In the Shadow of His Wings

Sponsa Christi July 27th, 2008

    Shannon and family arrrived safely last Saturday after being on the road for about 30 hours! It was an absolute joy to meet her parents and brothers.

Shannon had some time to walk the trails with her family before entering the cloister.

Brother Wesley & Brother Bryan ~ two future Passionists??

     I knew you would want to read Mother’s inspiring talk given at Second Vespers on Shannon’s entrance day:

     To enter the postulancy of a Passionist community is to enter deeply into the mystery of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the mystery of His Church. The Church teaches that the cloister represents the praying Heart of the Church. For us Passionists, the cloister also represents the praying Heart of our Beloved Lord Jesus. We enter the “cloister” of His Heart through His open wound. The “cloister” of His Heart is where we abide in His love and offer our entire lives to bring the fruit of His Sacred Passion to souls. The “cloister” of His Heart is where we strive in the prayers, works, joys and sufferings of each day to enter more and more into His great love and into His work of saving souls from eternal death.

     The Church teaches that cloistered Nuns are very present in the Heart of Christ to our contemporaries. Each day we can walk close to our Holy Father, to bishops, priests, religious, laity, to our young people, to missionaries. When Sharon entered the Passionist cloister, missionaries were present. Today, again, a missionary is present as you, Shannon, enter the Passionist cloister. This happy providence is a reminder to all of us of how far reaching are the prayers and sacrifices of a cloistered Nun.

     Today, Shannon, you have come and knocked at the door of the Passionist cloister. Like all of us, you have heard a call deep in your heart—“Come to Me, follow Me.” This is a call of love, a call of being singled out to become the Bride of Christ who alone can satisfy the deepest longings of your womanly heart.

     Our Blessed Mother has a school of divine love here at the foot of the cross, where she teaches souls how to devote themselves entirely to the Heart of Christ and to His work of saving souls. Our Blessed Mother will nurture the call planted in your heart. It is from her Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart that we learn to be generous in cooperating with the Holy Spirit’s action day by day, moment by moment.

     In this time when countless souls–many of them from your own age group–are running recklessly along the wide and easy road leading to eternal ruin, Jesus is looking for helpmates in the work of redemption. He says: “Come and follow Me, you my chosen one. Be My faithful companion, faithful like my Mother at the foot of the cross. Gratefully receive each day from My hands. Receive the joy of a total belonging to Me, and don’t lose heart when My cross weighs upon you. For then, I am using you all the more to bring the fruits of My Passion to souls, so that My Precious Blood will not have been shed in vain for them.”

     Shannon, we offer you our prayers for yourself as well as for your parents and brothers, and all those dear to your heart, as you begin this great adventure in the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May you and Sharon, and hopefully many other young women who will come after you, always be a faithful companion of the Suffering and Risen Lord Jesus who has set His Heart on you and called you to Himself. Through you, may many, many souls come to know, love and serve God.

     We will all come forward now, as we bestow upon you the postulant’s crucifix, and give you the Sign of Peace. God bless you and your whole family, Shannon.

     Shannon is glowing with the Joy of the Holy Spirit! Please keep her and Sharon in your prayers as they “put out into the deep” and “seek to follow the Lamb” wherever He leads. And please pray for their faith-filled generous families. They too will experience the joy of the hundred-fold of leaving all things to follow Christ.

Please join us in thanking and praising God for the gift of two postulants!

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• Novitiate news , Passionist Life , Vocation Discernment
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Sponsa Christi July 21st, 2008

Passionists and the famous World Youth Day icon

     The Icon of Our Lady that was given to the Young People of the World by Pope John Paul II is a larger and enhanced version of the original icon that continues to be visited by pilgrims in the Borghese Chapel of the Major Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome today. This is one of the four principal Basilica’s of Rome, together with the Basilica of St John Lateran (Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome), Basilica of St Peter (Vatican), and the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls.While the origin of the Icon is uncertain, it has been honoured in the Basilica from the early days of Christendom. At the time of the Great Plague in the 6th Century, it was taken in procession around the streets of Rome. With the lifting of the plague, the people regarded their salvation as being at the intervention of the Virgin Mary. Pope St Gregory the Great gave it the title of “Salus Populi Romani”.

