Remembering July 8, 1993

As we move toward the month of July our thoughts turn to July 8, 1993 - 20 years ago- when we experienced a fire that totally destroyed our main academic building. It was a blazing hot day - 103 plus - and painters using heat guns while painting the trim on our main building caused a huge fire that destroyed the five story academic building.

This incident in the history of our monastery and school reminded us of a steadfast teaching of our founder, Francis de Sales; namely, that God's good pleasure may be discovered in the incidents and accidents of our lives. It is our challenge to make certain that these incidents and/or accidents become blessings. 

Our fire indeed brought our monastery and school innumerable blessings as well as some huge challenges. We have grown stronger as a result of this experience which can be likened to the rise of the phoenix from the ashes

In the words of the Editor of our 1995 Yearbook: 

"This year we have truly risen to the occasion. We have adapted to our new situation (classrooms in trailers) and succeeded within its limitations. As the Academy building continues its journey to perfection, so do we. With each new day we rise like the phoenix."

May God be Praised!

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Ordination of Ed Ogden

Today will be a day filled with blessings as we attend the ordination of our Campus Minister, Ed Ogden. Ed has been a brother in the Order of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales for 25 years and during the past year discerned a call to the priesthood. 

Many members of our school and monastery communities will be traveling to de Sales University near Allentown, PA to witness this glorious occasion for soon-to-be Father Ed Ogden

Our Campus Minister has been a great source of Salesian spirituality for our faculty and staff and for many of our students who have participated in the Kairos retreats he leads.

Please add your prayers to ours as three members of the Oblate community will be ordained today Thursday, June 27.

MAY GOD BE PRAISED!!!!!

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Fill me with grace

Today I wish to share with you an inspiring prayer which fell into my lap a few days ago.  It beautifully expresses our Salesian spirituality and has given me an extra "oomph" in my efforts to follow Jesus more closely.

It comes from the Oblates Helper's Guild.

Jesus, be a guest in my heart today.

Help me always to recognize you.

When I feel sad, send me joy,

when I feel flawed, pour in your love,

when I feel empty, fill me with grace.

Jesus, I am grateful that you live in me.

Make my heart warmer, more vulnerable,

more pliable and easily mended.

O Jesus, let my attitude be yours. 

Help me to empty self

and be filled with service for others.

Engrave LIVE  JESUS on my heart

so that all my actions speak your love.

I ask this in your name.  Amen.

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Calming the Tempest

Today we offer a timely thought from our Foundress, St. Jane de Chantal

She offers us a little model of what we might do when we are taken by surprise as we peacefully row our boat throughout our day.

"When all our emotions arise to stir up a great internal storm that seems certain to overwhelm us or drag us after it, we must not wish to calm this tempest ourselves. Rather, we must gently draw near the shore, keeping our will firmly in God and coast along the little waves which are found closer to the shore."

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

June 24, 1799

Today is the 214th anniversary of the founding of Georgetown Visitation in 1799. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the rich history of our monastery and school. The Sisters who have gone before us experienced with courage the many vicissitudes that life brought them during these early years - wars, depressions, slavery, dire poverty - yet in the midst of these hardships our dear Sisters always showed a beautifully resilient spirit.

Today we stand on the shoulders of these remarkable women with hearts filled with gratitude for the rich heritage they have left us. It is  now our sacred responsibility to carry their spirit forward as we face the challenges of life in this 21st century. 

The history of our monastery and school continues to teach us many lessons of steadfast faith, long-lasting hope intertwined with an undying charity. God has blessed us in so many ways and we are deeply grateful.

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

A Truly Faithful Visitation Sister

As we bid a final farewell to our dear Sister Josephine who left us in a hurry yesterday to meet her loving God, our thoughts are filled with the beauty of her life - a life which mirrored our Salesian virtues in so many different ways.

