In the Shadow of His Wings

Sponsa Christi October 30th, 2011

How’s about a blog entry regarding how you beautiful ladies are transitioning for the new missal and your thoughts regarding the changes it brings. Are there any materials you’ve found particularly helpful as you prepare?

~ A request from one of our Texan friends!

All of us Sisters have been looking forward to the implementation of the Revised Roman Missal on November 27, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of the Church Year. I have been counting down the weeks for some months now! We have had MUCH choir practice and have learned a couple of very beautiful new Masses. We have also brushed up on some of the Latin Masses. When our two new Roman Missals arrived the Sisters gathered around them “oohing” and “ahhing” all during recreation.

Here are some reasons we are joyfully anticipating the changes

• It is an opportunity to enhance our worship of God and deepen our participation in the sacred mysteries of the Liturgy.
• The new translation of the Mass preserves more fully the theological tradition captured throughout the centuries in the liturgy. It also clearly communicates the many biblical allusions and vital theological concepts that are expressed int he Latin original and were lost in the first translation
• The translation as a whole uses more “heightened” style of English that is less conversational and nobler in tone. This style more closely parallels the Latin text and helps us express an even greater reverence and humility in praying to God in the Mass.
• It’s a unique moment in the English-speaking world to catechize about the Holy Mass!
• As baptized Christians, as nuns, we want to grasp with greater and greater depth the meaning of what we say and do every day at Mass – so that we can more generously give ourselves to God in the liturgy and encounter him more fully, especially in Holy Communion.

This is a unique moment in our Church! This is THE most significant liturgical development for English-speaking Catholics since Vatican II! It is an opportunity to delve more deeply into these sacred mysteries that can become mechanical when done out of habit one’s entire life. These changes will take us out of our routine and provide an opportunity to ponder anew “why we say what we say and do what we do in the Mass.”

I hope you are growing in a sense of excitement about the upcoming changes like we are.

Here are some resources you might find helpful…

I have been reading articles in various periodicals as they come into the monastery, i.e. National Catholic Register, diocesan newspapers, Catholic magazines, etc.

Several weeks ago I read an excellent article by Fr. Jeremy Driscoll, OSB on the Mass Collects.

I was excited to see that Fr. Driscoll knows his stuff – for he is an advisor to the Vox Clara Commission. So, for my study period I googled his name and found some talks he gave on the New Roman Missal (I’ve only listened to the first part of #10 but it sounds promising) – perhaps you might benefit from them too.

Book: Biblical Walk Through the Mass (by Dr. Edward Sri – looks good but I have not read it)

DVD: New Roman Missal by Msgr. Moroney – Executive Secretary of the Vox Clara Committee – EXCELLENT

Dr. Edward Sri helped me articulate my thoughts above through A Guide To The New Translation of The Mass

May the Mass changes beginning during this Advent Season help you to experience the Mass as never before and lead you into a more fruitful worship experience.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!

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• Catholic Vocations for Women , Passionist Life , Passionist Vocations for Women , The Holy Eucharist
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Sponsa Christi October 23rd, 2011

Our 8 1/2 month-old novice – Sr. Cecilia Maria – recently wrote this poem reflecting on the meaning of her identity as a Passionist novice. May it take you on a journey into the true meaning of JOY in your life.

Let me tell you of joy:

Joy to be called

and joy to be chosen.

Joy to have asked

and joy to have been received.

Joy to be unworthy.

Joy to be clothed,

clothed in mourning

clothed in penance

clothed in Passion.

Joy to be Passionist

in outward dress

in inmost heart

in life transformed.

Joy in these royal robes of Christ’s own poor.

Joy to be named:

Cecilia (may my virginal heart hymn to Thee as her’s!)

Maria (may my fiat be as tireless, my love be as faithful!)

Joy to be titled:

of the Body of Christ (for I am no longer my own.)

Joy to be claimed by such a Master!

Joy to have journeyed,

and joy to journey on.

Joy to have found Thee,

and joy to seek anew.

Joy everlasting!

Joy in Thy Sorrows,

and joy in my share.

Joy in oblation

joined to Thy own Sacrifice.

