Misioneras

Advent and Christmas 2024

Dear Sisters,

            As we stand on the threshold of Advent, a season filled with anticipation and profound reflection, our gaze is turned to the greatness of God’s goodness which carries out the fulfillment of the promise of salvation, opening our eyes to the journey that awaits us. It is a brief season, but it can bring us a wonderful blessing if we provide ourselves moments of serenity that allow us to draw closer to God.

This year, our anticipation enhances as we prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of the 2025 Jubilee Year, a time of renewal, gratitude, and more intense communion with our Creator. This sacred time invites us to reflect deeply on the meaning of Christ’s coming and the transforming power of his love and grace in our lives.

I wish that we enter Advent season with an open heart, ready to embrace the spirit of the Jubilee and to live it as an extraordinary opportunity for renewal and reconciliation.  Therefore, it is fitting that we review our journey as a community and draw closer to one another, as a family united in faith and love.  Perhaps asking ourselves would help us: how many times have I reached out to the sisters in my community? Does my way of life convey enthusiasm that encourages my sisters to move forward on this path? With an ever-deeper sense of communion, let us support one another, share our burdens, and rejoice in our blessings, knowing that we are walking together toward a greater celebration.

In a world afflicted with conflict, it is our mission to seek forgiveness where division exists, to heal wounds, to rebuild broken bridges, and to renew our commitment to justice and peace.  Let us make our life experience a proclamation of the Gospel that stimulates others to join us in this journey of faith, to celebrate, as one people, the infinite mercy of God and to extend it to all those who surround us, fostering an atmosphere of compassion, solidarity and unity. 

We are called to be mindful of the needy, offering our support and love in tangible or concrete ways. I would like to point out, in particular, our community and brothers and sisters affected by the typhoon in Batanes and the families who were victims of the recent flood in Spain.  Let us show solidarity with them because by practicing solidarity, we strengthen our community bonds and realize that we are part of something bigger than ourselves and that we can make a difference in the lives of others. For me it is a very special way of making visible God’s presence in the world and his closeness felt in people’s lives.  Even our daily little acts of kindness, perhaps without knowing it, can relieve the suffering of others.

Every candle we light on the Advent wreath is a symbol of Christ’s growing light in the world, pushing back the darkness and filling our hearts with hope and peace.  May our hope radiate to all those around us and transmit that strength which drives us to move forward despite difficulties. It is the beacon that illumines our path towards the encounter with Christ.

May the Virgin Mary accompany us in waiting for the Lord. May the example of her unwavering faith inspire us to joyfully anticipate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Joyful Advent and Christmas!

                                                                       With my fraternal embrace and prayer

Sor Mª Asunción González, O.P.

                                                         Prioress General

Virgen del Rosario 2024

Dear Sisters,

We get in touch, once again, to honor our Mother in heaven, Our Lady of the Rosary. We turn to her so that, in accordance with her title ‘of the Rosary’, she may help us to participate consciously in the mysteries of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

On this day we raise our hearts to her, contemplating the mystery of the Incarnation made real in her virginal womb, feeling deeply moved by her humility and her unwavering faith. Through her “Fiat” the fulfillment of God’s saving plan began.  She opened us to the hope of a new world: the Kingdom of God, where peace, justice and fraternity reign. It is in this conviction that we can hold on in the midst of the current situation in which we live, surrounded by wars.

Mary’s life is a constant example of contemplation. In each mystery of the Rosary, we see her immersed in a profound communion with her Son, meditating on the events of his life with a love and understanding that surpasses us. Her heart, full of grace, was the first sanctuary where the Word of God dwelt; and the more she delves into contemplation, the more her love grows.

As Dominican missionaries, her example encourages us to live the charism of our Order: to contemplate and to share what we have contemplated.  Like her, we must constantly deepen our contemplation of the mysteries of our faith, so that we can share them with others in a clear and inspiring way; and so that we ourselves may grow in the love of God. Contemplation leads us to communion with God.  In the recitation of the Holy Rosary, we find a sure path to achieve this union with Christ.  Each Hail Mary is an invitation to join our voice to that of our brothers and sisters, to that of the angels and the saints, proclaiming the greatness of the Lord.  Each mystery is an opportunity to meditate on the life, passion, death and glory of Jesus, and to experience the joy of his Resurrection and the greatness of God’s love.

At this time when peace is the most desired gift, let us ask for the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, trusting that she can obtain it from her Son, as she has shown us so many times.  May her maternal presence console so many people who are suffering the horrors of wars, as she consoled her Son at the foot of the cross. Let us also pray that our hearts would be a reflection of hers, full of love, peace and hope.

Happy feastday to all!

                                                                       With my fraternal embrace and prayer

Sor Mª Asunción González, O.P.

                                                         Prioress General