Archive for January, 2010

Celebrating Magnanimity

January 30th, 2010

…the Feminine way! 

    Meaning?  Well, I would think novices in a house of men would play football, have a bon-fire or ?? to celebrate their novice master’s feast day – of course prayer would be a part of that too.  But women have flowers, candles, tea, prayer, affirmation and song!  I might get into trouble saying that but it won’t be the first time – men and women are different! (Of course, our culture, with its struggle with gender issues, would not want you to believe this – they have gotten “equality” and “sameness” confused. But, enough of the commentary.)

    In our community we have the custom of the novitiate members hosting a party for the novice directress upon the occasion of her Feast Day. January 13 brought us the feast of little-known Blessed Veronica of Binasco. Butler’s Lives of the Saints tells us that hers was a life of innocence, from her childhood. She was known for her hard work, docility, love of solitude and gift of tears.  She became a lay sister of the order of St. Augustine in Milan.  She came from a very poor and devout family. Pope Leo X permitted her to be honored in her monastery in the same manner as if she had been beatified and her name was inserted in the Roman martyrology. She died in 1497 at the age of 52. 

    Sr. Rose Marie and Ane Kirstine hosted a delightful tea party in honor of their “little mother” and novice directress, Sister Mary Veronica.  Sister is incredibly generous and always available – truly “large hearted”. Here are some sweet photos from that sacred time.  This post is a little late, but better late than never!

Both Ane Kirstine’s mother and Sr. Rose Marie’s mother were present in spirit through the food enjoyed - bread with olive oil and homemade fudge!

Mary Veronica of Jesus Crucified
We were happy to be able to present to her an image of her Crucified Love – a present from Mother Superior and the novitiate.

Our Holy Founder watching over the festivities.

 

Saint Therese and our Blessed Mother teach us
how to love our Divine Bridegroom.

    Sr. Rose Marie recited a poem of St. Theresewhile Ane Kirstine played Ave Maria as background music.  Here are the words to the meaningful poem.

Song to the Holy Face

a poem of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face

Jesus, Your ineffable image
is the star which lights my path.
You know well that Your sweet face
is heaven for me here below!
My love discovers the charms
of Your eyes bathed with tears.
I smile through my tears
when I contemplate Your sorrows.

Oh! I love to console You,
to live unknown and solitary.
Your beauty knows how to sail,
to reveal to me its mystery,
And to You I would like to fly!

Your face is my only fatherland,
It is my Kingdom of love;
It is my bright meadow,
my sweet sun each day.
It is the lily of the valley
giving the mysterious perfume
consoling my exiled soul.
It gives me a taste of heaven’s peace.

It is my rest, my sweetness,
and my melodious song…
Your face, O my sweet Savior,
is the divine bouquet of myrrh
that I like to keep over my heart.

Your face is my one treasure;
I ask nothing more.
Hiding myself within it unceasingly,
I would resemble You, Jesus!
Leave upon me the Divine Imprint
of Your features full of sweetness,
and soon I will become holy.
I would attract hearts!

After I am able to gather
a beautiful golden harvest,
deign to embrace me in your flames.
Give to me soon the eternal kiss
of your adorable mouth.

    We first heard Twila Paris’ song “How Beautiful” when viewing some scripture videos by Ray Vander Laan. (Mr. Vander Laan is not a Catholic and has some misunderstandings about monastic life but, nonetheless, we have been very blessed by his studies of Scripture.) We bought the music with hopes of incorporating the song into Sr. John Mary’s Solemn profession in 2003 but it didn’t work out. But the music has been played almost each year on Sr. Mary Veronica’s feast. It is one of her favorites and ours too! 

How Beautiful

words and music by Twila Paris

How beautiful the hands that served
the wine and the bread and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful the feet that walked
the long, dusty roads and the hill to the cross.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the heart that bled,
that took all my sin and bore it instead.
How beautiful the tender eyes
that choose to forgive and never despise.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

And as He laid down His life,
we offer this sacrifice:
that we will live just as He died,
willing to pay the price,
willing to pay the price.

How beautiful the radiant Bride
who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes.
How beautiful when humble hearts give
the fruit of pure lives so that others may live.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the feet that bring
the sound of good news and the love of the King.
How beautiful the hands that serve
the wine and the bread and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

     You may be wondering – who was the mysterious photographer?  Well, the assistant novice directress gets to also attend the party!

