Let us pray for peace and offer all we do today for peace in our world.

 I find this picture gives me peace. I have nothing to write today, but I urge everyone to storm heaven to stop the fighting and the killing of innocent people. I pray for peace and for the thousands of refugees who are suffering/.

A Quiet Day

 I am late posting today, but I have been having a quiet, contemplative morning and hope to continue with this peace and quiet all weekend. I will be writing some St. Patrick's Day cards to a few family and friends.  I do have a zoom with my senior student this afternoon, but I am going to try to slow down and have a contemplative weekend for peace.

I finally have Maureen Chicoine's book to read. She lives here and we did share research when she began writing Grave on the Prairie: Seven Religious of the Sacred Heart and Saint Mary's Mission to the Potawatomi. I know I will love reading it and remembering the work we did in Kansas. I love reading Society history and need to make more time for that, too.

I hope you are still all keeping your Lenten resolutions or at least keep trying to do so. Since I am offering my resolutions for peace in our world, it seems a bit easier to keep them. 

What am I doing for Peace?

 I have been praying for peace and offering my efforts to keep my Lenten resolutions and also to keep a deep peace in my heart to stop the war that is going on and bring peace. I cannot imagine the suffering of those still not able to leave nor the plight of so many refugees in countries that need to receive them, but really are not prepared for the thousands of now homeless people needing refuge.

We now have a picture of Pope Francis crying in our Chapel to help us unite to his plea for peace. We also have his prayer for peace; we said it together after Mass and will continue to do this some days.

We have a funeral this morning. This is the last one, we hope, for a few months at least. We do come here to prepare for death, but I think we have had 22 deaths in the last three years, none from Covid, but one misses one's friends. I guess they are watching over us from heaven.

Feast of St. Frances of Rome

 Today is the Feast of St. Frances of Rome.

What was St Frances of Rome known for?

Saint Frances of Rome, Italian Santa Francesca Romana, (born 1384, Rome [Italy]—died March 9, 1440, Rome; canonized 1608; feast day March 9), founder of the Oblate Congregation of Tor de' Specchi (Oblates of St. Frances of Rome), a community that, with the Olivetan Benedictines, works for the sick and the poor.

I am still trying to keep my Lenten resolutions. I find it really helpful to welcome each moment and I am saying often the words to the little song which I will share again here as I find it helpful.

Breathing in, breathing out.

I am calm, I am smiling,

You in me, I in You.

Present moment, wondrous moment.

Peace to the world, peace to the world.

Reading the Bible is a Grace

The one Lenten Resolution I seem to be keeping is that of spending some time each day reading the Bible. I was told long ago that one should spend time reading both the Old and the New Testament each day. I love John's Gospel and so have been slowly doing a prayerful reading of it. Some days I go beck over what I have read the day before, but that deepens my experience of trying to enter into what the author is saying and to live it. Now, on Sunday, I heard in the homily that there is a tradition or maybe just a school of thought that speaks of the devil as helping God by tempting us. I really had not heard this before and so asked the Jesuit who gave the homily about it and he said read Job. I do know that the devil is allowed to tempt Job, and I guess that I am still mulling over this and what it might mean for our lives now. I guess I need to read Job again.

I hope you all are persevering with whatever you decided to do for Lent. Do not give up. Remember that if it is the resolution you need, you probably have broken it by now! That proves that it is a good resolution for you to take so keep trying. 
 

Lenten Reflection

 

Lenten Resolutions By TJ Mullaney, educator at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart in Omaha, Nebraska O God, it’s here. I have to say I’m not that good at this. ‘Gainst every Lent my will is bent. I just want Easter’s bliss   Without the cross, without the ash, Like fire without the heat. But Christ you’ve said, unless I’m dead, I stay a grain of wheat.   So this Lent I’ll be drinking less From my cup—more from yours. No Youtube too, in hopes I’ll do Your will I’ve long ignored:   The daily, real, heart lifted up In prayer, engaged with you. And offer alms, with open palms, To give your poor their due.   I trust in giving you these things, Your grace enough to please us, That by the Pasch, I’ll only ask For the Heart of Jesus.

First Sunday of Lent

 Collect: "Grant, almighty God, through the observance of holy Lent, that we may grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ and by worthy conduct pursue their effects."

The first reading is from the Book of Deuteronomy 26:4-10

The Responsorial Psalm: "Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble."  Verses from Psalm 9

The second reading is from the Letter of Paul to the Romans" 10: 8-13

The Gospel is from Luke 4: 1-10 and is the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert.

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He must have told his disciples about this experience. He spent forty days there and that is why we have forty days of Lent. I do remember a Jesuit telling us when I was only 13 during my first retreat at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, that forty days was just long enough to really change. He asked us to say the prayer of St. Ignatius that begins, "Lord, teach me to be generous ..." for the forty days after the retreat. I began to think a bit about vocation in that retreat. Since we were boarders, we entered into retreat on Monday night and came out only on Friday morning. We kept perfect silence. That was quite an experience! 

Maybe we need to think what the Spirit is asking of us for these forty days. If the Holy Spirit is leading us into this "desert" of Lent, we will have the grace to keep trying to keep whatever resolution we are inspired to take.

First Saturday

 This has been such a crazy week. I keep thinking that I must have made good Lenten resolutions as I have not kept two out of the three.  Today I am going to share something from Pope Francis that I think someone gave me. It begins with the question: Do you want to fast this Lent?

Fast from hurting words and say kind words.

Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.

Fast from anger and be filled with gratitude.

Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.

Fast from worries and trust in God.

Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.

Fast from pressures and be prayerful.

Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy.

Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.

Fast from grudges and be reconciled.

Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.

First Friday

 I love First Friday and I wanted this day to be a quiet one of prayer, but so far it has not been. I seem to be late with this blog, too! It has been a week of one crisis after another.  More tomorrow!

Lenten Resolution and Peace

 This picture makes me pray and offer each day's joys and sorrows for peace. We need to change our world so that we are not facing conflict. Peace is something that we all need. We need peace from war, peace from the conflict that rages among us, in us, and around us. We cannot even elect officials from our two parties to work together for the common good.

I am trying to keep my Lenten resolutions and doing it for peace.

Let us be constant in striving to keep our resolutions and that effort can be pleasing to God and move the world to desire and take the means to peace. I do not want war, but I fear that we cannot sit back and accept another country to take over territory that does not belong to them. 

Perhaps our prayer may reach the hearts of the Russian people who may refuse to send their men and boys into conflict. Let us pray.

Ash Wednesday

 

Mardi Gras

 Today we are not only celebrating Mardi Gras, but also the 104th birthday of Sister Be Mardel! She is still active and a model for all. I have a very short list of those I have known and considered to be the "ideal" Religious of the Sacred Heart. B is on that list!

We will have a special "Mardi Gras" social at 2:30 in the Gathering Room. It is good to celebrate before Lent and we are very much aware that March 2 is Ash Wednesday this year. It is time to think, pray, and discern what God might be asking of each of us this Lent.