the autumn: With gently rustling leaves to sing You to sleep. Exactly as we are Full of flowers or snow, Sunshine or darkness. As You come to us, You came to make the world new. Not expecting to find perfection when You arrive. The world had to wait a lifetime For you to emerge from Your cave of slumber And stand victorious in the Springtime of Salvation. By Sister Mary Gabriel, CK Why winter? Instead You chose to come in the winter Amidst coldness and silence, When all of nature seems to be asleep And everything from the bears in their caves To grass under the snow Seems to hide for a warmer day. Responding to the Heart of the King Why winter? Was it meant to show how Your entire life would be lived Trying to warm and melt the cold hearts You would meet To show that You, too, would be hidden Like the bear slumbering in his cave, Destined for a season to hide Your glory? This world had entered its winter. Waiting for a springtime that only You could bring. You entered this world as You enter each of us: Women s Discernment Retreat March 10-12, 2017 A retreat for single Catholic women -- high school seniors through age 35. For more information or to register contact Sister Mary Agnes at ck-vocations@cdolinc.net

5 Community Tradition Advent The Advent Guest has been a community tradition since 1984 when Sister Regina Marion, IHM, as the formation directress introduced it to our young Sisters. The custom itself is based on St. Alphonsus Ligouri s twelve Stations of the Infant Jesus. Each evening we carry Awaiting the coming of the Infant King, Sisters and students carry on the tradition of Advent Guest at home and at school. the Infant King from an Advent crib display to the room of one of our Sisters. We spend a few minutes in prayer for that Sister, asking Jesus to be with her throughout the night and the next day. We end with the Hail and Blessed be the hour prayer. We have also modified this tradition for our schools, where Jesus is either invited to be the guest of a particular classroom or within the classroom the Infant Jesus is passed to a different child each day. As Mary worked to prepare her home for the new baby to be born on Christmas, this tradition helps us prepare our hearts for the coming of the Newborn King.

6 What gift would you give Baby Jesus? An hour glass-representing even the smallest moments of my time. Sister Marie Amata We asked some of our Sisters and students. This is what they had to say: Something to cuddle with. Ben, Preschool A place in my home to show that I want to receive the love he comes to bring. Sister Mary Guadalupe Greater self-possession so that my self-giving would be more complete. Sister Mary Fidelis A little rocker so Mary could sit in it and rock Jesus. Elle, Kindergarten Love, because I love Jesus. Eloise, Kindergarten Clothes, because He doesn t have enough. Jason, Kindergarten A blanket; if it s cold, it will keep Him warm. Julia, Kindergarten My heart like a Valentine. Abby, 1st grade Souls and love. Sister Mary Faustina A smile. Sister Mary Agnes A house so He can be safe. Ethan, Kindergarten A rosary so we could pray it together. Izzy, 2nd grade I would let him hold my finger. Sister Mary Jacinta Tenderness, fidelity and trust. Sister Margaret Mary My heart through my smile and eyes. Sister Mary Immaculata My love in the form of hugs. Sister Mary Ignatia A kitchen set because I have one and I want Him to have one, too. Ashlynn, Kindergarten

