Turning the Tables

It's time to turn the tables. Sister Anne E is always chasing the rest of the community around with a camera ... and, amid funny happenings, can be heard to say, "Don't move, let me get the camera, this will make a great photo for the blog." (Community members -- likewise -- when posing as subjects of a photograph, can be heard to say, "Please don't put this on the blog!")

Recently, Stone photography "caught" Sister in action as assistant coach to the JV softball team (which boasted a 14-2 record) this past spring season.

Warming up the pitcher between innings...

Coaching third base...

Nicholas, the monastery guard dog, sports his team uniform shirt and gets a high-five from Mother Philomena between innings.

The Ascension

Many dioceses are still celebrating the Solemnity of the Ascension today. So, this post will be our "Sunday" post -- just a few days early, in union with those who celebrate today.

In the first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, we see a discrepancy between the apostles' vision and Jesus' vision of the kingdom. The disciples are asking when Jesus will restore the nation of Israel and Jesus is encouraging them to spread the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the surrounding nations. Thankfully, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the will of God was carried out -- despite the limited vision of the apostles.

And so it is with us: very often our idea of how something might work out or how a conflict might be resolved is different from God's vision. Like the disciples, we, too, are invited to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us in our actions (and reactions!) Let us commend all that we undertake: small or great, certain or uncertain, work or leisure, to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the promised gift for which we wait.

"By a wondrous infusion of His grace into our hearts He makes our works become His . . . since we are members of a Head of which He is the Spirit and since we are engrafted on a tree of which He is the divine sap."

St. Francis de Sales

Christmas in May?

Mothers' Day doesn't usually come during the Advent or Christmas seasons, but no so this year. (Well, not exactly, but almost.) St. Nicholas made a guest appearance at recreation last night as visiting Carmelite, Sister Ana, from the Port Tobacco Carmel showed us her latest icon. Sister has been with us for the past week while attending an intensive icon-writing workshop at a nearby Russian Orthodox church.

Sister shared with us that the icon of St. Nicholas was selected for this particular workshop because it allowed the instructors to teach nine different technical skills -- such as applying the gold leaf with vodka. (One could almost make a skit out of that, "Reverend Mother, may I have some money to buy vodka? I need it to finish an icon!")

The vestments of St. Nicholas reveal great attention to detail (not to mention vodka-laden gold!). Click on the picture for a closer look at this exquisite work. We have greatly enjoyed having sister with us for the past week and we hope that another workshop brings her to our home again soon!

To learn more about the Carmelite nuns of Port Tobacco, click here.

Way to Grow!

It's that time of year again when the smell of spring is a welcome one as windows are open (and pollen is ubiquitous!?) We were a little late, this year, in getting our tomato seeds started but it is almost as if they knew they were late. In a record 4 days the seeds germinated and the first few began to break the surface. Below, sister prepares to give the transplants a drink (and below that, a shot of a satisfied customer!) Last year there were 24 successful nursery school graduates; stay tuned for updates on the progress of this year's baby tomatoes.

"The Church is a garden patterned with unlimited flowers."
St. Francis de Sales

A Spiritual Work of Heart

In today's first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we read how, even after they were persecuted, Paul and Barnabas were "filled with joy and the Holy Spirit." Such docility to the will of God indicates a great freedom of heart -- a grace and a gift. They probably didn't schedule a persecution into their speaking tour but they accepted it and continued their ministry in a spirit of joy that allowed them to "shake it off" -- as our students like to say -- and move on.

St. Francis de Sales, at the risk of being misunderstood, wrote a great deal about cultivating a liberty of spirit. Such a liberty, St. Francis de Sales tells us, is found between, "two opposite vices: instability and constraint." A person who is unstable might stray from something virtuous or good for an insignificant reason or simply for the sake of introducing variety into her life; a person who is constrained might step over a needy person to get to the chapel lest she be late for her meditation. Liberty of Spirit abides between these two extremes. Amid the busyness of daily obligations, it is easy to become inordinately attached to our routines, our spiritual devotions or our preferred way of carrying out our daily responsibilities. As Paul and Barnabas showed great detachment (and joy!) in the face of persecution, so we are invited to cultivate a freedom of heart, a liberty of spirit in our daily activities.

