In the Shadow of His Wings

Sponsa Christi November 16th, 2012

Each year Passionist Nuns throughout the world make a 3-day retreat (in our monastery we make a 4-day retreat!) in preparation for our annual devotional renewal of vows on the Feast of the Presentation in the Temple. This day also celebrates Pro Orantibus Day. A day set aside for people to pray for those who live a cloistered or heremetical life.

The nuns often renew their consecration to the Passion of Jesus. Each year, moreover, on the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, they make a general renewal of their vows, preparing for this renewal by a three-day retreat.

Rule & Constitutions #113

So, we humbly ask your prayers for Passionist Nuns throughout the world during these sacred days of November 17-20, that we be refreshed in body, renewed in spirit, re-energized  in fervor and love for our Divine Bridegroom. Also, that he would raise up valiant young women to join our ranks in quenching the One who thirsts to love and be loved.

The following is an excellent article written by Sr. Cecilia Maria about the relevance of our cloistered life in the Church.

Passionist Nuns, dwelling in the “cloister” of Calvary, find at the foot of the Cross not only their path to contemplative union with God, but also the means of profound interaction with their brothers and sisters on earth. Their very union with the Redeemer spurs them to share in His work of drawing all people to Himself, in practical as well as mystical ways.

Closely joined to their contemplative prayer is a life of intercession for the needs of the world; indeed, their constitutions enjoin them “to know the life of the Church and of society” in which they live, in order to hold in prayer all its varied needs. Nuns keep abreast of the world through a variety of different media and through good and reliable contacts, and can often be better informed about current events and key issues than the average American citizen!

From their very beginnings Passionist Nuns have sought to welcome others to the fountainhead of God’s mercy, flowing from the wounds of Christ Crucified. They are called to be witnesses to this merciful love not only by their prayerful presence but also by their words — regularly written and spoken to family, friends, and visitors — and by their deeds.

Many monasteries have retreat-houses where others are invited to spend time at the foot of the Cross with the nuns, whose privilege and responsibility it is to minister to these retreatants. Thus the clear waters of the “sealed fountain” of Passionist monastic life (cf. Song of Songs 4:12), protected as they are by the restrictions of the cloister, are able to reach and to refresh far more souls than merely those of the nuns who dwell there.

The vocation to be a “dove in the clefts of the rock,” the open side of Jesus, is certainly not restricted to any particular sort of personality or skill-set! Like all cloistered nuns, Passionists are as varied and variously gifted as any natural extended family. One finds among the brides of the Crucified extroverts and introverts, doctorates and high-school diplomas, seamstresses and construction workers and artists (and everything in between).

The unique personalities and gifts of each sister simply indicate how the Lord wills to bless the community with a sister’s strengths and how the other sisters can support her in her weaknesses. Thus they enable the whole community to live out more fully the life to which they are all called! United by their love of Him who calls them into the intimacy of His love, the nuns rejoice to offer their daily lives as an oblation for the sake of God and His whole world.

Photo of crucifix at the entrance to our monastery
Kindness of Mrs. Larena Lawson
The dead tree in the left of the photo is just one sorrowful reminder of the terrible drought we had in these parts this past summer.

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• Bride of Christ , Catholic Vocations for Women , Cloistered Life , Monastery traditions , Passionist Vocations for Women , Pro Orantibus Day
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Sponsa Christi November 15th, 2012

Next Thursday is devoted to praying for “Those Who Pray” – that is – a day devoted to praying for the prayer warriors. Yes, we need prayers too! It is called “Pro Orantibus Day” and was instituted by Blessed Pope John Paul II in 1997 to be celebrated each year on November 21st – the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple. You can learn more about Pro Orantibus Day here.

The following is part of a reflection by Most Rev. Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R.   Archbishop-elect for the Indianapolis diocese.