Joy overflowing.

Joy in Thy betrothal,

so longed for, so sweet.

Joy in Thy tender Love,

and joy to discover

that I may love Thee in return.

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Tags: Poetry, Stages in Formation

• Bride of Christ , Catholic Vocations for Women , Novitiate news , Passionist Life , Passionist Vocations for Women , Vocation Discernment
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Sponsa Christi October 19th, 2011

I don’t really understand what these buttons at the bottom of the post do.

But I do know that they will help bring more traffic to the blog. That is exciting!

Now…I am wondering if I should have ALL these buttons??? or just some of them…

I MUST go now! Have to get the meat out of the freezer to thaw for tomorrow’s feastday meal! One of my great helpers is going to rise EARLY to cook it for me. One of the blessings of a communal life rooted in the love of Christ Crucified!

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Sponsa Christi October 19th, 2011

Hi! I am checking to see if the Social Sharing Toolkit plugin I installed is working…

It didn’t work last time – hopefully this time???

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Sponsa Christi October 19th, 2011

Hi! I am checking to see if the Social Sharing Toolkit plugin I installed is working…

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Sponsa Christi October 19th, 2011

Blessed Feast of St. Paul of the Cross!

Yesterday, October 18th, brought us the 236th anniversary of his entrance into eternal life. Today brings us his universal celebration. But since those of us who live in North America are celebrating the North American martyrs today tomorrow will bring us the celebration of St. Paul of the Cross. This change in dates is not well understood. In fact, we have a Little Sister of the Poor here on retreat and this morning she greeted our Superior with a “Happy Feastday!” Mother had to explain the above to her. Probably what adds to the confusion is that the date given in the breviary is October 19th but the date given in the missalette is October 20th!

We are anticipating a day full of spiritual and temporal blessings with a very rich Liturgy of the Hours, Mass offered by our Bishop Medley followed by a wonderful meal.

You all have been included in our prayers during this novena and will be especially remembered in our Holy Mass tomorrow!

Now…for some spiritual reflections.

The Last words of a dying man are never forgotten, much less those of a dying Saint. The following are excerpts of the Last Will and Testament of St. Paul of the Cross. We will be reading this during First Vespers of this great Mystic.

“Before everything else, I strongly recommend the observance of that remembrance given by Jesus Christ to his disciples: “By this will all know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Behold, my dear brothers, what I want of you with my whole heart, both of you here present as well as all others who now wear the habit of penance and mourning in memory of the Passion and Death of our loving, Divine Redeemer, as well as all those who by the Divine Mercy will be called in future times to this small flock of Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, I recommend to all, especially to those who will be in the office of superiors, that there always flourish in the Congregation the spirit of prayer, the spirit of solitude, and the spirit of poverty. Let them be sure that, if they will maintain these three things, the Congregation, “will shine like the sun in the sight of God and the nations”.

I recommend with special emphasis filial affection to Holy Mother the Church and entire submission to its visible head, the Roman Pontiff. To that end they will pray day and night in their prayers for the Church and for the Supreme Pontiff. They will also strive to cooperate, as much as they are able for the good of the Church and for the salvation of the poor souls of their neighbor with missions, retreats, and other works that are in accord with our Institute, and promote in the hearts of all devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ and to the Sorrows of Mary most Holy/…/

I recommend in a particular way that they pray with great fervor for our present Holy Pontiff so that the Divine Mercy preserves him prosperously for a long time for the good of his Church and comfort him with the success of his intentions/…

Finally, with my face in the dust and with the weeping of my poor heart, I ask pardon from all in the Congregataion, those present and those absent for all my shortcomings committed in my office, which I exercised in order to do God’s Will for so many years. Oh, poor me, as I depart for eternity, I leave you only my bad examples. However, I must confess that I never had such an intention, but I always had at heart your holiness and your perfection.

You, O Immaculate Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, by the sorrows you experienced in the Passion Death of your Beloved Son, give us your motherly blessing while I place and leave all under the mantle of your protection.

Behold, my dear brothers, what are the remembrances that I leave with you with all my poor heart.