THE ICON & THE PASSIONISTS

     By 1720, St. Paul of the Cross had fasted and been on retreat under the guidance of his Bishop for 40 days, during which time he wrote the first Rule of Life for his future Congregation. Encouraged by his Bishop, and having been clothed in a black tunic (habit), Paul sailed down the west coast of Italy, eventually presenting himself before the main doors of the Quirinale, the Papal Palace, seeking an audience with the Pope. Needless to say, he was not in the court attire of the day, looking more like a beggar, and was sent away by the guards. He felt this rejection deeply, the first of many blockages he was to experience in starting his beloved Congregation. He went across the city to the Basilica of St Mary Major, and kneeling in prayer before the Icon of Santa Maria Neves, Salus Populi Romani, he made his first vow, “To promote the Living Memory of the Passion, and to gather Companions.”Passionists throughout the world see this as their beginning point.

     Father Paul of the Cross died in Rome in 1775 in the Monastery next to the Basilica of Ss John and Paul, near the Colosseum. In the days before he died, the Pope came to visit him at his bedside and asked for his blessing. Paul was 80 years of age. During his life time, the Cross became such a significant part of his preaching ministry that he stood underneath a Mission Cross of 3 metres in height as he preached in churches and town squares from Tuscany through to Naples. Today the Cross and the Icon of Our Lady are central parts of Passionist Spirituality. Paul was declared a Saint of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1867.

     The vow St Paul of the Cross took before the Icon in 1720 is now the primary or first Vow of all Passionists. It is now lived by men and women of several Passionist Congregations throughout the world.

     Three of these are present in Australia:
. The Congregation of the Passion (brothers and priests).
. The Sisters of the Cross and Passion.
. The Passionist Sisters of St Paul of the Cross.

   *Photos from PassionistCharism Blog (see link at right). Unfortunately I didn’t make note of Passionist website where I found the article but they get the credit! God reward you!

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Sponsa Christi July 18th, 2008

     I recently wrote Shannon and told her I wanted to do a blog post regarding her “bride of Christ” shower. She explained is so well I thought I would let you read her reply.

     So wonderful to hear from you! I’ll be happy to see you and the other sisters soon. I am doing well here as these last 2 days at home unfold, and there is peace. I am very thankful for the amazing graces Jesus is granting me as I prepare to return. However, you are definitely right in calling these last few days “intense,” for so they are! I’m sure you know all about it!

     Sure you can share some information about the shower on the blog! I’ve been to a couple of Bride of Christ showers before with 2 of my friends who are now religious sisters, so that’s where I got the idea. It is like a bridal shower in just about every respect except that the “husband to be” is Jesus. It’s a great way to bring everyone together, to answer questions for family and friends who have them, and to hopefully help them feel more comfortable with my decision. Also, it was wonderful to have so many people who supported me there. It helped strengthen me for the difficult leaving process.

     I invited women friends and family members- everyone who would normally attend a wedding shower. Since my family had been so busy, two of my very good friends took care of planning for food and Invitations.They sent out a list of some of the things I needed before entering. (So I received everything I needed in abundance from my friends and family as wedding gifts!) And I had a pile of some of my things set aside to give away to each of my friends (things that I knew they would enjoy.)

You know she’s really “head over heals” in love

with our Lord when she gives away her tea pot!

     We set up our family room and dining room especially for the shower. I put out some of my information packets and pamphlets about the Passionist Nuns and contemplative life. I also put out some of my paintings, drawings, and pictures I have that point toward my Passionist vocation. One of my friends gave me a copy of my poem “In Losing Myself I Find Myself with You” decorated in a beautiful white frame with white rose paper. We passed this around for everyone to read.