Contemplative monks and nuns pursue a manner of living in which the faith they profess and celebrate gradually becomes life itself. In this way, they strive to heal the terrible schizophrenia that happens to Christians when faith is separated from life. This manner of living is held together by some important forces, such as the wisdom of the liturgical year, offered by the Church as a way of re-living the great events of our salvation. The liturgy invites the contemplatives to immerse their lives in the life of Christ, so that He might transform them to ever more resemble Him. In union with the entire People of God, the community drinks each day from the fountain of the liturgy, as the members continue their pilgrimage towards the “promised land” that is the glorified body of their Risen Lord.

Find the rest of that reflection here.

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Sponsa Christi November 20th, 2011

In our Passionist tradition, our communities of nuns through the world (there are 25 – 30 of us!) have a communal renewal of vows on November 21st during the celebration of Mass.  Our Holy Founder, Saint Paul of the Cross, chose this day – the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple – so that in her likeness, we Passionists might deepen our total consecration to the Person and the redemptive work of her Divine Son, Jesus.

On this day, also celebrated as Pro Orantibus Day, we invite each of you our readers, to re-commit yourself to the vocation to which you are called, so that united in the Mystical Body of Christ, we might all strengthen and encourage one another to love and serve Christ our King with all our hearts!

Vow Formula for Annual Renewal of Vows

For the honor of God, I, a professed member of the Institute of the Passion of Jesus Christ, renew my firm resolve to be intimately consecrated to Jesus Crucified, and to follow Him more closely.

In the presence of God and of you, my sisters and brothers, I freely confirm and renew the vow to promote devotion to and a grateful remembrance of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, as well as the vows of Chastity, Poverty, Obedience and Enclosure, according to our Rule and Constitutions.

I earnestly beseech God who in His mercy has sustained my weakness and has been faithful to my good will, to continue to strengthen me in what I have promised by vow.

I pray that I may persevere faithfully until my death in my vocation in the Church: to be “a sign of the love of Jesus Crucified for the Father and for all humanity.”

By the grace of the Holy Spirit, and through the intercession of the Sorrowful Virgin Mary and of Saint Paul of the Cross, may I reach the perfection of charity and one day receive the rich reward of the Paschal Mystery in heaven.   Amen.

May God reward you for your prayers during our retreat! Blessed Feast day to you!

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• Blessed Mother , Bride of Christ , Catholic Vocations for Women , Cloistered Life , Monastery traditions , Passionist Life , Passionist Spirituality , Passionist Vocations for Women , Pro Orantibus Day
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Sponsa Christi November 18th, 2011

This is by far my favorite message of Pope Benedict for Pro Orantibus Day. He gave this in 2006. Much to ponder…

Just like his predecessors, our Beloved Pope Benedict XVI
upholds the value of contemplative cloistered life.

Of course he would ~ he is the Vicar of Christ!

Angelus Message of Pope Benedict XVI ~ Given in St. Peter’s Square, Sunday, November 19, 2006

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

     The day after tomorrow, 21 November, on the occasion of the liturgical Memorial of the Presentation of Mary, we will be celebrating Pro Orantibus Day, dedicated to remembering cloistered religious communities. It is an especially appropriate opportunity to thank the Lord for the gift of the numerous people in monasteries and hermitages who are totally dedicated to God in prayer, silence and concealment.

     Some may wonder what meaning and value their presence could have in our time, when there are so many situations of poverty and neediness with which to cope.

     Why “enclose oneself” for ever between the walls of a monastery and thereby deprive others of the contribution of one’s own skills and experience? How effective can the prayer of these cloistered Religious be for the solution of all the practical problems that continue to afflict humanity?

     Yet even today, often to the surprise of their friends and acquaintances, many people in fact frequently give up promising professional careers to embrace the austere rule of a cloistered monastery. What impels them to take such a demanding step other than the realization, as the Gospel teaches, that the Kingdom of heaven is “a treasure” for which it is truly worth giving up everything (cf. Mt 13: 44)?

     Indeed, these brothers and sisters of ours bear a silent witness to the fact that in the midst of the sometimes frenetic pace of daily events, the one support that never topples is God, the indestructible rock of faithfulness and love. “Everything passes, God never changes”, the great spiritual master Teresa of Avila wrote in one of her famous texts.