I leave you and I will await all of you in paradise, where I will pray always for the Sovereign Pontiff, for the Church I love so much… I leave all of you, present, absent, and future, my blessing: “May the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain forever”.”

Special thanks to our  special friend for the above selections from our Founder’s Last Will & Testament

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• Blessed Mother , Passionist History , Saint Paul of the Cross
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Sponsa Christi October 14th, 2011

With a clear call from God and the love of Christ Crucified flaming in their hearts, five Passionist Nuns set out from their monastery in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1946 and started the long journey to Kentucky. It is with profound gratitude to God that I dedicate these blog posts to those Foundresses as we celebrate the marvels He has done.

The community of Passionist Nuns in Scranton, PA in early 1946. The Superior, Mother Mary Agnes Roche, is seated second from the far right. The other four foundresses together with the first postulant are circled.

Five valiant Nuns consecrated to Christ Crucified brought Passionist life to Owensboro, Kentucky, planting the spirit of St. Paul of the Cross firmly in Western Kentucky soil. The tiny seed of those early days has grown and borne fruit as winter, spring, summer and fall recurred over the course of 65 years. I hope you will continue to journey with us as I recount the story of those first beginnings….

Kentucky Bound!

Your letter of May 1st comes as a great surprise to me.   I am wondering how you even knew there was an Owensboro Diocese….

So began a letter of Most Rev. Francis R. Cotton, Bishop of Owensboro.  In early May, 1946, he received a letter sent by the Passionist Nuns of Scranton, Pennsylvania  to 21 bishops.  Bishop Cotton’s speedy response on May 3rd—the first favorable answer the Nuns received—proved to be decisive.  God knew there was an Owensboro diocese, and that’s exactly where He was going to lead the founding nuns!

From Scranton to Owensboro

During the 1930′s and early 1940′s, the Scranton community was blessed with so many vocations that they began planning a new foundation.  The superior, Mother Mary Agnes Roche, hoped to open the new monastery in Boston, or perhaps Trenton or Camden, New Jersey.

Although the bishops in these cities responded graciously, none was able to consider a new monastery in his diocese.  Mother Mary Agnes then searched the Catholic Directory for dioceses that had no contemplative monasteries, or at least none that engaged in retreats.

Meanwhile, let us cry to the Lord continually, since this holy work must be the fruit of prayer.

-St. Paul of the Cross to Mother Mary Crucified, the first Passionist Nun

Mother Mary Agnes and her Scranton community understood this very well, and so they backed up all these efforts by earnest prayer.

Under the Patronage of Saint Joseph

Realizing the gravity of the enterprise, and her need for divine guidance, Mother Mary Agnes sought the powerful intercession of St. Joseph, the Patron of the Interior Life and the Guardian of Virgins.  Here is her own account of the “long talk” she had with him one day:

I said to him, ‘What am I to do?  They want me to make a new foundation and I don’t know where to go or what to do.  But, dear St. Joseph, if you take over, I’ll follow the counsel of those who have a right to advise me.’

Subsequent events throughout our 60 year history show how seriously St. Joseph took this conversation!  Later Mother Mary Agnes wrote that she had visited Owensboro “with great confidence in St. Joseph…as we had so specially placed our difficulties before him.”  She added that

St. Joseph manifested his care by donations sent in his honor or in his name.  This happened so frequently that we decided on dedicating the new monastery to his patronage.

Choosing a Site

Arriving in Owensboro for a visit, the Nuns found that Bishop Cotton had already picked out the Benita Avenue property for the new monastery.  He did, however, suggest that the Nuns inspect a few other possible sites.  In the end, Benita Avenue was chosen and Mother Mary Agnes expressed her satisfaction in a letter:

We secured a very nice piece of property at Owensboro.  The grounds are in good condition and are considerably larger than our place here in Scranton.  There are two houses and a garage.  The main building is a large…eight room residence with four massive white columns along the front. The other is a little four-room cottage.

Both places are in perfect condition so we will not have to spend anything on repairs, just for alterations necessary to adapt them to our needs.  We shall have to get our enclosure wall erected and later when we have grown and can think of building the convent and chapel, the present house will be excellent for retreats.