Sister possessed the virtues of humility and gentleness to perfection. Her simplicity in meeting the events of each day was refreshing while her genuine acceptance of God's will in the challenges of her life inspired us all. She was not one to complain; on the contrary she always expressed a lovely spirit of gratitude.

Perhaps her greatest gift was her selfless and loving care of one of her Sisters in Parkersburg; a Sister whose physical condition demanded a tremendous amount of support. Sister Josephine was always at her side and gave of herself unstintingly as she ministered to her Sister until her friend's final days.

One of the graces of living in community life is the joy of experiencing the everyday holiness of our Sisters. Our gratitude for the example Sister Josephine offered us of the power of holy living will long remain with us.

Requiescat in pace, dear Sister!


Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Watch for new intrusions

Another Salesian Principle for Holy Living has to include an important element:

Strive for Balance

and Moderation

In this age of texting, tweeting, emailing, voice mailing, etc. etc.it is easy to allow these new "toys" to intrude into our lives, especially in our personal social relations with friends. I use the word "intrude" purposely because I think it is quite easy to become addicted to these social media and this can create an imbalance in our lives.

Perhaps if St. Francis de Sales were with us today he would caution, "Salt and sugar are both excellent things, but too much of either will spoil the dish."

May we discover helpful ways to introduce balance and moderation into our lives!

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Live in the Present Moment

Here is another important hint for Holy Living in the Salesian Tradition:

Live in The Present Moment:

St. Francis de Sales offers us this helpful advice: "Leave the past to God's mercy, the future to his Divine Providence and embrace the present willingly and lovingly."

It can be very futile to dwell on the past and even more so to worry about the future. The Romans expressed it well: "Carpe Diem!" Live today well.

Living in the present moment is an important element in Salesian spirituality which encourages us to concentrate on the gifts or challenges of the present and accept them as coming from the loving hand of God - no matter how indirectly. Use them well to grow in holiness!
Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Gentleness and Humility

Today let's listen to Father John Fisher, an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, as he speaks of the beauty of the virtues of gentleness and humility.

To be humble is to live in the truth of who we are in the sight of God. Name your weaknesses; name your strengths; most of all name your need for God's love, mercy, forgiveness and justice. "Sometimes," says St. Francis de Sales,  "we so occupy ourselves with trying to live like angels that we neglect to be good men and women."

"Be gentle: live in the truth of who you are in relation to yourself and others. Put yourself in others' shoes. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Powerful is St. Francis de Sales' insight: "Nothing is so strong as gentleness; nothing so gentle as real strength."

May your day be filled with gentle strength!

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

After Alumnae Weekend

This past weekend we welcomed close to 400 alumnae back to our lovely campus. This is always a wonderful weekend as we meet and greet our alums from as far back as 75 years since graduation.

One of our alums who came back from Boston to celebrate her 65th anniversary of graduation - hard to believe it has been that long - sent a lovely thank you note mentioning how great it was to hear younger young alumnae express admiration for the values which have remained with her for these 65 years.

I gave a little day of reflection for about 40 alumnae on Ten Qualities for Holy Living in the Salesian Tradition. I will share some of these key points with you this week - a few at a time.

Here is a great one: "roll with the punches!:" Pick your battles, Be steadfast on principle but flexible in detail, "Blessed are the hearts that bend", observes St. Francis de Sales, "for they shall never be broken."

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

In Rhythm With the Heart of Jesus

As this first week of Lent comes to a close the Gospel reminds us that we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. This is a tall order for us - perfection seems an impossible goal. But once again, the common sense, down-to-earth spirituality of St. Francis de Sales offers a formula for perfection which is within reach of all who live by faith. In his words, "perfection consists in fighting against our imperfections".We must, in a spirit of love not constraint, be on the alert to squash our imperfections.

As this first week of Lent draws to a close, I share with you a thought which inspired my prayer this morning. It is from Carroll Stuhlmueller's book entitled Biblical Meditations for Lent.

"Lent, therefore is a time of prayer and fasting, of much human work and dedication, but only that we may be so disposed that the beat of God's heart and the rhythm of his Spirit take possession of ours."