"The effects of this freedom are a great inner serenity, a great gentleness and willingness to yield . . . . Try interrupting the meditation of someone who is very attached to her spiritual exercises and you will see her upset, flustered, taken aback. A person who has this true freedom will leave her prayer, unruffled and gracious toward the person who has unexpectedly disturbed her."

St. Francis de Sales

Children of Mary

This past weekend we welcomed over 300 alumnae for our annual alumnae reunion. Among the stories and anecdotes that were shared was a very humorous account from some students who attended our junior college in the 1960's. They recalled a classmate who, upon returning from a date with a boy, was exchanging a good-bye on the doorstep of the school building and just as he was about to give her a good-night kiss, their osculation was interrupted by the creek of the wicket and the voice of a sister who said, "You are a child of Mary, you owe that boy nothing!" Classmates recount the occasion with great laughter and fond memories of the ever-present eyes of the sister who was portress.

For those who have never seen a wicket (or who associate it with the British version of baseball) it is the small window in our front door which allows us to view a visitor before opening the door. (It is also the name of school's newspaper.) Below, Sister Mary de Sales peeks through the wicket of the monastery's front door. Fortunately, since the wicket through which Sister is looking is located at the monastery's entrance, we need not worry about ending such amorous encounters!

A happy and holy month of May to all our faithful readers. May Our Lady watch over all of her children as a loving Mother and a faithful protector!

"Honor, venerate and respect with special love the holy and glorious Virgin Mary who, being the Mother of Jesus Christ our Brother, is also in truth our very mother."

St. Francis de Sales

World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Today is world day of prayer for vocations. We have long believed that the best advertisement for vocations are happy religious. Here, among other smiling faces, we share our three sisters who were professed this past year. Sister Mary Roberta stands with Mother Philomena and Sister Anne Elizabeth and Sister Maureen are pictured on the left. As we pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, we pray for all those who are called that they may have the courage and generosity to respond, in freedom, to the Lord's sweet voice.

"Happy the soul that loves prayer and perseveres in it despite every difficulty!"

St. Jane de Chantal

"C" is for Common Sense

It's time for our monthly spotlight on St. Francis de Sales. In keeping with this year's focus on our Holy Founder, our Sister Mary Berchmans shares a few pearls of wisdom. (For previous posts click here for March and here for February.) The video is only a minute and a half ... a micro dose of Salesian spirituality (and, perhaps as St. Francis de Sales would have it since he was well known for his short chapters!)

Second To Nun

Yesterday afternoon our Visi Crew team dedicated a new shell and named it "Second to Nun" in honor of our dear Sister Anne Marie. One of our school chaplains, Father Stephano, a member of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Charles Borromeo was on hand to bless the boat. Representing the monastery at the blessing were Sister Jacqueline, Sister Mary de Sales, who spoke a few words about Sister Anne Marie and Sister Maureen de Chantal, the "photonun" who captured the moment!

When they are not out on the water, our crew team can be seen working out in the gym at 6.00 on school mornings. Those of us in the monastery know well what it is like when morning comes quickly after a day's work -- be it in school or in the monastery and we tip our caps -- our veils -- to the members of our award-winning crew team. Go Cubs!

The Holy Spirit and the School Bus

One of our faithful chaplains loves to tell us the story of a school bus that a local high school uses to take their athletes to away games. One year it was dubious as to whether or not the legendary school bus would pass its annual inspection. The athletic director, not having extra money in his budget, spoke to the mechanic about how much it would cost to make the "bare minimum" number of repairs to get through inspection. When word got out that the school bus was in danger of not passing inspection, a very generous parent (of an athlete) offered to pay to repair the school bus. On hearing the good news, the athletic director responded, "That would be wonderful. We need new brakes, a new exhaust system, the air conditioner hasn't worked in a few years and while we're at it. . . ." When it was no longer on his budget, the athletic director listed many things that he would like to have repaired on the school bus. And so it is with the Lord -- our chaplain reminds us -- it is He who gives his gifts to us. We learn in today's Gospel that the Lord "does not ration his gift of the Spirit." When we ask the Lord for graces that we need we should not ask as though it were up to us to "pay the bill" -- so to speak. We should ask freely for all the graces we need and we should trust that he who does not ration His gifts, He who cannot be outdone in generosity, will be lavish in His response. One example might look like this: "Lord, please help me to smile at so-and-so at work. I have such a hard time getting along with him, help me to smile today." That might be okay if we ourselves are "paying the bill" because a smile might be all we can muster if it were up to us. When we're riding on the Holy Spirit's bus ticket we can say, "Lord, I can't stand to look at so-and-so; please give me the grace to reach out to him in love...not just a smile but a kind word or even a kind gesture."

