In the Shadow of His Wings

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!

Tags: Passionist News, Saints

• Blessed Mother , Catholic Vocations for Women , Life as a Passionist , Passionist History , Passionist Saints , Passionist Spirituality , Passionist Vocations for Women , Saint Paul of the Cross , The Holy Eucharist
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Sponsa Christi March 12th, 2012

Well, greetings!  Did you think I forgot you? Yes, I guess I took a short vacation from blogging.

We are in the midst of a novena to St. Joseph. Since our monastery is dedicated to this great Guardian of the Redeemer we have a solemn novena to him each year.

Today was our community solitude afternoon and I spent it with Blessed Pope John Paul II’s Redemptoris Custos. What a beautiful reflection on the life and virtues of St. Joseph!

Each Sister is reveling in the spring weather. Every day we can see more buds opening and the grass is just beginning to green – although, we seem to have more wild onions than grass and the wild onions are the first to pop up!

These beauties are in bloom…

I think I have “writer’s block”.

I would be interested in hearing what YOU are interested in seeing more of on this blog.  Any ideas?

Tags: Nature & Weather, Pope John Paul II, Saints

• Catholic Vocations for Women , Monastery traditions
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Sponsa Christi June 22nd, 2011

    Annually on the Feast of the Sacred Heart each Sister receives a message from the Sacred Heart of Jesus typed out on a slip of paper. In 2010 the messages were taken from the diary of Saint Faustina. Currently, one of our Sisters is going through the belongings of our dear departed Sr. Margaret Mary.  She recently came across the message Sr. Margaret Mary was given last June. Immediately I thought of you all and wanted to share it with you.

    Our Sister Margaret Mary suffered immensely the last 18 months of her life due to Fourth stage Multiple Myeloma cancer and a multitude of other complications. It was so difficult to see her go through this. We couldn’t remove her suffering but we tried to journey with her through it. Although, ultimately, it became an intimate dance of surrender to Jesus, her Divine Bridegroom. We praise God that during her last weeks on earth she was alleviated of much pain.

    Here is the message Sr. Margaret Mary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus received from the Sacred Heart in 2010:

My daughter, know that if I allow you to feel and have a more profound knowledge of My sufferings, that is a grace from Me. But when your mind is dimmed and your sufferings are great, it is then that you take an active part in My Passion, and I am conforming you more fully to Myself. It is your task to submit yourself to My will at such times, more than at others. You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through his teachings and sermons alone. I am giving you a share in My sufferings because of My special love for you and in view of the high degree of holiness I am intending for you in heaven. A suffering soul is closest to My Heart.”

    I hope you will receive this message as personally transmitted to YOU.  He has loved you with an everlasting Love.

    And may Sister experience the full embrace of that special love from her Crucified Spouse and may she intercede for us!

     Above image found here.

Tags: Rest in Peace, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Saints

• Life as a Passionist , Monastery traditions , Suffering
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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

• Life as a Passionist , Monastery traditions , Prayer , Saint Paul of the Cross
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Sponsa Christi March 11th, 2011

   Today we begin our annual solemn novena to Saint Joseph – patron of our monastery! Two years ago I shared how our Foundress, Mother Mary Agnes, chose St. Joseph to be protector of our monastery.   

    This statue has been with us since the beginning of our foundation in this diocese in 1946. It was donated by the Steele family who have been wonderful friends of our community since those early days.  A few years ago a friend of ours painted it. May the Lord bless all our benefactors who make our life of prayer and penance a possibility!

    Perhaps you would like to join us as we make this novena. Each day we have a common reading from Guardian of the Redeemer by the Servant of God Pope John Paul II. Below is the prayer we are using. It is by Blessed Pope John XXIII.

Saint Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary, you passed your life in loving fulfillment of duty. You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands. Kindly protect those who trustingly come to you. You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes. They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them. You too knew trial, labor, and weariness. But amid the worries of material life, your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy through intimacy with God’s Son entrusted to you, and, with Mary, his tender Mother. Assure those you protect that they do not labor alone. Teach them to find Jesus near them and to watch over him faithfully as you have done. Amen. 

