It’s been quite a while since we gave any updates on the progress of our construction, hasn’t it? It seems like it’s about time we remedied that situation …
Read MoreIn God’s infinite generosity and love, He gives us the dignity of “making up for what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, on behalf of His body, the Church” by the sufferings of our lives. Nothing is wasted! The first person to share in the sufferings of Christ was His Mother Mary. As we ponder the Passion and seek to be united with Jesus, Mary’s Mother-heart gives us a unique entryway into the sufferings of Christ.
Read MoreA number of Psalms are particularly applicable to the Passion and Death of Our Lord. They contain some of the more poignant descriptions of physical, psychological, and spiritual suffering, as well as powerful prayers of trust and even prophecies of specific elements of the Passion narrative. The most famous of these is, of course, Psalm 22.
Read MoreIn His infinite mercy, God has come down to our level in Jesus Christ, embracing human weakness in order to win for us the graces – and give us an example to imitate – in every challenge we face. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Passion, where He chooses to exercise His omnipotence precisely through weakness.
Read MoreWherever you fall on the “Lenten preparedness” spectrum, we have an opportunity for you to enter more deeply into the spirit of this season: a new blog series entitled Ponder His Passion! Each Friday of Lent, beginning a week from today, we will share a brief reflection on Our Lord’s Passion, written by one of the Sisters.
Read MoreAs anyone who has followed the Lord for some time can attest, there are certain aspects of our Faith that simply cannot be grasped right away. It takes time, prayer, and spiritual growth to ready our hearts for these more mysterious realities. One of the greatest of these mysteries is the wisdom of the Cross – that is, the intimate connection between suffering and love.
Read More"I shall spend every moment loving. One who loves does not notice her trials; or perhaps more accurately, she is able to love them.”
Read MoreFebruary 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of Lord, is also the World Day for Consecrated Life … Here at St. Joseph’s, we have even more reason than usual for celebration this year: on December 18th, our Aspirant Holly officially entered the monastery!
Read MoreOn January 18th, plaid shirts and straw hats could once again be seen around St. Joseph’s … that’s right, our monastic hillbilly band, Transluminous Obscurity, is back! What’s more, we were able to debut a couple of new members: Dill Emma and Miss Kris! (You might know them better as Aspirants Emma and Kristin Marie …)
Read More“In the sacred books, the Father Who is in Heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it remains the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and perennial source of the spiritual life.”
Read MoreMany a young woman who is feeling the call to religious life has struggled with the thought of giving up marriage and children. Very often she feels torn between a deep desire to belong to God and an equally deep desire to be a wife and mother. Can the two possibly be reconciled?
Read MoreWhile the shepherds received a direct and unambiguous revelation from the mouths of angels, the Wise Men were led only by a mysterious star. The shepherds knew exactly where to find Jesus in the cave at Bethlehem; the Magi at first sought the “newborn King of the Jews” in the great city of Jerusalem, where one would expect to find an earthly ruler.
Read More“O Jesus,
Life of my life,
Joy of my soul,
God of my heart,
receive my heart as an altar …”
Are we really in the Christmas season already?? 2022 has flown by, and we already find ourselves starting the fourth year of our Cherish the Flame fundraising and building project. Despite all the obstacles posed by the pandemic, inflation, supply-chain issues, and more, the Lord has continued to bless this endeavor in marvelous ways.
Read MoreO great mystery,
and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the new-born Lord,
lying in a manger!
He is coming! This refrain re-echoes in the Church’s liturgy throughout the Advent season, but during this final week before Christmas, the expectant Bride of Christ redoubles her enthusiastic expectation. The readings for this Sunday focused in a special way on the First Coming of Christ – the Incarnation – and how God prepared the way for His Son to enter into human history.
Read MoreWith the Christmas season coming around, worry about this “Nun Myth” may be on the mind of many parents and family members of cloistered religious. While most people are making plans to travel home for the holidays, the families of nuns know that they will always be missing one member around the table.
Read MoreA picture is worth a thousand words, isn’t it? From November 25-27, the Lord blessed us with the company of nine young women interested in exploring Passionist life! This unusually large group brought an extra infusion of joy and enthusiasm as we shared prayer, reflection, and recreation with them.
Read MoreWith everything going on with the Cherish the Flame project, it’s been over a year since we sent out a newsletter dedicated to community updates! However, that’s not to say it’s been an uneventful 13 months …
Read MoreOn November 8th, we held a community celebration in honor of our Silver Jubilarian, Mother John Mary. In accordance with venerable tradition, a group of Sisters had spent the past few weeks (and months!) laboring over a very special performance for the “nun of the day” …
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