In the Shadow of His Wings

Sponsa Christi July 1st, 2009

    Joyful greetings to you from Kentucky! Yes, Sponsa Christi is back and I have great news…On the last Friday during the month devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Shannon officially entered the novitiate, became a novice, received the Passionist Rule, the holy habit and her new name: Sister Rose Marie of the Merciful Heart of Jesus. Blessed be God! 

Click here to view a slideshow of the vestition accompanied by our singing.

    She is kind of floating around and a bit tired after a wonderful 3-day visit with her dear family from Houston - who timed their visit just in time to also experience the Kentucky Bluegrass Festival held in Owensboro.

Sister and her Dad playing a little music of their own with “Ashoken Farewell”

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    The following is the talk Mother Catherine Marie gave during the vestition ceremony:

    We have just listened to the wondrous story of the “yes!” that changed the history of the world. After the Angel reveals Mary’s unique name – “Full of Grace” – he reveals to her God’s plan of salvation and her unique part in it as Mother of the Redeemer. “And Mary said, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say.’” (Luke 1:38)

    This world-changing “yes” took place in a town that lay on the fringe of the mighty Roman empire. Certainly unnoticed in the political and religious world of her time, this wondrous event was hidden even from her family, especially from St. Joseph.

    Nevertheless, Mary’s consent to her vocation to be the mother of the Messiah, changed forever the entire history of the world, past, present and future. Indeed, after Mary’s “yes”, everything changed. The Second Person of the adorable Trinity, the Word through Whom the Father created the universe and everything within it, the very Son of the Eternal Father, clothed Himself with our humanity in the cloister of Mary’s womb, in order to save a fallen human race. And Mary herself was clothed with Him, becoming the Ark of the New and eternal Covenant in which God had placed His most precious treasure.

   We all remember the breathtakingly beautiful concert by Andrew Miller, entitled “The Birth of Christ”. How awestruck we felt when Mary gave her consent to God’s message, and a joyful ripple of voices began to flow through the entire choral ensemble, rising to a great crescendo as they repeated again and again, “She said yes!” Our hearts too were caught up and held in awe as heaven and earth rejoiced at Mary’s consent to God taking flesh within her.

    We know from scripture that at the very moment Mary was saying her “yes” to God, the beloved Son of the Eternal Father was in her womb saying His “yes” to God. In the Letter to the Hebrews we read: “On coming into the world, he said: ‘Behold I come to do your will, O God!” Thus Mother and Son were united in a communion of love and obedience to the Father’s plan of salvation. Their loving obedience to the Father would be sustained even to the cross. St. Paul told the Corinthians that Our Lord was always “yes” and never “no” to the Father.

    This beautiful mystery is having its ripple effect here today, as another “yes” is being offered to God. The obedient “yes” of Jesus and Mary has touched another human heart. Hidden in a cloistered monastery, unnoticed by the busy secular world, another young woman is unfolding her whole being today like a mystical rose before the radiant sun of God’s loving plan for her life. Receiving the holy habit and entering the Passionist novitiate, Shannon offers an obedience of faith. She says “yes” to the next step along her vocational journey. She says “yes” to being clothed in the Passionist habit and to entering our Passionist novitiate. And like Mary’s “yes”, Shannon’s every “yes” along her journey will have ripple effects throughout the entire Church and world.

    A new name is being revealed here today, a new name signifying a new mission in the Church. When the Angel Gabriel announced God’s plan to Mary, he revealed her new name: “Full of Grace”. Today, Shannon will receive her new name in the Passionist Congregation: Sister Rose Marie of the Merciful Heart of Jesus.

   The name “Rose” is very significant for a Passionist. The rose is the symbol of love. A red rose has been used by Catholic poets and hymn writers to signify the wounds of Jesus. Shannon likes to recall the following line from Shakespear’s “Hamlet”: “Rosemary is for remembering.” In our context today, Rosemary or Rose Marie truly is for remembering because Passionists are for remembering.

    St. Luke tells us of the Virgin Mary: “His mother treasured all these things and kept them in her heart.” It was before the great icon of the Mother of the Redeemer in the Church of St. Mary Major in Rome that our Holy Founder was inspired by God to make a unique vow of loving and grateful remembering—a vow that has to do with treasuring in one’s heart the memory of the great love and suffering of the Redeemer, and then spending one’s entire life in the desire that Jesus Crucified be known and loved and that His most sacred Passion will bear its precious fruit of salvation in every soul. This vow sums up our special charism in the Church.