    During this novena we are especially reminding St. Joseph of your needs and intentions. Would you please pray for us? Especially for more young women to respond to God’s call to be a Passionist Nun. Two or three women will be here for a vocation visit on St. Joseph’s weekend!

    Feast of St. Joseph – March 19th

+++

    Thanks for your kind prayers for Liz. Her discernment with us was very graced and she returned home earlier this week. I’m sure she would appreciate a prayer or two as she re-adjusts to life outside the monastery and peacefully seeks the Lord’s plans for her future. God bless you Liz. We miss you!

Tags: Pope John Paul II, Saints

• Life as a Passionist , Monastery traditions , Passionist History
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Sponsa Christi June 28th, 2010

 Many hands make light work!

     Here’s a special thanks to so many friends for sharing their garden produce with us. God bless and reward you a thousand times!

    Presently we are enjoying the delightful and holy presence of our Dominican friar and friend Fr. Tom McGonigle, OP. This year he is giving us conferences on the spirituality of our cloistered Carmelite sister Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity. A true renewal in our contemplative life!  Thank you Fr. McGonigle!

P.S.  While we are giving thanks – a special thanks to Dame Agnes for so frequently linking to us on Phatmass. Yesterday we had 500 views!  Pretty good for a little cloistered monastery in the hills of Kentucky. 

Tags: Friends, Saints

• Monastic Life
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Sponsa Christi January 30th, 2010

…the Feminine way! 

    Meaning?  Well, I would think novices in a house of men would play football, have a bon-fire or ?? to celebrate their novice master’s feast day – of course prayer would be a part of that too.  But women have flowers, candles, tea, prayer, affirmation and song!  I might get into trouble saying that but it won’t be the first time – men and women are different! (Of course, our culture, with its struggle with gender issues, would not want you to believe this – they have gotten “equality” and “sameness” confused. But, enough of the commentary.)

    In our community we have the custom of the novitiate members hosting a party for the novice directress upon the occasion of her Feast Day. January 13 brought us the feast of little-known Blessed Veronica of Binasco. Butler’s Lives of the Saints tells us that hers was a life of innocence, from her childhood. She was known for her hard work, docility, love of solitude and gift of tears.  She became a lay sister of the order of St. Augustine in Milan.  She came from a very poor and devout family. Pope Leo X permitted her to be honored in her monastery in the same manner as if she had been beatified and her name was inserted in the Roman martyrology. She died in 1497 at the age of 52. 

    Sr. Rose Marie and Ane Kirstine hosted a delightful tea party in honor of their “little mother” and novice directress, Sister Mary Veronica.  Sister is incredibly generous and always available – truly “large hearted”. Here are some sweet photos from that sacred time.  This post is a little late, but better late than never!

Both Ane Kirstine’s mother and Sr. Rose Marie’s mother were present in spirit through the food enjoyed - bread with olive oil and homemade fudge!

Mary Veronica of Jesus Crucified
We were happy to be able to present to her an image of her Crucified Love – a present from Mother Superior and the novitiate.

Our Holy Founder watching over the festivities.

Saint Therese and our Blessed Mother teach us
how to love our Divine Bridegroom.

    Sr. Rose Marie recited a poem of St. Theresewhile Ane Kirstine played Ave Maria as background music.  Here are the words to the meaningful poem.

Song to the Holy Face

a poem of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face

Jesus, Your ineffable image
is the star which lights my path.
You know well that Your sweet face
is heaven for me here below!
My love discovers the charms
of Your eyes bathed with tears.
I smile through my tears
when I contemplate Your sorrows.

Oh! I love to console You,
to live unknown and solitary.
Your beauty knows how to sail,
to reveal to me its mystery,
And to You I would like to fly!

Your face is my only fatherland,
It is my Kingdom of love;
It is my bright meadow,
my sweet sun each day.
It is the lily of the valley
giving the mysterious perfume
consoling my exiled soul.
It gives me a taste of heaven’s peace.

It is my rest, my sweetness,
and my melodious song…
Your face, O my sweet Savior,
is the divine bouquet of myrrh
that I like to keep over my heart.