     We had time for everyone to visit, eat, and have cake and ice cream. (My friend baked a lovely yet simple and delicious homemade wedding cake.) Naturally, they all were curious about what’s been going on with me over the past several months and how I came to this decision. With this in mind, we had about 45 minutes for me to sit down in the middle of our gathering and explain some of the details of my story. I also tried to answer some of the questions they had about different aspects of religious life. Afterwards, we had more time to visit. After this, I unwrapped the gifts. Next, another friend (who is a talented musician) was able to lead us in some praise and worship music together. Finally, the group prayed over me, and I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for all of the people who were there. Afterwards came farewells, good wishes, and blessings…

     Please keep Shannon and her family in your prayers. They are on the road now – about a 20 hour drive from Houston to Whitesville, KY.

     Please join us in thanking God for two postulants. We are so very grateful…His mercy endures forever!

In Losing Myself I Find Myself With You

How you allure me!

There is no other

who could draw me—

flame thirsting for water,

longing to be quenched.

We are two,

distinct and free to choose.

O Love!

The root of my fire (born of you)

meets your streams of water.

O the passion,

the pain of expiation!

…O Love!

Love!

Love!

I HAVE FOUND YOU!

stretched out

perfectly pinned

upon two wooden beams

where two ‘fiats’ meet.

No greater love is there than this:

to lose,

to lay down one’s life,

to freely become prisoner for love.

In losing myself, I find myself with you.

I marry you.

I do.

~Excerpt Shannon’s poem

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• Bride of Christ , Vocation Discernment
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Sponsa Christi July 15th, 2008

Sharon and all the Sisters are eagerly looking forward to Shannon’s arrival and meeting her family this Saturday, July 19th! Yes, we do occasionally get their names confused. By the way, her friend Trish sent us this picture of Shannon taken in the chapel of the Nashville Dominicans during a “Nun Run” in 2006 – her friend aptly commented that Shannon sure has a Passionist Vocation!

By the way, our blog and the 2 recent posts for our postulant Sharon got an “honorable mention” on the Roman Catholic Vocations Blog – to check it out see the Monday, July 14 post. God bless and reward Brad Watkins for posting it. You have a great site! Thanks for all you are doing to build a culture of priestly and religious vocations!

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Sponsa Christi July 12th, 2008

Here is the long-awaited photo!

     Two weekends ago Sharon spoke at four of the weekend Masses at her parish sharing with her Church family about her call to cloistered life in our monastery. It’s a bit lengthy but I thought you would appreciate hearing some of her story…

     The reason I am speaking to you today has to do with the fact that I am joining a religious community, actually, I will be entering in about a week. I’ve been home for about four weeks now, after having lived with the community for three and a half months, discerning whether God wanted me to enter there. I do believe entering is God’s will for me.

 

     I came to believe that He was calling me to religious life while I was a student at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. After High School, while following in the footsteps of five of my siblings, I began attending Franciscan University to get a degree in Early Childhood Education. Franciscan had a life-changing impact on my personal relationship with God, which I know was influenced by my family and their faith and the Catholic community at St. Aloysius.

 

     So back to Franciscan, I wish I could tell you about all of my experiences there and the beauty of our Catholic faith that is so present in the priests, students, and faculty, but it would take me a long time. And I only have a few minutes here. But to give you a couple of examples; there is a chapel with the Blessed Sacrament in almost every single building on the campus. And instead of being pressured into parties, drinking, and stuff like that, the community at Franciscan has called me on to greater holiness, through different ways such as attending daily mass, frequent confession, and prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. This helped me to look at where I stood in my relationship with Jesus and I realized that He was calling me into a more personal relationship with Him and I began desiring to know Him and love Him more then anything else. At this point, I hadn’t been discerning whether it was possible for Him to be calling me to anything but marriage.

 

     A year and a half ago I had the opportunity to study abroad for a semester in Austria and most of the students take advantage of this wonderful program to study and travel in Europe for four months. I mention this time because this is when God revealed to me that He was calling me to religious life. This was the first time that I put my future in God’s hands instead of just focusing on what I wanted. I truly began desiring what I saw Him asking of me. I confirmed with my spiritual director that God really was calling me to religious life. I was ready to seek out the religious community that was proper to the way of life God was asking me to live. I knew it wasn’t necessary for me to continue pursuing a profession that I may not have been able to use.