"Between meditation and contemplation there is the prayer of petition . . . . True prayers of petition are made by grace -- when we ask for something which is not due us at all, and when we ask it of someone who is far superior to us, as God is."
St. Francis de Sales

Octave of Easter

Every year during the Octave of Easter, the Church replaces the usual responses to the readings during the Liturgy of the Hours with the antiphon, "This is the day" from Psalm 118. Here we share the polyphonic version that we use at Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. (We use a simpler version at other hours.) Our first foray into the moving medium of video!

All Eyes on Jesus

Jesus asks his disciples, in today's Gospel, "And why do questions arise in your hearts?" It is hard to imagine how the disciples must have felt. And we have no window into an answer since Luke does not give us any indication that they had a chance to reply. Jesus immediately shows them his wounds to reassure them that it is indeed he himself. A reminder to us all that a posture which keeps our eyes focused on the Lord is essential. Later in the Gospel we learn that "he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures." Only when we have fixed our gaze on the Lord can we be in a position to have our minds and hearts opened to his word.

When the rubber hits the proverbial road of life, this is a helpful practice. We might be tempted to become frustrated with an inconsiderate co-worker; we might struggle to maintain our patience with a family member whose memory is failing; perhaps a friend is feeling under the weather and is unusually ornery. Sometimes we are faced with a challenging decision and we are unsure about how we should act. St. Francis de Sales, in giving advice about how to make a decision in accord with God's will, recommends that once we have consulted a few trusted people, we make a firm decision and -- keeping our eyes on the Lord -- stand firm, not allowing questions to distract us.

". . . come to a decision in the name of God. After that we must not call our choice in doubt, but devoutly, peacefully, and firmly keep and sustain it . . . Once our resolution has been holily made, we must never doubt the holiness of its execution."

St. Francis de Sales

Lux Mundi

We wish our readers a Happy and Holy Eastertide! And here we share a few photos from our Vigil Mass and a short reflection on the Easter Lily by St. Francis de Sales:

In the Vigil of the Lord's Resurrection in the Holy Night of Easter, our faithful server, David Gardiner assists Rev. Stephen Fields, SJ as he lights the incense from the fire. (It was a windy night and lighting the fire proved a challenge -- even to the best of boy scouts!)

Once inside, Father stops outside the chapel door to intone, "Christ our Light!" a second time.

Prior to the Vigil Mass, our Sister Leonie Therese -- faithful sacristan -- arranges a gift of lilies in our ante choir.

Few varieties of flowers get as much attention in religious art as the lily -- and not just any lily, day lily, water lily, tiger lily -- the Easter Lily. St. Francis de Sales, using the lily to illustrate the virtue of charity, had the following to say:

"Charity, therefore, includes the seven gifts. It resembles a splendid lily that has six petals whiter than snow, and in its center the beautiful little golden hammers of wisdom which drive into our hearts the loving taste and savor of the goodness of the Father, our Creator, of the mercy of the Son, our Redeemer, and of the sweetness of the Holy Spirit, our sanctifier."

Sacred Triduum 2007

We welcome our locals to join us for these most holy days. (And we shall resume blogging after the Triduum.)

