February News - Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Houston

FEBRUARY, 2022

Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple · Wednesday, February 2, 2022

FEBRUARY NEWS

Pope's Prayer For Religious Sisters and Consecrated Women: We pray for religious sisters and consecrated women; thanking Intention for February

them for their mission and their courage; may they continue to find new responses to the challenges of our times.

I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT - I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE - I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH.

BY SR. BENEDETTA KALEKYE MALINDI, CCVI On January 16, 2022, I had the opportunity of running my first half marathon. On that freezing morning as I lined up with everyone else who trained for several months leading up to the same goal of completing 26.2 miles or 13.1 miles I felt a commonality among us. Whether an elite runner setting out to win it all or as a runner with the goal just to finish the race, like me, each of us was setting out on a journey—a journey that would entail crossing the finish line.

I couldn’t help but think of Hebrews 12:1-2: let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Though there are many spiritual lessons that one could apply in running a marathon, here are a few that I thought of along the way: but first appreciations to my body for enduring through the hour.

I learned quickly that my body could be my friend or my enemy. When pushed gently, it rewarded me with pain and endurance. When pushed too hard, I suffered discomfort that, if ignored, became pain. Therefore, listen to body, mind and spirit. What they really need and not just want is rewarding but remember they are often in conflict. Lessons to take home: The Christian life is like an endurance journey—not a race. The author of Hebrews notes that we are to run with perseverance. Therefore, as it was for me during the run, Christian life often entails waiting, hardship, highs, lows, and cliffs and valleys. Endurance is required. As Christians, we are not alone in the run. Lining up with thousands of runners on the day of the marathon was a sight to behold. At some point along the way, all of us hurt in some way or another. Something about knowing that fellow runners were beside me in the race kept me motivated and kept me going.

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I knew my sisters were somewhere waiting for me at the finish line. Hearing my name at mile 13 and hearing encouragement from my sisters and along the way from many spectators kept encouraging me. I was able to find energy to keep moving, even though I was hurting. Not only do we have the body of Christ to encourage us, but the Lord Himself promises us that He will never leave us or forsake us.

We are to run our race—not someone else’s. One piece of advice that someone shared with me the day before the race was helpful: he encouraged me to run my race—not someone else’s. He knew that it would be tempting from the start to take off with everyone else and to run as fast as everyone else was running.

He encouraged me to hold back and to run my race. The way that I run is different from someone else.

Applying this principal spiritually speaking, the Lord creates us in unique and distinct ways to image Him differently. If my eyes are focused on my neighbor and the gifts and abilities the Lord has given him or her, not only am I negating how the Lord has created me to be, I also take my eyes off of the Lord. If my gaze is on the Lord, then I can steward my gifts and abilities for Him. If my eyes are on my neighbor, then there is temptation to become prideful, envious, or focused on self. The journey is important—not just the destination. My goal on January 16th was to finish, but I also had to focus on the journey. That journey necessitated focus on the months leading up to the marathon itself. You cannot cram for a marathon—it requires discipline, hard work, and consistent training which I wasn’t very good at but I tried. For Christians, our destination is to one day spend eternity with the Lord, but for the here-and-now, we must be focused on the journey. Faith, discipline, day-by-day obedience, and focus on the Lord are required of us. Day-by-day, moment-bymoment focus is important.

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At mile 10, several people yelled to all of us running, “Just a 5-K left!” I know their intent was to encourage and be helpful, but if I am honest, my initial thought back to them was, “I AM JUST RUNNING MILE BY MILE RIGHT NOW!!!” I could not think about running three miles after running 10. I had to focus on mile 11, then mile 12, and then mile 13. Spiritually speaking, the Lord reminds us in Matthew that each day has “enough trouble of its own.” We often focus on tomorrow, next week, or next month. That is when worries and anxieties set in and fester. The Lord is the Provider of daily bread (Ex. 16). He promises to daily bear our burdens (Ps. 68:19), provide new mercies and compassion for each day (Lam. 3:22-23), and to renew us daily (2 Cor. 4:16).Fuel is vital. Nutrition is important for a runner. Stay hydrated during the run, I had to carbo-load and take in enough fluids the days leading up to the marathon. Why then, do I often think that I can run the race of life without having fueled my heart, mind, and spiritual body with the Bread of Life and the Living Water?