 

     The community that I am going to be joining is called the Congregation of the Passion of Christ! They are a cloistered, contemplative community in Whitesville, Kentucky. They were founded by St. Paul of the Cross in Italy during the 18^th century. As a Passionist Nun, which is kind of their nickname, I will be devoting my life to learning how to love Christ with an undivided heart. I will be taking five vows, three of which you have probably heard of and are called the evangelical counsels: Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience. The other two vows are to promote devotion to, and a grateful remembrance of, the Passion of Christ, and enclosure. The Passionists’ vow to look at everything in light of what Jesus has suffered through His Passion and death on the Cross. There has never been a greater act of love. And by remembering this we can learn to love as Jesus loves. It seems that by meditating on the Passion of Christ everyone would be walking around really sad all the time, however, they are a very joyful and loving community. Their mission in the Church is one of prayer and sacrifice.

     I know this is the way God is leading me to heaven and how He is asking me to be a part of and to serve His Church, which is all of you…I really feel called to offer my life to God as a religious. God bless you all and please keep me in your prayers as well. Thank you.

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Sponsa Christi July 10th, 2008

     We are privileged to be hosting these dear brothers in Christ who arrived from Jamaica last Thursday after 36 hours of travel! (usually it doesn’t take this long but there were those blessed flight delays due to thunderstorms just before the Fourth of July weekend) They are an international community with two from the States, including our Brother Brad who is a son of this diocese. Having known Brother Brad Smith and Msgr. Michael Palud for some time it has been a great blessing to FINALLY meet the entire community for whom we have been praying so ardently over many years. It has been such a grace for us Sisters to have these holy men in our retreat house, praying with them in chapel and visiting with them in the parlor. They have made a retreat and are currently having their General Chapter with the guidance of Fr. Victor Hoagland, CP., holding their elections yesterday on the Passionist feast of the Mother of Holy Hope.

     Most of them have been religious since the ’80′s and ’90′s. God called them to leave their communities and led them to found this Society of Apostolic Life under the direction of Passionist Bishop Paul Boyle (RIP) and they are courageously responding. Currently they study in Rome to prepare for ordination to the priesthood, living at our Passionist generalate – Sts. John & Paul (near the coliseum). They are based in Mandeville, Jamaica and bring the love of Christ to the poor through their work in parishes, a school and an orphanage. Plus they work in the diocesan chancellery, a retreat house and whatever other duties the Bishop asks of them!

     These men are valiant and self-sacrificing. Please keep them and their wonderful work in your prayers. They love our Holy Mother Church and have truly laid down their lives for her in more ways that one can imagine! They wear the Schoenstatt crucifix (incorporates Mary standing beside Jesus Crucified catching the blood flowing from His pierced heart) which beautifully symbolizes their Marian and Passionist spirituality. If you know of any young men out there discerning a call to the priesthood and/or religious life please tell them about this new society. You can see more photos of them and learn about their spirituality at their website. They are busy pouring out their lives for their people but they hope to update their website soon. They are truly sons of Saint Paul of the Cross!

     Eating their meals in silence in our retreat house dining room.

     P.S. We are so grateful for the help of our friends and Passionist Oblates who are generously giving of their time, talent and treasure to make it possible that we can freely host these poor missionaries.

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Sponsa Christi July 7th, 2008

     Does anyone out there still think cloistered life is dull?

     Sharon, on this blessed feastday of St. Maria Goretti, we are pleased to admit you into our postulancy. Although Maria was not a Passionist religious, she lived in a Passionist parish, and our Passionist Fathers had a great deal to do with her canonization. So our Congregation has always claimed her as part of our great Passionist family.When looked at from the standards of our world today, St. Maria Goretti “did” nothing noteworthy. She was the child of a poor family, and her life was one of great simplicity and hard work. And so in her life the words of scripture come true: “Man sees what is on the surface, but God looks into the heart.”

