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Author Archives: Christian

Invitation to a brief reflection (not only for lent) – InvitaciĂłn a una breve reflexiĂłn

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Invitation to a brief reflection

A listening heart is mindful and attentive,
willing and receptive, persistent and patient.

 

A listening heart seeks stillness and silence,
avoids all kinds of chattiness,
allows itself and others enough time.

 

A listening heart combines depth and breadth,
is open to surprises, pleasant and amazing things.

 

A listening heart creates enough inner space
to also keep safe what it neither understands nor grasps.

 

A listening heart can keep to itself what has been entrusted to it
and takes good care to always exercise discretion. Continue Reading

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St. Valentine’s day: Another attempt

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English

Let’s try a new attempt for Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries on February, 14th. Especially from the Anglican side, this day has become very fashionable and brings good sales to the flower and candy sellers. It is a celebration of “love”, which is expressed through small gifts to our loved ones. Just a commercial celebration or could there be more hidden here?

If you browse through the story, the tradition1 tells of two Valentines and distinguishes and mixes them at the same time. On the one hand, there is a Valentine of Terni and on the other hand a Valentine of Rome. But perhaps it is also one and the same person. Valentine of Rome is said to have married lovers according to the Christian rite as a simple priest, despite the prohibition by Emperor Claudius II, and was executed on February 14, 269. Valentin also gave flowers from his garden to the newly married couples. According to tradition, the marriages he entered into were “under a good star”. Bishop Valentin of Terni is said to have won over many people to the Christian faith by healing the sick in Rome. This brought him a charge in court and around the year 268 he was martyred by decapitation. Continue Reading

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A brief review of 8 February, 2025

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PHOTO-2025-02-09-11-29-50
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English

As you could read in the previous blog post, 8 February is to become a day of celebration and commemoration for the lay Salvatorians around the world. Some units were kind enough to send a few pictures, which you can see in the cloud above. Brazil and Venezuela – Thank you very much for that, and may this encourage other units to celebrate this day a little next year too.

There was also feedback from Poland but unfortunately, it was without pictures.

Espanol

Como se puede leer en la entrada anterior del blog, el 8 de febrero se convertirá en un día de celebración y conmemoración para los salvatorianos laicos de todo el mundo. Algunas unidades tuvieron la amabilidad de enviar algunas fotos, que se pueden ver en la nube de arriba. Brasil y Venezuela: Muchas gracias por ello, y que esto anime a otras unidades a celebrar también un poco este día el año que viene.
También hubo comentarios de Polonia, pero desafortunadamente, no había fotos.

Français

Comme vous avez pu le lire dans le prĂ©cĂ©dent article de blog, le 8 fĂ©vrier est appelĂ© Ă  devenir une journĂ©e de cĂ©lĂ©bration et de commĂ©moration pour les laĂŻcs salvatoriens du monde entier. Certaines unitĂ©s ont eu la gentillesse d’envoyer quelques photos, que vous pouvez voir dans le nuage ci-dessus. BrĂ©sil et Venezuela – Merci beaucoup pour cela, et que cela encourage d’autres unitĂ©s Ă  cĂ©lĂ©brer un peu cette journĂ©e l’annĂ©e prochaine Ă©galement.
La Pologne a Ă©galement fait part de ses commentaires, mais malheureusement, sans photos.

Polska

Jak moĹĽna byĹ‚o przeczytać w poprzednim wpisie na blogu, 8 lutego ma stać siÄ™ dniem Ĺ›wiÄ™towania i upamiÄ™tniania salwatorianĂłw Ĺ›wieckich na caĹ‚ym Ĺ›wiecie. NiektĂłre jednostki byĹ‚y na tyle uprzejme, ĹĽe przesĹ‚aĹ‚y kilka zdjęć, ktĂłre moĹĽna zobaczyć na powyĹĽszej chmurce. Brazylia i Wenezuela – bardzo wam za to dziÄ™kujemy i oby zachÄ™ciĹ‚o to inne jednostki do Ĺ›wiÄ™towania tego dnia takĹĽe w przyszĹ‚ym roku.
Otrzymaliśmy również informację zwrotną z Polski, ale niestety bez zdjęć.

