Week end at home!

Do you ever feel that you might not catch up with all that you think you need to do? We have an RSCJ visiting this week end and I gave her the keys to my 12-year old Toyota and so I am staying at home. I will go to Mass this evening with one of my community but I am really cleaning up my desk, answering letters, deleting e-mails, and many necessary tasks that must be done before I am swamped. However, even as I wrote the first sentence for this blog, I realized that nothing drastic will happen if all that I "think" I need to do does not get done! So I am also relaxing and watching part of the Nebraska game with Penn State with one of my community. The game began with prayer for the victims of abuse - what a terrible thing to do to young boys and how many have been abused by persons one would trust. It makes the scandal of the abuse by priests such a terrible thing and it will not go away. I think we need to pray much for all the victims as I suspect there are some who will never come forward; I suspect there are women, too, who were abused by priests, teachers, and others in authority and who were and are afraid to accuse their abusers.

I did not sit down to write this kind of a reflection but maybe I need to let it go as it is weighing heavily on me today.

On a lighter note, I have so much to be grateful for and I am trying to be very conscious of the fact that every moment is a gift and I have this desire to thank and praise God that I am alive and able to do so many things. Let us thank God together for the good things of each day and be aware that He is gifting us constantly with life and love!

Live and Learn

I wish everyone a joy filled day! If you are looking for a job, here is a website you might want to look at:http://jooble-us.com/ I am not looking for a job, but I am glad to pass on this information to anyone who is. I spent some time today with the Gospel for next Sunday. It is the parable that Jesus told of the Master who gave his three servants different amounts of "talents" or money before he left for a long journey. You will remember that the one who received five talents doubled the amount; the one who had received two talents also doubled the amount he had. To both of them the Master said on his return: "Well done, good and faithful servant. Because you have been faithful in small things greater responsibilities will be given to you. Enter into your Master's joy." (I am trying to quote from memory so may not be exact.)
I keep thinking about what it means to enter into the Master's joy.
I also think of the third servant who received only one talent and went and buried it. He must have been fearful and maybe lazy and did nothing with his talent and the Master was not pleased and banished him. I guess this can point to our own holding back sometimes and being afraid to use the gifts God has given us. We sin by omission and this is easy to do as sometimes we just do not even want to make the effort to use what has been given to us. Spreading joy would be one gift I would love to use today!

Home again after a visit to Arizona to see my family

I had a great week in Arizona and felt good about having the first four nights with my brother and sister-in-law as I see very little of them now that they have been living in Gold Canyon for at least ten years. I watched multiple football games with John, my brother, who has five TVs in one room set up so he can watch five games at a time! On Sunday evening, we had a family dinner with my sister and her husband and my nephew and his wife and then I went to Scottsdale with my sister and brother-in-law. I was spoiled all week and now need to get to work.
The picture is not from Arizona but a weather vane seemed appropriate as I have had several kinds of weather this past week: first it was hot, then windy with a dust storm, and then rain and then cold. Some parts of Arizona had seven inches of snow! I enjoyed sleeping under blankets every night.
I was at the University today, Thursday, as I came home last night. We have our reflection group now.

Rain and Snow and the Feast of All Saints

We are having rain and some flooding of streets this week, but the northeast has had heavy snow that has knocked out power and I am sure many are suffering up there. It is a strange thing to think of snow at the end of October! However, it is now November and the Feast of All Saints which I love.

Here is the the reason the Feast gives us joy:
The Preface for All Saints
Today we keep the festival of Your holy city,
the heavenly Jerusalem, our mother.
Around Your throne the saints,
our brothers and sisters,
sing Your praise for ever.
Their glory fills us with joy,
and their communion with us in Your Church
gives us inspiration and strength
as we hasten on our pilgrimage of faith,
eager to meet them.

With their great company and all the angels
we praise Your glory as we cry out with one voice:

Holy, holy, holy...