Your face is my one treasure;
I ask nothing more.
Hiding myself within it unceasingly,
I would resemble You, Jesus!
Leave upon me the Divine Imprint
of Your features full of sweetness,
and soon I will become holy.
I would attract hearts!

After I am able to gather
a beautiful golden harvest,
deign to embrace me in your flames.
Give to me soon the eternal kiss
of your adorable mouth.

    We first heard Twila Paris’ song “How Beautiful” when viewing some scripture videos by Ray Vander Laan. (Mr. Vander Laan is not a Catholic and has some misunderstandings about monastic life but, nonetheless, we have been very blessed by his studies of Scripture.) We bought the music with hopes of incorporating the song into Sr. John Mary’s Solemn profession in 2003 but it didn’t work out. But the music has been played almost each year on Sr. Mary Veronica’s feast. It is one of her favorites and ours too! 

How Beautiful

words and music by Twila Paris

How beautiful the hands that served
the wine and the bread and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful the feet that walked
the long, dusty roads and the hill to the cross.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the heart that bled,
that took all my sin and bore it instead.
How beautiful the tender eyes
that choose to forgive and never despise.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

And as He laid down His life,
we offer this sacrifice:
that we will live just as He died,
willing to pay the price,
willing to pay the price.

How beautiful the radiant Bride
who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes.
How beautiful when humble hearts give
the fruit of pure lives so that others may live.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the feet that bring
the sound of good news and the love of the King.
How beautiful the hands that serve
the wine and the bread and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

     You may be wondering – who was the mysterious photographer?  Well, the assistant novice directress gets to also attend the party!

     I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse of novitiate happenings!  Today we are celebrating our Vicar – Sr. Mary Agnes’ feast day and are having a gaudeamus day in her honor.  More photos of that to come.  God-willing, it won’t take me 2 1/2 weeks to post them! 

Tags: Feast Days, Poetry, Saints

• Bride of Christ , Life as a Passionist , Monastery traditions , Novitiate news
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Sponsa Christi December 3rd, 2009

    So the saying goes on Thanksgiving Day in a monastery that doesn’t eat meat on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays nor during Advent and Lent. 

    Yes, it has been awhile (again) since I posted. This one is for A.K.W. – you know who you are!

   Many ask if we celebrate Thanksgiving in a monastery – of course!  For us it is a gaudeamus day – one of those rare days when silence and fast is dispensed the whole day. “Sister Cook” treated us to a wonderful breakfast and dinner with great left-overs for supper. Most of our food was donated and to those donors we express a might grateful “God reward you!”

Our Sister who resides at The Carmel Home (nursing home) was able to join us for the noon meal and a visit

    Some of us watched “Father of Mercy” that morning and evening. It is the life story of Blessed Carlo Gnocchi. It is one of those movies from Ignatius Press that is over 3 hours long! Talk about “spiritual fatherhood”…this priest truly lived his life as an alter Christus. This was a great movie to watch during the Year for Priests.

Sister is happy – she got to remove her sling yesterday!

Too much turkey?

    Other Sisters took this time to work outdoors, work on Christmas cards or visit our Sister who is in the hospital (BTW – she is still in the hospital two week now – currently they are looking at the gall bladder – please pray they can find out what is going on). 

    We also celebrate Thanksgiving liturgically with a special votive Thanksgiving Day Office and Mass. So it was a full day for us – a day of Thanking God for our innumerable blessings – and one last feast before Advent.

    We pray you have a most grace-filled Advent!

    P.S.  God-willing – there won’t be such a long stretch before the next blog post! 

Tags: Feast Days, Saints

• Life as a Passionist , Monastery traditions
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Sponsa Christi July 31st, 2009

   Meet our new friends…

     Special thanks to Fr. Chris Forler, priest of the Diocese of Evansville, Indiana, and Marianne Webster, principal of Holy Redeemer Grade School, for bringing these young women for an overnight visit to our monastery to learn about Passionist life. Would that more priests and laity would organize such ventures! It was a special grace for us to meet these young ladies who are each longing to know God’s will for their lives.

