In the Shadow of His Wings

Sponsa Christi October 27th, 2012

The foliage this year has been truly breath-taking. As one Sister pointed out, it is as if the trees are on fire. They are saying to us: Love God! Love Him with ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength! 

These photos were taken on different days and at different times. You really get a gorgeous display of these holy grounds. May God be loved and praised!

Enjoy your tour!

A slight tip of the camera brought the same image below
with a different filter of light.

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A small statue of our Lady sits atop a shelf attached to an old harrow (at least that is what we think it is!) that some farmer leaned against this tree many decades ago. The tree has completely grown around the top of it!

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This is our crucifix at the front of our drive that greets
all passersby…saying, “My people, what have I done to you…
answer me…give me your love in return for my love…”

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Stations of the Cross trail below our parking lot.

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I would like to tell you some important things, but a person who does not love, does not know how to speak about love. The language required is learned only from love. Listen to the divine Lover and let him teach it to you.

- St. Paul of the Cross

I want to be burnt to ashes for love…I want to be all on fire with love, more and more. I want to know how to sing int he furnace of love and to magnify the great mercies which uncreated Love grants to your soul.

- St. Paul of the Cross

St. Paul writes to one of his spiritual daughters:

Truly, you dine at table while your poor father is dying of hunger. A fine thing!

(meaning his prayer is very dry and he feels very far from God – we too must be saints and persevere in prayer in the midst of dryness and spiritual aridity!)

The daughter banquets while her poor father has only a piece of hard, black bread, with nothing to drink. Remember, too that I am so parched that rivers could not quench my thirst. I must swallow the seas if that is to happen. But note that they are seas of fire that I want to drink, seas of love. Tell this to your divine Bridegroom. Stay with him, praying day and night…

How I wish that we were so aflame with love that all who came near us would catch fire. Not only our neighbors but total strangers, all tribes and tongues and nations, in a word, all creatures, so that all would know and love the supreme Good.

- St. Paul of the Cross

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Our front entrance, to the left is the Chapel,
to the right is the monastery and guest house.

O Holy Mary, intercede for us to be set on fire
with love for God as you were!

Tags: Letters of St Paul of the Cross, Weather Flora & Fauna

• Catholic Vocations for Women , Passionist Spirituality , Saint Paul of the Cross
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Sponsa Christi August 16th, 2012

Summer days are almost gone…along with many of you, this summer has been unusual with the triple-digit weather and lack of rain.

This summer brought us a large track hoe to dig out the sides of our lake which was becoming quite the weed-bed. So now we have huge piles of clay in our woods where they dumped the lake mud. It was a messy job; grass seed will definitely need to be sown in the fall.

Sisters watch the track hoe at its first day on the job.

Independence Day brought us a Gaudeamus Day  – a free day with time to relax and enjoy one another’s company. With the terrible drought we skipped the fireworks. This was the final day of the Fortnight for Freedom.

Grilling out on Independence Day. Delicious! But those barbecued grills were tough to clean!

Braving the heat on Independence Day—after a water balloon toss! The Lord sent a nice cloud cover and we enjoyed a game of croquet before Vespers.

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Today we had a Passionist Renewal morning led by our Msgr Powers. He has gradually been leading us through our Holy Founder’s letters to Mother Mary Crucified. This was letter #7. Msgr likes to pull words out of the letter and go very deeply into them.  He himself is a poet and mystic and keeps busy giving retreats and days of recollection and spiritual direction.

In today’s letter St. Paul of the Cross told Mother Mary Crucified (the Superior of the first Passionist Nuns, she was a Benedictine for many years, waiting the foundation of the Passionist Nuns) that he so desired her to be clothed as he was in the Holy Passion of Jesus Christ. Ah…he waxed eloquent on the holy habit for about an hour…one point he brought out is how we are clothed in the Passion of Christ, clothed in Jesus’ greatest act of love clothed in a spousal garment. This is the reason we wear black…to symbolize the love of Jesus crucified.  Our Passionist emblem – that the Passion of Christ would be ever in our hearts…not only his physical sufferings but the love, the virtues that motivated our Lord to endure all he did for our redemption, our sanctification – that this would be ever in our hearts!  Then we had a 45 min prayer period and then discussion time.  Truly, Passionists are “robed in salvation!”

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I just read in our Holy Cross Province Newsletter of our Passionist men that tomorrow, August 17, four men will be vested in the Passionist habit and enter the novitiate! Alleluia!  I don’t have any other details but please keep them in your prayers.