It hurt at points along the way. Running a marathon entailed pain. Not only did I experience pain while running but I experienced soreness in the days following. My encouragement was remembering that pain is temporary but joy is long lasting. Remember no pain no gain and it is very true that hard work pays off. In our Christian lives, there will be times that we will experience pain and suffering. There will be struggles with sin. As we keep our eyes focused on the Lord, we can endure.

The finish line is worth it. The jubilation and happiness of crossing the finish line was amazing—almost indescribable. To have someone place a medal around your neck and say, “Good job!” is amazing. For believers, there is a day that is coming, when we will cross life’s finish line. We will be clothed with the robe of righteousness because of Christ’s work, and we will hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.” We will live with the Lord and all of creation will be redeemed. There will be no more crying, no more death, no more mourning, no more suffering or pain. The Lord will make all things new (Rev. 21:4).You and I are to run—run the Christian life with our eyes focused on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. When we get weary and tired, we can rely on Him for our strength.

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Living Laudato Si' Torola, El Salvador

We (Srs. Vilma Aracely Ramos Gutierrez, Maria Aracely Pérez Chinchilla, Betty Campos Arias, and three parishioners) attended Agroecology training workshops facilitated by the Divine Providence Center of the Carmelite Missionary Sisters of Saint Teresa. We have learned how to make compost organic, and organic pesticides. We started a vegetable garden in a small space that the parish has lent us.

Happy to say that we have already harvested the first cucumbers, lettuces and arugula for salad. One problem is that we do not have an irrigation system and the land which we have is not the best. The workshop will finish next October.

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BIG, healthy, BEAUTIFUL, playful friendly DOGS Our

Living Laudato Si' Molo, Kenya

BY SR. ANNUNCIATA KAVINYA KISUVA, CCVI I am pictured here with one of the Baraka Convent's adult dogs. Her name is Chica and she is now two years old.

When Covid-19 struck the world and we went on lockdown, we had already obtained a female dog so as to get puppies. This was a new idea that had not been practiced in Baraka Convent before. The mother dog loaned to us by a vet gave birth to eight puppies. Fortunately, most of our convents needed dogs as well. So we gave them out to them and kept Chica and Rocco.

In 2020, we were still implementing Laudato Si'. Perhaps this is one way my attention was drawn to the creation around me. Previously, I wasn't entertaining dogs, but when these were born, things changed.

God blessed the work of our hands at Baraka Convent! It wasn't easy to raise eight puppies and three big dogs. Now these dogs are big, healthy, beautiful, playful and friendly, though not everyone understands or enjoys them this way.

I am happy because it is something we tried and it was successful. I wash my hands after playing with them, though I know Covid -19 doesn't come from dogs!

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EMMANUEL, GOD WITH US As we go through life’s difficult and discouraging seasons, we remember that the Lord, revealed through His birth, life, teachings, death and resurrection, is with us every step of the way.

BY SR. BENEDETTA KALEKYE MALINDI, CCVI When life gets hard and frightening, God is never too busy to listen to our cries whenever we call for His help. God being there for us always does not mean He will take our problems away; it means that He will be with us and help us make it through (Isaiah 41:10). It is true that twenty centuries ago when Jesus was born God’s people were in serious trouble, and that’s why He came to ransom captive Israel that was mourning in lonely exile. They were ruled by a wicked and oppressive king which made them undergo a lot of torment and because of that, they cried to God and He sent His son in the person of Jesus who was called Emmanuel: “God with us” (Mt 1:23). He did not just erase their problem but He came to walk with them, share their experience, free them from sins and above all restore them to new life. “God with us” Emmanuel, this name leaves me astounded when I connect with our today’s world.

