Thankful Quote of the Day

Greetings,

I've been receiving weekly quotes from The Merton Institute. Each is from one of Thomas Merton's works and often connects with the Church seasons or events in civic society. Today's quote leads into the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. It was too good to not share with all of you.

Blessings,

"To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given
us --- and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of
His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense
graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never
unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the
goodness of God."

Thomas Merton. Thoughts In Solitude (New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux): 33.

The End of the Year

Greetings,

I've never quite understood why we end the Church year in the midst of November. Actually, I didn't know when the year ended or started until I was partway through college. I'm so accustomed to the calendars and established seasonal dates deemed important by Office Depot (my current wall calender namesake) that I have to remind myself there is another schedule taking place as well.

However, Today the weather seemed to be celebrating the Feast of Christ the King and the end of the ordinary as well. It was marvelous! The sun was shinning while the last few leaves on the trees fluttered in the light breeze. Beautiful. So warm that no coats or jackets were needed...warm sunshine in November. A bit of celebration by mother nature before the new year begins with Advent next week.

Blessings,

The Countdown

Greetings,

I have just realized that there are 26 days until I fly home for Christmas break with Sisters, family, and friends! Living in "November" has let me forget the pressure of December deadlines for course requirements! So, my countdown calender must begin! I'd like to think a homework helper might appear and I'll find that she has organized my messy outlines into completed papers with marvelous APA formatting, but it isn't likely. Thus, my 'office' wall has become a staging area for homework in progress and all the dust has been cleared out of my Ikea filing trays to keep everything in order. All will be done on time and with drafts currently in the works, but the realization of a countdown or deadline really lights a fire of encouragement!

Our Founding Feast!

Greetings,

Happy feast day to all our Sisters! The anniversary of our new community in 1880. I often wonder those sisters handled the emptiness of the Great Plains after leaving their Swiss Alps and German forests. The few stories that remain are a good start for the imagination, but I always wonder...how did they teach the Native Americans at Fort Yates? The sisters spoke some English, but German was their native language. How did they keep their coifs so clean and pleated in the collapsing "houses" during those early frontier days? How did they all fit in that first convent? First they had sisters and Native American boarder students, then they switched from school to hospital and patients shared their convent for awhile.

Amazing...There is so much to learn from our earliest pioneer sisters. I hope they continue to pray for us as we continue to live their faith and mission forward.

Blessings,

The Feast of St. Gertrude

Happy Feast Day Sisters!

O God of love and gentleness,
O heart that abounds with loving kindness,
O heart that overflows with charity,
O heart that radiates pleasantness,
O heart full of compassion,
We thank you for your heart full of love for us.
Invite us into your heart that we may be totally transformed into love.
Adapted by Sister Ruth Fox, OSB,
from Exercises of St. Gertrude, VII

The feast of St. Gertrude is a celebration not only of our Benedictine Mystic, but also a celebration of our federation of Benedictine Monasteries throughout the United States. The Church reflects Gertrude's deep connection with Christ in the readings they use within today's liturgy. Both Paul's letter to the Ephesians (3:14-19) and John's Gospel (15: 1-8) remind us to live in Christ as he lives in us.

Paul says "that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones...the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge...". Gertrude's writings centered on this great love that God has for us beyond our faults or failings. I'm reading "Book I" of her Herald of Divine Love right now, and her biographer spends much time showing how Gertrude's humble work on her faults made Christ love her all the more. I hope so...since all I have to show is the effort and not always much success in changing faults. I remember when studying the Rule's chapters on humility as a novice, one of the retired sisters who took the class with me pointed out that we would probably reach the top of the ladder about ten minutes before we died. Hmmm...if she was still working out issues, I have a long way to go and count on both Gertrude and that sister being right!

John's Gospel of the vine and the branches also reminds us to stay rooted in Christ. But beyond that, I am reminded to stay rooted in Community. I try to celebrate and commemorate the feasts that are celebrated at home to refresh that connection. Jesus' parable of the vine tells that the branches don't produce fruit unless they remain on the vine...I hope that my rootedness in the vine of Christ and Community helps me not only complete my time here at University but also in transitioning back to the Monastery this May. So far, I am keeping green and growing in my life here with the Franciscans and course work. I'm adding some volunteering to keep turning the earth over a bit and freshen the dirt. After too much time in libraries and windowless classrooms, I need some change of location...middle school language arts classrooms should do me some good.

Prayer of Saint Gertrude to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life,
Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love.
You are my refuge and my sanctuary.
O my adorable and loving Savior,
Consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is aflamed.
Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love.
Let my heart be united with Yours.
Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things.
May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen.

Blessings,

Miss Substitute

Greetings,

The teacher is home from school! and induction seminar and history class. But I got to go to school today! The principal for Notre Dame is also in my history of education course and was in deep need of one more sub for today. She asked so nicely and I have wanted to get in touch with students again, I just couldn't say no.

The college nun was up by 6:30, in the car by 7:20 and at the school parking lot by 7:45. Yup, it took 25 minutes in traffic this morning. I tried to use the time well; I was able to finish a rosary and listen to a few songs to get me ready for the day. By the time I got through the doors and heard the students voices, I started to feel like a teacher again.

I was filling in for 8th & 6th grade language arts, each 90 minutes, and 2 sets of 8th grade religion, 50 minutes.
Thrown in the mix was a few homeroom sessions for good measure. Sure, there were a few 8th grade girls who tried to pull a few things by me, and they probably did in Spanish, but I did keep us on the move. The morning started with one lovely lady who snuck Skittles into class. I gave her two options: give them to me or put them in her bag. She chose a different option and tucked them in her desk so she could keep munching...like I wouldn't notice. So, I quietly returned to give her two new options: give them to me or throw them away. Does anyone like Skittles?

The students kept me on the go, but I have to admit I enjoyed it. I started each class by writing "Sr. Carol Jean" on the board and introducing myself as a fellow student of Sr. Jean's (the principal). However, I was still "Miss" for the remainder of the class. "Miss" seems to be the general moniker of respect here...once I even got a "Miss Sister", I had to smile.

I was tired by the time I got through observing part of an induction seminar and half my history of education course, but still energized too. There is just something about those Children of God that keep me going along the way. I hope and pray that when I've graduated from University there is a job to be found and students to work with! Hmmm...maybe I can get my St. Charles Borromeo working on that along with St. Joseph...you can't get praying too early.

Blessings,

The Beginning of Being Busy

Greetings,

Today was full of places to go and people to see. The University sponsored an annual workshop on restorative justice. This year the focus was on bullying and restorative justice in the school setting; especially, justice circles. Apparently, these are the new wave in Milwaukee. MPS and some private schools are implementing this practice by training teachers and students how to lead these circle meetings to resolve issues. This is supposed to aleviate the need for schools to use punishment systems and instead work to heal the differences between both the actor and receiver of the bullying act.

Next, I drove back to my research site to interview another novice teacher! Only one more to go and I can begin to compilate my qualitative data. So far, there are some main themes that have been made clear in their responses. I still need to read all my transcripts carefully for other themes that might be important to my little study.

Finally, I went back to University for class tonight! Whew! I broke down and brought my supper to take to class. Much of the time was spent in our small groups to plan group presentations next week. (Sigh) God grant me patience...

Before bed, I definately need to make sure to keep my prayer schedule even on the upcoming early mornings. The next few days are full of volunteering, reading, writing, and house events...I'll need a good prayer backup to keep me moving along with more than a smile and good intentions.

Blessings,