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Next Wednesday will bring our Gaudeamus Day in honor of Sr. Mary Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee. Which reminds me that I only have 5 days to finish my card for her.  You see, each Sister creates some kind of card for Silver or Golden Jubilarians….recycled cards, computer cards…whatever a Sister can come up with!  I must get busy…

Next week’s post should bring to you all the goings on that have been thus far worked on in secret for Sr. Mary Elizabeth’s day!

Ta ta!

Tags: Gaudeamus Days, Letters of St Paul of the Cross, Mother Mary Crucified, Msgr Bernard Powers, Passionist News, Religious Habit

• Catholic Vocations for Women , Cloistered Life , Passion of Jesus , Passion Sign , Passionist Life , Passionist Spirituality
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Sponsa Christi February 20th, 2012

Our “Venerable” Fr. Fred Sucher, CP (retired at St. Heart Passionist Monastery in Louisville, KY) is with us for a few days this week. He just turned 95 years old and his spirit is undimmed (although he certainly has selective hearing!) Mother Catherine Marie arranged his days here to help us Sisters make a generous start of the Lenten Season.

Fr. Fred waxed eloquent this afternoon on the following letter of St. Paul of the Cross to Teresa Palozzi. Teresa would be one of the first Passionist Nuns, the first monastery being founded in 1771.  There is no date on this letter but Fr. Fred guesses it was probably written in 1763. At this time Teresa was a single lay woman living in her home. She was in her 30′s by this time…waiting on God’s providence to unfold and hoping the Passionist Nuns would be founded soon. She lived somewhat like a servant in her family home. Sort of like St. Catherine of Siena.

I pray this letter blesses you and helps you start your Lent with a generous spirit, an interior spirit of self-denial and penance, bearing fruit in a generous gift of self with Jesus to the Father. No matter what state of life you are in you are called to be a saint. Remember…only saints get into heaven!

So, let us begin…

May the holy Passion of Jesus be always in your heart.

I did not answer your letter sooner because I was overly occupied. You would like to know how to govern yourself during this present Lent. I tell you that the life of men and women servants of God should be a continual Lent, that is, a continual exercise of mortification, internal and external. So distrusting yourself and depending much upon God, make your continuous Lent by always denying your will, being subject in exact obedience in the things most difficult and bitter to your self-love.

Mortify your external senses, that is, your eyes and your tongue, by speaking as little as possible and only when really necessary. Flee dealing with men, even with women, except when necessity demands it. Take the sweet as though it were bitter, the bitter as though it were sweet, and love contempt of self and that no one makes any account of you. Remain crucified with Jesus Christ, embracing every occasion to suffer for love of God with patience, with silence, and without ever justifying yourself, being resentful, or complaining. There, Teresa, is a short way to live a continual Lent and a short compendium to make yourself holy.

Do not be scrupulous about eating what they serve in the house in accord with the indult of the Highest Pontiff. God is pleased with your good will, and you will have the same merit as if you ate only Lenten fare. I am happy with the vow of virginity the confessor had you take until the Feast of the Annunciation. You may renew it from feast to feast, but do not take it perpetually. The time will come when you are consecrated to God for ever. Be patient. Be persevering and faithful to God, for you will see that the Lord will open a great pathway.

Meditate on the Passion of Jesus and the Sorrows of Mary Most Holy. When you feel yourself more moved by some affections of holy love, learn how to rest your spirit on the breast of your Beloved Good in a silence of faith and holy love, and allow your soul to be filled by this holy affection. When it dies down, continue your meditation with a peaceful spirit and without straining your head or breast. Be careful to do everything gently.

Keep your heart recollected in the Presence of God during your work. Your heart should be a living tabernacle for the gentle Sacramental Jesus. Remain within yourself in this tabernacle at the feet of Jesus, as did Magdalene. In spirit embrace those divine feet, listen to his sweet words, and let yourself be completely consumed with love for him.

Do not be scrupulous. Let any scruples be consumed in the fire of divine love. Have no scruples about your vow of virginity, for God will help you to keep it well. Pray for me and Jesus bless you. Amen. Greetings in the Lord to your mother.

Your unworthy servant,

Paul of the Cross

Tags: Letters of St Paul of the Cross

• Bride of Christ , Catholic Vocations for Women , Lent , Passionist History , Passionist Spirituality , Saint Paul of the Cross
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Sponsa Christi August 21st, 2011

Greetings from the monastery. I know, it has been an incredibly long time since I posted. Mea culpa! Maxima mea culpa!