     And in the face of the widespread need to get away from the daily routine of sprawling urban areas in search of places conducive to silence and meditation, monasteries of contemplative life offer themselves as “oases” in which human beings, pilgrims on earth, can draw more easily from the wellsprings of the Spirit and quench their thirst along the way.

Central Park – the “green lungs” of New York City

     Thus, these apparently useless places are on the contrary indispensable, like the green “lungs” of a city:  they do everyone good, even those who do not visit them and may not even know of their existence.

     Dear brothers and sisters, let us thank the Lord, who in his Providence has desired male and female cloistered communities. May they have our spiritual and also our material support, so that they can carry out their mission to keep alive in the Church the ardent expectation of Christ’s Second Coming.

     For this, let us invoke the intercession of Mary, whom we contemplate on the Memorial of her Presentation in the Temple as Mother and model of the Church, who welcomes in herself both vocations: to virginity and to marriage, to contemplative life and to active life.

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Sponsa Christi November 16th, 2011

Our community begins our 4 day retreat tomorrow to prepare for our annual devotional renewal of vows to take place during Mass on the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple on November 21st. This is also Pro Orantibus Day!

Please do keep us in your prayers and be assured of ours during these sacred days.

I thought you would enjoy seeing some fall photos from around the monastery.

An animated chat during noon recreation

Sr. Mary Therese with her 2 brothers, cousin and nephew were here to install beautiful shrines they crafted for each Stations of the Cross. Now her brother Lawrence is refurbishing each station!  God reward you!

The pine trail on Calvary Heights

Enjoying an autumn walk

First hard freeze – left side of courtyard

Right side of courtyard

Calvary Heights – don’t miss the moon in the upper left

Sr. Ann Miriam’s birthday

St. Gemma’s trail

Sr. Mary Andrea’s family here to prune trees and bushes

Love crucified

Love thirsting to be loved…

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Sponsa Christi November 15th, 2011

Pro Orantibus Day Recalls Cloistered Communities as the “Heart” of the Church

Chicago, IL — Catholics throughout the world are encouraged to honor the cloistered and monastic life on Pro Orantibus Day, which is Monday, Nov. 21, 2011.

“The primary purpose of Pro Orantibus Day (“For Those Who Pray”) is to thank God for the tremendous gift of the cloistered and monastic vocation in the Church’s life,” noted Fr. Thomas Nelson, O.Praem., National Director of the Institute on Religious Life. “Since the lives of these women and men religious dedicated to prayer and sacrifice is often hidden, this annual celebration reminds us of the need to support their unique mission within the Body of Christ,” he added.

In 1997 Bl. Pope John Paul II asked that this ecclesial event be observed worldwide on November 21, the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Presentation in the Temple. It is a special day to thank those in the cloistered and monastic life for serving as “a leaven of renewal and of the presence of the spirit of Christ in the world.” It is also intended to remind others of the need to provide spiritual and material support “for those who pray.”

Pope Benedict XVI has spoken often of the tremendous value of the cloistered, contemplative life. Speaking to a group of cloistered Dominican nuns in Rome, the Holy Father referred to such religious as “the heart” which provides blood to the rest of the Body of Christ. He noted that in their work and prayer, together with Christ, they are the “heart” of the Church and in their desire for God’s love they approach the ultimate goal.

Special thanks to Cloistered Life for the above article.

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Sponsa Christi November 13th, 2011

November 21, the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, will bring us Pro Orantibus Day – the annual day of prayer for “those who pray”.  Yes, this day is devoted to all consecrated persons who live a hidden life at the heart of Holy Mother Church. We ask your prayers for all contemplative monks, nuns and hermits throughout the world.

I’ll be posting articles about contemplative life throughout the coming weeks for a greater understanding and appreciation of cloistered-contemplative life.