    Indeed, Passionists are for remembering. And Sr. Rose Marie of the Merciful Heart of Jesus will be in our midst to remind us of the very heart of our mission in the Church. “Rosemary is for remembering.” Like Mary, we Passionist contemplatives treasure up in our hearts—and indeed bear engraven upon our hearts— the loving memory of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, as our Holy Founder tells us in the Introduction to the Primitive Rule. With Mary, we work and pray in our cloister that others too will come to know, love and serve their Redeemer and bear a grateful memory of His Passion.

    “Rosemary is for remembering.” In our case, “Rose Marie” is for the loving and grateful memory of the Passion of her Beloved Jesus. In union with the contemplative gaze of Mary, Sr. Rose Marie will spend her life fixing her eyes on the merciful Heart of Jesus, treasuring His every word. Like Mary, she will allow the Holy Spirit to engrave upon her heart the loving memory of His saving mysteries. Like Mary, Sr. Rose Marie’s great desire as she offers her daily prayers, works, joys and sufferings, will be that the Passion, death and resurrection of her Beloved will release all its saving power on every human heart, every human life, upon nations and their leaders.

    As you know so well, Pope John Paul II wrote a magnificent Apostolic Letter on the Rosary, a Letter that in many ways is a perfect expression of our Passionist charism. In the section entitled “Remembering Christ with Mary” he says: “Mary’s contemplation is above all a remembering. We need to understand this word in the biblical sense of remembrance, [that is] a making present of the works brought about by God in the history of salvation…These events not only belong to yesterday; they are also part of the ‘today’ of salvation. This making present comes about above all in the liturgy: what God accomplished centuries ago did not only affect the direct witnesses of those events; it continues to affect people in every age with its gift of grace. To some extent this is also true of every other devout approach to those events: to ‘remember’ them in a spirit of faith and love is to be open to the grace Christ won for us by the mysteries of His life, death and resurrection.” (#13)

    So as Shannon says another “yes” to God’s plan for her life, as she is clothed in the grace and power of the Passion of Jesus which is signified by our holy habit, as she puts on the white veil of one espoused to Him whom the angels serve, and as she receives her new name in the Passionist Congregation, Sr. Rose Mary will stand in our midst as a witness to the mystical dimension of our vocation. Her feastday will be that of Mary, the Mystical Rose, on January 30th. Indeed, “Rosemary is for remembering.” Passionists are for remembering. And indeed when we pray in union with the memories of Mary, the Mystical Rose, the mysteries of Jesus release upon us and upon others all their saving power.

• Blessed Mother , Life as a Passionist , Novitiate news , Passionist History , Passionist Spirituality , Saint Paul of the Cross , Stages in Formation
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Sponsa Christi June 10th, 2009

Our annual Corpus Christi procession is drawing near. 
All are invited to attend! 

   For those of you who live in the area please tell your family and friends. This Sunday, June 14th will begin our Forty Hours devotions with Holy Mass at 8 a.m. followed by Eucharistic adoration throughout the day, culminating in an outdoor Eucharistic Procession within a Holy Hour beginning at 7 p.m.  We will also have Eucharistic adoration all day following our 7 a.m. Mass on Monday and Tuesday.  These days also will end with a Holy Hour at 7 p.m.  Msgr. Powers will preach a rousing sermon each evening. 

    This would be a wonderful way to prepare for the Year for Priests which will begin the following Friday, June 19th - the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

    Speaking of priests, a dear friend of ours has started a blog entitled Journey of a Young Priest. I know you will like it. He tells of daily life as a missionary in Jamaica and how his community lives out the Passionist charism. Tell your friends about it…especially any young men who are discerning a vocation to live the Consecrated Life.

   More great news…Loving congratulations to the two newly ordained priests of our Owensboro, KY diocese - Fr. Daniel Dillard and Fr. Josh McCarty. Their ordination is a great consolation and joy to our community as we have known them for many years and have been praying for them while they were in the seminary. Congratulations to their family and friends as well. Let us give praise and thanks to God and pray for their happy perseverance. 

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    On a more humorous note, last evening Sister Therese Marie was showing off the head of our new scarecrow.  We hope it will keep the deer away too!

    Sisters playing Liverpool Rummy last evening at recreation…thought you’d like to see one more photo of postulant Shannon.  Come Friday, June 26th she will be vested in the power of Christ’s passion through the holy habit. It has been about 20 months since we had a “white-veil” around here. It will be a wonderful sight!

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    Here is a bit more information on the Passionist Affiliate program that I promised you: 

    Affiliates are Catholic laywomen who, while not becoming professed religious, live within the monastery, sharing our spirituality and assisting us through works of service both within and outside of the cloister.  Our monastery may have only two Affiliates.  Christie’s first commitment was made after successfully completing an initial 3-month period of life within our cloistered community. 