To be continued…

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• Passionist History , Passionist Life , Saint Paul of the Cross
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Sponsa Christi October 12th, 2011

I thought you might be interested in joining us for the solemn novena in preparation for the Feast of our Holy Founder St. Paul of the Cross.

Please do keep us in prayer during this holy novena. We will be having special readings about our Founder and our Passionist charism each evening during Vespers. You and your intentions are being remembered in our prayers and sacrifices.

O good Saint Paul of the Cross,
you revealed the wonders of God’s power
by proclaiming the Passion of God’s only Son.

By your words and mighty deeds,
you became a spiritual guide and preacher of the Gospel
to a world grown cold to the love of Jesus Christ.

Turn our hearts and minds to the merciful cross of Jesus.
Help us to persevere in faith and love,
and assist us in every need.

By sharing the Passion of Jesus in this life,
may we come to share in the glory He has promised.

Amen.

Please pray especially for all those young women being gifted with a Passionist vocation that they will respond generously!  We are living in such perilous times and need generous, valiant women to be spiritual mothers of souls.

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Sponsa Christi October 9th, 2011

This week brought us some excursions “over the creek and through the woods…”

GAUDEAMUS DAY OUTING!

Wednesday brought us a gaudeamus day in honor of our 65th foundation anniversary. With a large chunk of time on our hands and the sound of crispy leaves under our feet we set out…

All enjoy the smell of the Virginia Mountain Mint plant…By the way, why does this Virginia plant grow in Western Kentucky?

Ever seen an eerie form walking in the woods? Well, we have groves of these “Devil’s Walking Sticks”… Sr. Mary Magdalen is keeping watch…

“The Dinosaur Tree”

Ahh civilization again…

+++++

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
(er…off the road again…second outing this week…)

FEASTDAY OF THE QUEEN OF THE HOLY ROSARY

First we have to introduce Anne. She briefly made an appearance at the corn party. (Please keep up those prayers for St. Joseph’s intercession so she can sell her home and seriously discern Passionist life!)

As you can see she came back so we promptly took her into the deep woods and she actually seems happy about it. She even made it through the briar patch with only one thorn in her hand!

Sr. Rose Marie got a little giddy looking down; she wasn’t feeling so well…get it…”well”…ahhhh…

Years back, when we first relocated to this rural setting in 1995 we hiked all over the property “reconnoitering the land”. We came upon this old well (or is it a cistern?). It is said that there are a number of wells like this in these parts.

It would be so interesting to know WHO did it, WHEN they did it and HOW they did it. Incredible work of art.

Ummm…Sister I think those rocks are moving under you…

We stopped for a rest in the creek bed on the way back to the monastery…

Ahh…we finally found the monastery! and we made it in time for Sr. John Mary to get changed and make oatmeal before Vespers.

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Sponsa Christi October 7th, 2011

Can you identify this photo???

This picture was taken today at the monastery…

The first person who provides the correct answer will receive a spiritual bouquet!

 UPDATE #1

OK – we have received some great responses AND we have received the correct response. But it is so fun reading your responses we don’t want to bring the contest to an end just yet.

Jane (a.k.a. “NunMother” and mother of Sr. Cecilia Maria) sent us the most interesting guesses. Thought you’d like to read them too!

OK,
I have tried to figure this out.

1) Strange bird nest
2) Dangerous animal hole
3) Well gone dry
4) Fungus growth on cedar tree
5) Petrified bee hive
6) Knot on a tree
7) Crushed thyme

I will go for number 6!

Jane

UPDATE #2

Well…the answer is…it is a well!  We thought it looked like a close-up photo of a lizard’s eye but know one else thought that.

Ruth Ann sent us an interesting answer – a close up eye of a blind elephant – apologies – we have no wild elephants in Western Kentucky.

Certainly “NunMother” had the most interesting answers but Susan Kaness was the first to respond with the correct answer. Yay Susan! Spiritual Bouquet coming your way.

P.S. Jane – God reward you for the thyme – it arrived safe and sound and was planted the same day!

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