Our schedule for public liturgies during the Sacred Triduum is as follows:

Holy Thursday:
Mass of the Lord's Supper 5.00pm (Chapel of the Sacred Heart)
Night Prayer 8.00pm
The Blessed Sacrament will be reposed until Midnight in the Visitation Parlor.
Good Friday:
Office of Readings 7.30am
Morning Prayer 9.00am
Midday Prayer 12.00
Commemoration of the Lord's Passion 3.00 (Chapel of the Sacred Heart)
Night Prayer 7.15pm

Holy Saturday:
Office of Readings 7.30am
Morning Prayer 9.00am
Midday Prayer 11.40am
Evening Prayer 5.00pm
Vigil Mass in the Holy Night of Easter 8.00pm

"What was our Lord doing during those three hours on the cross? He was offering sacrifices of praise. . . . O God! How many loving tears He shed during those three hours . . . how many and what kinds of pains pierced through the Sacred Heart of my Savior!"

St. Francis de Sales - Sermon on Good Friday 1622

Solemn Profession in Brooklyn

As we begin this most holy of weeks, we pause to share with our readers a few highlights from the profession of Sister Mary Cecilia Cho, VHM of our Monastery in Brooklyn. Sister is pictured above, standing outside the monastery choir, next to the statue of St. Margaret Mary. Three of us traveled, last Sunday, to be present for the occasion.

The Solemn Profession Liturgy was celebrated by one of their newly-consecrated auxiliaries, Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano,DD who was ordained a bishop in August 2006 and given the titular see of Inis Cathaig. Concelebrants included three Redemptorists from their nearby community. The homilist was Reverend Joseph R. Gibino, STM, PhD, a diocesan priest who is serves as one of the chaplains to the monastery. Father Gibino, who is also Sister Mary Cecilia's spiritual director, delivered a beautiful homily on love as he reflected on the Gospel reading (John 8:1-11). Following the homily, Sister pronounced her vows into the hands of Mother Susan Marie, superior of the monastery and received the crucifix of profession and a candle, lit from the paschal candle.

In his closing remarks, Bishop Caggiano turned to the sisters' choir and, addressing Sister Mary Cecilia said, "Action that is not born in a spirit of prayer and receptivity to God's will is not going to accomplish much! Thank you for your response to God." And as we begin this most solemn of weeks, we reflect on how true those words really are. May all our actions be rooted in a spirit of prayer and devotion as we commemorate the death and resurrection of our Lord.

A blessed holy week to all our readers (monastery schedule coming soon!!) To learn more about our monastery of Brooklyn, click here.

Belated Jubilee

This past Saturday we celebrated the Golden Jubilee of our dear Sister Mary Austin. She is pictured above in the kitchen (hence the apron!). There are many things for which our community is grateful on the happy occasion of her Jubilee but at the top of the list are Sister's gentle presence, her devotion and her love.

On a more practical level, we admire (and some of us even envy) her culinary skills. Treats and desserts seem effortless. Perhaps one of her more skillful desserts was a squash cobbler that most of us thought was an apple pie. Someone who was working in the kitchen leaked the secret ingredient by teasing that we were having vegetables for dessert. Sister had most of us fooled -- and enjoying our "apple pie" when we learned the truth! Last but not least, Sister Mary Austin is always ready to take on a partner for a game of Canasta -- play at your own risk -- shark on the loose!

We are a bit tardy in sharing this wonderful event since three of our number left bright and early the next morning to be with our Sisters in Brooklyn for a Solemn profession (pictures forthcoming!)

"B" is for Birds

In keeping with our effort to spotlight St. Francis de Sales on the 24th of each month, we are treated to a word from our resident sacristan (and zookeeper), Sister Leonie Therese. Sister Leonie is pictured above with St. Francis de Sales – and Soltico the canary is in her hands. Here she shares with us her delight at how St. Francis de Sales writes about creation:

“I like how St. Francis de Sales was very protective of God’s creation and all things in nature – animals and plants alike. He uses them to tell stories and give examples which reveal God’s love for us and his goodness. In writings about him we are told that the birds used to fly into his hands while he was praying the Divine Office. He saw in each creature the potential to give glory to God simply by its existence. From the birds that sing to the cows that give milk (and cheese and butter) St. Francis de Sales saw creation as reflecting the beauty of its creator.”

