Come Holy Spirit!
No, this is not a representation of Pentecost but a day of recollection preached by Brother Emmanuel and Brother Dan for about fifty religious brothers and sisters in Bucharest.
I desire mercy not sacrifice.
Together they explored what can help them be faithful in their religious life and how to establish merciful communication between religious.
As is their tradition in Lent, the consecrated brothers and sisters from the diocese of Bucharest gathered for their recollection. For a year it was planned that this would take place at the Monastery of the Holy Family, priory of the Brothers of St. John in Bucharest, but March 13 being still a critical period around Covid, another venue, the spacious Monastery of Cioflicieni of the Carmelite Fathers, was chosen. The preaching was the responsibility of the Brothers of Saint John.
The morning sermon was held by Brother Emmanuel, on the theme It is mercy that I desire, not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6). Without falling into Pharisaism, consecrated persons must be attentive to what the world especially expects from them: a witness of mercy. People need to be able to count on them. Some signs of mercy to look for and especially to live: joy, not only in oneself but around oneself, a joy that we like to communicate; beauty, in the sense of making oneself agreeable to others; humility, a beauty restrained, not flaunted; the love of silence, the secret of lovers; and finally a desire to cooperate. But we must also be able to maintain this mercy, we must hold on, and two means were emphasized: the need to be open, for transparency, and also the benefit of celebrating joyful times together as a family.
With all the sisters present, it was easy to sing beautiful Offices and Mass. Brother Dan gave the homily. In the afternoon, the consecrated brothers and sisters gave a Lectio on Mt. 18:15-20, in small groups. As a rule each group had no more than two members of the same Community, so that those from very diverse backgrounds got to know each other better.
Angelus TV
A national Catholic television is born in Romania, with the support of 5 bishops of the country and under the motto: ‘Come and see!’ This motto continually appears in many of the “homemade” programmes during this Covid year. On May 16, Social Communications Day, Feast of Blessed Vladimir Ghika, a 24-hour internet streaming site was launched, with the hope that in the Autumn it would be possible to receive a TV license and transmit via cable. Brother Dan, accompanied by a nun, provide the spirituality programme: “Men and the Words of the Spirit” and Brother Emmanuel is preparing with a laywoman a programme “Gospel on Bread”: cooking whilst talking about the Gospel.
