Memorial Day

 Today we are celebrating those who have died fighting to bring peace to our troubled world. Yet, it is a day to think of how grateful we are not to be involved in a world war, although we are fighting in different places even now. Still, we rejoice and enjoy this holiday because we are Americans and are prooud of it. I can only think of singing.

America the Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain,

for purple mountain majesties, above the fuited plain:

America, America! God shed His grace on thee,

and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity

 This is a wonderful Feast and I hope you have the time to pray over the readings today.

The first reading is from the Book of Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40.

The second reading is from Paul's Letter to the Romans: 8: 14-17

The Gospel is Matther 28: 15-20.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And, behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

What a grace to have Jesus telling us that He is always with us!

Ending the month of Mary

 Tomorrow, Sunday, is the Feast of the Holy Trinity. Monday is the Feast of the Visitation and it is also Memorial Day. I am writing today about the Visitation as this Feast was July 2 for years and now is on May 31. I love to think of Mary going in haste to the hill coutry to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who is expecting a child in her old age. Mary is also expecting a child and has been told that He will be the Son of God. She does not understand, but she believes the angel. Now she is the first missionary and is able to carry the newly conceived child to visit Elizabeth. What must this journey have been for Mary?

When she arrives and greets Elizabeth, her cousin feels the child in her womb leap for joy. And then we have the wonderful hymn of the Magnificat where Mary breaks out in praise of the greatness of God and says that her spirit rejoices in God.

Let us spend the day with Mary and ask her to bring Jesus to us and to our world so in need of peace. 

Preparing for Memorial Day

The weather has been so beautiful here that one wants to be able to go out. Some are now going out for lunch or even just to get ice cream. It seems so long since we have had the freedom to go out. We still can only sit two at a table and have the same restrictions on visits as last month. We have two of our sisters on hospice and their families can visit. We started vigil with one last night and I was able to sign up to be with Pati who is one of the Sisters who made final profession with me.

Now, I am thinking of preparing for Memorial Day. It jujst happens to be my 90th birthday and so I want to prepare for it. Here is a prayer that may help all of us:

God of power and mercy,
you destroy war and put down earthly pride.
Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears,
that we may all deserve to be called your sons
      and daughters.
Keep in your mercy those men and women
who have died in the cause of freedom
and bring them safely
into your kingdom of justice and peace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen

—from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers

Copied from Paul Parker who sends such wonderful, timely things. He has done so much for Carrollton to 

animate the entire faculty, staff, students, and parents. 

--

Paul Parker  Sacred Heart Spirituality Chairpparker@carrollton.org Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart  305-446-5673, ext. 1237  3747 Main Highway  Miami, FL 33133

 

The gift of a spiritual director

 Today I am again meeting with my spiritual director by zoom. It is a grace. I would hope that each of my readers has found a spiritual director or, at least, a spiritual companion with whom to talk to about all and everthing, but especially about your relationship with God. Sometimes, just trying to put into words what is going on in our interior life brings clarity. It is good to reflect back on the way we are spending our time, especially our time with God. Are we safeguarding it? Do we prepare for it? Are we able to let go of exterior things to concentrate on what God may be asking of us? Are we making time to just be with God?

I need to answer all of the above and much more. How am I spending my time? How am I loving others? What do I think God wants me to do? Am I taking time to reflect each day on what I have done and have not done; am I remembering to thank God for all He gives me each day? 

If you take time to reflect on these questions, you are preparing to share with a spiritual director. How do you find one? Begin for praying for one and then look around as now meeting on zoom is a real possibility and that makes it easier to find someone. It is better to look for someone with experience. I have had excellent directors and, also, a couple who were not especially helpful, but I think it is so important to look for one. It makes a difference in your spiritual life.

Be still and know that I am God....

 Be still....

Why is it so hard just to be still, let go of all our thoughts and feelings and just be. I am late posting today but I am trying to take time to just be with God. He does not need our thoughts. He just wants us to allow Him to love us. I know this is getting to be a refrain of mine, but I need to hear it also. I am busy about many things and only one thing is necessary.