    We challenged these young gals to enter into silence and solitude so as to hear the Lord speaking in their hearts, calling them to a deeper relationship with Himself and possibly gifting them with a religious vocation. We also shared with them about the essentials of Passionist life, our own vocation stories and also gave them an opportunity to meet the nuns in the parlor.

 They took their meals in silence while listening to talks about Passionist life

    We teasingly told them we had 3 Hoosiers in our monastery and there is definitely room for more…and that we would also welcome a precious Tennessean any day as well.  May God continue to gift Fr. Chris and Marianne with zeal for teens and young adults to know and follow their vocations and may He strengthen them in fidelity to their personal vocations.  God bless you and come again!

    Speaking of Fr. Chris, as you know we are in the Year of the Priestand St. John Mary Vianney’s Feast Day is just around the corner – August 4th.  Let’s continue to remember our priests in prayer…perhaps even offering a Triduum of prayers for them through the intercession of St. John Vianney.

The plenary indulgence available for the faithful can be obtained on the opening and closing days of the Year of the Priest, on August 4th – the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean-Marie Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month throughout the jubilee year, or on other days as established by the ordinaries of particular places. The faithful on these days must attend Mass in an oratory or church and offer prayers to “Jesus Christ, supreme and eternal priest, for the priests of the Church, or perform any good work to sanctify and mold them to his heart.” They must also have gone to confession and prayed for the intentions of the Pope, as is always the case with obtaining indulgences.

Dear Saint John Vianney,
your childhood dream was to be a Priest, to win souls for God.
You endured years of toil and humiliation to attain the Priesthood.
You became a priest truly after God’s own heart,
outstanding in humility and poverty; prayer and mortification,
totally devoted to the service of God’s people.

The Church has exalted you as model and patron saint of all Parish priests,
trusting that your example and prayers will help them
to live up to the high dignity of their vocation
to be faithful servants of God’s people,
to be perfect imitators of Christ the Saviour,
Who came not to be served but to serve,
to give His Life in ransom for many.

Pray that God may give to His Church today
many more priests after His own Heart.
Pray for all the priests under your patronage,
that they may be worthy representatives of Christ the Good Shepherd.

May they wholeheartedly devote themselves to prayer and penance;
be examples of humility and poverty; shining models of holiness;
tireless and powerful preachers of the Word of God;
zealous dispensers of God’s Grace in the Sacraments.
May their loving devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist
and to Mary His Mother be the Twin Fountains of fruitfulness for their ministry.

Amen.

Tags: Friends, Saints

• Life as a Passionist , Vocation Discernment
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Sponsa Christi July 8th, 2009

    We continue to be graced by Fr. McGonigle’s presence among us these days. Last evening he shared with us his thoughts about the great importance of our contemplative cloistered vocation in the Church and world of today. He shared this in the light of the Feast of the Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne which will be celebrated next week.

    We had been chatting about the crisis in our nation and in our Church. Father began our next conference by asking us…what’s the answer? the Martyrs of Compiegne.  One might dare to say their profound witness brought an end to the French Revolution.

    What is the role of cloistered nuns now?  WITNESS

• Witness to life of community
• Witness to life of prayer
• Witness to life of service
• Witness to life of penance
• Witness to life of charity

    Prayer of contemplatives is of immense importance for our society. What is God’s will for us as cloistered nuns? Holiness of life. Many do not recognize the need of God or Christian morality.

    Therefore, witnesses are needed.

    Who is sustaining the diocesan priest living alone? covering 3 parishes? overburdened with administrative duties? so tired its difficult to pray? We must come to their aid (especially during this Year of the Priest) and to the aid of our Church and nation.

    Our apostolate of the 21st century is that same as it was when we were founded in the 18th century…to help people hear the Gospel and open themselves to the mystery of the Passion of Christ which flows from the Bosom of the Father. We celebrate this mystery at every Eucharist. Our life is important in Salvation History.

    We too are called to bear the cross for the Church in the US and for our beloved Nation.

Tags: Martyrdom, Patriotism, Saints

• Life as a Passionist , Passionist Spirituality
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