I need to tell you that I will be away again for a week - just to get to see family in Arizona. I found a cheap ticket on Southwest months ago and was happy about that and these dates seemed to be good for everyone so I take off and will be away from the blog for a whole week. Maybe it will be nine days as I am usually swamped the first days back. I am sure that I will be watching many football games with my brother! Maybe I will really learn the difference between some of the rules for college games and for Professional games as I get confused sometimes. It is always good to see family and worth the whole day of travel as Southwest leaves from Fort Lauderdale and then goes to Kansas City before Phoenix so it will be about ten hours or so after I leave home before I arrive out there and my sister-in-law is going to meet me. I will spend some of the week with her and my brother in Gold Canyon and then go to Scottsdale to be with my sister. She and her husband live about 45 minutes away and my nephew and his wife live about forty-five minutes away from both of them so it is a nice triangle; I suspect it is about an hour each way now that traffic has increased out there, but still close enough for them to get together.
Look for the next post around November 12th.

Happy Halloween

Today is important because it is the eve of All Saint' Day. It is also one of the favorite days for children as it comes at a special moment when there are no other fun days and children love the idea of dressing up and having a party or going out for tricks and treats. I remember the best time I enjoyed a costume party was when four of us decided to be the "Dead End Kids" when I was in about the fifth grade (my memory is fussy on this but we must have seen the movie and decided to go to the party at school dressed as these kids with old blue jeans and patches sewed on our shirts). I think I was a tomboy anyway, but this was a really comfortable costume that made me feel free to be myself. It is funny what we remember. When I was in seventh grade, my mother went all out to give me a great Halloween party for my classmates. I think she enjoyed planning it, too, but it was such fun and one of the best parties given when I was in grade school.

Well, let us use this eve of All Saints to remember all who have gone before us and who are still watching over us from Heaven. I need to begin today to recall the huge number of saints that I have known plus many of my favorite canonized saints!

Peace sought for the world by Pope Benedict XVI

I do not know if you have been following the Pope's journey to Assisi these past days; I have not really seen our newspapers covering it, but here is an excerpt from Benedict XVI's talk there that is good for us to reflect on today. Peace is so important in our world.

"As a Christian I want to say at this point: yes, it is true, in the course of history, force has also been used in the name of the Christian faith. We acknowledge it with great shame. But it is utterly clear that this was an abuse of the Christian faith, one that evidently contradicts its true nature. The God in whom we Christians believe is the Creator and Father of all, and from him all people are brothers and sisters and form one single family. For us the Cross of Christ is the sign of the God who put “suffering-with” (compassion) and “loving-with” in place of force. His name is “God of love and peace” (2 Cor 13:11). It is the task of all who bear responsibility for the Christian faith to purify the religion of Christians again and again from its very heart, so that it truly serves as an instrument of God’s peace in the world, despite the fallibility of humans.

If one basic type of violence today is religiously motivated and thus confronts religions with the question as to their true nature and obliges all of us to undergo purification, a second complex type of violence is motivated in precisely the opposite way: as a result of God’s absence, his denial and the loss of humanity which goes hand in hand with it. The enemies of religion – as we said earlier – see in religion one of the principal sources of violence in the history of humanity and thus they demand that it disappear. But the denial of God has led to much cruelty and to a degree of violence that knows no bounds, which only becomes possible when man no longer recognizes any criterion or any judge above himself, now having only himself to take as a criterion. The horrors of the concentration camps reveal with utter clarity the consequences of God’s absence."

"It is the task of all who bear responsibility for the Christian faith to purify the religion of Christians again and again from its very heart, so that it truly serves as an instrument of God’s peace in the world, despite the fallibility of humans."
How am I helping to do this?

Yesterday, as I walked into Church I saw one of my favorite priests, a Franciscan, who used to say the Saturday evening Mass until he was recalled by his province to New York. I was so happy to see him and hear that he is staying for a few months on sabbatical. I am sure others are as happy as I am as he is such a simple, holy, humble priest and radiates goodness, joy and love. It did me good just to see him. I am grateful, too, to have him back and hope his Provincial knows how much he is appreciated here!

Have a Happy Hallowmeen tomorrow!