I have been waiting about 9 months to post this most beautiful letter of our dear father and founder. He wrote it on August 21st (I’ll get the year of that letter and add that to this post later.) during the Octave of the Assumption in preparation for the Feast of her Queenship.

It is a very inspiring letter. I hope it draws you into a more intimate relationship with the mother of Jesus, our mother.

J.M.J.

My Daughter in Jesus Crucified,

Yesterday, I received your letter, in which I see what you tell me about Don Fabio, and I will not fail to recommend him to God. I hope the situation is not serious, and, if it is, it is sufficient that he knows it.

The great triumph of Mary Most Holy is with us, but I do not have the spirit to speak of it. The riches of this Sovereign Lady are so great, a profound sea of perfections, that only the great God, who enriched her with her treasure, can fathom.

That wound of love, which so gently pierced her pure heart from the first instant of her Immaculate Conception, grew so much throughout her holy life that, penetrated from within, it was shared by her entire body and soul. So that death of love, more precious than life, put an end to that great sea of suffering, which the great Mother endured throughout the whole course of her life not only in the Passion of Jesus, but also in seeing all the offenses committed by ungrateful men against the Divine Majesty.

So we now hold a feast and rejoice in God our Good over the triumph of Mary Most Holy, our great Queen and Mother. We exult that she is raised above all choirs of angels, seated at the right hand of her Divine Son.

In the great Heart of Jesus you can rejoice over the glories of Mary Most Holy, loving her with the Heart of her Divine Son. If Jesus allows you, you can take flight into the pure Heart of Mary and rejoice with her, expressing your happiness that she is finished with all the pains, all the sorrows, and ask for the grace to remain always immersed in the immense sea of divine love, whence issues that other sea of the pains of Jesus and the sorrows of Mary.

Allow yourself to be penetrated with these pains, these sorrows, and allow yourself to feel the sword or lance or dart so that the wound of love may penetrate deep within you. For the more deeply you are pierced with the wound of love, the sooner you will come out of your prison cell.

I am in an abyss of darkness, and I do not know how to speak of such marvels, etc. Anyone who wishes to be more pleasing to Mary Most Holy must humble themselves the more, annihilate themselves the more, for Mary was the humblest of all creatures; therefore, she pleased God more than all by her humility.

Pray to Mary Most Holy that it may not be too late to ask for the grace to be truly humble and completely virtuous, all aflame with love. Ask her to do you the favor of wounding your heart with a sharp dart of love so that, deeply wounded by sword or lance, you remain in her hands.

During this Octave do what the Holy Spirit moves you to do. Do not be held down by what I say, but give your soul the freedom to fly where the Highest Good attracts you. Pray for me there and the present needs of Holy Church and all the world, for the souls in purgatory, especially for those for whom we are more obliged to pray, and for this least Congregation that Mary Most Holy will protect it and provide it with holy workers. For she is the Treasurer of grace, and His Divine Majesty wishes that they pass through her hands.

Jesus bless you. Amen.

Greet Don Fabio for me in Jesus Christ.

Your unworthy servant,

Paul of the Cross,
Least Discalced Cleric Regular

Tags: Letters of St Paul of the Cross

• Blessed Mother , Passion of Jesus , Passionist Life , Passionist Spirituality , Saint Paul of the Cross , Vocation Discernment
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Sponsa Christi July 18th, 2011

With regard to your vocation, wait on the loving breath of the Holy Spirit and live entirely abandoned in the divine arms of Jesus Christ, who is mindful of the state in life you should embrace. Be sure that if you are faithful to God, he will open a wonderful path so that you may find a place apt to lead to the highest perfection. But for now take care of yourself as best you can in your home, where you have occasions to exercise great acts of virtue at every hour and every moment.

St. Paul of the Cross to 18 year old Teresa Palozzi. Teresa was a part of the first group of Passionist Nuns which were founded when she was 34 years old.

Photo: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by iko

Tags: Letters of St Paul of the Cross

• Passionist History , Passionist Spirituality , Prayer , Saint Paul of the Cross , Vocation Discernment
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Sponsa Christi April 1st, 2011

Recently several of you have inquired about some good reading materials on St. Paul of the Cross. Our Passionist Fathers on the East Coast (Province of St. Paul of the Cross) have a helpful on-line shop of Passionist resources. Here are some of my favorites.

             
Here are two good biographies of St. Paul of the Cross

 
This book is a great resource on the spirituality of St. Paul of the Cross by the esteemed Fr. Bennet Kelley, C.P.