The mystery of the exclusive union of the Church as Bride with the Lord is expressed in the vocation of cloistered nuns, precisely because their life is entirely dedicated to God, loved above all else, in a ceaseless straining toward the heavenly Jerusalem…Their life is a reminder to all Christian people of the fundamental vocation of everyone to come to God…

By means of the cloister, nuns embody the exodus from the world in order to encounter God in the solitude of ‘cloistered desert,’ a desert which includes inner solitude, the trials of the spirit, and the daily toil of life in community – all this, as the Bride’s sharing in the solitude of Jesus in Gethsemani and in His redemptive suffering on the Cross.

~ From Verbi Sponsa – the Church’s recent document on contemplative life

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Sponsa Christi November 16th, 2010

Pray for us as we enter into retreat! Our annual November retreat prepares us for our devotional renewal of vows on November 21st. This year November 21st falls on the last Sunday of the Church Year and the Solemnity of Christ the King. But normally this is the day of the feast of Our Lady’s Presentation in the Temple.

The tradition of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple was very dear to St. Paul of the Cross because it reminded him of his own consecration to God by the foundation of the Passionist Congregation. He wanted the first house of Passionists on Monte Argentario and the first Monastery of Passionist Nuns founded at Tarquinia to be dedicated to the Presentation of Mary. Hence this feast came to be celebrated among Passionists with much solemnity. Today, however, it commemorates the Blessed Virgin as the humble handmaid of the Lord, associated in the mystery of redemption, rather than the traditional Presentation of Mary in the Temple.

The Passionist Nuns throughout the world will be renewing vows on this day!  This day is also known as Pro Orantibus Day.

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   We recently had a wonderful celebration for Sr. Marie Michael in honor of her 60 years of Passionist vowed life.  It was a surprise celebration and she was delighted.  Sister is also our sacristan and so a new pix and cruets were given for her gifts.

    Sr. Rose Marie and Ane Kirstine gave us some good laughs after the noon meal. We recently obtained a new microwave. This microwave actually gives messages on its little screen, such as, “Have a good day.” etc.  The after-meal-entertainment was a creepy spin on this!

“When Technology is too Smart…”

Role of characters:

-Sr. Bright and Early

-Sr. Sleepyhead

-the Microwave

Introduction: Sr. Bright and Early and Sr. Sleepyhead are currently on their way to the kitchen on an ordinary morning to make their oatmeal for breakfast. To their surprise, a new high-tech microwave has been installed. But their initial experiences are drastically different.

(Enter Sr. Bright and Early)

(She goes to the microwave with her bowl and goes through the normal procedure of heating up her oatmeal. While she is waiting on her oatmeal…)

Microwave:  BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. DING!

Microwave:  Enjoy your meal!!!

Sr. Bright and Early:  Why thank you!

(on her way to the corridor exiting the refectory, Sr. B&E runs into Sr. Sleepyhead who enters the scene now)

Sr. Bright and Early:  Sister! You should try our new microwave… It’s so polite!

(Sr Bright and Early exits the scene)

(Sr. Sleepyhead goes to get her bowl, and goes to the microwave, examining it with interest. She presses the button to open the door…)

Microwave:  Good morning!

Sr. Sleepyhead:  Good morning (?)

Microwave:  Please insert your dish.

(With a surprised expression, Sr. Sleepyhead puts her dish in and closes the door to the microwave. She presses the buttons for the timer.)

Microwave:  One moment please….

Microwave:  BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.  DING!

Microwave:  Enjoy your meal!!!

(Sr. Sleepyhead takes out the bowl, looks at the oatmeal…)

Sr. Sleepyhead:  …Not quite warm enough… Just a bit longer.

(She puts it in for another minute, and stands by to watch with her hand on the button to open the microwave. She presses the button to open the microwave and takes out her bowl.)

Microwave:  You lost 30 seconds!

Sr. Sleepyhead:  That doesn’t matter… It was boiling!

Microwave:  PUT IT BACK!!!  I wasn’t done.

Sr. Sleepyhead:  But I’m done! I don’t need to put it back! I’m ready to eat my oatmeal…

(A hand reaches out of the microwave and grabs the bowl back into the microwave and slams the door shut.)

