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"Give wings and feet to the Gospel"
(Mother Thecla Merlo).
(Mother Thecla Merlo).
The
Daughters of St. Paul carry out a new form of evangelization by living
and witnessing to the Faith through communications. The sisters are
active in all forms of media, from traditional publications to e-books,
from TV to social media, from the internet to mobile apps—working in the
areas of writing, publishing, recording and broadcasting,
screen-writing, media literacy, religious education, adult faith
formation and spiritual development. They operate 14 Pauline Book and
Media Centers throughout the US and English-speaking Canada.
Following the example of Jesus, who showed that the
essence of divine communication is giving oneself to others in love, a
Daughter of St. Paul lives religious consecration while serving the
Church with the communications media. It is in communication that we
seek to become holy and to help others become holy. To become Jesus and
give him to the world as way, truth and life, we draw light and life
from daily communication with the Eucharistic Christ. Immersing
ourselves in the communications culture, we encounter others and invite
them to “come” with us to him.
Each
Daughter of St. Paul takes inspiration and spiritual nourishment from
St. Paul, as our Founder directed us: “If Saint Paul were living today,
he would continue to burn with that double flame from a single fire,
zeal for God and his Christ and for all the people of every nation. And
to make himself heard, he would ascend the highest pulpit and multiply
his word with the means of progress: press, cinema, radio and
television” (Carissimi in San Paolo, pp. 1151-1152; cf. Anima e corpo per il Vangelo, pp. 61-63).
Fully
conscious of our prophetic mission and our responsibility towards
history, we announce the message of the Gospel in the name of the Church
with the ardor of our faith, adopting Mary’s attitude of self-surrender
and the Apostle Paul’s courage and selfless generosity, valuing and
promoting the good that is in every person, people and culture.
In this era of global
communication, with all its limitations and new opportunities, we
continue to live the charismatic gift of the Founder to the Church: “We
must always lead others to heaven: not people who lived ten centuries
ago but those who live today. We must take the world and people as they are today so as to do good today” (ATP n. 93).
The Congregation of the
Daughters of St. Paul is one of the 10 institutes that make up the
Pauline Family, founded by Blessed James Alberione with the
collaboration of Mother Thecla Merlo.
Gospel Reflection:
We always live in Advent expectation
We always live in Advent expectation
|
Lectio: Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Meditatio:
“But when these signs
begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your
redemption is at hand.”  A
few radio stations began playing Christmas music weeks ago. The malls
and department stores are decked out for the holiday gift season. Lights
twinkle in the trees around town. And here we are starting Advent with
one of the classic “hell fire and brimstone” texts. Christians!
Sometimes we’re a contrary bunch.
Contrary indeed. In the
midst of dire warnings about signs in the sun, moon and stars, and an
exhortation to avoid carousing and drunkenness, Jesus interjects a new,
unexpected, note: “…stand erect and raise your heads because your
redemption is at hand.” The end of the world as we know it is coming--but if Jesus is to be believed, it is not a doom-and-gloom event. He reminds us that we are looking forward to a time of redemption and salvation in its full expression. This gives us the confidence to stand and look to the future with joyful expectation. Today we begin Advent, the liturgical time of waiting. In a certain sense, we always live in advent expectation. Christ has come, and yet we also claim that Christ will come again. The kingdom of God is in our midst and yet we pray each day: “Thy Kingdom come.” Theologians speak of the “already and the not yet.” Our redemption is at hand. It is already here. After all, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He died on Calvary, and most significantly, he rose again at Easter. In this sense, the redemption is an accomplished fact. Viewed from another perspective, however, the redemption is still being worked out in our daily choices, thoughts, words, and actions. And in this sense, too, our redemption is at hand. It is lived out in the here and now moments of life. Christmas is coming. The signs are everywhere. Christ is coming. Are the signs evident in my life?
Oratio
Lord, sometimes I am
annoyed and other times I am amused at the contrast between the
prayerful unfolding of Advent’s great themes and the gauntlet of
December rituals expected in society. Help me to keep my focus on the
signs of your coming. You come in gentle, hidden ways. Don’t let me miss
you when you come in the disguise of people I may be tempted to ignore:
the poor, the weak, the suffering, the person who annoys or insults
me.... Excerpted from Advent Grace: Daily Gospel Reflections. |
We
begin our Christmas Novena on December 16th. As we sing together the
ancient strains of longing and promise, we remember the needs and
desires of all those whom we have met and befriended through the year.
If you would like us to remember your intentions during our novena,
please send them to us. A thought from St. Paul to pray during the week: "In the fullness of time, God sent his Son born of a woman."
God bless you,
Daughters of St. Paul
God bless you,
Daughters of St. Paul
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