    After participating in the Passionist Oblate formation program since 2003, Christie made her Act of Oblation in 2005.  During her time as a Passionist Oblate, she received the call to become even more closely associated with our monastery.  When she made her formal request, we decided to make use of an indult granted by the Holy See in the1980’s and communicated to us by Fr. Fabiano Giorgini, C.P. to have “Oblates” who live within the cloister in service of the monastery.  Father Fabiano (R.I.P.)  is lovingly called by our community, “our second founder” because of his leadership in the Vatican II revision of our Rule and Constitutions.  Most Rev. Paul M. Boyle, C.P. (R.I.P.) assisted us in drawing up the guidelines for the Affiliate program.

   One more “news item”…I hope you enjoy this lengthy post as Sponsa Christi will be out of the office until the end of June. Please God, the next post will be about the Vestition of our postulant and I will reveal to you her new name…

   Until then…may the Passion of Christ and the Sorrows of Mary be ever in our hearts!

• Feast Days , Friends , Life as a Passionist , Liturgy , Novitiate news , Sacred Heart of Jesus
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Sponsa Christi June 9th, 2009

   Recently a woman asked if there are Passionist monasteries in Germany or the United Kingdom.  Visit this link and scroll to bottom to see the listing of the Passionist Nuns Monasteries throughout the world. Please note, I am not sure how up-to-date this address list is.  May the Lord bless your search!

• Life as a Passionist , Promoting Vocations
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Sponsa Christi June 6th, 2009

    Greetings!  We were all very happy to see the cover of the current “Today’s Missal” - the famous icon of the Most Holy Trinity. They are returning to such classic artwork. (Some of the previous stuff one had to just simply cover up!) 

As you can see Sister John Mary is delighted with the cover. By the way, her title is “of the Indwelling Trinity”.

    On such a meaningful feast I wanted to leave with you some quotes from a woman who truly lived in the awareness of God dwelling within her through the grace of Baptism - Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity.

There, in the depths of my heart, in the Heaven of my soul, I love to find Him, since He never leaves me. ‘God in me, I in Him.’ Oh, that is my life! ‘Marie-Elizabeth of the Trinity’ I think this name indicates a special vocation; isn’t it beautiful! I so love this mystery of the Holy Trinity; it is an abyss in which I lose myself!

~ June 14, 1901

I am ‘Elizabeth of the Trinity,’ that is, Elizabeth disappearing, losing herself, letting herself be possessed by the Three…Let us join in making our days one continual communion: in the morning let us awake in Love; all day long let us surrender to Love, that is, by doing the will of God, in His presence, with Him, in Him, for Him alone. Let us give ourselves all the time in the way that He wants. And then, when evening comes, after a dialogue of love which has not ceased in our heart, let us also fall asleep in Love. Perhaps we will see faults, infidelities; let us abandon them to Love: it is a fire which consumes, so let us make our purgatory in His Love!  

Sanctus! Sanctus! Sanctus!

    This God who is Love is dwelling within us through Baptism and by remaining in the State of Grace.  May we, like Blessed Elizabeth, live by faith in awareness of this most awesome privilege!

• Feast Days , Holy Trinity
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Sponsa Christi May 31st, 2009

    Veni Sancte Spiritus!  This has been our heart’s cry during the Pentecost Novena and especially today as we celebrated the fulfillment of the Easter mystery.

Christie signing her official Affiliate commitment

    During the Liturgy of the Hours for the mid-morning hour our Passionist Oblate Affiliate Christie made her first year commitment. Congratulations and thanks be to God!

     After a festive dinner the nuns were treated to a Pentecost game (actually a belated Easter game!) prepared by Sisters Mary Veronica, Mary Andrea and postulant Shannon.

Shannon explains the rules of the game

    Does Shannon seem a little lighter on her feet here? Perhaps that is because she has been accepted to be vested in the holy habit and receive her new Passionist name - Praise God! Also, thanks so much for your prayers for Sharon. We all discerned this life was not God’s calling for her. We are all grateful for the prayers you offer on behalf of all the women discerning Passionist life. Please keep it up! 

 This is one of those nuns who disappears at the sight of a camera!

      Tomorrow we plunge into “Ordinary Time”. Why so quickly after Pentecost? - the very next day? Because our Holy Mother Church is telling us it is “ordinary” to be filled with the Holy Spirit - all the time - in the ordinary events of daily life!!!  Alleluia!

Part of the community enjoying the beautiful day…

and Danny too!