7 Jesus, Meek and Humble He need not have come to us as a baby. As St. Alphonsus says, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity could have appeared one day as a full grown man and begun His mission of salvation, or He could simply have willed our redemption from on high. Had He chosen another way, our salvation would still have been just as fully won. Why then a baby? When Jesus came, it was not only to save. He also wanted us to know Him and to give ourselves to Him. Jesus reveals who He is through His Infancy. Even though He grew to adulthood, Jesus was and is eternally the Divine Infant. He is the One who, like a newborn, is completely dependent upon His Father. He is the One who does nothing on His own. Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also Jesus reveals does (Jn. 5:19). Jesus is the One who speaks who He is nothing on His own. For I did not speak through His on my own, but the Father who sent me Infancy. commanded me to say all that I have spoken (Jn. 12:49). Jesus is the One who is forever entrusted and held. His whole being is receptivity to the Father and in this way, like an infant, He loves. His final words from the cross were, Father, into your hands I commend my spirit (Lk. 23:46). This state of complete entrustment to the loving care of God is how all of us were meant to be. Original sin so deceived us that we yearn for independence. It is our great and tragic goal. Jesus, ever dependent, teaches the opposite. He insists that we are like Him in that without God we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5). He asks us to follow Him in His reliance upon the Father, telling us that He is the way, the truth and the life (Jn. 14:6). Just in case we miss the point, He exhorts definitively, Unless you become like little children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God (Mt. 18:3). Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Holy Divine Infant, help us to be one with You. Historic Announcement Bishop James D. Conley made By Sister Mary Alma, CK an important announcement during the Mass at Villa Regina Motherhouse on the Solemnity of Christ the King, November 20, 2016, the closing day of the Year of Mercy. He has chosen to raise our congregation, currently a Public Association of the Christian Faithful, to the status of an Institute of Diocesan Right. This approval to raise our canonical standing is a joyous occasion that we look forward to celebrating on the Solemnity of Christ the King in We hope you ll join us at the celebration at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ, so mark your calendars for November 26, 2017!

8 The Incarnation & a Piece of Pizza How does God show you that He loves you? Twenty hands immediately went into the air. Soon began the standard litany of student answers, by dying on the cross, by coming in the Eucharist, by giving me a house. A boy with disheveled hair to match his particularly disheveled polo shirt energetically waved his hand from the back row. When I finally called on him he said, by giving me the corner piece of pizza at lunch today. It is easy to believe that God cares about the big problems in our lives and in the world. Prayers for healing for sick relatives or an end to war come very naturally to us. We know that such important things need to be placed in God s loving hands. It can be much harder to believe that the specific piece of pizza which ends up on the plastic tray of a small boy in Nebraska makes any difference to God. But what if He really does care that much? What if our being stuck in traffic or finishing a project or getting up the courage to make that difficult phone call really does matter to God? The Incarnation, God choosing to come to earth as a small baby in Bethlehem, is proof of His awesome yet extremely personal love for us. The prologue of John reads that God became flesh and made His dwelling (or in some translations pitched His tent ) among us (Jn. 1:14). As Jesus journeyed through life from the Annunciation to the Ascension, He experienced all that it means to be human. He could have walked around Galilee like a lofty but benevolent ruler, condescendingly mingling with His inferiors. Instead, He chose to walk among us in the nitty-gritty of ordinary life. He traveled by boat, got caught in the rain and was covered in dust much of the time. In pitching His tent among us, Jesus sanctified everything from the dust under His feet, to the waters of the Jordan River, to the pile of hay in the cave in Bethlehem. When He sanctified the places and events of 2,000 years ago, He sanctified them for all time. The Incarnation wasn t a passing event but one that changed the created world forever. Jesus entered our world in order to remain close to us. If you have ever been camping, you realize that you come to know your fellow campers in new and different ways by the end of the trip. You share the dirt in your food, getting lost along the way, and wonderful conversations around the campfire. THAT is the kind of King, the kind of Friend, Jesus became when He entered the world. In choosing to pitch His tent among us, Jesus invites us to share our life with Him, taking both the important and seemingly insignificant moments of our life and seeing them as they are, a gift from a King who loves us. When we come to realize how many times God shows his love throughout the day, both in ordinary moments with good friends and powerful moments in prayer, we can begin to realize how constantly he is walking with us. We begin to recognize his handwriting, or rather the hand of a loving God who is constantly giving good gifts to his children, even if it takes the form of the corner piece of pizza. By Sister Mary Gabriel, CK

9 It was through the eyes of faith that the three Kings were able to see the newborn King in the littleness of the Babe in the manger. - Bishop Flavin Blessed Christmas &Epiphany! Villa Regina Motherhouse 4100 SW 56th Street Lincoln, NE Winter 2016 Vol. 21, No. 2 Non - profit org. U. S. Postage PAID Lincoln NE Permit No. 73