“It is a sin to harm animals’ lives for the sole satisfaction of injuring them because it robs them of the joy of mere existence which is bestowed upon them by God for his glory.”
St. Francis de Sales

Coming Soon to a Chapel Near You: Jesus!

We realize that the violet vestments at Mass indicate that we are in Lent - not Advent - but we can still say that Jesus is "coming soon" to our Chapel of St. Joseph in the retreat passage of our newly renovated monastery.

As we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, we will have a procession up to the 4th floor chapel to dedicate it and repose the Blessed Sacrament. Below is a photo of the picture of St. Joseph on the east wall of the chapel.

Pictured below is the altar, awaiting the arrival of the tabernacle (pictures forthcoming). In the foreground of the picture is a prie dieu which was used by the first sister, Mother Josephine Teresa "Alice" Lalor, who began our monastery in 1799 with Archbishop Leonard Neale.

The Chapel of St. Joseph is such a beautiful place to pray, we suspect that our own sisters may be lining up to spend a weekend in the retreat passage!

"Saint Joseph had a very great share in the treasure, Our Lord and Master, which he guarded in his house!"

St. Francis de Sales

Ouch!

In today's first reading from the prophet Jeremiah, we hear a harsh report about the Lord's chosen people: "This is the nation that does not listen to the voice of the Lord, its God, or take correction." Accepting correction graciously is a challenge for anyone. It can be very difficult to listen to someone delineate our faults accurately and it is even more difficult if we perceive that the correction is unmerited. Be it an accurate or inaccurate reproof, the Lord will bless us for listening patiently to one who seeks to correct us. If a correction is issued kindly as a gesture of love it is much easier to try to accept it graciously -- a grace in itself! Though we should be slow to correct our neighbors, let us pray for the grace to accept correction in a spirit of gratitude.

"It seems a great thing when we accept correction from our Superiors. But from equals, one cannot bear it: the heart swells and reacts because this one who is my equal has no authority to admonish me . . . . it is here that we find one of the principal points of humility and perfection of the Christian life."

St. Francis de Sales

Save the Baby Humans!

Recently, as our Visi moms have been working diligently to prepare for our annual dollars-for-scholars fund-raising gala, they received the offer of a golden retriever puppy to be included among the items for the auction. This seemed to be a wonderfully lively addition to the 100+ items for the auction until early this past week. Our school administration as well as our gala chairperson were inundated with hundreds of emails from animal rights activists clamoring that this was an unethical manner of treating a puppy. Among the 300+ emails that our Sister Mary Berchmans received was a surly reproach suggesting that having the puppy as part of the fund raiser was tantamount to having homeless people as part of the live auction. In response to the uproar, our administration issued a very well-stated response and withdrew the puppy from the auction. As we pondered this situation, many of us wondered if those who became angry over this well-intentioned auction item are as passionate about saving baby humans as they are about puppies. Below is a very touching rap-video which is pro-life, (pro-baby humans!). Do share it with others if you like it. It may speak to our young people in ways that we cannot imagine. If it does not appear at the bottom of this post, click here to view it.

Irksome Temptations

It is a consolation, in one way, to read in today's Gospel that even the disciples themselves were not above the temptation of resentment. As the mother of James and John asks Jesus to reserve for them places of honor in his kingdom, Jesus hints at the suffering which awaits him. One can almost imagine the early-Church grapevine as news of Zebedee's wife and her request filtered down to the rest of the group. Matthew tells us that, "When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers." Surely we can all relate to how the ten were feeling. Perhaps we have been passed over for a promotion or a special assignment at work; perhaps we have watched as someone whom we estimate to be unqualified or inexperienced is given an opportunity to move ahead at work or in school. Negotiating a variety of different emotions in the face of such an experience is very natural, as the apostles show us. Irksome

Even though the Gospel does not provide us with an insider account into how each of the ten apostles felt about the two whose mother asked that they have places of honor, it might be safe to guess that their emotions ranged from anger and resentment to envy and jealousy. And knowing that such strong reactions, especially envy and resentment -- within a small group such as the apostles -- are are recipe for discord and unrest, Jesus is quick to respond. Urging the disciples to seek to be servants instead of lords, he paints a very different picture of places of honor in his kingdom. When we notice, in the depths of our hearts, a stirring of these unsettling emotions, let us be encouraged that many before us have battled these temptations.

