Periodically he visits our monasteries for a little "brush up" and "up date." This week we are privileged to have Abbot Marcel with us for a few days. Faithful readers can expect a short hiatus in blogposts while the master is here...we shall return in a few days.
26 June 2006
The Master Cometh!
Periodically he visits our monasteries for a little "brush up" and "up date." This week we are privileged to have Abbot Marcel with us for a few days. Faithful readers can expect a short hiatus in blogposts while the master is here...we shall return in a few days.
23 June 2006
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart
Well over 50 years later, St. Margaret Mary, a Visitation nun in our monastery of Paray-le-monial, received revelations of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The date later set for this Solemnity is currently the Second Friday after Trinity Sunday (which ends up being the Friday after Corpus Christi -- we just don't have an Octave of Corpus Christi any more.)
St. Francis de Sales spoke poignantly when he remarked, in that letter concerning our coat of arms, "...our little congregation is a work of the heart of Jesus and Mary. The dying savior gave birth to us through the wound of his Sacred Heart."
22 June 2006
God's Honor Roll
Let us take our cues from these great heroes of our faith and allow the Lord to work through us in the ordinary moments of our daily lives.
"I would inculcate in your deepest hearts this disposition to obey and to submit yourselves lovingly to all events and permissions of Holy Providence."
20 June 2006
Home Base!
No, this is not a joke, honest. This sign is actually exists. Due to our current state of renovation (updated pictures forthcoming), we spend a great deal of time "commuting" between "refugee camps" and, as a consequence, our security staff has posted the above caution for drivers entering campus.
As promised, quite a few posts ago, this is a report from one of our three "refugee camps." Lalor House is serving as "home base" during our period of exile. Eight sisters live at Lalor House but all 18 of us pray, eat and recreate here. The picture below is our modest chapel which, believe it or not, fits all 18 of us, the celebrant and a guest or two (without a shoe horn!)
This post would not be complete without a photo of a very special exile who lives at Lalor House: Nicholas the dog, whom some readers may remember from a previous post. Nick lives in a pen outside Lalor House and he announces every visitor who approaches. We hardly need a doorbell with a watch dog as alert as he. In fact, it used to be the bell ringing the Angelus which told the sisters that Father has arrived for Mass. Now, the dog announces it before sister has a chance to ring the bell. If only we could teach him to bark in syncopation with the Angelus!
18 June 2006
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi
In recent decades, we have spoken often about the Eucharist as a meal; we refer to the altar as a “table.” Indeed, we do commemorate the Last Supper, but we also commemorate the sacrifice of the cross. When we consider the Mass as a sacrifice, we present to our hearts an invitation to unite our sufferings, our sacrifices with the most holy sacrifice on the altar.
Let’s be honest: the various elements of liturgy can introduce many opportunities for differences to arise among the most well-meaning of participants. Be they differences in taste or disagreements about style, attending or planning a liturgy amid such challenges can be difficult. It can be hard to pray under such circumstances.
Any number of situations can cause us unrest when we come to worship the Lord. We may come to Mass from a situation which was stressful and we are distracted; perhaps we come to Mass and find ourselves uncomfortable because of elements of preference beyond our control; it might be the case that we are responsible for some service during the Mass such as reading or singing; we may find ourselves sitting at Mass worrying about whether or not we turned off the stove. Any of these situations can cause our hearts to be distracted and minds to wander. Every one of these situations, however, is an opportunity to place our hearts on the altar. When, at Mass, we find ourselves in a situation where our souls are not at rest – for any reason – perhaps we could call to mind the sacrificial dimension of the Mass. When we are suffering, hurt, frustrated, or distracted, we have something to offer the Lord. Instead of gritting our teeth and allowing smoke to escape from our ears, perhaps we could unite our little sacrifice, the cause of our unrest, to the Lord's sacrifice. "Here it is, Lord. It may be small compared to your sacrifice, but it's all I have to offer right now." And may He look with favor on our offering.
"In the Eucharist, our Lord abases Himself, if we may so express it, and changes Himself into food, so that He may penetrate our souls and unite Himself most intimately to the heart and to the body of His faithful."
15 June 2006
Tough Love
13 June 2006
A Salty Claim
11 June 2006
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
In today's first reading, Moses reflects upon the unique relationship between Yahweh and Israel; he asks, ". . . ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before?" No. Nothing in the history of the world -- prior to the Incarnation -- can compare with the creation of man and God's delight in chosen people.
The first creation story in Genesis gives us a window into the mystery of the Trinity: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image'" (Gen 1:26a). God did not say, "Let me make man in my image." The Holy Trinity was present at creation and it is in the image of the Trinity that man was created. "Man" was created male and female. From the dawn of time, God has desired that his creatures, those created in his likeness, imitate him -- the mystery of the Trinity -- in their earthly life. As essential as it is to cultivate a deep relationship with the Trinity, it is never apart from or at the expense of our relationships with one another. For man was not created alone; he was created in the image of the Trinity.
"Our felicity will not stop at this (namely, at conversation with the angels and saints, with Mary and the incarnate Redeemer). It will pass further, for we will see face to face and very clearly the Divine Majesty, the essence God, and the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity."
09 June 2006
Thinking and Acting Globally
We have shared this quotation before, but it is very fitting for this occasion. When our early sisters in France set out for a new foundation, St. Francis de Sales had these words for the occasion:
“Those who go, stay. Those who stay, go.”
07 June 2006
Commencement!
Ms. Kane shared some of her experiences from the past year as the oldest girls' school in the country, ravaged by a hurricane, prepared to open its doors on 3 January 2006 -- just 4 months after the city of New Orleans was buried in water. Ursuline Academy, during the months of rebuilding and restoring, was committed to returning tuition dollars and continuing its payroll -- not because they could afford to, but because, in justice, they couldn't afford not to! In her speech, Ms. Kane referred to C.S. Lewis' characters in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She recalled how the raccoon family allowed their young to play in the mane of Aslan, the lion. When asked if it was safe to play in the lion's mane, the father replied, "It is not safe, but it is good." And so it is for those who choose Christ's way of love and gentleness in a world that does not value Christian virtues. It is not safe but it is good. In this vein, her parting words of wisdom to the class of 2006 were the very words she used in her own high school yearbook, "March to the beat of your own drum or don't march at all!"
Also in attendance at graduation was Ursuline Academy's recent graduate, Courtney Pratt, who spent the first semester of her senior year with us here at Georgetown Visitation. She received the signature "crescent pin," which our graduates receive with their diplomas, as well as a standing ovation from Visitation's class of 2006.
Beautiful weather. Beautiful young women. We and they have much for which to be grateful.
04 June 2006
Veni Creator Spiritus!
This is a true story (and could be sub-titled, "Life in the monastery is never boring part III") :
02 June 2006
Baby Ducks!
At right, Mrs. Duck instructs the little ones to beware of nuns who toss pieces of bread at them.
Below, the ducklings wait by the P Street wall while Mrs. Duck takes a moment to scold the sisters for getting to close to her precious little ones. (We got the message, loudly and clearly!)
Although he was not out for a walk with the little critters, we caught a picture of the proud father. We promise not to bore our readers with too many duck photos, but these were too cute not to share.