Sr. Sleepyhead:  WHAT IN THE WORLD! … HEY!!!!

(Sister pries the microwave door open and wrestles her bowl out of the microwave’s hand… Sister begins to take off in a hurry to leave the kitchen…)

Microwave:  You’ve lost one minute! (Sounding perturbed)

Microwave:  Fine! … Don’t blame me when your meal is cold!

(Re Enter Sr. Bright and Early)

(Sr. Sleepyhead is on her way out of the refectory/kitchen when she runs into Sr. Bright and Early.)

Sr. Bright and Early:  Sister! What’s the matter!

Sr. Sleepyhead:  Ummm… You’re not going to believe this, but I think we need to have the new microwave exorcised.

Sr. Bright and Early:  Really??? What for? I didn’t have any problems with it… I thought it was very nice.

Sr. Sleepyhead:  Shhh!!!  Don’t encourage it! It might hear you! … I’ve never had a real argument with a piece of machinery until today.

Sr. Bright and Early:  Uhhh… Sister, are you feeling well?  Perhaps some extra rest might do you some good. (Pats Sr. Sleepyhead on the back and goes on, exiting the scene)

(Sr. Sleepyhead stands looking after her looking bewildered. Looking up, she says:

Sr. Sleepyhead:  Lord, from now on I’m using the stove top!

(Exit Sr. Sleepyhead.)

THE END

Sisters admiring a bouquet of flowers, a gift from our nuns from the Passionist monastery in Erlanger, KY after one of our Sisters underwent surgery. It was a welcome addition to the beauty of Sr. Marie Michael’s celebration.

    More after-meal-entertainment!

   We thank you for all your lovely comments left recently!  Please pray that young, happy, healthy Catholic women are moved so much by this blog that they will join us in seeking quench the Divine Thirst of Jesus.  Please send this blog link to young Catholic women and encourage them to be open to cloistered life. The Lord bless you!

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• Blessed Mother , Monastery traditions , Passionist Life , Pro Orantibus Day , Saint Paul of the Cross
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Sponsa Christi November 21st, 2009

We just finished our annual 4 day retreat in preparation for our communal devotional renewal of vows this morning during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  I had wanted to write you all before retreat but time was limited…need I say more?

    Our 4 day retreat each fall is a time to focus on a renewal of our “yes” to Jesus’ call to bridal union. We do this in union with Mary and her ”yes” at the Annunciation which she renewed throughout her life.  I read some chapters from The Foundations of Religious Life – Revisiting the Vision a collection of articles from the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious.  There is a most beautiful article on our Spousal Union with Christ and how this gift of self is lived out in community…now I must live out what I have pondered during retreat!  Veni Sancte Spiritus!

    Today is Pro Orantibus Day! I so wanted to get a post up earlier this week for you all about this very special day for cloistered religious.  In 2006 Pope Benedict gave us a moving Angelus message explaining this special day. God reward all of you who support us in our cloistered contemplative life as we seek to imitate Jesus in His mission of adoration of the Father and supplication for the salvation of the world. We are all so interconnected in the Mystical Body of our Divine Bridegroom. You NEED us and we NEED you!

Last week brought us a retreatant from the Rockford, IL diocese – Fr. Paul Fasano. One of our Sisters had been asked to pray for Fr. Paul in 2004 when he began his seminary studies in Rome. After corresponding all these years it was so nice to finally meet him and be joined in the Sacred Liturgy. It was exciting to learn that he and our aspirant Ane Kirstine had actually had a class together in Rome at the Angelicum on St. John of the Cross by Fr. Paul Murray, OP and that she was present at Fr. Paul’s diaconate ordination in 2008.

Fr. Bernie Weber, CP (a visiting Passionist Priest),
Fr. Ray Clark (our chaplain), Fr. John and Fr. Paul
(both here on retreat)

Fr. Paul and Sr. John Mary found out they are both reading a copy of Abbe Francis Trochu’s 1927 biography “The Cure D’Ars (St. John Vianney)” in order to get to know our Holy Cure better during this Year for the Priest! Small world.