"It is an easy thing to abstain from murder, but it is very difficult to avoid those angry outbursts which are incessantly aroused within us. . . .In short, these lesser temptations -- anger, suspicion, jealousy, envy, levity, folly, vanity, deception, impure thoughts -- are the continual trials of the most fervent and devout persons."

St. Francis de Sales

Via Crucis - part II

This is a continutation of our previous post about the symbols which are etched into our crosses. The front side, pictured above, has the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek. (Click here for a prior post with some more information.) The double cross above the "H" symbolizes union: our union with Christ and the union of Christ with His Church. The two flames (on either side of the cross piece) represent the living fire of love that animates our lives. The three nails represent the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The olive branch eminating from Mt. Sinai, which is found on both sides of the cross, reminds us daily of God's peace and his mercy.

"The Everlasting God has, in His wisdom, foreseen from eternity the cross He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost Heart."

St. Francis de Sales

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow . . .

On Sunday afternoon we had a rather unexpected snowfall. Pictured above, Sister Mary Berchmans interests Nicholas in a game of catch with a snowball.

The view from the second floor porch. A winter wonderland, indeed!

"A" is for Archivist

Preparations for our 400th anniversary have begun and as we approach 2010 our Religious Assistant to the Holy See, Father Valentin Viguera, has suggested that the years leading up to this great jubilee be marked by a theme. For 2007 he proposes our Holy Founder, Saint Francis de Sales. In a letter from his feast, 24 January 2007, Father Viguera suggests that we disseminate the spirituality of Saint Francis de Sales in a variety of ways. In the spirit of this request, our blog will post a feature about Saint Francis on the 24th of every month. In this first post, our archivist, Sister Mada-anne, reflects upon one of her favorite quotations:

"St. Francis de Sales wrote frequently about work.Here's a favorite: 'Flies trouble us by their numbers,not their strength; in the same way, little things trouble us more than great things by their very number. Accept the duties that come to you peacefully, taking them one by one . . .' The Georgetown Visitation Monastery Archives contain--literally--millions of manuscripts and papers, some important, some not. All of them must be preserved and catalogued so that the information they contain will be accessible to researchers and scholars. Even more important to the community is the archivist's duty to make sure that the traditions of the monastery itself are handed down from generation to generation intact, and that's a challenge, but also, fun! The office of Archivist is a dream job, especially since it also involves keeping track of the art works in the community. This is a favorite: (note the statue she is touching ... right next to the mouse pad featuring our Holy Founders) a marvelous woodcarving of St. Francis de Sales done in1985 and presented to the sisters by its creator, artist Nancy Hanel. This wonderfully lively statue presides over the archives, with occasional forays into the chapel, or the choir, or the schoolroom--a most important reminder of our living heritage, and, incidentally, the all time favorite of the archivist. "

Coming soon (coming eventually...) a video tour of the new monastery archives.

Via Crucis - part I

Often we are asked about the symbols on the pectoral cross that we wear. We thought Lent might be an appropriate time to share some of this. Pictures above is one side of our cross. We wear a cross (and not a crucifix) because those who wear it are expected to supply the corpus through our own lives of sacrifice. "MA" are the first two letters of the name "Mary." The three flames (on either side of the "MA" and below the heart) symbolize faith, hope and charity. The mountain at the very bottom is Mt. Sinai, representing the old covenant and the Olive branch emanating from the mountain is the symbol of the Lord's peace and mercy. The double cross and heart out of which it is etched is somewhat unclear to us since we have recorded the words of St. Francis de Sales to St. Jane de Chantal: "Let us take for our coat of arms a single heart surmounted by a crown of thorns."

"Crosses of our invention are never worth much; we make them ourselves. The crosses we encounter in the streets are excellent but still better are those we find at home."

St. Francis de Sales

Like a Good Neighbor . . .

