Greetings,
More Archangels! The first time I wrote about these angels I was still in graduate school and trying to make my way through a day of observation as an assistant in a Catholic High School. Now, I am back to teaching full time but still calling upon the help of these Archangels to make it through our day.
We celebrated the feast and our Sword wielding namesake a day early with our monks, students, staff, and the Archbishop. The chapel was filled to the brim with 220 boys (still slightly grumpy with being forced into the full dress code a whole day early) plus teachers, staff, and a few parents.
They did pretty well, our boys, there were a few strays; one senior leaned his head back against a column behind his chair. It would've looked like he was thinking, except his mouth drooped open a little bit. A junior fought sleep bravely, but his head kept bobbing clearly showed sleep winning...even with his dean next to him. I swept behind the row to gently thwack this slouched and snoozing kiddo with my 'liturgy aid' and just kept moving. His head popped back up with a startled look; I smiled to show no malice, disturbing his sleep was enough. Trussed up in their button-down shirts, ties, and dress attire...one junior forgot his socks. Sadly for him, I had been celebrating Dress Code Demerit Week and the lack of socks became his first demerit of the year. Harsh? No, correction of the sleepy and the sloven was done with a smile, a reminder, and a humor-filled-hope that it won't happen again.
The boys also joined in the praises of this day, "In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord" Responsorial Psalm. The students proclaimed the Word, assisted in distributing the Eucharist, and participated fairly well. A choir of men's and boys voices held together pretty well in responses and rang out a little off key, but strong with song. Those moments are always the most profound for me. After growing up with only sisters and little church that was mostly women, joining a monastery (ahem, all women), and teaching at a co-ed school where the young ladies did most of the proclaiming and singing...now I am surrounded by deep conviction of tenors and basses. Participation is the norm; even if it's half-hearted, the combined effect is outstanding and it warms my heart.
So I pray for my boys...may Michael will defend them, may Raphael guide and heal them, and may Gabriel herald God's Will for their way. We don't see them, we don't always think of them, but these angels of power are needed in all our lives.
Blessings,
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Friday, September 28, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Feast of Saint Benedict
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| Saint Benedict blessing all who pass by his shrine near our cemetery. |
Benedictine communities are well known for their communal lives of prayer and work. Today, I continued in that tradition during our summer celebration of Saint Benedict.
We started this morning with a full chanted Lauds followed by our celebration of the Eucharist. Very nice. My favorite part was our Communion meditation "Seek God". One of our Sister Professors adds to the simply beauty of the song with a clarinet solo...some of the notes seem to hang in the air of chapel. After a very dignified recession from Chapel, the Gardening Sisters and I dashed up to our rooms to change into work clothes.
Once in the gardens, there was plenty to do in our shortened work time. We started up in an apple tree! The summer apples all green tart and sharp were ready to be picked. The tree looked hopefully short which made the apples easy to reach, but we soon realized it was so leafy and low that it was more difficult to pick than some of the taller trees. Soon enough, we had filled five boxes that will soon be made into pies, sauces, and jelly.
"O holy Father, Benedict, in pray'r and work without cease, in your untiring search for God, you found Christ's joy and peace."
Vespers Antiphon.
Blessings,
Sunday, April 29, 2012
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Greetings,
While away from the monastery, we continue to pray for those who are seeking to follow God's will in their lives. Using two identical candles, the monastery began a circulating vocation prayer for the sisters both at home and on mission. Sister Roommate and I are the current hosts for the mission sister's vocation candle.
On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, I lit the candle and settled in to read Pope Benedict's message for this day. His reflection on God's continuous love was a wonderful focus for quiet meditation..."The love of God is everlasting; he is faithful to himself, to the “word that he commanded for a thousand generations” (Ps 105:8). Yet the appealing beauty of this divine love, which precedes and accompanies us, needs to be proclaimed ever anew, especially to younger generations. This divine love is the hidden impulse, the motivation which never fails, even in the most difficult circumstances."
While reflecting on this never ending love, the morning's light, chilly mist gave way to a cold spring rain. She landed on our porch and quickly hopped down the railing to get out of the rain; a beautiful, though soggy, little cardinal lady. The rose of her feathers showed through the brown overcoat as she shook the extra rain from her wings. Then she hopped around to watch the rain fall; it felt like I was enjoying this springtime moment with a her. Both the Psalms and the New Testament speak of God's loving care for the birds of the air; they will be given places to nest and even the hundreds of sparrows are counted. If God guides her to our humble little porch for protection from the storm, He will send loving hearts to watch over each of us as well.
A beautiful reminder of the Pope's message...
Blessings,
Friday, March 16, 2012
A Day of Reconciliation
Today, we celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation in connection with Adoration to continue our Lenten preparation for Easter. The day began with a whole school examination of conscience with scripture, song, and a Monk Potter at his wheel. It was a very nice reflection based on Jeremiah and God the Potter of our lives. Then each theology class came to chapel for Confession and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Whew, I spent a whole day in the chapel with our young men. After they genuflected their way in, Campus Minister Monk would introduce the location of the Confessor Monks and invite the students to prayer. This was my cue to go to the prie dieu with a profound bow and my Rosary beads; after a five minutes or so, I continued my Rosary as I strolled along the chapel among my students.
I must admit; I was quite proud (and their parents should be too). Most of the students participated in Confession, and quite a few of the boys used the Stations of the Cross handouts, litanies, or lectio guides to keep themselves focused during Adoration. What really warmed my heart was their instinct to follow a lead. After I left the prie dieu, Students came up to the kneeler, bowed deeply, and knelt down to pray for a few minutes before the Blessed Sacrament. Light poured down on them from the upper windows of the Chapel; it made even the orneriest Child of God look like an angel. Every now and then one of the kids would drift off asleep and need a little poke by their pew neighbor. There were a few gigglers too...only God knows what the boys found funny, but I believe our God has a good sense of humor and chuckled along with them.
Blessings,
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Scholastica and Schoolboys
The Church celebrated the feast of Saint Scholastica on Friday. I too celebrated this Benedictine Feast with the boys at my school. The feast began at Mass with the monks, they even offered a prayer for the Benedictine Sisters of my house and me.
Five times that day I lead my boys in the morning prayer or Lauds of my Monastery. Five times I told the story of the first Benedictine woman and her call of Love...The quickest way to their memory is food and the boys will hopefully remember Scholastica's story better in connection to the 'Dove' chocolate hearts I shared as treats to celebrate the feast.
All of these treats were in a wicker basket I carried over my arm. As I walked down the hall between classes, those boys that remembered to wish a "Happy Feast!" could also take a chocolate heart from the basket. The Church History Theology teacher had covered this portion of monasticism that week with the sophomores and had reminded them that they should wish me a "Happy Feast!". I had to smile and laugh as they came in twos and threes to send me good wishes as they looked at the basket of treats. Some even went above and beyond to ask if I had used Gregorian Chant to pray that morning!