Feast of St. Madeleine Sophie

 I think I need to let her speak for herself in this blog today. Here are some of her words:

"Our needs are many and great, but will the all-powerful God fail us if we trust Him?"

"All things require time and patience, and above all, confidence in our Lord."

"It is not easy to satisfy everybody; let us do our best, and remain at peace."

Eve of the Feast of St. Madeleine Sophie

 Sophie founded the Society of the Sacred Heart and was very concerned about the need to educate young girls. Now, the Society of the Sacred Heart still continues to have schools in all parts of the world. We now also reach out to boys in many of our schools. Because of the vision of our Mother Foundress, we have are known to be strong educators of the whole person. Now we have the goals and criteria to help our students to lead lives that can make a difference in our world.

Because of her relationships and the importance Sophie gave to union, we are one of the few Religious of Women who have stayed united with a central government. It has not always been easy, but from the beginning St. Philippine Duchesne, who was sent to our country as the first missionary of the Sacred Heart with four companions, was faithful to our Constitutions and kept united to the Society. 

Let us ask Sophie tomorrow for the gift of fidelity to relationships, so necessary in our world today.

Pentecost Sunday

 I guess the words from today's Gospel are what I want to share today. Jesus comes to the locked room on that first Easter night. The disciples, minus Thomas, are full of fear, but Jesus comes and stands in their midst and tells them: "Peace be with you." 

After showing his friends his hands and his side, Jesus again says to them: "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And then Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

We, and the entire Church, have great need of the Holy Spirit in our lives today. Let us ask for the gifts of the Spirit and may we learn to be docile, attentive, and faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit!

Then we will have peace - peace in our hearts and peace, hopefully, in our world. 

Come, Holy Spiri, come!

The Mass for Pentecost has a Sequence. I will copy some of it here as I have often used it for prayer, but that was years ago in Chile. Some of the lines still speak to me so I will share those with you:

Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from our celestial home shed a ray of light divine!

Come, Father of the poor! Come, source of all our store!

You, of comforters the best; You, the soul's most welcome guest; Sweet refreshment here below;

In our labor, rest most sweet; grateful coolness in the heat; Solace in the midst of woe.

Shine within these hearts of yours and our inmost being fill!

Heal our wounds, our strength renew; on our dryness pour your dew;...

Give them joys that never end. Amen, Alleluia.

 

Docility to the Holy Spirit

 It is good to remember that the Holy Spirit comes to us with gifts and fruits and brings peace into our lives. St. Madeleine Sophie wanted us to be docile and attentive to the Holy Spirit. I have had contact with groups, mostly Catholic Pentecostal groups and have seen how they love and help one another and often many have the gift of healing others when they pray over them.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help our world today. We were given the Holy Spirit in Baptism and then Confirmation strenthened the indwelling of the Spirit with her gifts and fruits. Let us be grateful and spend time preparing for this feast by being docile and attentive to the Spirit.

Testing and thinking about Pentecost

 We continued to be tested ever other week or more if we have been out to the doctor or dentist. We are still eating two at a table, but I think June will bring us some relaxation since all of us have been vaccinated. I will have two visitors tomorrow afternoon. I think they now need to bring proof of their vaccinations. I am looking forward to seeing them in one of our new parlors that were just finished when we began the quarantine. It will be from 2:00 until 3:00; the morning hour is not available as we are having another funeral tomorrow. As you can see, we are still leading very quiet lives, but do have a thirty minute reunion on Mondays which is good for announcements, too.

This Sunday is Pentecost and I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit whenever I sit down to write this blog. Today I am prompted to share with you the two Entrance Antiphons for the Mass:

"The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world and that which contains all things understands what it said. Alleluia."

or "The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit of God dwelling within us, Alleluia."

Both could be used to help us prepare for this great feast!