    Well, I must be signing off so as to be able to go for a rosary walk, spending some time with our Mother and intimate confidante – the mother of my Divine Spouse! She has much to teach me.

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Sponsa Christi November 21st, 2008

Pro Orantibus Day:
Monasteries for the life of the Church and the world

    May the Lord reward all those who kept us in prayer these last 4 days in preparation for our devotional renewal of vows this morning at Mass. These were days full of grace! In keeping with the spirituality of the feast of this day we Sisters remembered that it is also our “presentation in the Temple” – by the renewal of our vows we recall the commitment we have made in giving our lives to the Most Blessed Trinity. 

     Now, in keeping with our charism, we go to Calvary and ask our Lady to present us to her Son, Jesus Crucified. That we may surrender our lives with greater fidelity to the Holy Spirit, receiving the fruits of Jesus’ saving passion that flow from His pierced Heart…for the glory of God and the life of the world. God bless you for your support of our contemplative vocation – it means more than words can express! Be assured that you have a special share in our life of prayer and joyful penance.

    For 55 years, the Church has dedicated November 21 to the value of contemplative life, in support of the life of all of the baptized, of missionaries, and of society, which becomes less and less human without God. The pope asks that the material needs of monasteries be taken to heart.

    Vatican City (AsiaNews) – “Seeking God and seeking him through Jesus Christ who has revealed him (cf. John 1:18), seeking him by fixing one’s gaze on the invisible realities that are eternal (cf. 2 Cor. 4:18), in expectation of the glorious manifestation of the Savior”: for Benedict XVI, this is the vocation of monks and nuns who for millennia have abandoned – in appearance only – the world in order to live in the monasteries.

    The pope met today with members of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, which is celebrating its hundredth anniversary. In “seeking God,” the pope clarified, monks and nuns realize their vocation “for the good of the entire Church.” Monasticism, in fact, constitutes “for all forms of religious life and consecration a memory of that which is essential and has primacy in every baptismal life: seeking Christ, and putting nothing before his love.” 

    There is an “exemplarity” in monastic life, which upholds every Christian. For this reason, it is worthwhile for every believer to establish familiarity and friendship with a cloistered monastery.

    Missionary vocations are also assisted by monastic vocations, especially contemplative vocations. In the PIME, the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, many missionaries, including some of the youngest, cultivate relationships of correspondence and prayer with a brother or sister in a contemplative order. This helps the missionaries to remember the One who has sent them, and to keep alive the heart of all works and activities, which is the love of Christ.

    “The monastery,” the pope said, is where people learn “to live as true disciples of Jesus, in serene and persevering fraternal communion, welcoming any guests as Christ himself,” and this makes the monastic experience a model for all Christians. The appeal of the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God, celebrated recently in Rome, also sees in monks and nuns the primary protagonists in “making the Word of God their daily food, in particular through the practice of lectio divina.”

    Monastic vocations, especially contemplative ones, are of special relevance in today’s world, which is often tempted to build a society without God, where man believes himself to be the only protagonist. But frenzy and presumption are poor teachers, and the wounds of contemporary society – marginalization, violence, the manipulation of life, war, desperation – bear witness to the fact that without “seeking God,” we build a world against man.

    This respect for contemplative vocations led to the institution of the Pro Orantibus Day, in 1953. Since 1955, it has been celebrated on November 21, the liturgical commemoration of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple. Last Sunday, on November 16, Benedict XVI asked all the faithful to thank “the Lord for the brothers and sisters who have embraced this mission by dedicating themselves entirely to prayer, and who live on what they receive from Providence . . . Dear sisters and dear brothers, your presence in the Church and in the world is indispensable. I am close to you, and I bless you with great affection!” And he added: “Let us pray in our turn for them and for new vocations, and let us commit ourselves to supporting monasteries in their material necessities.”

    Supporting monasteries in their “material necessities” will help the Church to be more alive, and the world to be more human.

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