What they didn't know is that it had been a tough day...I was on my own for the Feast and feeling a bit homesick for my Sisters at the Monastery. However, who can stay in the doldrums when greeted up and down the hall with the goofy grins and well-wishes of teenage boys. My favorite of the day was a cheesy grinned duo who pseudo-sang their "Happy Feast Day" to me as they were impatiently waiting in the lunch line. The boys made me smile, laugh, and embrace this new way to celebrate Scholastica.
Blessings,
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Candlemass at the Monastery
Greetings,
 |
| Sister Michaeleen's photo of the blessed candles after prayer and Mass. |
The Monastery celebrates Candlemass on the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus. Candlemass...Jesus is the light of the world; we carry that light within us and bless the waxy reminders of that light. This morning the Peace Chapel altar was surrounded by a variety of the candles used during prayer in the Chapel and our living groups. This simple ceremony is one that I miss while living away from home.
The Prioress blesses the candles during morning prayer and they remain in the Chapel through evening prayer. After our Vespers, a sister from each of the living groups carries the blessed candle to the group room to be used in our noon and compline prayers. It is just one of the many little liturgies that connect us to the greater Church and to each other. Knowing that even when we pray the shorter hours of noon and night, the blessing of the Prioress and the gathered prayer of the community continue to hold us all together.
The candles themselves are also a connection to the sisters at the Monastery. While the Chapel candles for Mass are purchased, those used for prayers in the living groups are made by one of our own Sister Artisans. She creates whole rainbows of candles for the sisters and our gift shop. She even has some seasonal candles...during the Fall she pours pumpkins, there are Winter snowmen, and pastel Easter eggs. Her most coveted creations? The tall pillar candles that are the full rainbow all in one. Sister Roommate and I are hoping to get one when we go home for Sister Jill's Perpetual Profession in a week, maybe we'll even get a blessing for it too!
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| Candles from the Chapel and for the living groups all arranged in the Peace Chapel and ready to be blessed and shared. Sister Mary Jo took the picture to share with us. |
Blessings,
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
National Vocation Awareness Week
Greetings!
As the Church in America celebrates Vocation Awareness Week, we've been trying to consider different ways of sharing that invitation with our boys here at school. You'd think it would be easy since I teach at an Order school and there are monks and priests all about, but when the focus is high class academics, the students sometimes forget to see the monks who teach them as men of prayer and service, the nun who teaches them as a woman consecrated to prayer and ministry to the Church, and the lay men and women who teach them as husbands, wives, or single folk striving to follow God. As a way of reintroducing the familiar I went to the USCCB sponsored vocation website for some awesome videos, prayers, and other info! We're going to use a variety of these short videos as openers to class or discussion. It has been a bit different to focus on the vocations for men; in my previous teacher life, I would talk vocations to mixed classes or classes of women. However, I do remind them that as friends, brothers, and dads, they will have a responsibility to support the women in their lives.
One interesting discuss popped up after yesterday's video.
"So, Sister, what would you call the perks of being a sister? And you can't use all that churchy stuff," one junior asked. Before answering, I asked him what he meant by perks.
"You know, what do you get! You got a car, phone, lap top...what else do you get?"
"Ah-ha, I see," I pondered for a moment, "I get a community--a family of sisters who will support me and help me out no matter what, I get to be challenged every day to look at who I am and try to be better by seeing Christ in me and you, and I get to learn and have the chance to study at the monastery, graduate school, and everywhere. Those are my non-churchy perks."
The junior responded with a raised eyebrow, "Hmmm..."
Then I continued, "By the way, it isn't MY car, but the car my community has given me to use to travel to school and home to the monastery. It isn't MY phone, the phone is for my use since I'm living away from the monastery. It isn't MY laptop, but while I'm teaching the Prioress wants me to have what I need to do my work well. None of those things are specifically MINE."
A few more juniors raised an eyebrow and looked a bit skeptical, and the best part...they asked another question.
It was a good challenge, but I'd never looked at our life for the 'perks' before. The call to be a Benedictine Sister was such a draw of the heart and soul that visits felt like coming home. I'd visit, then go back to school (purposefully on the other side of the state) and try to prove to myself that I really wasn't called to be a sister. Then God would draw me back to the monastery. Perks? Not a part of the consideration, I just wanted to be where my heart had found a home.
Blessings and Keep Searching!
As the Church in America celebrates Vocation Awareness Week, we've been trying to consider different ways of sharing that invitation with our boys here at school. You'd think it would be easy since I teach at an Order school and there are monks and priests all about, but when the focus is high class academics, the students sometimes forget to see the monks who teach them as men of prayer and service, the nun who teaches them as a woman consecrated to prayer and ministry to the Church, and the lay men and women who teach them as husbands, wives, or single folk striving to follow God. As a way of reintroducing the familiar I went to the USCCB sponsored vocation website for some awesome videos, prayers, and other info! We're going to use a variety of these short videos as openers to class or discussion. It has been a bit different to focus on the vocations for men; in my previous teacher life, I would talk vocations to mixed classes or classes of women. However, I do remind them that as friends, brothers, and dads, they will have a responsibility to support the women in their lives.
One interesting discuss popped up after yesterday's video.
"So, Sister, what would you call the perks of being a sister? And you can't use all that churchy stuff," one junior asked. Before answering, I asked him what he meant by perks.
"You know, what do you get! You got a car, phone, lap top...what else do you get?"
"Ah-ha, I see," I pondered for a moment, "I get a community--a family of sisters who will support me and help me out no matter what, I get to be challenged every day to look at who I am and try to be better by seeing Christ in me and you, and I get to learn and have the chance to study at the monastery, graduate school, and everywhere. Those are my non-churchy perks."
The junior responded with a raised eyebrow, "Hmmm..."
Then I continued, "By the way, it isn't MY car, but the car my community has given me to use to travel to school and home to the monastery. It isn't MY phone, the phone is for my use since I'm living away from the monastery. It isn't MY laptop, but while I'm teaching the Prioress wants me to have what I need to do my work well. None of those things are specifically MINE."
A few more juniors raised an eyebrow and looked a bit skeptical, and the best part...they asked another question.
It was a good challenge, but I'd never looked at our life for the 'perks' before. The call to be a Benedictine Sister was such a draw of the heart and soul that visits felt like coming home. I'd visit, then go back to school (purposefully on the other side of the state) and try to prove to myself that I really wasn't called to be a sister. Then God would draw me back to the monastery. Perks? Not a part of the consideration, I just wanted to be where my heart had found a home.