     When God looked into the heart of this young girl, He saw delicate cooperation with grace. Indeed, Maria must have been very faithful to grace because when that great moment of decision came, Maria showed heroic fidelity—making a firm choice for God and rejecting sin with maturity of soul well beyond her years. Someone has written—the canonization of this girl who was not even 12 years old, was the triumph of a young soul who loved God and hated sin. God truly exalted her lowliness in raising such a one to sainthood in the Holy Catholic Church.

     And so, Sharon, as you enter the postulancy today, we place the simplicity, purity and heroic love of Maria Goretti before you as a model to imitate. May her tender love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and for His Holy Mother, as well as her modesty, cheerful obedience and humility as she accepted the simple way of life that was God’s plan for her, encourage you to be very generous in responding wholeheartedly to the graces God has in store for you.

     The presence of so many Passionist missionaries here today as you begin your postulancy, is testimony that a hidden life with Mary beneath the cross of Jesus reaches far beyond the cloister to strengthen and sustain the missionary activity of the Church. The prayer and sacrifice of a cloistered Nun reaches around the world. It reaches Jamaica – to encourage and sustain these missionary brothers of ours.

     So, Sharon, we assure you of our love, assistance and prayers as you take your place in the school of Mary, Mother of the Passionist Congregation. In her company and imitating her, you will learn more and more how to devote yourself entirely to the Person and the work of her Son.

     We will bestow upon you now your postulant’s crucifix and give you the Sign of Peace. God bless you and your whole family, Sharon.

     With Mary, and with St. Maria Goretti and all our Passionist saints, may your life be something beautiful for God–a precious return of love to the One who first loved you and laid down His life on the cross for you.

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Sponsa Christi July 3rd, 2008

So what are you doing to celebrate the birth of our nation?

     We normally have a gaudeamus day. But since the 4th this year falls on a Friday we will be having our regular Friday of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the morning (a wonderful day to pray for our nation and the upcoming elections – God help us!) and a work afternoon with our Gaudeamus postponed to Saturday. We have a wonderful Liturgy of the Hours designed for this important day. We normally even put off some fireworks in the evening but since our dear missionaries are going to arrive ANY MOMENT (!) and our Sisters plus some volunteers will be busy working preparing their meals or cleaning up the next 13 days AND our postulant Sharon will be arriving Saturday evening to enter the monastery (!) we are going to bypass them this year. But fireworks are a lovely way to celebrate the birth of our beloved nation.

     About 10 years ago we purchased a set of videos from David Barton’s Wallbuilders. (Please check out the website!) We have watched them over and over again. On these videos he tells the TRUE story of what was meant by “the wall of separation between Church and State” – forbidding government from establishing a national religion – and how this has been redefined to mean freedom from religious expression in public since the ’50′s and how it especially played out in the 1963 court case of removing prayer from school.

     On these videos he gives so much interesting info about how important the Christian faith was to the Fathers of our Nation. So many people say they were just Deists but that’s really not true. Many of them really knew Jesus in a personal way and were true Christians. Mr. Barton states how in George Washington’s Farewell Address he tells us what brought our Nation to success and what must be done to maintain it. He stated that religion and morality are inseparable and indispensable to patriotism! True patriotism flows from the Gift of piety.

     In 1787 during the Constitutional Congress Benjamen Franklin stated that a nation needs God and prayer. And that Individual accountability takes place in eternity but that national accountability will take place in the present. Nations answer to God in the present through either disasters or blessings. Mr. Barton has provided us with a wealth of truth about our Nation and its founding principles. He states that “God’s people must be involved (in politics, education, etc.) to have God’s principles in our nation.” We have to get the truth out! This would make a great segue to our nations upcoming elections and our need to get out and share with people about the need to vote, etc. but I’ll have to save that for another blog post!

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a Nation!

Then conquer we must when our cause it is just.

In this be our motto, ‘In God is our trust!

~ Frances Scott Key

     God bless each of you and may God bless America!

     Click here for an historical 7 min. video about our national anthem – The Star Spangled Banner

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