 
An excellent 30 minute DVD on the life and times of
St. Paul of the Cross

• Visit his birthplace
• See where he made his famous 40 day retreat and wrote the first Rule
• Monte Argentario where the first Passionist monastery was erected
• View shots of Sts. John & Paul, near the colisseum in Rome
  which is the Generalate of the Passionist Congregation

 
Three volume set of the Letters of St. Paul of the Cross. These are lovely hard-bound copies.

• Historical introductions to the different periods of Paul’s life
• Great footnotes
• Drawings of persons, maps

Don’t let this simple cover fool you. This is chock full of important Passionist stuff by the well-known
Fr. Jude Mead, C.P.

This book features…

• A short biography
• His mystical spiritual diary
• Intro to his letters
• St. Paul of the Cross’ doctrine
• Papal documents
• Various texts including a reflection on St. Paul of the Cross written by Cardinal Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II)
• Passionist history
• Foundation and development of the Passionist Nuns
• Paulacrucian materials, i.e. liturgical texts, prayers and devotions, hymns and so on

Daily Devotional of excerpts from the letters of
St. Paul of the Cross - this book is a little gem!

Tags: Letters of St Paul of the Cross, Pope John Paul II

• Passionist History , Passionist Spirituality , Saint Paul of the Cross
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Sponsa Christi March 19th, 2011

Happy Feast of St. Joseph!  We had a delightful day. Since we keep this solemnity like a Holy Day of Obligation we had much time for prayer to plunge into the mystery of this Feast. Dear St. Joseph – who can fathom your glory!?

We are also blessed to have two women visiting us this weekend to discern a Passionist vocation. They joined us for a wonderful feastday game - a combination of Wheel of Fortune, pictionary and charades – only in a monastery! Our two topics we either had to spell, draw or act out, were the Litany of St. Joseph or the early years of our foundation in this diocese.

I was looking through the letters of my dear Founder today for some mention of St. Joseph. Here is one little mention in the midst of some aids to prayer and recollection he is giving to a young woman. May these inspire you to greater holiness in the midst of your vocation!

Go to sleep with holy thoughts, but try to sleep so that you are more ready for prayer.

Aspirations to be offered during the day:

“O Jesus, my love! would that you were never offended.”

“O my heart, break with sorrow!”

“Ah! Infinite Goodness, when will I love you! When will I be burnt up with love!”

“Ah! my dear Jesus, how much you suffered for me! and I do not love you? O my cruel heart, why do you not love Jesus who is your life, your supreme good?”

I have given you these prayers as examples. Use those where you feel more devotion, but use them with a peaceful spirit, gentle and relaxed, without strain of head or stomach, but gently. Thrust your heart often into the pure Heart of Jesus in the Sacrament. Greet Mary and Saint Joseph often as well as your guardian angel.

 

Tags: Feast Days, Letters of St Paul of the Cross, Liturgy, Saints

• Monastery traditions , Passionist Life , Prayer , Saint Paul of the Cross
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Sponsa Christi September 13th, 2010

    For Passionists this Feast is celebrated with great solemnity.  Here is a segment of a letter from our Holy Founder Saint Paul of the Cross regarding this feast…

Have you celebrated with solemnity the feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross? You will answer ‘yes,’ but do you know what I really mean? The feast of the cross is celebrated every moment in the inner temple of the true lovers of the Crucified. How is it celebrated? I will explain as well as I can. It is celebrated spiritually in silent suffering, without the support of any creature whatever. Since feasts are celebrated with joy, lovers of the Crucified celebrate the feast of the cross with interior silence and suffering, but with an appearance of serenity and joy.

Thus, the feast is hidden from creatures and revealed only the the Supreme Good.  There is a banquet at this feast, because we are nourished by the Father’s will, as our crucified Love was. What sweet nourishment it is! The dishes are seasoned in various ways, now with bodily or mental pain, again with the opposition, misrepresentation and scorn of men. O how sweet to the palate of the soul with savors them in pure faith and holy love, in silence and hope…

     In case some would wonder, when our founder says to suffer in silence he does not mean one cannot / should not speak with an appropriate person about suffering.  No man is an island! We all need spiritual companions, persons who will encourage us to take up our cross and follow Him.  What he is talking about is not complaining to everyone and anyone about our sufferings.  How difficult it can be to keep one’s mouth shut and not complain!  May Our Lady of Sorrows, whose Feast is tomorrow, September 15, aid us to carry the cross with love, hope and courage.

    Happy Feast days!

Tags: Feast Days, Letters of St Paul of the Cross

• Passion of Jesus , Passionist Spirituality , Saint Paul of the Cross
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