Blessings and Keep Searching!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Celebrate Epiphany!
Greetings,
This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. Tomorrow night at the monastery the sisters will process out of Vespers to bless the main entrance of the monastery. In the midst of a simple prayer the prioress chalks the ancient inscription above the doors "20+C+M+B+12". Sister and I will also be blessing the entrance to the Convent Apartment. A reminder that our Benedictine Hospitality is extended to all those who come through our doors.
This welcome to strangers is also reflected in my favorite reading
from the Mass on Feast...Isaiah 60: 1-6...
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!
Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
It is a joy-filled reading of the promised savior to come...Isaiah so long ago shared this vision of hope for everyone. But it is as vibrant in its promise today, we are all called to gather in the radiant light of the King. An amazing reminder that we are called to all come together
and share in the blessing of Christ.
Blessings,
This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. Tomorrow night at the monastery the sisters will process out of Vespers to bless the main entrance of the monastery. In the midst of a simple prayer the prioress chalks the ancient inscription above the doors "20+C+M+B+12". Sister and I will also be blessing the entrance to the Convent Apartment. A reminder that our Benedictine Hospitality is extended to all those who come through our doors.
This welcome to strangers is also reflected in my favorite reading
from the Mass on Feast...Isaiah 60: 1-6...
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!
Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
It is a joy-filled reading of the promised savior to come...Isaiah so long ago shared this vision of hope for everyone. But it is as vibrant in its promise today, we are all called to gather in the radiant light of the King. An amazing reminder that we are called to all come together
and share in the blessing of Christ.
Blessings,
Monday, January 2, 2012
Praying for Peace
Greetings and Happy New Year!
Times Square was packed with party-ers, fireworks were going off hour-by-hour world wide, and here at Sacred Heart Monastery, were spent a holy hour in silence broken only by occasional song or chanted Psalm.
Sunday, January 1st, was the World Day of Peace. We gathered in the semi-dark of our chapel to begin our prayer for peace in vigil. We began the holy hour with two of our sisters lighting the altar and dedication candles about the chapel (quiet organ accompanied them). Then we sat in silent prayer before God. My assignment was to call us from our silence to the next part of our prayer, Sister Liturgist gave me a bell to sound in calling us back from our recollection. Other 'parts' in our prayer included a song calling us to live in peace, a Psalm asking God to bring us peace, a reading about peace from Thich Nhat Hanh to remind us of the universal call to live for peace, and then we concluded with the Magnificat and a blessing from the prioress. But each of these moments was surrounded by silence, a silence that was filled with the our sisters prayer. A silence that was overpowering in its being so full.
Pope Benedict XVI also spoke for peace and the need to teach our youth to seek and strive after peace...I found his closing lines especially powerful.
Times Square was packed with party-ers, fireworks were going off hour-by-hour world wide, and here at Sacred Heart Monastery, were spent a holy hour in silence broken only by occasional song or chanted Psalm.
Sunday, January 1st, was the World Day of Peace. We gathered in the semi-dark of our chapel to begin our prayer for peace in vigil. We began the holy hour with two of our sisters lighting the altar and dedication candles about the chapel (quiet organ accompanied them). Then we sat in silent prayer before God. My assignment was to call us from our silence to the next part of our prayer, Sister Liturgist gave me a bell to sound in calling us back from our recollection. Other 'parts' in our prayer included a song calling us to live in peace, a Psalm asking God to bring us peace, a reading about peace from Thich Nhat Hanh to remind us of the universal call to live for peace, and then we concluded with the Magnificat and a blessing from the prioress. But each of these moments was surrounded by silence, a silence that was filled with the our sisters prayer. A silence that was overpowering in its being so full.
Pope Benedict XVI also spoke for peace and the need to teach our youth to seek and strive after peace...I found his closing lines especially powerful.
All you men and women throughout the world, who take to heart the cause of peace: peace is not a blessing already attained, but rather a goal to which each and all of us must aspire. Let us look with greater hope to the future; let us encourage one another on our journey; let us work together to give our world a more humane and fraternal face; and let us feel a common responsibility towards present and futureBlessings,
generations, especially in the task of training them to be people of peace
and builders of peace.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
A busy day of being...
Greetings,
Theology classes paused for the day. Period, by period, each teacher brought their classes to the Chapel for 30~45 minutes of Advent quiet and a communal celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in preparation for Christmas. Admittedly, I was a bit concerned about 20 to 45 teenage boys corralled into church where they would have to be quiet after the initial 10 minutes of the communal aspect of the reconciliation service. My doubts were put to shame.
Each group from Freshmen to Senior was quite respectful. The youngest were a bit fidgety as they stopped by to 'check in' so I could take role and remind them to "sit at least one chair apart." Settling into their places in Chapel there was some rustling of the paper liturgy aides and copies of examination of conscience...one kiddo dropped his Bible, its slam onto the ground echoed off the walls, and he looked up to me with eyes that mimicked Bambi in the headlights. After we started prayer and settled in, they were attentive and participated well in the communal prayer, and many (average of 80%) of the young men quietly qued up confess to one of the priests (monks of the community). They returned to their places and reflected on scripture, sat quietly, and seemed to truely take advantage of this rare opportunity for silence in their lives.
Overall, I'm quite proud of my boys today.
Blessings,
Theology classes paused for the day. Period, by period, each teacher brought their classes to the Chapel for 30~45 minutes of Advent quiet and a communal celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in preparation for Christmas. Admittedly, I was a bit concerned about 20 to 45 teenage boys corralled into church where they would have to be quiet after the initial 10 minutes of the communal aspect of the reconciliation service. My doubts were put to shame.
Each group from Freshmen to Senior was quite respectful. The youngest were a bit fidgety as they stopped by to 'check in' so I could take role and remind them to "sit at least one chair apart." Settling into their places in Chapel there was some rustling of the paper liturgy aides and copies of examination of conscience...one kiddo dropped his Bible, its slam onto the ground echoed off the walls, and he looked up to me with eyes that mimicked Bambi in the headlights. After we started prayer and settled in, they were attentive and participated well in the communal prayer, and many (average of 80%) of the young men quietly qued up confess to one of the priests (monks of the community). They returned to their places and reflected on scripture, sat quietly, and seemed to truely take advantage of this rare opportunity for silence in their lives.
Overall, I'm quite proud of my boys today.
Blessings,
Monday, November 21, 2011
Flurry of Feast Days
Greetings,
The end of November is a wild run of Church feasts and celebrations.