    “Joy is the echo of the Holy Spirit”

~ Blessed Dom Marmion

• Feast Days , Life as a Passionist , Liturgical Seasons , Novitiate news
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Sponsa Christi May 21st, 2009

    Friday will begin the 2nd annual retreat here in the monastery. Please do keep those of us on retreat in your prayers.  This retreat will coincide with the Pentecost Novena.  Veni Sancte Spiritus!

    I had hoped to write you a lovely and inspiring blog post before leaving for the desert but its just not happening. Postulant Shannon had a couple poems I was going to post but she must have given me the wrong floppy disk as they are not on here and by the time I see her next all my work time set aside for the blog will have passed. 

    You our readers will be in our prayers during the Novena, especially those of you who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. May God give you courage and strength to fulfill His will with a generous heart!

    Come Holy Spirit!

    Come through Mary!

• Blessed Mother , Life as a Passionist , Monastery traditions
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Sponsa Christi May 15th, 2009

From the Decretal Letter Sanctitudinis Culmen of Pope Pius XII

    The distinguished servant of God, Gemma, earnestly committed herself to the spiritual life. With her adopted mother, the notable Mrs. Cecilia Gianinni, she had long discussions about Jesus and spiritual things.

    Avoiding the frothiness of society life, she spent much time in fervent contemplation of the passion of Christ. Day and night she was engaged in intimate communion with God. Reliable witnesses testify that, during the last years of her life, the servant of God, Gemma, was often in a state of rapture and was favoured by God with prolonged ecstasies and unusual gifts, such as we read about in the lives of many saints.

    Among these divine favours was the very special one of manifesting in her virginal flesh the living image of Christ and sharing mysteriously in the various sufferings of his passion. She felt her hands and feet pierced by nails and her side wounded with a lance. At times, the stigmata, or scars of the wounds were visible. It is reported that she saw an apparition of the Lord Jesus himself and of the Blessed Mother.

    She experienced the presence of her guardian angel as a familiar friend, and frequently held conversations with him. There were other unusual manifestations of grace, which Gemma described in detail at the order of her spiritual director. They seem to indicate clearly that there was such a union of mind and heart between this chosen virgin Gemma and Christ that she could say with the apostle Paul: I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me.

    For some time, the servant of God has desired to enter a religious community, and thought she was being called to the Passionist Nuns. She felt that God was inviting her to greater austerity and more intensive contemplation of the passion of Christ. Since this is the main mission, a kind of sacred heritage that St. Paul of the Cross left to the religious he founded, Gemma asked more than once to be admitted into the cloistered convent at Tarquinia.

Venerable Father Germano Ruoppolo, C.P. - Gemma’s spiritual director

    But there were obstacles, particularly her poor health and the publicity that had been occasioned by her extraordinary graces. Eventually her illness progressed to such a point that it ruined all hope of her entering.  But even though she could not become a member of the cloistered Passionist community, she deserved to be considered a member of it because she had professed private vows…

    Gemma gave admirable witness to the religious spirit and was a model of Christian perfection. In fact, she practiced all the theological and moral virtues on a heroic scale, and we can say that her whole life was spent in the continual exercise of virtue.

• Life as a Passionist , Passionist Saints
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Sponsa Christi May 12th, 2009

    It’s getting to be that time of the year when many young women are looking forward to their entrance day to the monastery or convent. We recently had a request from a mom of such a young woman about to enter the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, who wanted to know more about Shannon’s “Bride of Christ Shower”. I wrote to Shannon’s friend who took care of the details and here is what she wrote. I hope this information will be helpful to someone out there about to enter the monastery.

    “We approached Shannon’s ‘Bride of Christ shower’ the same way we would have any other wedding or baby shower; we asked Shannon what she wanted. Basically, we took it as an opportunity for all the people who love her dearly to gather and show support as she took the next step in her life. By the very nature of her next step, there was also a ‘goodbye’ tone to the festivities. I think a direct quote from the shower was ‘So… I guess we’ll catch you on the flip side.’

    Since this was the first time many people got to see Shannon since her big decision, it was also a chance for her to tell her story. The invitations were sent out via evite by Liz (see copy below), and Shannon’s family graciously offered up their home for us to use. One personal request Shannon made was for a small wedding cake, which we had, along with all your traditional shower foods.

    We spent time socializing and then gathered as a group to listen to Shannon’s story and watch as she opened gifts. Afterwards, one of the girls led us in some praise and worship songs, and we spent more time socializing. We ended the night with a nice cup of hot tea and plenty of hugs. Some of us even received party favors in the form of special ’stuff’ Shannon could not take with her to the monastery. In the end, we were all able to show support for Shannon and send her off with everything she needed for her new vocation.

