"SINULOG" in VILVOORDE

Every 3rd Sunday of the January is commemorated as the Feast of the Child Jesus
or the "Santo Niño" not only in the Philippines but by all Filipinos in diferent parts of the world.

This image is not a identical with the real Santo Niño de Cebu, we just dressed it up to resemble it a bit for the Vilvoorde Filipino Fiesta in 2004. But this statue has sentimental value to us in Carmel because He came together with the first group of Filipina Sisters in 2003 and is now in our Novitiate Oratory and classroom as our Little King.

In Vilvoorde, we also danced the "SINULOG",
a traditional worship dance in honor of the Child Jesus.

It was the first time for Sr. Socoro, Sr Elizabeth and Sr. Paul Therese to dance the Sinulog.
Eah one has her own story to tell in relation to the Santo Niño esp. the miraculous healing of Sr Socoro from a bone cancer when she was ten years old. The whole family prayed to the Child Jesus and her mother promised to bring her every year to the Basilica del Santo Niño in Cebu.

Part of the dance was, each one was blessed by the one carrying the image
by placing it on their heads while saying a prayer.

Our Belgian Mother and Sisters joined us in the Sinulog as well.

May Our Lord reward the Sandiego Dance Company in Cebu, who gave us these beautiful costumes when we left the Philippines.

Viva Señor Santo Niño! Pit Señor!
( Long live the Holy Child! Call on the Lord!)

Belated Three Kings celebration

The three Kings of the year 2011: Melchor (Sr. Aloysia), Gaspar (Sr. Carmela) & Balthazar (Sr. Maria Luisa)

With the community, after receiving their gifts.

Because there was a Filipino Mass on the Epiphany Sunday, we decided to postpone our celebration inside on the following Sunday, the Baptism of Our Lord, a fitting culmination of the Christmas season.

The three kings left a letter to the community asking them to search for them in the neighborhood as they lost their way to the crib due to the several misleading stars along the way. They left their traces on the stars, hoping that those will lead the Sisters to find them.

Our Mother found them by chance because when she had to answer the telephone via her mobile phone, she went inside the nearest room from where she was searching. And it happened to be where the 3 kings were! She then called the other Sisters, then we all went together to the crib singing, "We three kings from orient are bearing gifts, we traverse afar..."

Each sister had to guess the missing word in the message pasted on the star she found. The answer corresponded to the gift that she received. We then sang a hymn to the Child Jesus before we finally went to the recreation room for coffee and to marvel at our gifts.

Three Kings

God provided us with very willing kings on the Epiphany Sunday mass with the Filipino community. Two males nurses, who just arrived from the Philippines last month came to celebrate with us the Eucharist. Not only that, they were so happy and willing when asked to be kings together with another younger boy. They went with the priest in the entrance procession, brought the Offertory and distributed gifts to the children after the mass. Everyone enjoyed and appreciated their presence. Thank you, three Kings!

Three kings during the Filipino Mass on Epiphany Sunday

Filipino children enjoying buffet on the ground

Vietnamese children of our family in Belgium were also present




And of course, inside the Sisters also had fun!

A blessed & white Christmas!

Sr. Aloysia throwing bread to migrating birds.

Dialogue between the ox (Sr. Elizabeth) & the ass ( Sr. Paul Therese)

"The Christmas Alphabet" by the novitiate

'O Holy Night' with flute and guitar

Ours was not only a blessed but also a truly white Christmas this year because the snow kept coming. But despite the unfavorable condition on the road, there were still quite a number of churchgoers who braved the snow, even more than we expected. The Gregorian choir of the Norbertine Abbey in Grimbergen contributed a lot in making our midnight Mass very solemn.

On Christmas day itself, we also had a very well prepared Liturgy. Two of our Sisters and two lay musicians played the flute. Our churchgoers greeted us after the Mass as a tradition on special and big feasts like Christmas and Easter.

In the evening of the 25th, the Novitiate presented a short play around the crib, a dialogue between the ox and the ass, a choral presentation with illustrations on the Chrismas Alphabet, then "O Holy Night" with flute and guitar. Simple yet meaningful presentation that delighted our Sisters. We then retired early to make up for our lack of sleep the previous night because we return to bed at past 2:00 o'clock in the morning because after the midnight mass we still partook of some warm drink and bread.

Wishing you all a blessed and happy Christmas and a grace-filled 2011!

Saint Nicholas and Black Peter

Saint Nicholas and his assistant black Peter came a day earlier than his feast on December 6.

Piet told us to go to another place in procession.

So all went eagerly and cheerfully in obedience.

Sr. Paul Therese played with the flute a hymn to St Nicholas so that he will come.

And indeed, the Saint appeared!

and gave each sister some words of advise and encourgament.

And of course, the much-awaited gifts!
Our eldest sister, Sr. Augustina received a teddy bear!

Sr. Lutgart, our liturgist, received clear books for her music pieces.

After each one received her gift, a souvenir pose with the Saint before he proceded to his next itinerary. Black Peter took this photo so he is nowhere to be seen.

Winter 2010

On the first week of December we had our first snow this winter. It is still the second winter for our 3 new Filipina sisters, so we went out again to our garden so that they can really feel, play and enjoy the snow!

Hurrah! Thank you, Lord for the snow!

As if we have a very big forest no?

Under the weeping willow

Oei, oie, oei, what are they going to do with the ladder?

So,now you know, someone wanted to climb the Magnolia tree.

How do you like this one? And my! Look at Sr. Paul Therese's very big pair of boots!

Here is also another one, Sr. Elizabeth, posing with Jesus on the Cross
but not resembling Mary Magdalen because she is smiling and not crying

Thanks to our very patient and eager photographer, Sr. Aloysia!

Advent

A blessed advent season!

Be watchful!

"Let us walk in the light of the Lord" - Isaiah

While the super markets and department stores have already long displayed Christmas items and Christmas carols have perhaps been played several times already on the radio, we in Carmel have just lighted the first candle of our Advent wreath and only this afternoon have we put up the Advent house, with still one window open. We are still about to start the great adventure...

We are still about to plunge deeper into the mystery of this very rich season, together with Our Blessed Mother, in silent yet joyful expectation of the coming of Jesus in our heart, not only on Christmas day but each day and each moment of our life.

Advent house