16th ~ St. Gertrude the Great
17th ~ St. Elizabeth of Hungary
18th ~ Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul
19th ~ St. Mechtilde
20th ~ Feast of Christ the King
21st ~ Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
22nd ~ St. Cecilia
Whew...Every day my class has been started with a reminder of the feast or memorial, a story of how the feast came to be, or a memory of how my Family or Benedictine Sisters celebrate the day. Tomorrow, I will tell about standing on St. Cecilia's tile floor. During my 2010 summer of Benedictine study in Rome, we spent an afternoon at Sancta Cecilia with one of the Benedictine Nuns as a guide. She took us below the basilica (and its famous leaning bell tower) to the what is believed to be Cecilia's 3rd century home. We silently followed this British-Italian sister of ours listen to her tell the the martyr's tale.
Suddenly, I just stopped.
I looked down and realized that I was standing on the tile floor from somewhere in the 200's. I was standing on a floor on which some of the earliest Christians had walked. Realizing that I was obstructing the flow of tourists, my roughly clad pilgrim feet stepped to the side and I meditated in wonder at a simple tile floor. (I checked my journal and) My main thought from that moment was "how can I see every tile floor as the ground of saints and martyrs?" A desire to keep that moment of reflection alive sprung up in my heart and I snapped a quick photo of my toes on that ancient tile.
Continuing down the hallway, I discovered my Sister Pilgrims in the chapel. Originally, it had been a humble house chapel, but somewhere along the line it had been done in jeweled tile. Above the altar Sancta Caecilia is pictured in the glory of a gold field, hands raised in prayer to God. Another image of Cecilia (above) was in a niche; there she was flanked by the two men she had brought to conversion, her husband and his brother, and the form of her martyrdom, the sword, at her feet. This glory filled chapel was an amazing reminder of her faith in, hope for, and love of God. Here we Sister Pilgrims had time to pray for her intercession
and inspiration. It was an amazing experience.
Blessings,
The end of November is a wild run of Church feasts and celebrations.
16th ~ St. Gertrude the Great
17th ~ St. Elizabeth of Hungary
18th ~ Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul
19th ~ St. Mechtilde
20th ~ Feast of Christ the King
21st ~ Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
22nd ~ St. Cecilia
Whew...Every day my class has been started with a reminder of the feast or memorial, a story of how the feast came to be, or a memory of how my Family or Benedictine Sisters celebrate the day. Tomorrow, I will tell about standing on St. Cecilia's tile floor. During my 2010 summer of Benedictine study in Rome, we spent an afternoon at Sancta Cecilia with one of the Benedictine Nuns as a guide. She took us below the basilica (and its famous leaning bell tower) to the what is believed to be Cecilia's 3rd century home. We silently followed this British-Italian sister of ours listen to her tell the the martyr's tale.
Suddenly, I just stopped.
I looked down and realized that I was standing on the tile floor from somewhere in the 200's. I was standing on a floor on which some of the earliest Christians had walked. Realizing that I was obstructing the flow of tourists, my roughly clad pilgrim feet stepped to the side and I meditated in wonder at a simple tile floor. (I checked my journal and) My main thought from that moment was "how can I see every tile floor as the ground of saints and martyrs?" A desire to keep that moment of reflection alive sprung up in my heart and I snapped a quick photo of my toes on that ancient tile.
Continuing down the hallway, I discovered my Sister Pilgrims in the chapel. Originally, it had been a humble house chapel, but somewhere along the line it had been done in jeweled tile. Above the altar Sancta Caecilia is pictured in the glory of a gold field, hands raised in prayer to God. Another image of Cecilia (above) was in a niche; there she was flanked by the two men she had brought to conversion, her husband and his brother, and the form of her martyrdom, the sword, at her feet. This glory filled chapel was an amazing reminder of her faith in, hope for, and love of God. Here we Sister Pilgrims had time to pray for her intercession
and inspiration. It was an amazing experience.
Blessings,
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
St. Gertrude the Great
Happy Feast Day! 
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Gertrude the Great of Helfta. This Benedictine mystic was graced with visions of the Sacred Heart of Christ and wrote of His Divine Love for those who seek to follow Him. At the monastery, this feast is given special honor, beginning with Vespers on the eve of the day, because we are members of the Federation of St. Gertrude, our foundress was Mother Gertrude Leupi, and our founding date is tomorrow and at one time was celebrated with the feast of St. Gertrude.
One of the hymns sung during this feast is a based on the "Gertrudis Area" and set to a monastic antiphonal through an arrangement by one of our Musician Sisters.
O Gertrude Loving friend of God,
A dwelling place and chosen shrine!
Tell how in love you did remain
In union firm with Heart Divine.
You loved and savored God's own word,
You praised God's name in holy prayer;
You served the needy and the poor,
You saw God's imprint everywhere.
O Jesus, you our friend, we greet;
May Gertrude with us sing your praise;
The Father and the Paraclete,
This glory share for length of days.
Blessings,
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Gertrude the Great of Helfta. This Benedictine mystic was graced with visions of the Sacred Heart of Christ and wrote of His Divine Love for those who seek to follow Him. At the monastery, this feast is given special honor, beginning with Vespers on the eve of the day, because we are members of the Federation of St. Gertrude, our foundress was Mother Gertrude Leupi, and our founding date is tomorrow and at one time was celebrated with the feast of St. Gertrude.
One of the hymns sung during this feast is a based on the "Gertrudis Area" and set to a monastic antiphonal through an arrangement by one of our Musician Sisters.
O Gertrude Loving friend of God,
A dwelling place and chosen shrine!
Tell how in love you did remain
In union firm with Heart Divine.
You loved and savored God's own word,
You praised God's name in holy prayer;
You served the needy and the poor,
You saw God's imprint everywhere.
O Jesus, you our friend, we greet;
May Gertrude with us sing your praise;
The Father and the Paraclete,
This glory share for length of days.
Blessings,
Thursday, November 3, 2011
FeastDay!
Greetings,
Happy Feast Day, Happy Feast Day, Alleluia! May the Giver of gifts give unto you that which is holy and that which is true...
Saint Charles of Borromeo keep up the prayer for your little namesake!
Blessings,
Happy Feast Day, Happy Feast Day, Alleluia! May the Giver of gifts give unto you that which is holy and that which is true...
Over my time in the monastery, I've been learning more about my patron St. Charles Borromeo. At first, I was a bit uncertain about receiving a patron I'd never heard of (some Italian guy). After some time, I was amazed as I learned of his work in caring for the poor. Later I needed his prayerful help through illness. Today, I've been relying on his support and inspiriation more and more now that I'm teaching high school Theology.Charles was the son of Count Gilbert Borromeo and Margaret Medici, sister of Pope Pius IV. He was born at the family castle of Arona on Lake Maggiore, Italy on October 2. He received the clerical tonsure when he was twelve and was sent to the Benedictine abbey of SS. Gratian and Felinus at Arona for his education.