Canadian beauty

The Canadian Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart has asked not to be a Province as they are fewer now, but still doing a great work in their beautiful country. I am thinking of all we have to thank for in that country - we are close because the Canadian novices were formed with us at Kenwood. I guess I am thinking of gratitude because I am reading "The Grateful Heart" and the authors insist that we need to establish regular practices of gratitude to develop an attitude of gratefulness. I guess the Ignatian daily examen is one way to look back over the day and thank God for all the gifts and blessings received. I am most struck these days by realizing that it is in Him we live and move and have our being. God is with us in everything and everything is gift. Someone said that gratitude is the echo of grace.

Our Lady of the Snows

Since I spent last week end at the shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, it seems fitting that I talk a bit about the devotion to her which was first introduced to the Midwest in 1941 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. This was mostly through th work of the :Flying Priest of the Arctic", Father Paul Schulte, O.M.I. and the founder of the National Shrine, Father Edwin Guild, O.M.I. but the devotion is much older.

There is a legend about a marvelous snowfall in Rome in 352 A.D. It seems that Mary had indicated in a dream to a Roman couple that she wanted a church built in her honor and the site for the church would be covered with snow. On a hot, sultry day, August 5, the Esquiline Hill was covered with snow. Everyone proclaimed this summer snow a miracle. The great basilica of St. Mary Major was built on the site.
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate have honored Mary in Belleville, Illinois, as Our Lady of the Snows. They are her missionaries and see her special role in the Church as the first missionary who carried Jesus to others.

Looking ahead to Sunday's Gospel

I like to click on the Concord Pastor's blog (found on the right hand side of my blog)and then click on the Bible to read some of the commentaries for next Sunday's Gospel. Today I am quoting from one of my favorite commentators, John Kavanaugh, S. J. of Saint Louis University - do go read the entire commentary as I have just quoted the last part:

"You, dear reader, need not bear the burden of my gospel literal-mindedness or my scruples, but it is noteworthy that Jesus makes such a big deal out of the whole thing.

Clearly he is talking about the danger of putting anyone in the place of God. Surely he is warning us against the tendency to set up a guru or a master as a solution for life’s travails. And there is no doubt that Jesus is reminding all of us that we should not pose as the savior or master of anybody.

Only God is God. As St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians, our message, our word, and our teaching are God’s, who works through and in us all. It is so tempting to make oneself the message and the teaching—especially if you have an honorific title.

If we wish honor or pre-eminence, let it be in service, rather than in being served. If we aspire to be Number One, let us be the first to forgive, to heal, to minister. We can’t escape the message. Jesus is getting at something here.

We are brothers and sisters. That’s that. In this matter of grace and salvation, there is no one of us above the other, even though some of us, by the grace of God, are asked to read the book, preach the word, offer the consecration, or pray the absolution.

Our ministry, like St. Paul’s, must be one of gentle encouragement, “as a mother,” he says, sharing the Good News and graces of our lives. This may not make us look very imposing. But it will make us, with Paul, more grateful."

Gratitude

As I am reading The Grateful Heart by Wilkie and Noreen Au, I am going to share some of my thoughts this morning about the four facets they give of a grateful disposition. First comes intensity which really means that I need to take time to feel intensely my gratitude. I can increase my feeling of gratitude by savoring with more appreciation the people and events that make me feel grateful.
2.Frequency: I need to really be aware of the gifts and blessings in my life and that means stopping to reflect on them and "count my blessings". By consciously thanking for the many gifts of each day, I increase my disposition towards gratitude.
3. Span: This is not taking things for granted but including all the daily events, people, experiences, in my gratitude. We often take things for granted as we enjoy them everyday - that includes our senses, our freedom, our meals, our home, etc.
4. Density: This includes being grateful for all that goes into whatever success or achievement I have; think of the people who have helped me to be who I am today as well as the unique experiences I have had to bring me to this point and thank for all who have contributed to my gratitude today.

I just think that by being grateful we will be pleasing Jesus who is aware of all the gifts that God has given each one of us. He cured ten lepers but only one returned to give thanks!