Deutsch

Wie Sie im vorherigen Blogbeitrag lesen konnten, soll der 8. Februar für die Laien-Salvatorianer auf der ganzen Welt zu einem Tag des Feierns und Gedenkens werden. Einige Einheiten waren so freundlich, ein paar Bilder zu schicken, die Sie in der obigen Cloud sehen können. Brasilien und Venezuela – vielen Dank dafür, und möge dies andere Einheiten ermutigen, diesen Tag im nächsten Jahr ebenfalls ein wenig zu feiern.
Es gab auch Feedback aus Polen, aber leider ohne Bilder.

 

 

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Feb. 8.: Lay Salvatorian Recognition Day + world prayer day against mordern slavery

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On February 8, 2023, the Vatican officially recognized the Lay Salvatorians as an Association of the Faithful (ICDS). The General Committee has therefore decided to celebrate this day as a feast day for the Lay Salvatorians in the future and invites all units to join in the celebration. Of course, such a new holiday must first be introduced to the members, so we should not expect too much for the time being. But whatever you plan to do by your own or as a group on this day, you are not alone in celebrating. And this is what we all need to realize: that we are one worldwide community.
Happy Recognition Day!

 

El 8 de febrero de 2023, el Vaticano reconoció oficialmente a los Laicos Salvatorianos como Asociación de Fieles (ICDS). Por lo tanto, el Comité General ha decidido celebrar este día como fiesta de los Laicos Salvatorianos en el futuro e invita a todas las unidades a unirse a la celebración. Por supuesto, una fiesta tan nueva debe ser introducida primero a los miembros, por lo que no debemos esperar demasiado por el momento. Pero sea lo que sea lo que planees hacer por tu cuenta o en grupo en este día, no estás solo en la celebración. Y esto es lo que todos debemos comprender: que somos una comunidad mundial.
¡Feliz Día del Reconocimiento!

 

 

It is noteworthy that the ICDS is being recognized on the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. Many members of the Salvatorian Family, especially the Salvatorian Sisters and Lay Salvatorians, have been working for a long time against the many forms of these criminal, inhumane, and exploitative activities. We are therefore pleased that these two days of celebration and remembrance coincide.

Meanwhile, the portrait of St. Josephine Bakhita is known in many areas of the world. Her life is an example and may open our eyes to the crime and the victims of human trafficking and modern slavery. Therefore the catholic church celebrates annually February 8th as a day of reminder and awareness. Many Catholics worldwide are encouraged to host or attend prayer services and devotions to create greater awareness about this disgrace of mankind – which is still present and happens frequently hidden in our neighborhood, sometimes closer than we would expect. Through prayer, we not only reflect on the experiences of those who have suffered through this affront to human dignity but also comfort, strengthen, bring respect again, and help empower victims of today. Because they need our attention, our awareness, and stand up against this kind of crime.

This time we may offer a common prayer vigil in several languages as far as you have an interest. You will find the prayer material for 2025 here to download →

https://preghieracontrotratta.org/

 

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Invitation: Meeting of the Salvatorian laity in Europe 2025

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Dear Salvatorian Family

You will undoubtedly remember the advance notice regarding the planned meeting in Germany in 2025. The preparation team has been jampacked and is now sending out the official invitation with registration → see the link below. If you are interested, please get in touch with the organizers in Germany.