In 1559 his uncle was elected Pope Pius IV and the
following year, named him his Secretary of State and created him a cardinal and administrator of the see of Milan...was ordained a priest in 1563, and was consecrated bishop of Milan the same year. Before being allowed to take possession of his see, he oversaw the catechism, missal, and breviary called for by the Council of Trent.
When he finally did arrive at Trent (which had been without a resident bishop for eighty years) in 1556, he instituted radical reforms despite great opposition, with such effectiveness that it became a model see. He put into effect, measures to improve the morals and manners of the clergy and laity, raised the effectiveness of the diocesan operation, established seminaries for the education of the clergy, founded a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for the religious instruction of children and encouraged the Jesuits in his see. He increased the systems to the poor and the needy...He encountered opposition from many sources in his efforts to reform people and institutions.
He died at Milan on the night of November 3-4, and was canonized in 1610. He was one of the towering figures of the Catholic Reformation, a patron of learning and the arts, and though he achieved a position of great power, he used it with humility, personal sanctity, and unselfishness to reform the Church, of the evils and abuses so prevalent among the clergy and the nobles of the times
Borrowed from http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=212.
Saint Charles of Borromeo keep up the prayer for your little namesake!
Blessings,
Friday, September 30, 2011
Celebrating Teachers
Greetings,
It has been a wonderfully exhausting day. The theology department took part in the Archdiocesan wide gathering of Catholic school teachers. We represented pre-school through senior levels from the little towns on the prairie to the metropolitan heart of the Archdiocese. In total, there were between 1,200-1,300 teachers gathered to celebrated our call to serve the students entrusted to our care.
We began with an informative instruction about the deeper meanings of the celebration of the Eucharist and then moved into the Eucharistic celebration itself. The Archbishop presided with many of the priestly principals, presidents, and teachers from the schools in attendance; two of our own monks were among the mix. It was quite a rich service for a gymnasium; incense was wafted about, a student choir of about 20 led the teachers in song, and the Feast of St. Jerome on top of it all! While we processed to receive communion, I was struck at the quiet that 1,300 talking-teachers can achieve! Such a mix of humanity, a wide cross-section of diversity, all gathered to celebrate Christ in our lives and as the center of our service. It was a powerful moment for me.
There were many sessions offered to meet the various needs of the teachers assembled and a whole cafeteria of vendors to peruse! I ended up gathering more catalogs to seek out new textbooks for next years Theology curriculum and nabbing a few pens and freebies in the mix. Both of my session were focused on implementing the curricular framework from the USCCB. Our Archbishop has given us a year-by-year installment process. We will begin with freshmen next fall and then slowly add the various levels of kiddos. I'm very grateful for this slow implementation since there seems to be quite the shakeup for many of the teachers in the diocese with all the change. So far our folk are transitioning okay, there is a lot to consider and classes to shift and decisions to make with teachers teaching backgrounds...ah...change.
The day ended with a powerful yet humorous presentation about passion in our lives. The speaker reminded us that our passion as teachers should come from Christ the teacher and passion of us all. After a few laughs and a call to serve, he bowed out to our Archbishop. The wrap up was a commissioning. Some singing, a reading about wisdom from Sirach, and a blessing from the Archbishop on all the faculty, staff, and students in his care...let's hope it sticks!
Blessings,
It has been a wonderfully exhausting day. The theology department took part in the Archdiocesan wide gathering of Catholic school teachers. We represented pre-school through senior levels from the little towns on the prairie to the metropolitan heart of the Archdiocese. In total, there were between 1,200-1,300 teachers gathered to celebrated our call to serve the students entrusted to our care.
We began with an informative instruction about the deeper meanings of the celebration of the Eucharist and then moved into the Eucharistic celebration itself. The Archbishop presided with many of the priestly principals, presidents, and teachers from the schools in attendance; two of our own monks were among the mix. It was quite a rich service for a gymnasium; incense was wafted about, a student choir of about 20 led the teachers in song, and the Feast of St. Jerome on top of it all! While we processed to receive communion, I was struck at the quiet that 1,300 talking-teachers can achieve! Such a mix of humanity, a wide cross-section of diversity, all gathered to celebrate Christ in our lives and as the center of our service. It was a powerful moment for me.
There were many sessions offered to meet the various needs of the teachers assembled and a whole cafeteria of vendors to peruse! I ended up gathering more catalogs to seek out new textbooks for next years Theology curriculum and nabbing a few pens and freebies in the mix. Both of my session were focused on implementing the curricular framework from the USCCB. Our Archbishop has given us a year-by-year installment process. We will begin with freshmen next fall and then slowly add the various levels of kiddos. I'm very grateful for this slow implementation since there seems to be quite the shakeup for many of the teachers in the diocese with all the change. So far our folk are transitioning okay, there is a lot to consider and classes to shift and decisions to make with teachers teaching backgrounds...ah...change.
The day ended with a powerful yet humorous presentation about passion in our lives. The speaker reminded us that our passion as teachers should come from Christ the teacher and passion of us all. After a few laughs and a call to serve, he bowed out to our Archbishop. The wrap up was a commissioning. Some singing, a reading about wisdom from Sirach, and a blessing from the Archbishop on all the faculty, staff, and students in his care...let's hope it sticks!
Blessings,
Friday, September 16, 2011
Our Lady of Sorrows & A Swiss Pieta
Greetings,Yesterday, I opened my theology classes with a slide show of many different ways Our Lady of Sorrows has been depicted throughout the centuries. The freshmen and sophomore gentlemen were invited to look for the key symbols that made the various icons an honor to Our Sorrowful Mother. It was amazing what they noticed once they started looking into the slides for special signs or empty spaces.
This particular image of a standing pieta I kept for myself. On the rolling foothills of the Swiss Alps, our sisters of Marienburg honor this statue, which according to tradition, is older than the castle that was their Abbey's first home on the hillside. I was drawn back to her several times during the few days we were there in the summer of 2010.
Her eyes are locked on her son's face. Her hands brace his body against hers. This moment of deep love and sorrow of a mother; it was an invitation to step into that moment myself. I think it was her hand on his shoulder that touched me the most; a simple motherly gesture, a touch I myself have been blessed to feel, a touch I hope to pass on to another in need. Mostly, I love the statue because it reminds me that she understands; all the struggles, prayers, pleas...she understands.
Blessings,
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Feast of Corpus Christi
Greetings,
Tomorrow, we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, The Body and Blood of Christ. I found Pope Benedict XVI homily filled with an important reflection for all. He connects the celebration of Christ's self-gift of in Eucharist to our being continually transformed to Christ through that gift and how it should affect our every way of being; unifying us all as a community in faith.