These words remind me of Wendy Wright's encouragement that we strive to have our heart beat in rhythm with the Heart of Jesus.

As we step into this rhythm let us also be aware of our daily struggle against our imperfections so we may move closer to the perfection God wills for us.

May he be praised in all we do and say!

Sister Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Salesian Soup for the Soul

Here at Georgetown Visitation faculty and staff members meet at lunch once a month to discuss some aspect of Salesian spirituality.

Because of the recent news about our Holy Father's retirement, this month we are discussing his Message for Lent 2013 which quite beautifully describes the close relationship between faith and charity.

I quote: "The celebration of Lent, in the context of the Year of Faith, offers us a valuable opportunity to meditate on the relationship between faith and charity; between believing in God - the God of Jesus Christ - and love, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit and which guides us on the path of devotion to God and others.

Pope Benedict closes this message with these words of encouragement:

Dear brothers and sisters,

In this season of Lent, as we celebrate the event of the Cross and Resurrection - in which the love of God redeemed the world and shone its light upon history - I express my wish that all of you may spend this precious time rekindling your faith in Jesus Christ, so as to enter with him in the dynamic love for the Father and for every brother and sister that we encounter in our lives. For this intention, I raise my prayer to God, and I invoke the Lord's blessing upon each individual and upon every community!

You may find the entire message on line by googling Pope Benedict's Lenten message.

Let us pray in gratitude for

God's tremendous love for us!!!!

Sister Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Don't be shy in storming heaven!

Today's Gospel is one of my favorites:

"Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7: 7-12

This is a strong invitation to faith: our loving God is welcoming our humble petitions and Francis de Sales would advise us to add to our requests the phrase, "Thy will be done."

Recognizing the great love God the Father has for us Francis encourages us not to be shy in storming heaven for our spiritual needs.

"Spiritual avarice, he says, whereby we unceasingly sigh for the pure gold of sacred love, is the root of all good. One who truly desires love seeks it; he who truly seeks it finds it."

Let's make this Lent a time to practice some spiritual avarice.

Sister Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

God's Will in Everyday Life

Today's Gospel reminds us that we must be alert to signs which the Lord allows to enter our lives in the humdrum of every day existence. This is a favorite theme of St. Francis de Sales

"Live in the present moment and discern the will of God in the unfolding circumstances of your life."

The people of Nineveh certainly were alert to God's will in accepting Jonah's message to repent while the Queen of Sheba was also alert in seeking the wisdom of Solomon.

Father Pocetto ended this day's reflection on the Gospel with an inspiring prayer which I share with you.

"Time and again, dear Lord, you have demonstrated your presence and love in my life in so many ordinary and unsuspecting ways. Yet, I have so often been too slow to acknowledge, praise and thank you for these blessings. Sharpen the eyes of my faith that I may be more aware of the many signs of your presence in my life and the lives of others. Grant this through Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen"

(I use green as a sign of new life and hope)!

Sister Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Thy Will Be Done

Our Saint's advice on prayer as a reflection on today's Gospel

In these two words, "Our Father", you reveal to me, O Lord, another great mystery, namely, that you desire that I greatly love your holy law of love and charity, because you have reduced it all to love of you and love of my neighbor. By the first word, "Father," you ask me to love your most supreme majesty; by the second, "our", you ask me to love my neighbors since you gave them to me as a sibling and you desire that I pray for him."

Let us also grasp the "thy will be done" part of this powerful prayer. In whatever circumstances I find my self today, may I lift my eyes to heaven and pray: "Thy will be done!" 

Sister Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

The Image of God

Today's Gospel message defines simply yet clearly the meaning and extent of charity in our lives. As we ponder the threefold call of Lent to prayer, fasting and almsgiving, Jesus marks the path for us. We will not only feed the hungry and clothe the naked, but we will intensify our giving through prayers for the marginalized people in our world. In the realm of fasting, we will supplant quick judgments on the actions of others with words of gentle support. Charity will direct our life-giving actions.