     I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse of novitiate happenings!  Today we are celebrating our Vicar – Sr. Mary Agnes’ feast day and are having a gaudeamus day in her honor.  More photos of that to come.  God-willing, it won’t take me 2 1/2 weeks to post them! 

 

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Clasp the Crucifix and Love Him

January 16th, 2010

     It was a dark cold night when Ane Kirstine arrived after a long journey from Washington state. The joy in her heart upon arriving at St. Joseph’s monastery is reflected beautifully here. The next day, feast of our Passionist Saint Charles of Saint Andrew, Ane Kirstine officially began her postulancy.

Here Ane Kirstine enters the cloister to begin her formation, which God-willing, will find its fulfillment as a perpetually professed Passionist Nun!

Ane Kirstine kisses the crucifix during her entrance ceremony

Mother Catherine Marie gave the following talk during the entrance ceremony at Vespers of the Feast of St. Charles:

     Today, as Passionists throughout the world are celebrating the memorial of our newest Passionist saint— Saint Charles of Mount Argus — we are given a glimpse into the loving providence at work in the life of Ane Kirstine.

    Was it only mere chance that Ane Kirstine was present in Rome for the canonization of our St. Charles? Was it only her imagination when she seemed to understand that he was to be her brother in a special way on her spiritual journey? And what were the odds against a young Lutheran convert whose parental home is currently almost 3000 miles away ever even knowing about St. Joseph’s Monastery in rural Whitesville, KY, much less entering it? This is so reminiscent of today’s saint leaving Belgium to spend the rest of his life as a Passionist in Ireland and England.

    Our faith tells us, of course, that nothing, nothing happens by mere chance, and so we stand before the mystery of vocation. God who has counted even the hairs of our head, God who knows the inmost heart of every soul, this God has a plan unfolding in Ane Kirstine’s life as well as in the life of each one of us. But for this plan to be accomplished, for us to become all that God wants, for us to do for the Church and the world all that God wants—it is necessary to cultivate a generous heart.

    We read in the Vatican document, Vita Consecrata: “In every age, there have been men and women who, obedient to the Father’s call and to the prompting of the Spirit, have chosen this special way of following Christ, in order to devote themselves to Him with an undivided heart” (I Cor 7:34). Like the Apostles, they too have left everything behind in order to be Christ’s closest companions and collaborators, at the service of God, of the Church and of the world.

    Before St. Charles and certainly before any of us—there was another young man, a certain Paul Daneo, who turned down an offer of worldly wealth if only he would marry. He, like the apostles, left everything behind to follow Christ’s call. An intervention of Our Mother of Sorrows gave the call in this young man’s heart a specific focus: to live in the loving memory of the Passion of Jesus. He also felt drawn to live in a way of life marked by the spirit of poverty, prayer and solitude.

    There was also that special grace given him when he was traveling on a boat near Monte Argentario, off the coast of Italy. As his eyes feasted on the vast solitude and beauty of the mountain island, Paul seemed to hear Mary calling in his heart: “Paul, Paul, I am all alone.”When he climbed that solitary mountain, tradition tells us that Our Sorrowful Mother showed him where she wanted the first Passionist monastery to be built. A divine plan was unfolding. He was being led by events.

    In one way or another, we have all heard Our Sorrowful Mother’s call to stand with her at the foot of the cross, and to share profoundly in the work of redemption. This call is all the more important in our times when far too many Catholics are leaving Christ and Our Blessed Mother “alone” and running off to satisfy worldly desires of one sort or another.

    Today the Church places before us another example of answering the call of Christ and His Mother. We have St. Charles of Mt. Argus. After he decided to enter the Passionists, sorrow struck his family, but he was determined to let nothing hold him back. Charles felt the urgency of Christ’s call, just as St. Paul of the Cross did, and just as Ane Kirstine did.

    Significantly, St. Charles had natural musical talent. He loved to sing at community get-togethers, as well as in the Church and in the choir. His favorite piece was the Ave Maria. On Good Friday each year, Charles participated in the solemn singing of the Passion, taking the part of Christ. When the Passion narrative was finished, there would be tears in the eyes of many, caused by his very appearance and general bearing as he entered into the meaning of what was being proclaimed.