A Wonderful Week

I had a really wonderful week and then the Province week end at Our Lady of the Snows so I will share some of the highlights which gave me great joy. The day I arrived I was met by one of my favorite RSCJs who promptly offered me her ticket for the symphony that night. I went and enjoyed every minute. The next morning I went with another RSCJ friend (also a visitor that Saturday) to St. Charles for a morning of silent prayer both in the Shrine and in the room where Philippine lived for the last ten years of her life. The morning flew by and then we went to lunch in St. Charles. We had a welcome prayer and dinner that night for another RSCJ who has returned after thirty years as a missionary in Africa. On Sunday morning we went to the College Church for Mass and then I had a visit and lunch with my provincial which made me very grateful and then I went to visit one of my RSCJ friends and back to watch the Cardinals play (that, of course, became a big part of the visit). On Monday, I began work at the Archives but went to Mass at the Cathedral and then had a visit with one of my friends from early childhood; on Tuesday, after a day at the Archives, I went out with another friend to visit with her husband who is in a nursing home and then to dinner. It was so good seeing her as we have been friends for 69 years!!
Wednesday I made my famous chicken vegetable soup for the community where I stay in St. Louis. The secret is to use French onion soup with chicken broth as the base and throw in every kind of vegetable that is available plus a can of diced stewed-tomatoes and cut up lots of celery and carrots, too. Then, Thursday was Mater's Feast so I went to the Mass at our school, Villa Duchesne, and then to the archives. On Friday, my sister-in-law was in town to celebrate her mother's 87th birthday so they picked me up and we went to lunch at Steak and Shake and then I went home to finish packing and drive with others to Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville. There were twenty-four Religious of the Sacred Heart making this dialog week end which is being held in five different places on different dates so over 150 of us will have had the opportunity to be together and share and pray as it is also a contemplative type of week end with beautiful prayer together, sharing in small groups, meals together, time for personal prayer and reflection and time to just enjoy one another. We ended with a box lunch on Sunday and then off to the airport for some of us and others drove or even took a train. It was just good to be together and made me so grateful to be an RSCJ! Well, now I am trying to get through about three hundred e-mails that I let pile up and now need to read, answer or just delete. I suspect this will take me a couple of days.
Not much of a spiritual reflection today, but I thought you would enjoy an account of my week away. Here is a quote though that I took from a new book I have just begun to read. The book is "The Grateful Heart: Living the Christian Message" by Wilkie Au and Noreen Cannon Au. (Paulist Press, 2011). Positive psychologists have found that happiness is closely associated "with a core set of personal character traits that they labeled "heart strengths': gratitude, hope, zest, and the ability to love and to be loved."

Home again and happy to be back on the blog

Since I was not here for Mater's feast last Thursday, I thought you might like to have a litany that was composed for Mater and sent to me on her feast. I went to the celebration of Mater with a beautiful Liturgy at our school, Villa Duchesne in St. Louis with pink-icing on the cookies passed out as we emerged from the Chapel. Later, at our national Society of the Sacred Heart archives, I enjoyed a cupcake with pink icing; we do have some traditions that last and I was happy to see so many pink shirts, sweaters, hair ribbons, and scarfs during the day. More about my wonderful week away tomorrow.

Litany of Mater Admirabilis

Mother most Admirable,
Pray for us.

Mother most Admirable, Lily of the Valley, and Flower of the Field,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, whose image shows forth the beauty of purity,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you make all things easy for us,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, to look upon you lifts us above the things of earth,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you teach us to love Jesus,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you break the bonds of the most hardened sinners,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you teach us to despise the pleasures and honors of the world.
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you reveal to your children the secrets of the Tabernacle,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, purer than the whitest Lily,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, balm for every wound,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you hold the secret of perfect serenity,
Pray for us.

Mother most Admirable, Model of true Greatness,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, at whose feet we would remain forever,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, none can approach you without becoming holier,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, best of comforters,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, lowly as the hidden violet,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you fill our hearts with happiness,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you give us a foretaste of Heaven,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you give courage for the greatest sacrifices,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, delight of Heaven and earth,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, the very thought of you brings peace to the heart,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you speak to all the words of Life,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, to look upon you is to find peace,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, Mother of the interior life,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you revive our failing courage
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, your gentle modesty equals your high dignity,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, you have long ago revealed how dear this title is to you,
Pray for us.
Mother most Admirable, none have never invoked you in vain,
Pray for us.
AMEN

Commentary on the Litany of Mater Admirabilis

By the Society of the Sacred Heart

Translated from the French

Rome, Mother House 1960