In the Shadow of His Wings

Sponsa Christi May 30th, 2012

Hello!  We are busy around here with preparations for our Gaudeamus Day tomorrow in honor of Mother Catherine Marie. We have this special day each year as a way to thank and honor our Superior for her generous service to the building up of our community and her charity toward each Sister. It is a day of joy and festivity!  May God reward you Mother for your generous response to God’s call to serve our Passionist community in this way!

Above is our celebratory schedule for the day

Sr. John Mary tries to finish up an afghan for Mother.

Many of the Sisters make gifts to give the Superior on this day. The Superior in turn, can use these as gifts to give to benefactors, etc. This is a long-held monastic tradition.

There will be special food and a musical tribute using violin, Appalachian dulcimer and flute!

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Speaking of Sr. John Mary…her brother Deacon Jeff’s ordination to the holy Priesthood is this Saturday! The long-awaited day has almost arrived. Please do keep him in prayer, along with all our newly ordained priests throughout the world.

Deacon Jeff’s invitation in front of 3 very holy priests -
St. Padre Pio, St. John Vianney and St. Anthony of Padua

It is a special gift to have a nun in our community who has a brother who is a priest.  Two other of our Sisters here have had this wonderful grace in their family. One was Sr. Jeanne Marie and her brother Fr. John Wehmhoefer both of whom have now passed to their eternal reward and are united in gazing on the merciful face of God.

Another is Sr. Ann Miriam seen below with her brother Fr. Joe Mills.

This photo was taken while Father was in the seminary at St. Meinrad and shortly before Sr. Ann Miriam entered the monastery.

This photo was taken last fall, approximately 60 years later!

Thank you Deacon Jeff for your “yes” to the Lord’s call in your life!  And congratulations to Sr. John Mary’s parents Bill and Bernadine and also to her siblings Patricia, Doug and Mitch!

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• Catholic Vocations for Women , Monastic Life , Priesthood
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Sponsa Christi May 22nd, 2012

Come Holy Spirit!

What a sacred time these days are. With the Church we are with our Lady in spirit, awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit this Sunday, the great Solemnity of Pentecost!

This past Saturday brought us the return of  Anne…

Here she is seen with her delightful parents after a nice visit with the Sisters in the parlor.

Anne seeks to be admitted to the holy enclosure. The place where a young woman seeks the face of the Lord and is plunged into the ways of Passionist contemplative life.

“The Joy of the Lord is my strength!”
(The Lord gives strength to the parents as well!)

During 2nd Vespers of the Ascension of our Lord Anne received her postulant crucifix.

Mother Catherine Marie gave a very inspiring fervorino, encouraging Anne and all of us to be docile to the formation of the Holy Spirit in our lives. She stated that our novena prayer, which we are praying together each evening as a community, is a great prayer for a young woman beginning her formation.

So, I will say my adieu with this prayer…

Come, Holy Spirit, You who transformed the souls of the apostles on that first Pentecost. Come by your power, purify my heart from all harmful attachments, enlighten it by your truth, strengthen it to choose what the Father wills. Complete your work of sanctification in my soul, and in the souls of these for whom I now pray, especially….

Come Spirit of Divine Love, give me an increase of your grace and gifts that assure me of your presence in my soul. Give me an awareness of the divine indwelling, a realization of how much the Father loves me; and transform my soul – and those for whom I now pray – into the likeness of Jesus.

O Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Mediatrix of all Grace, since every grace that the Holy Spirit infuses into my soul comes from the Father and Son through you, beseech your Divine Son to grant the favors I ask in this Novena.

Veni Sancte Spiritus, Veni per Miriam!

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Tags: Stages in Formation

• Blessed Mother , Bride of Christ , Catholic Vocations for Women , Cloistered Life , Monastic Life , Novitiate news , Passionist Vocations for Women , Prayer
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Sponsa Christi May 18th, 2012

Sometimes people have the idea of cloistered life as being a selfish life…one “escapes” from the world to live on a spiritual “high” close to God. But if a woman enters the monastery to “escape” her troubles she will only find that they have followed her right into the cloister.

No, one enters the cloister not to escape her problems but to learn to embrace them as she embraces her own humanity in Jesus Christ. It is there, in the Heart of Christ, His pierced Heart, that she also learns to embrace aridity in prayer and daily life.

We are average, ordinary women, asked to stand before God on behalf of His people, such as Queen Esther did in coming before the King (Esther C: 12 – D:12).

As I shared in an earlier post, this past Lent I re-read He Is My Heaven: The Life of Elizabeth of the Trinity. When I read the section I will quote below, I thought, “this so clearly states the goal of being a Passionist Nun!”  You see, we are not freed up from the responsibilities of family life, employment, etc. to live a life of selfishness but we are freed up so as to give a complete gift of self.

Granted this is the end goal…it takes a life-time to reach this goal…and that too is the making of a Passionist Nun…the prayer and sacrifices of daily life teach one to live a holocaustal life in union with Jesus Crucified.  Truly a life of serious dedication…truly a life of JOY!

It was for self-sacrifice and total giving that she [Elizabeth] had entered Carmel. In February, a family friend, Mme. de Bobet, sent her a copy of the works of St. John of the Cross, and his writings helped her penetrate more deeply into the spiritual meaning of her self-giving. Quoting from his works she wrote:

“Most beautiful of creatures, who desires so ardently to know the dwelling place of your Beloved in order to seek Him and be united with Him, you are yourself the refuge where He takes shelter, the dwelling place in which He hides Himself. Your Beloved, your Treasure, your one Hope is so close to you as to live within you; and, actually, you cannot have life without Him!” (St. John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle, 1,7).

