by Nadia Ramoutar, MMM Communications Coordinator Ireland 24.12.2021
There are gifts that life brings us in the most unexpected ways.
When I applied for the role of the Communications Coordinator for the Medical Missionaries of Mary, the deadline for application was 22nd December, 2020. I recall thinking how close this was to Christmas and how interesting it was that the MMM Sisters would still be working. Many places would have just waited until January to review applications.
This was my first insight into the MMM culture. The Sisters of MMM are always working and bringing good into the world in some way whether through prayer, practice or planning.
I was fortunate to not only get an interview but to get hired by the MMMs. I had no idea what the journey ahead of me would bring, but I felt I would be equipped for it with twenty years of experience in communication campaigns and a Ph.D. in Communications. What I didn’t really know at the time would be not just how much I might give, but how much I would get in return. I am not just talking about a salary either. Working with the MMM Sisters in Ireland, the Americas, East and Central Africa and West Africa has expanded my world and made me a better person. I consider working for them to be a divine gift.
by Eilín Teeling AMMM Ireland 24.12.2021
We spend four weeks preparing for Christ’s coming, a time of hope, to find joy and a glimmer of light in our lives. Advent ends after dusk, before Evening Prayer, on Christmas Eve. Jesus who is born, is the Word made flesh, coming home to each of us, bringing the Good News of God’s ever-faithful love. Christ’s light dispels darkness.
For me, Advent ends after Christmas Vigil Mass, when our family gathers to light a Christmas candle, placing it in a window. The lit candle shows the way for Mary and Joseph, and the child born in a stable. This old Irish tradition also showed the weary stranger a light and apparently showed priests a safe home in penal times. I learnt it as a child and continue it with my husband and children.
by Sr. Mary Doonan MMM Ireland 23.12.2021
In 1980 I spent my first Christmas In Africa, the memories of which will never leave me. I was at St. John’s Hospital, Mzuzu in the North of Malawi. It was a 200 -bed hospital and Nurse Training School attached.
by Sr. Kerisfon Clement Ekanem Republic of Benin 23.12.2021
Chris kindle? I first heard this word in the Novitiate. What is it all about? The explanation was interesting and captivating, “pick a secret friend, pray for her and a day will come when you will exchange gifts with each other.”
by Vera Grant, AMMM Ireland 22.12.2021
Christmas began in our house on the 8th December, the Feast of The Immaculate Conception. It was a holy day, school was closed, we went to Mass and then we went to visit Santa but most important of all it was the day we were allowed to empty our money boxes and do our Christmas shopping.
We were given strict instructions about where to get the bus and where we could shop. The favourite place was Woolworths which was like a market with all the goods on display in open counters where you could not only gaze but you could also touch and feel the softness, smell the perfume and run the ribbon between your fingers. The colours were like magnets to the eye and the more garish the more attractive they appeared.
by Sr. Josephine Nabisere Uganda 22.12.2021
Uganda joins the rest of the world to celebrate Christmas on 25th December every year. This celebration starts as early as November whereby the sound of Christmas songs is heard across the country. Some shops are colourful with Christmas decorations. The Christmas trees are seen in public places. A few workers receive their Christmas tokens and celebrate Christmas with them beforehand.
Christmas is Celebrated by all Christians. The parishes organize the people to celebrate Christmas by offering advent retreats, summons and confessions. Surprisingly, non-Christians too wait eagerly to celebrate. They prepare themselves by buying food, clothes etc. However, many people cannot afford to do all this especially in rural areas.
by Sr. Maria José da Silva, MMM Brazil 21.12.2021
Here in Brazil we would like to share with you one of the most enjoyable experiences that happens yearly among the Christian families in our Catholic church. There are many ways to prepare for Christmas. One of them is participating in reflections for nine days before the birth of Jesus. Here in Brazil we call it “Novena em Familia” or Family Novena. This tradition started 50 years ago with a Redemptorist religious priest. It is a tradition that is now present in all dioceses and Christian communities from the north to the south of Brazil.
by Sr. Beatrice Iyioku, MMM Nigeria 21.12.2021
The birth of a child comes with so much joy, fulfilled hopes and an end to long anticipation. The birth of Jesus at Christmas comes also with its uniqueness. Christmas seasons are very dear times which brings me to reflect upon that great gift of God to humanity; the incarnation of God.
An opportunity to celebrate it with my sisters in community, loved ones and family is a great and a wonderful experience. With these joys, longings, desires and openness, I arrived at my community of mission in Huambo, Angola.
by Sr Helen Spragg, MMM England 20.12.2021
No one wants to be in hospital at Christmas. But, for those that have to be there, the Christmas message may bring some comfort in the midst of their suffering. My hope and prayer is that we can all find comfort knowing that, out of love, God became human and is now our gentle companion who understands our human condition. This is confirmed for me as each day I see the Christmas story reflected in the lives of the patients in the hospital.
Sr. Prisca Ovat, MMM Kenya 20.12.2021
Several generations have passed, yet Christmas remains. Our faith in the divine incarnation remains alive and even stronger than the time of this original event. Why do we have to go through this every year? Would it be appropriate to say it is due to its woven bling (cards, lights, trees, Santa Claus, travelling and partying)? Are there still more cherished values to Christmas? Beyond provoked personal answers, a fact remains evident to us Christians. The nativity story is God’s engrained glory and memory in human history. Hence, we approach this mystery not with slippery but bravery hope.