...Everything starts, you might say, from the heart of Christ, who at the Last Supper on the eve of his passion, thanked and praised God and, in doing so, with the power of his love transformed the meaning of death which he was about to encounter. The fact that the Sacrament of the altar has taken on the name "Eucharist" - "thanksgiving" - expresses this: that the change in the substance of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is the fruit of the gift that Christ made of himself, a gift of a love stronger than death, love of God which made him rise from the dead. That is why the Eucharist is the food of eternal life, the Bread of life...
...Thus, while the Eucharist unites us to Christ, we open ourselves to others making us members one of another: we are no longer divided, but one thing in Him. Eucharistic communion unites me to the person next to me, and with whom I might not even have a good relationship, but also to my brothers and sisters who are far away, in every corner of the world. Thus the deep sense of social presence of the Church is derived from the Eucharist, as evidenced by the great social saints, who have always been great Eucharistic souls. Those who recognize Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, recognize their brother who suffers, who is hungry and thirsty, who is a stranger, naked, sick, imprisoned, and they are attentive to every person, committing themselves, in a concrete way, to those who are in need. So from the gift of Christ's love comes our special responsibility as Christians in building a cohesive, just and fraternal society. Especially in our time when globalization makes us increasingly dependent upon each other, Christianity can and must ensure that this unity will not be built without God, without true Love. This would give way to confusion and individualism, the oppression of some against others. The Gospel has always aimed at the unity of the human family, a unity not imposed from above, or by ideological or economic interests, but from a sense of responsibility towards each other, because we identify ourselves as members of the same body, the body of Christ, because we have learned and continually learn from the Sacrament of the Altar that sharing, love is the path of true justice...
In our Benedictine family, this concept of Eucharist bringing us into one Body in Christ is celebrated not only in the Mass but also our times of prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. This unity that is celebrated in our prayer together helps us bridge the difficulties that may arise in disagreements between sisters or when discussing important matters during Chapter meetings. Those celebrations of unity challenge us to reach out to each and all, within and outside of our Benedictine family. In his Rule, Benedict asks us to greet all guests as Christ. All those who come to our door, all those whom we minister to, and all those with whom we serve...these are all unified with us in Christ.
These sacramental celebrations of unity also enrich our dailiness together; our service to each other in the big and small ways are more than simple work or chores, it is serving the Christ in each other. This morning it was my turn to clean the bathroom area on my floor/wing of the bedrooms. Six toilets, four showers, two tubs, several sinks, and one vast tile floor later, I surveyed my service to my sisters. The space was fresh, clean, and ready for all...it wasn't just a chore...it was a chance to reach out in ministry to my sisters in the dailiness of our lives. While I was moping and scrubbing, other sisters were sweeping the stairwells, dusting the statues that grace our halls, washing dishes, and distributing the mail. The unity we share in our sacramental celebrations can bring a sanctity of service in the mundane.
...Through the consecrated bread and wine, in which his Body and Blood is truly present, Christ transforms us, assimilating us in him: he involves us in his redeeming work, enabling us, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, to live according to his same logic of gift, like grains of wheat united with Him and in Him. Thus unity and peace, which are the goal for which we strive, are sown and mature in the furrows of history, according to God's plan.
Without illusions, without ideological utopias, we walk the streets of the world, bringing within us the Body of the Lord, like the Virgin Mary in the mystery of the Visitation. With the humble awareness that we are simple grains of wheat, we cherish the firm conviction that the love of God, incarnate in Christ, is stronger than evil, violence and death...
Ah, too true; in Benedictine community, we do not live in a utopia! We live as family, and family not only loves and supports but also challenges and disagrees. During one of my novitiate classes, a teaching sister called it "rubbing the rough edges away." This rubbing away of sharp edges takes some time and may not always be the easiest experience, but it is how saints are formed in those elders that live in our midst. Unity isn't easy, but with the gift of Christ's love through the Eucharist, Unity is the blessing of community.
Blessings,
Tomorrow, we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, The Body and Blood of Christ. I found Pope Benedict XVI homily filled with an important reflection for all. He connects the celebration of Christ's self-gift of in Eucharist to our being continually transformed to Christ through that gift and how it should affect our every way of being; unifying us all as a community in faith.
...Everything starts, you might say, from the heart of Christ, who at the Last Supper on the eve of his passion, thanked and praised God and, in doing so, with the power of his love transformed the meaning of death which he was about to encounter. The fact that the Sacrament of the altar has taken on the name "Eucharist" - "thanksgiving" - expresses this: that the change in the substance of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is the fruit of the gift that Christ made of himself, a gift of a love stronger than death, love of God which made him rise from the dead. That is why the Eucharist is the food of eternal life, the Bread of life...
...Thus, while the Eucharist unites us to Christ, we open ourselves to others making us members one of another: we are no longer divided, but one thing in Him. Eucharistic communion unites me to the person next to me, and with whom I might not even have a good relationship, but also to my brothers and sisters who are far away, in every corner of the world. Thus the deep sense of social presence of the Church is derived from the Eucharist, as evidenced by the great social saints, who have always been great Eucharistic souls. Those who recognize Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, recognize their brother who suffers, who is hungry and thirsty, who is a stranger, naked, sick, imprisoned, and they are attentive to every person, committing themselves, in a concrete way, to those who are in need. So from the gift of Christ's love comes our special responsibility as Christians in building a cohesive, just and fraternal society. Especially in our time when globalization makes us increasingly dependent upon each other, Christianity can and must ensure that this unity will not be built without God, without true Love. This would give way to confusion and individualism, the oppression of some against others. The Gospel has always aimed at the unity of the human family, a unity not imposed from above, or by ideological or economic interests, but from a sense of responsibility towards each other, because we identify ourselves as members of the same body, the body of Christ, because we have learned and continually learn from the Sacrament of the Altar that sharing, love is the path of true justice...
In our Benedictine family, this concept of Eucharist bringing us into one Body in Christ is celebrated not only in the Mass but also our times of prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. This unity that is celebrated in our prayer together helps us bridge the difficulties that may arise in disagreements between sisters or when discussing important matters during Chapter meetings. Those celebrations of unity challenge us to reach out to each and all, within and outside of our Benedictine family. In his Rule, Benedict asks us to greet all guests as Christ. All those who come to our door, all those whom we minister to, and all those with whom we serve...these are all unified with us in Christ.
These sacramental celebrations of unity also enrich our dailiness together; our service to each other in the big and small ways are more than simple work or chores, it is serving the Christ in each other. This morning it was my turn to clean the bathroom area on my floor/wing of the bedrooms. Six toilets, four showers, two tubs, several sinks, and one vast tile floor later, I surveyed my service to my sisters. The space was fresh, clean, and ready for all...it wasn't just a chore...it was a chance to reach out in ministry to my sisters in the dailiness of our lives. While I was moping and scrubbing, other sisters were sweeping the stairwells, dusting the statues that grace our halls, washing dishes, and distributing the mail. The unity we share in our sacramental celebrations can bring a sanctity of service in the mundane.
