In the Shadow of His Wings

Sponsa Christi January 27th, 2012

Greetings!  I apologize for not posting more often. Last November a nasty virus began making its way through our community and a number of us are still dealing with the many and varied side effects that come with such a germ.  In community life we share all things in common – unfortunately, even colds!

Now – on to the purpose of this post!

During this election year we are going to host Evenings of Eucharistic Prayer for our Nation. We sure hope you can join us.

Each evening will consist of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Intercessions, Scripture Readings, Sermon by a Father of Mercy, Renewal of Consecration of our Nation to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary and close with Solemn Benediction

First evening is scheduled for Tuesday, February 7th 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Sermon by Fr. David Wilton, CPM

For those of you who live nearby please tell your friends and family to join us in prayer at the monastery. For those who live at a distance please feel free to join us in spirit. Our Nation is in a moral crisis and we need much prayer! May we return to the God-centered values of our Founding Fathers! May God bless our upcoming Presidential Election!

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Tags: Patriotism

• Catholic Vocations for Women , Prayer
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Sponsa Christi January 18th, 2012

Do you wish you could live the spirituality of a monk or nun in your busy life?  Be more recollected in the presence of God? Be disciplined to make more time for prayer, reflection and silence?

Well, I have a blog for you that might help you do just that. We have been receiving a handful of visitors each day from The Cloistered Heart blog. I hope her meditations and stunning photos will be an inspiration to you.

God reward you Nancy for linking to us!

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• Catholic Vocations for Women , Cloistered Life , Monastic Life , Prayer
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Sponsa Christi January 12th, 2012

New Year greetings from the monastery! We are in the midst of National Vocation Awareness Week here in the U.S.A. praying for all men and women to fulfill their God-given destinies.

Here in the monastery we are quite aware of our need for new members. We are working hard at making Passionist life known and understood, especially through our website, blog and newsletter, plus our vocation dvd and commercial aired on EWTN.

Help make our life more known

• share our blog address with your friends and family
• tell young women who are discerning a religious vocation to contact us
• pray for those women whom God is calling right now – they they will hear and respond with a generous “Here I am Lord; I come to do YOUR will!
• any other ideas???

Last week brought us the joy of welcoming Ruth for a week-long live-in and Erin for an overnight visit.

Mass this morning was offered for the intention of an increase of members to our monasteries of Passionist Nuns in the U.S.

Hmm…seems there should be more women in this photo…
how about YOU?

This afternoon the novitiate celebrated the feast of our Novice Directress, Sr. Mary Veronica.

Here we are observing the tea flower expand in the hot water

We had a lovely tea party and closed with the inspiring Christmas hymn, In the Bleak Midwinter,  led by Sr. Cecilia Maria on the Appalachian Dulcimer. Quite comforting for a cold snowy day.

And in 12 days (but who’s counting?!) our aspirant Anne will begin the aspirancy program! (a three month live-in)  Yea!  Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

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In closing I wish to share with you this excellent article from the blog of Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas, Texas:

Henri David Thoreau’s observation that “most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them, ”  might well be applied to the unrealized vocations to the priesthood or religious life.

God’s call is like a song that may easily go unheard amidst the clatter and chaos of today’s world where we are constantly lured by the siren songs of materialism and self-gratification. Sacrifice, service to God and the world, and commitment are not valued by our society the way they have been in the past.

It is up to those of us who recognize such values to work to instill them in our children and those whom we mentor. We do not do so by talking about sacrifice and service to God, we do so by demonstrating those values in our own lives.

Most priests and religious will tell you how the example of an individual or a group of people was influential in leading them to their vocation.

We as priests must demonstrate the joy of serving Jesus through his people, his Body, the Church. As parents and teachers we must strive to “tune them in” to God’s song in their hearts.

During National Vocation Awareness Week beginning January 9, we are not only reminded of the need for priests and religious, but of the richness of lives of service and commitment to God and the community. We are also reminded of our individual obligation to nurture vocations in our children and to support the vocations of our priests and religious.

Promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life is not solely the job of the Diocesan Vocations Office, but the responsibility of each one of us.

As the old saying goes: “If not now, when? If not you, who?”

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Tags: Stages in Formation

• Catholic Vocations for Women , Cloistered Life , Monastery traditions , Novitiate news , Passionist Life , Passionist Vocations for Women , Vocation Discernment
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