We live in a world filled with pain, brokenness, strife and evil of every kind all around us. Currently, we are living in difficult and discouraging days.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused and is still causing tragic loss of life, health, and livelihood for millions of people. Racial injustice and conflicts have increased thus causing deaths and destructions of our ways of life.

Political conflict has also driven people apart, even causing deep divisions among family members and friends. We question and feel lost. Sometimes, during these moments, we forget that God is with us (Emmanuel). This is who He is and that is His name (Romans 8:38, 39). And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love...... In these moments we need to remember that God is with us (Emmanuel) always even in the midst of the toughest challenges.

As we go through life’s difficult and discouraging seasons, we remember that the Lord, revealed through His birth, life, teachings, death and resurrection, is with us on every step of the way. He is closer to us than the air we breathe. Emmanuel brings hope and rejoicing to a weary world. God brings hope and rejoicing through His son Jesus Christ, who is God’s living presence with us. This statement is very common; He never promised that our lives would always be easy and pleasant but He did promise us that no matter what happens to us, we will never be alone because He is Emmanuel (God with us).

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EMMANUEL, GOD WITH US, CON'T

The following story caught my attention and so I am sharing it with you.

Some missionaries told this story of Christmas to a group of children in an orphanage. They had been abused and abandoned, and they had never before heard the story that we have just heard again and again of Emmanuel. The children were entranced, some of them sitting on the edges of their stools, leaning forward to take in every word. To complete the story, each child was given some pieces of cardboard to make a manger, a piece of yellow paper to be torn into strips and placed in the manger as straw and a piece of felt cut out in the shape of a doll to be the baby Jesus. One of the missionaries noticed that Yuri, who seemed to be about 6 years old, had two babies in his manger. When asked about this, Yuri began to repeat the story of our Lord’s birth. He told the story perfectly until he came to the part where Mary placed the baby Jesus in the manger. He said, “And when Mary laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked if I had a place to stay. I told Him I have no dad and no mum, so I do not have a place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with Him. But I told Him I could not because I did not have a gift to give Him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much. I thought about what I could give Him as a gift. And I asked Jesus, ‘If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?’ And Jesus told me, ‘If you keep me warm that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me.’ So, I got into the manger and then Jesus looked at me and He told me that I could stay with Him -- for always.”

Yuri’s eyes were full of tears that rolled down his cheeks as he finished his story. He put his hands over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The small orphan had found someone at last that would never abandon him nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him – for always. And so, we too have found someone who stays with us -- forever and always. And that is what we celebrate every day.

God is one of us, He is with us, and He is our friend.

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RENEWING VOWS

On January 11, 2022, Sr. Catarina Osorio Ixcoteyac renewed her Vows during Evening Prayer at St. Placidus Convent at the Villa de Matel. Sr. Kevina Keating, Congregational Leader, and Sr. Mary McHale, Local Leader at Casa de la Paz, witnessed Sr. Catarina’s renewal of vows. Let us continue to pray for all of our Sisters in Annual Profession of Vows.

“Nothing is more practical than finding God, That is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.

It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings, What you will do with your evenings, How you spend your weekends, What you read, Who you know, What breaks your heart, And what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” ― Pedro Arrupe, SJ

NEWS & NOTES

Houston History Magazine panel discussion "San José Clinic: Forever Healing" features Sr. Pauline Troncale, CCVI On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of San José Clinic, Houston History Magazine and UH Center for Public History hosted a virtual panel discussion on Jan. 19 exploring the legacy of the clinic offering healthcare to Houston's underserved. The panel discussion, which featured Sr. Pauline Troncale, CCVI, clinic director between 1990-1992, was in conjunction with the launch of the latest issue of the magazine which tells the stories

of the clinic's founding and the many women and groups that have supported its mission since 1922, including the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Houston.

Sr. Pauline joined Maureen Sanders, SJC President and CEO, Larry Massey, President of the Scanlan Foundation and Anne Quirk, a volunteer for six decades and member of the Charity Guild of Catholic Women to explore the past, present and future of the clinic. To read stories from the latest issue click here: www.houstonhistorymagazine.org

SUBMITTED BY SR. MARGARET BULMBER, CCVI

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