Aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.
Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you.
Your life illuminates our life and makes us more alive with this divine Life to give to the beggars of this world.
Christmas is cancelled!
[…]
Bethlehem is the birthplace of the Saviour, of course. But it's also a town on the West Bank in Palestine. Even though the war is taking place in the Gaza Strip, less than 75 km from Bethlehem, the whole of Palestine is affected. Behind the wall of shame, there is no cause for celebration... In the Gaza Strip, Palestinian brothers and sisters are threatened daily by the bombardments. Families are in mourning. The suffering is compounded by forced displacement. Uncertainty grips all the inhabitants of Gaza as winter sets in. After the horrendous terrorist attack of October 7, the Israeli reprisals against Hamas - and against the Palestinian people, dare we say it! - has caused the death of more than 15,000 Palestinians. This is the massacre of innocents before the birth of the Saviour!
Against war, for peace!
The Canadian Conference of Secular Institutes (CCIS) issued a statement on March 13, 2022 regarding the grave situation in Ukraine. Our presence in the world calls us to be involved, in whatever way we can, to show our solidarity and affection for our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are facing the horror of war.
This statement has been sent to the Russian and Ukrainian embassies in Canada and to the Prime Minister of Canada. In addition, the members of the CCIS executive council also invited the members of the various secular institutes to show their solidarity in a concrete way by making a financial contribution to the various organizations that are providing relief and support to people affected by the war in Ukraine and to the refugees who have fled their country.
Secular Institutes: Making the world present in the Church
On February 2nd 2022, on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and XXVI World Day of Consecrated Life, Pope Francis sent a letter to Jolanta Szpilarewicz, president of the World Conference of Secular Institutes, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Apostolic Constitution Provida Mater Ecclesia, by which Pope Pius XII approved Secular Institutes.
Always be Mountaineers of the Spirit !
On February 2nd, the Church celebrates the feast of the presentation of Jesus in the temple. But this year is also an important anniversary. In fact, 25 years ago, John Paul II instituted February 2nd as the World Day of Consecrated Life, a day to celebrate all men and women who give themselves in active and contemplative religious life, in the order of consecrated virgins, as hermits, in societies of apostolic life, in new communities and, of course, in secular institutes.
He is here !
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light. (…)
For a child is born to us, a son is given us!
Isaiah 9:1.5
Every year, at Midnight Mass, when these words resound, a great emotion overwhelms me, no matter if I am in the most beautiful cathedral, an ordinary parish of my diocese, or in an obscure community hall in a high mountain of Colombia. When these words reach me, I always have the clear impression that something is changing for our world.
I Dream of a New Pentecost!
A few days before the celebration of Pentecost, I think of the disciples who surrounded Mary in the Upper Room. They too lived their "confinement", their "ban on going out". They had double-locked the doors for fear of the Jews, for fear that the Master's fate would be theirs if they went out. Yet they had seen the risen Christ more than once. They had touched Him, eaten with Him, heard Him speak to them, walked with Him on the road, or had breakfast with Him by the lake. But they could hardly believe it was Him...
Embraced by Christ... To the Very End!
"Before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come, the hour to pass from this world to his Father, he, who had loved his own who are in the world, loved them to the end" (John 13:1) Every time I read these words from John's gospel, I am moved. Long before the disciples made the preparations for the Last Supper, the evangelist set the table for us to enter into the greatest mystery of love.
A new logo for the CCSI
As we renew the Canadian Conference of Secular Institutes' website, the Executive Council has been working on the idea of a logo that could be part of our corporate image. The President of the CCIS, Father Marcel Caron, consulted Andrés Lara Gonzales, a young graphic design professional from Colombia. After several exchanges, he accepted the challenge of designing a logo for our Conference.
What If The Incarnation Made The Difference!
We are a few weeks away from celebrating Christmas. Hard to believe that this great celebration is already at our doorstep. But we are called to live the mystery of the Incarnation every day… not just once a year.
The last few weeks have brought many events that question our faith and our living together. What if the Incarnation was given to us to make a difference in the midst of all these situations?
Formation and Spiritual Renewal Days in Canada
On May 16th in Quebec City and October 27th in Montreal, the Canadian Conference of Secular Institutes (CCSI) organized regional encounters for secular institute members present in Canada. These encounters were held in a fraternal setting filled with joy. In Quebec City, more than 70 persons answered the call with 50 more who met in Montreal.
On October 14th, Pope Francis canonized Pope Paul VI who guided the Church from (1963-1978). He shepherded us during the turbulent years of the Vatican II Council, the social changes of 1968, the time of a spiritual renewal, the sexual revolution and the answer of Humanae Vitae and so many other changes...