 

Communities of Salvatorian Laity in Germany

invite to a meeting of the Salvatorian laity in Europe in

2025

„Walking together with Jesus Christ“

 

 

 

Key data:

WHEN:May 29 – June 1, 2025
WHERE:Regina Pacis Conference Center in
D-88299 Leutkirch im Allgäu; Baden-Württemberg
WHO:Lay Salvatorians internationally, people interested in Salvatorian spirit and charism, and guests from the two other Salvatorian branches are very welcome.
COSTS:We have currently calculated a total cost of € 330 per person,
This includes accommodation with full board and coffee breaks, the supporting program, and the costs for the two speakers. A solidarity fund will be set up to ensure that no one cannot participate for financial reasons.
CONTACT and QUESTIONS: albrechtklein@mail.de

 

Invitation

Registration Form

 

 

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Update to Congo project: “Water is Life”

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As can be seen from a posting on ICDS- UPDATE (→ “Water is life”), a well is being built near the village of KULANDA in the province of HAUT KATANGA on the initiative of the local lay Salvatorians. The land on which the well is to be drilled has now been blessed by Fr. Jean Scheurs SDS. Other Salvatorians were present, as well as Salvatorian Sisters and 35 lay Salvatorians.
As can be read in the project description, the initiators are committed to the sustainable development of the project. This means that the water withdrawal will be regulated and that plantings will be made around the well. In the first step, 30 fruit seedlings (lemon and orange trees) were planted at the ceremony. 
If you would like to support this project, we would be very grateful for your help. Donations can be made to the ICDS account → AT23 1919 0001 0025 3467 at Schelhammer & Schattera –
Project “Water is Life”.

Here are some pictures:

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4. Sunday of Advent: LOVE

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Simply LOVE. Christmas is around the corner, the feast of love per se – or? “All you need is love” – a well-known song by the Beatles from July 1967 was written by John Lennon. Those who do not experience love, or who have been deprived of love for a long time, become mentally crippled and are physically harmed. We humans need, yes we live by and for, love.

„Everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.“ – the first letter of John tells us. Love/loving is – maybe now, first of all, a state that lets us immerse ourselves in a certain bliss. Love is a state of security and confidence, that gives security and protection. And it strikes sometimes very suddenly and with full force. Continue Reading

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3. Sunday of Advent: JOY

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“Rejoice” – in Latin “Gaudete” – is the motto of the third Sunday of Advent. “Rejoice in the Lord always! I shall say it again: rejoice!” We can read this in the letter to the Philippians. On the Advent wreath, the pink candle is lit today.

““I feel like I’ve won the lottery and want to hug the whole world!” – “I’m bursting with joy!” – Maybe, or hopefully, everyone knows the feeling of infinite joy that some event brings with it. It is a feeling that makes one hover above the ground, that produces “butterflies in the stomach”.

The Holy Scripture often speaks of joy. We can find more than 200 places in the Old Testament and over 100 in the New Testament. The Holy Scripture presents the joy of God as a source of power (“…, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength! “, Neh 8,10b), which allows one to maintain one’s inner balance even in unpleasant situations. Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Service to a neighbor may also give joy to the servant, for joy can be incredibly contagious. As an Asian saying goes, “Thousands of candles can be lit by the flame of one candle without their light getting weaker and joy does not decrease if it is shared.“ Continue Reading

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2. Sunday of Advent 2024: PEACE

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PEACE. Once again, I am filled with deep sadness when I think about the current state of our world. We still know that the world is full of small and large armed conflicts that cost thousands of people their lives or their physical and mental well-being. And it is still simply inconceivable that we humans apparently do not want to learn anything from our history. So I want to go back to the verse from Mat 5:39:

“If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.”

A wisdom that immediately irritates us. Why do I have to suffer the pain twice and be humiliated to achieve peace? – Not a few will ask what good it is. It is nothing more than a wisdom that the ancient Greeks had already recognized over 2500 years ago, namely that of amnesty. There it was prescribed by law and carried out in all its consequences. What does that mean?

The past cannot be undone, as we all know from often painful experiences. The call and desire for revenge, retribution and (supposed) justice is strong. But how can we escape this spiral of abuse, murder, manslaughter and ongoing mutual violence? It is a dilemma that has plagued human history for millennia, and we see the best example of this in the events in the Middle East. War and suffering only lead to new war and suffering – a seemingly endless cycle of horror. Continue Reading

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