    EVITE: As most of you know, our beloved Shannon has discerned to enter the Passionists up in Whitesville, KY and is leaving very soon! Please make every attempt to be able to join us this Sunday as it may be the last time you will be able to see and speak with Shannon until we all meet again in the Kingdom!Shannon has requested that at (around) 5pm we all head to the perpetual adoration chapel together for a short time of prayer.* The rest of the shower will include praise and worship, tea time, girl talk, and more prayer time! Get excited y’all!!

    Message from Shannon:  Important!: Your presence is desired more than your presents… BUT for those who would like to contribute to the ‘getting Shannon ready to go because she is broke fund’…Shannon’s needs for entering the monastery: Here they posted the items on Shannon’s entrance list.

   I am not going to send this to Shannon, so if you get any of the items above please post it so that it’s kind of like a registry account and we can therefore all know what has been bought and what still needs to be gotten.

    Lastly, (phew!!) we all know how much Shannon adores letters, so if you can, please write Shannon a letter to bring to the shower because WE LOVE HER SO MUCH!!

    *Unfortunately, we were unable to attend adoration due to local schedules.

• Bride of Christ , Future Nun ? , Promoting Vocations
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Sponsa Christi May 4th, 2009

    After posting Sr. Mary Andrea’s sharing last week I thought I would also share with you some excerpts from our Rule & Constitutions regarding our spirit of monastic work.

Sisters shelling pecans during recreation.

These first two quotes are under the section entitled Vow of Poverty #27 & 28

They choose to live together sharing all things. They place their talents, work and time at the service of the community and of the Church…

The Passionist Nuns lovingly submit to the common law of work (Perfectae Caritatis 13) and thus provide necessary means for their livelihood. Following the example of Jesus, they work for the glory of the Father and the good of all mankind. They cast aside all undue worry and trust in the Providence of their Heavenly Father. (Matthew 6:25)

Sr. Mary Andrea working in the kitchen during her aspirancy

These 2 quotes are under the section entitled Community Life #76 & 77

To work is God’s command (Genesis 2:15), both for the development of the individual and the cooperation of all in the progress of the human race. Without weakening the spirit of their enclosed life, the Passionist Nuns live out this obligation, providing for their own upkeep, ensuring healthy personal balance through the development of their faculties and talents and helping others in their responsible service of charity.

The nuns willingly fulfill the offices and works entrusted to them, helping one another especially if the work is heavy, remaining united to the Lord who chose to live in this world as “the carpenter’s son” (Matthew 13:55). When possible, the religious work in solitude; when working together, they maintain silence and recollection.

This from A Life of Conversion & Penance #67

For the love of Christ, they generously embrace as their first work of conversion and penance the difficulties of daily life…They spontaneously and joyfully give themselves to the various kinds of work required in the monastery.

Aging and Sick Nuns #81

The aging nuns pass their days in serenity of spirit, conscious that though their energies and capacity for physical work and service have diminished, their lives are precious and fruitful for the community and for the Church. They intensify their contemplative prayer by uniting themselves with Christ, Crucified and Risen, as they await His coming. The community shows the aging nuns appreciation and esteem for the heritage received as the fruit of their faithful work.

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 P.S. Do you wonder sometimes why you seem to see the same Sisters in most of the photos and some Sisters you never see? Well, some have a knack for ducking or just plain disappearing when the digital camera appears on the scene!

• Life as a Passionist , Monastic work , Passionist Spirituality , Rule & Constitutions
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Sponsa Christi April 30th, 2009

    I have been waiting for May 1st - the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker - to share with you this little reflection by Sr. Mary Andrea.

I come from a family of carpenters who have always highly valued working together. In building houses each person in the construction crew had his own responsibility, everything from being foreman to measuring and cutting, to picking up trash. When it came to our families’ homes, even we women and children had our own parts to play – cooking meals, sweeping up sawdust, and keeping the smallest children safe. At times, it could seem as though we were not doing much worthwhile for the completion of the house, but each part needed to be done.

Coming to live in St. Joseph’s Monastery (the patron saint of carpenters) with this background, the image of “building the kingdom of God” has come to mean so much to me. It is when my duties do not seem that important that I most need to remember that it is the Kingdom of God (not my kingdom) that I have come to “build”. I do not need to know how or why my duties are needed, but only to know that they are needed because the ‘Foreman’ (Who is also my Spouse), Jesus Christ, chooses to need them done by me.

Sister with her parents on the day of her First Profession in October 2007. Special thanks to Dave and Carol for taking their day off to come and clear our Stations of the Cross trail. Up until a few days ago it was still quite devastated from the ice storm damage.
May the Lord reward you abundantly!

• Family , Feast Days , Life as a Passionist , Monastic work
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