Words of Advice from St. Francis de Sales

"We cannot excuse ourselves from this and say we do not know that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, because God has imprinted this truth in the bottom of our hearts in creating all of us in the image and likeness of one another. Bearing the image of God in ourselves, all of us are consequently the image of each other. Together we constitute the image of one portrait, that of God."

Sister Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

First Sunday in Lent

Live + Jesus

As we enter the Holy Season of Lent our thoughts and our hearts turn toward the tremendous power of God’s love in our lives. We probably will be unable to grasp the depths of this love fully until we reach our final stepping stone into heaven, but hopefully we will be able to grow in it day by day now.

During this first week of Lent I wish to share with you some of these stepping stones, which can smooth our path in the here and now, in the guise of thoughts from St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. Hopefully they will speak to your heart and help you to embrace these holy days with spiritual gusto!

First Sunday in Lent

It is important to note that Jesus returned from the Jordan filled with the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is a powerful guide in leading us along the path to sanctity, just as it helped Jesus respond to the devil’s temptations with fortitude and wisdom.

Perhaps a good intention for Lent would be to reflect upon the gifts which the presence of the Holy Spirit brings into our lives. I have found it helpful to select an action or two each day as a reminder of the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. Perhaps making a bed, turning on the dishwasher, or turning the key in the ignition in your car - or so many other mundane actions might serve as reminders.

Let each of these actions – or others you may think of – become tangible reminders that God lives within you, most especially his Holy Spirit is there to guide your every step.

I would like to recommend a book which will help you on this journey. Its title is A Lenten Journey with Jesus Christ and Saint Francis de Sales by Father Alexander Pocetto, OSFS. It is a real treasure in offering the Gospel for each day of Lent followed by reflections on this Gospel from St. Francis de Sales and Father Pocetto, ending with a short prayer. It can be purchased on line through the De Sales Resource Center.

There is a beautifully inspiring thought on the back cover of this book which is my prayer for you – our blog readers - as we begin Lent together:

“May the presence of Jesus Christ and the gentle and loving kindness of St. Francis de Sales, guide you on your Lenten journey, and lead you to God’s Holy Easter of Peace, Love and Joy!”

Sister Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM

Last two O Antiphons for Saturday and Sunday, from Sr. Mary Berchmans

"O King of all the nations,
the only joy of every human heart:
O keystone of the mighty arch of man,
COME and save us
whom you have created out of clay!"

Our hearts are made for you, O God, and they will be restless until they rest in you! These words of St. Augustine capture the essence of this O Antiphon. Our mighty God is sending his beloved Son not just to save us but also to lift us up to supernatural heights.

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, V.H.M.

Friday post from Sr. Mary Berchmans

"O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal

light, sun of justice:

come, shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death."

As we approach ever closer to the feast of Christmas, the liturgy lights up our hopes and desires, naming our Messiah as the "radiant dawn", "splendor of eternal light" and "sun of justice". Each reference offers rich food for reflection.

Our saving Lord is coming to shine his eternal light on the dark spots of our world, to bring a spirit of peace to those who are in great sorrow and to plant seeds of justice among us so we may all unite in caring for those who live on the margins of society. How blessed we are to have such opportunities come our way. Let's not let them pass us by. COME, Lord Jesus, COME!

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, V.H.M.

Sr. Mary Berchmans: Entering Christ's Redemptive Work

O Key of David, O Royal Power of Israel,

controlling at your will the gate of heaven,

Come, break down the prison walls of death

for those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and lead your captive people into freedom.

In hope, we pray Lord Jesus, that by your coming into our hearts anew this Christmastide, we may enter into your redemptive work of unlocking the hearts of those whose lives are imprisoned by addictions, mental illness, or violence. We pray that the feast of Christmas, the birthday of our God made man, may grace our world with eternal values and break the fetters of godlessness which inflict such suffering.

Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, V.H.M.