    Though St. Charles was a very ordinary man with ordinary human weaknesses, he humbly admitted his failings and persevered in overcoming his faults. He urged people to turn to Jesus whose death on the cross gives us the power to overcome our sinful inclinations:

The means to become perfect is to mortify our predominant passion. As a Captain in the time of battle in order to gain the victory, endeavors to arrange the soldiers at that point where he sees the greatest dangers are to be overcome, so we should do the same. As long as we strive to overcome our little passions, we shall not be easily overcome by the strong ones. What is the means to be used to overcome our passions? It is to meditate on the Passion of our Lord. A person who is proud, for instance, if he sees that Jesus Christ is derided, mocked, sent from one place to the other, and yet kept silence, he sees a great motive for humility in Our Lord. Another is impatient. He may look to the Crucifix and find a model of patience.

    Loving to clasp a crucifix in his hand, St. Charles found his place of refuge at the foot of the cross where his suffering and the suffering of others could be seen in their true light. He once wrote: “The cross patiently borne for the love of God helps greatly for our eternal salvation….Strive to think every day for a few minutes on the bitter sufferings of Jesus Christ….May Jesus and Mary always reign in our hearts.”

    Today, as Ane Kirstine officially begins the time of her postulancy, divine providence places before her and before all of us the example of this holy Passionist, Charles of Mt. Argus. He, together with our holy founder and all the holy men and women of our Congregation who make up the choir of heaven, are wonderful models who are actually very close to us. We are in fact surrounded by a great crowd of heavenly witnesses. The heavenly choir of Passionists is not only aware of what is taking place here at our monastery today, but they are also powerfully interceding for us, especially for our new postulant.

    We too are powerfully interceding for you, Ane Kirstine, and for each member of your family, as you give such joy to the Heart of Christ in beginning your postulancy. Our Lord loves them, and will be gracious to them each in a particular way. We place each of you in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He will be faithful to you and to them.

    Please come forward now to receive your postulant crucifix. God bless you!

 Ane Kirstine thanks you for your prayers and for the loving greetings sent by so many.
Please continue to pray for the other women whom Jesus desires to remain with Him in Passionist life, that they may likewise give a generous response to this Beloved Good – JESUS.

 

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Busy days here in the monastery

January 13th, 2010

    Jesus, Mary and Joseph be praised!

    I realize some of you keep checking the blog for wonderful information on our new postulant.  I do hope to get her entrance talk posted and some photos.

    I, Sponsa Christi, am the new monastery kitchen manager! Therefore, time at the computer is limited.

    Until then, may the passion of Christ be ever in our hearts so that we can show His face to the world! Let us pray for one another.

 

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He Came For Us

January 4th, 2010

The Infant God-Child in our main cloister hallway welcoming all with outstretched arms

   “The mighty Word, in the human nature He assumed, traversed the heights and depths of the cosmos that in His divine nature He created. He came down so low, so that we who lie prostrate may be raise up aloft with him in Heaven” 

_  John Sayward in Cradle of Redeeming Love

     We pray you are having a very grace-filled Christmas and blessed New Year! 

    Here are some monastery scenes during the Christmas Season.

    We enjoyed our annual Christmas visit with our seminarians during the Christmas Octave. As Fr. Andy Garner, our diocesan vocation director reminded us, this is our 5th year together during the Advent / Christmas Season! 

     This year our Passionist Oblate Veda Mattingly loaned us the Christmas hats of Oblate Judy Roby (RIP). As you can see we had a lot of fun with these crazy hats!

Santa’s elves enjoy choosing a hat for each Sister

Party’s over!

“Whew, I’m glad to get that off my head.
Now if I can just off the floor!

   As I close this post I want to share with you that each of you, our readers, are in our prayers. We pray that the joys and trials of 2010 will bring you into a more intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. He truly is “the reason for the season”! What other religion has a god who would became a zygote, an embryo, an infant, a child, and eventually a man murdered in the prime of his life…so that you and I would KNOW the radical love of God for each of us personally?!  May the Passionate love of our Lord Jesus Christ be ever in our hearts!

   Oh, by the way, we have been having quite a few blog visitors recently…friends of Ane Kirstine!  She arrived safely this evening…just an hour ago. It was so wonderful to see her. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. She is truly a woman seeking to love God and neighbor in the Heart of the Church.  More photos in next post! 

:)

     

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