...Through the consecrated bread and wine, in which his Body and Blood is truly present, Christ transforms us, assimilating us in him: he involves us in his redeeming work, enabling us, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, to live according to his same logic of gift, like grains of wheat united with Him and in Him. Thus unity and peace, which are the goal for which we strive, are sown and mature in the furrows of history, according to God's plan.
Without illusions, without ideological utopias, we walk the streets of the world, bringing within us the Body of the Lord, like the Virgin Mary in the mystery of the Visitation. With the humble awareness that we are simple grains of wheat, we cherish the firm conviction that the love of God, incarnate in Christ, is stronger than evil, violence and death...
Ah, too true; in Benedictine community, we do not live in a utopia! We live as family, and family not only loves and supports but also challenges and disagrees. During one of my novitiate classes, a teaching sister called it "rubbing the rough edges away." This rubbing away of sharp edges takes some time and may not always be the easiest experience, but it is how saints are formed in those elders that live in our midst. Unity isn't easy, but with the gift of Christ's love through the Eucharist, Unity is the blessing of community.
Blessings,
Saturday, May 14, 2011
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Greetings,
This weekend the Church focuses her attention on praying for all those called to follow Christ through vocations to the Church. Pope Benedict XVI's address "Proposing Vocations in the Local Church" reminded me that while it is God who calls women and men to serve, it is up to us to offer prayer, invition, and support.
"We should pay close attention to the way that Jesus called his closest associates to proclaim the Kingdom of God. In the first place, it is clear that the first thing he did was to pray for them: before calling them, Jesus spent the night alone in prayer, listening to the will of the Father in a spirit of interior detachment from mundate concerns. It is Jesus' intimate conversation with the Father with results in the calling of his disciples." This is a reminder to keep praying for those who are discerning their call to serve. As a community, we commit every Tuesday to praying for women and men who are considering a Christ's call to life in the Church. Individually, many of us continue to pray especially for women who may be considering our community. One of our Elder Sisters asked the three of us who when to Rome last summer to light candles at statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and pray for vocations. We dutifully knelt at many statues and shrines of the Sacred Heart, dropped our Euro into electric candles, and prayed for Christ's intercession.
The invitation to those who seek is given in a variety of ways. We share our stories with catechism classes and youth groups; we send out flyers offering week long monastic visits and weekend come & see stays, but most importantly we live our Call as Public Witness. "...the Lord called some fishermen on the shore of the Sea of Galilee: "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." He revealed his messianic mission to them by the many "signs" which showed his love for humanity and the gift of the Father's mercy. Through his words and his way of life he prepared them to carry on his saving work." Pope Benedict XVI reminds us all that how we live our daily life is an important part of the invitation, and it has been an important aspect of our community living as well. Our Benedictine call to a life of prayer and community is shared as witness to the world. At the Monastery, our Lauds, Eucharistic, and Vespers celebrations are open to the local community of college, hospital, and city of Yankton. For those of us living away from the Monastery, the stories we tell of home, our commitment to sharing life with our sisters at the covent, and our returning home to the Monastery for holidays, holydays, and summers are all living witness and invitation to those answering a call to Vocation in the Church.
As to offering support for those discerning a vocation to the Church, there is always a sister willing to offer a listening ear, a quick prayer, and some wise advice. My Sister Spiritual Director was a wonderful help while trying to decide how to respond to the call I felt. Her best words were "You don't have to decide 'FOREVER', but can you give God one year. After that, can you give another year, soon it becomes forever." I started with one year, then a second...thirteen years later I can't imagine any other home. Pope Benedict XVI's words were also inspired.
It is essential that every local Church become more sensitive and attentive to the pastoral care of vocations, helping children and young people in particular at every level of family, parish and associations – as Jesus did with his disciples - to grow into a genuine and affectionate friendship with the Lord, cultivated through personal and liturgical prayer; to grow in familiarity with the sacred Scriptures and thus to listen attentively and fruitfully to the word of God; to understand that entering into God’s will does not crush or destroy a person, but instead leads to the discovery of the deepest truth about ourselves; and finally to be generous and fraternal in relationships with others, since it is only in being open to the love of God that we discover true joy and the fulfilment of our aspirations. “Proposing Vocations in the Local Church” means having the courage, through an attentive and suitable concern for vocations, to point out this challenging way of following Christ which, because it is so rich in meaning, is capable of engaging the whole of one’s life.
Blessings,
This weekend the Church focuses her attention on praying for all those called to follow Christ through vocations to the Church. Pope Benedict XVI's address "Proposing Vocations in the Local Church" reminded me that while it is God who calls women and men to serve, it is up to us to offer prayer, invition, and support.
"We should pay close attention to the way that Jesus called his closest associates to proclaim the Kingdom of God. In the first place, it is clear that the first thing he did was to pray for them: before calling them, Jesus spent the night alone in prayer, listening to the will of the Father in a spirit of interior detachment from mundate concerns. It is Jesus' intimate conversation with the Father with results in the calling of his disciples." This is a reminder to keep praying for those who are discerning their call to serve. As a community, we commit every Tuesday to praying for women and men who are considering a Christ's call to life in the Church. Individually, many of us continue to pray especially for women who may be considering our community. One of our Elder Sisters asked the three of us who when to Rome last summer to light candles at statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and pray for vocations. We dutifully knelt at many statues and shrines of the Sacred Heart, dropped our Euro into electric candles, and prayed for Christ's intercession.
The invitation to those who seek is given in a variety of ways. We share our stories with catechism classes and youth groups; we send out flyers offering week long monastic visits and weekend come & see stays, but most importantly we live our Call as Public Witness. "...the Lord called some fishermen on the shore of the Sea of Galilee: "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." He revealed his messianic mission to them by the many "signs" which showed his love for humanity and the gift of the Father's mercy. Through his words and his way of life he prepared them to carry on his saving work." Pope Benedict XVI reminds us all that how we live our daily life is an important part of the invitation, and it has been an important aspect of our community living as well. Our Benedictine call to a life of prayer and community is shared as witness to the world. At the Monastery, our Lauds, Eucharistic, and Vespers celebrations are open to the local community of college, hospital, and city of Yankton. For those of us living away from the Monastery, the stories we tell of home, our commitment to sharing life with our sisters at the covent, and our returning home to the Monastery for holidays, holydays, and summers are all living witness and invitation to those answering a call to Vocation in the Church.