‘That is the whole life of Carmel, to live in Him. Then all sacrifices, all immolations become divine, for through everything the soul sees Him whom it loves, and everything leads it to Him; it is a continual heart-to-heart! you see you can already be a Carmelite [Passionist!] in soul.  (Letter 136)

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• Catholic Vocations for Women , Cloistered Life , Monastic Life , Passionist Spirituality
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Sponsa Christi May 10th, 2012

This past Sunday we had our community May Procession culminating in the Coronation of our Lady of Sorrows statue in the back of our monastery chapel.

During the procession a sister, chosen by lot, carries Mary’s crown of flowers as we sing hymns in honor of our Lady.

When we arrive in chapel we pray various prayers including a Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

During the coronation hymn, a sister, chosen by lot, gets to crown our Lady’s image. This year, Sr. Cecilia’s name was drawn. What a privilege! Her name was also drawn when she was a postulant.

At the end of our devotion we pray the Litany of Loretto.

V. Lord, have mercy.

R. Christ have mercy.

V. Lord have mercy. Christ hear us.

R. Christ graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.

Holy Mother of God, pray for us.

Holy Virgin of Virgins, [etc.]

Mother of Christ,

Mother of divine grace,

Mother most pure,

Mother most chaste,

Mother inviolate,

Mother undefiled,

Mother most amiable,

Mother most admirable,

Mother of good Counsel,

Mother of our Creator,

Mother of our Savior,

Virgin most prudent,

Virgin most venerable,

Virgin most renowned,

Virgin most powerful,

Virgin most merciful,

Virgin most faithful,

Mirror of justice,

Seat of wisdom,

Cause of our joy,

Spiritual vessel,

Vessel of honor,

Singular vessel of devotion,

Mystical rose,

Tower of David,

Tower of ivory,

House of gold,

Ark of the covenant,

Gate of heaven,

Morning star,

Health of the sick,

Refuge of sinners,

Comforter of the afflicted,

Help of Christians,

Queen of Angels,

Queen of Patriarchs,

Queen of Prophets,

Queen of Apostles,

Queen of Martyrs,

Queen of Confessors,

Queen of Virgins,

Queen of all Saints,

Queen conceived without original sin,

Queen assumed into heaven,

Queen of the most holy Rosary,

Queen of families,

Queen of peace,

V. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

R. Spare us, O Lord.

V. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

R. Graciously hear us, O Lord.

V. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

Have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we thy servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be freed from present sorrow, and rejoice in eternal happiness. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

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Sponsa Christi May 7th, 2012

“Where is everyone?” That was my thought Saturday morning when I came into chapel and saw that we had no guests for Mass, which is unusual. As I sat there praying and preparing to enter into the “Holy of holies” a number of people came in to chapel all at once.

During the announcements after the noon meal Sr. Mary Agnes explained to us what had happened. She had gotten a call before Mass stating that the gates were not open and there was a line of cars waiting to get through!

She drove down and discovered that the gate hinges had actually broken!  You can see here that the gate is being held to the post by a chain.  Our faithful grounds-keeper came over and with the tractor managed to move the gate so that our guests could come on in.

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On my walk down to take the photo of the gate I came upon the goose nest and it was empty…that could only mean one thing…the goslings were hatched and sure enough I snapped a photo of them here with mom and dad.

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Last week Anne and Chuck Hagan graciously delivered and spread some good “barn yard dirt” in the garden. God bless you!

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And Dave and Carol Niehaus (Sr. Mary Andrea’s parents) spent a day cutting down trees to provide more sunlight on the veggie garden. May God reward you for your labor!  Here a couple Sisters load up some of the cut wood.

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Today we had the great excitement of a shipment of compost arrive!  Good and rich compost – a whole dump truck full! Thank you Lord! and Jane & Tim Wynn! (Sr. Cecilia Maria’s parents)

Wow…who is going to spread all that?

Who said monastery life was dull? Everyone has monotonous days but each moment of monotony is filled with graces that will not be given again.  May each of us respond to the Lord’s love and grace each moment of our days!

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• Catholic Vocations for Women , Cloistered Life , Monastic Life
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Sponsa Christi May 2nd, 2012

Well…I can hardly believe it!

I created a widget in the side bar of this blog OVER A YEAR AGO called “Interesting Passionist Articles”, featuring PDF articles written by or about Passionist life in the Institute on Religious Life Magazine of September/October 2010.

Just last week it came to my knowledge that I linked to every one of those articles incorrectly! (Yes, I can believe I made this mistake) But I can’t believe that none of you, my dear friends, caught my mistake!

Please let me know if you find any other broken links on this blog site. I’ll gladly correct them if I can.

And I hope you’ll check out the articles in the side bar.

The Prefaces for Easter pray that we be “overcome with Paschal joy”…that is our prayer for you during this Eastertide!

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• Blessed Mother , Catholic Vocations for Women , Passionist History , Passionist Life , Passionist Saints , Passionist Spirituality , Passionist Vocations for Women , Saint Paul of the Cross , The Holy Eucharist
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