As to offering support for those discerning a vocation to the Church, there is always a sister willing to offer a listening ear, a quick prayer, and some wise advice. My Sister Spiritual Director was a wonderful help while trying to decide how to respond to the call I felt. Her best words were "You don't have to decide 'FOREVER', but can you give God one year. After that, can you give another year, soon it becomes forever." I started with one year, then a second...thirteen years later I can't imagine any other home. Pope Benedict XVI's words were also inspired.
It is essential that every local Church become more sensitive and attentive to the pastoral care of vocations, helping children and young people in particular at every level of family, parish and associations – as Jesus did with his disciples - to grow into a genuine and affectionate friendship with the Lord, cultivated through personal and liturgical prayer; to grow in familiarity with the sacred Scriptures and thus to listen attentively and fruitfully to the word of God; to understand that entering into God’s will does not crush or destroy a person, but instead leads to the discovery of the deepest truth about ourselves; and finally to be generous and fraternal in relationships with others, since it is only in being open to the love of God that we discover true joy and the fulfilment of our aspirations. “Proposing Vocations in the Local Church” means having the courage, through an attentive and suitable concern for vocations, to point out this challenging way of following Christ which, because it is so rich in meaning, is capable of engaging the whole of one’s life.
Blessings,
Monday, May 2, 2011
Breaking News...
Greetings,
Teaching Theology has been challenging me to grow. The news of Osama bin Laden's death brought a topical and challenging dimension to our class discussion about capital punishment. This afternoon I found this article which included a statement by the Vatican. A couple class periods to late for me today, but I believe I will bring it to class tomorrow...it has also helped me to frame my own personal emotions about the news.
Blessings,
Teaching Theology has been challenging me to grow. The news of Osama bin Laden's death brought a topical and challenging dimension to our class discussion about capital punishment. This afternoon I found this article which included a statement by the Vatican. A couple class periods to late for me today, but I believe I will bring it to class tomorrow...it has also helped me to frame my own personal emotions about the news.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman,
released a brief written statement reacting to the news.
"Osama bin Laden, as we all know, bore the most serious responsibility for spreading
divisions and hatred among populations, causing the deaths of innumerable
people, and manipulating religions to this end," Father Lombardi said.
"In the face of a man's death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects
on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and
hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth
of peace and not of hatred," the spokesman said.
Blessings,
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Silence Begins...
Greetings,
Prayer began at 5 o'clock with a foot washing service for the Monastic community. The Prioress, Sub-prioress, and Procurator sat on the floor of our Chapter Room and washed the feet of the sisters...from this simple and humble reminder of service, we gathered in the refectory for a agape meal, a joyful celebration of our love for each other. This meal stretched on into 6:30 when sisters began to filter out to prepare for our celebration of the Lord's Supper.
We sang the Pange Lingua as we processed from Bishop Marty Chapel to our small St. Joseph's chapel near the care center. This year I noticed a line in our translation from St. Meinrad's that I hadn't noticed before. Verse 3: At the last, the paschal supper, with the friends before they fled, first he ate the meal of passage; Paschal lamb and Paschal bread; then himself as food he offered, so that many might be fed. I had never noticed the mention of this being his last meal with his friends before they fled in the garden. When I returned to the Upper Chapel, the doors of Our Lady of Einsiedeln are closed, the tabernacle doors beneath her are open and empty, the candles and altar cloths are carried away, and even the curtains are drawn back from behind the high cross. I don't want to flee from this emptiness...
The Triduum silence has begun at the Monastery. The procession with the Blessed Sacrament to be reposed in our St. Joseph chapel brought close to our joyous agape and has begun the subsequent time of adoration and prayer.
May God Bless your Triduum,
Prayer began at 5 o'clock with a foot washing service for the Monastic community. The Prioress, Sub-prioress, and Procurator sat on the floor of our Chapter Room and washed the feet of the sisters...from this simple and humble reminder of service, we gathered in the refectory for a agape meal, a joyful celebration of our love for each other. This meal stretched on into 6:30 when sisters began to filter out to prepare for our celebration of the Lord's Supper.
We sang the Pange Lingua as we processed from Bishop Marty Chapel to our small St. Joseph's chapel near the care center. This year I noticed a line in our translation from St. Meinrad's that I hadn't noticed before. Verse 3: At the last, the paschal supper, with the friends before they fled, first he ate the meal of passage; Paschal lamb and Paschal bread; then himself as food he offered, so that many might be fed. I had never noticed the mention of this being his last meal with his friends before they fled in the garden. When I returned to the Upper Chapel, the doors of Our Lady of Einsiedeln are closed, the tabernacle doors beneath her are open and empty, the candles and altar cloths are carried away, and even the curtains are drawn back from behind the high cross. I don't want to flee from this emptiness...
The Triduum silence has begun at the Monastery. The procession with the Blessed Sacrament to be reposed in our St. Joseph chapel brought close to our joyous agape and has begun the subsequent time of adoration and prayer.
May God Bless your Triduum,
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Ashes...
Greetings,
Tomorrow, I will be at home in the Monastery for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of our Lenten celebration. After being at school or university for the past many celebrations of this day, I am excited to be home as we settle into our Lenten observances. Yes, excited to be home for Wednesday soup night, morning silence, and the sisterly support of additional prayer and reflection. I'll even be home in time for the Mass we share with the college students and the Vesper's collection of the sisters personal observances for Lent.
Benedict had encouraged his monks to live their whole monastic life as a Lent; however, if it cannot be done, the monk was to consult with the Abbott about special offerings during this season of preparation. Reflection on chapter 49 from the Rule has lead me to ponder on my own "offering to God with the Joy of the Holy Spirit something of the measure required..." I have come to some conclusions of offerings of heart that I will pray will help me offer better service to God. When I return home to my convent apartment, I pray that we can discern some community Lenten observances to bring from the Monastery to convent to help each other continue to live this offering in the spirit of Benedict.
Blessings,
Tomorrow, I will be at home in the Monastery for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of our Lenten celebration. After being at school or university for the past many celebrations of this day, I am excited to be home as we settle into our Lenten observances. Yes, excited to be home for Wednesday soup night, morning silence, and the sisterly support of additional prayer and reflection. I'll even be home in time for the Mass we share with the college students and the Vesper's collection of the sisters personal observances for Lent.
Benedict had encouraged his monks to live their whole monastic life as a Lent; however, if it cannot be done, the monk was to consult with the Abbott about special offerings during this season of preparation. Reflection on chapter 49 from the Rule has lead me to ponder on my own "offering to God with the Joy of the Holy Spirit something of the measure required..." I have come to some conclusions of offerings of heart that I will pray will help me offer better service to God. When I return home to my convent apartment, I pray that we can discern some community Lenten observances to bring from the Monastery to convent to help each other continue to live this offering in the spirit of Benedict.
Blessings,
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