No, it's not an insurance company -- even better, it's our very own Sister Mary Raphael, pictured at left with Sister Leonie Therese. Sister Raphael, at 94 years young has a sharp mind and a keen sense of humor and just yesterday she added yet another hat (veil??) to the many different responsibilities and jobs she has enjoyed in her 60 plus years as a Visitandine: "Crimebuster!"

This is not a joke -- this really happened: Sister was looking out her window and noticed two suspicious figures climbing the lattice work of a nearby house. Not visible from the street, but visible from her third-floor window, the two figures appeared to be breaking into the house. The police arrived shortly thereafter.

Although we're not yet using the new blogger's label feature, if this post had a label it would be "Life in the monastery is never boring" (part III).

St. Claude de la Columbiere

To the left is a photo (courtesy of Michael Hoyt) of our chapel's stained glass window of St. Claude de la Columbiere and the Sacred Heart of Our Lord.

St. Claude's early life and formative years have some common threads with our Holy Founders, having spent some of his time in studying in Lyon and completed his training at the College of Clermont in Paris.

In 1675, after pronouncing his Solemn vows as a Jesuit, St. Claude became rector of the college at Paray-le-monial and, later, the spiritual director of our Holy Sister, St. Margaret Mary.

This devout apostle of the Sacred Heart was sent to London less than two years after his arrival in Pary-le-monial. Just two short years into his time in London he was arrested on false charges and spent three weeks in prison after which he returned to France -- after being exiled from England. St. Claude died at the age of 41 in Paray-le-monial.

Interestingly, the Church has made him the patron saint of toy-makers. (Does anybody know why? We sure don't!)

In the Heart of Jesus God shows that he wants to be understood in his absolute desire to love, forgive and save; in the Heart of Jesus God teaches that the Church, in her ministry and Magisterium, must always be loving and sensitive, never aggressive or oppressive, although she must always condemn evil and correct error; in the Heart of Jesus God has us understand that it is necessary to share in his work of salvation through the "apostolate of prayer'' and "commitment to reparation."

Pope John Paul II - On the canonization of St. Claude in 1992

Wow!

As most readers probably know: this week is Catholic Blog Awards Week. Thanks to some faithful readers who nominated Live + Jesus! in several different categories. Wow! Don't forget to stop by the cyber-voting booth and vote for your favorite blogs; there are lots to choose from in many different categories. For those who are new to voting, you register to create a login by providing your email address and then cybercatholic emails you a link to log into the site.

From the Mailbag

This is a bit of false advertising: it's not exactly a mailbag, it's a postal container we use for our mail and this "reader question" didn't exactly arrive in the postal container, it came via E-mail. Taking a picture of the computer and saying, "From the community E-mail inbox" just didn't have the same ring to it!

A reader wrote in asking how, in the Salesian tradition, we reconcile a docility to the will of God with the "liberty of spirit" which is found in the writings of St. Francis de Sales. A fabulous question!

To clarify, St. Francis de Sales speaks of the two wills of God. He suggests that we refer to those things which we know the Lord wants us to do as His "signified will" and those things which the Lord permits (but does not necessarily desire) as His "permissive" will. Amid the Lord's permissive will (such as finding the copy machine jammed when we are in a hurry -- to use an everyday example) we are encouraged to remember and observe the Lord's signified will. Surely the Lord did not desire the copy machine to jam; he did, however, permit it to become jammed. As we struggle to accept this, we are encouraged to remember the precepts of good Christian behavior ... such as refraining from the temptation to dismember the person whom we suspect may have caused such a mini-disaster.

Within this context of striving to accept the circumstances in which we find ourselves, how does "liberty of spirit" fit? An example or two of this spiritual gift:

There are suggested methods of introducing a Visitandine novice to a deeper method of prayer when she begins her formation. There is, however, a note in our constitutions that if some other method of prayer seems to work more effectively for one particular novice, the novice mistress, using her judgment, should have a great liberty of spirit to encourage this.

An everyday example: in our rule of life, we are obliged to make one hour of meditation prior to the first community exercise of the day and one half hour in the afternoon. In addition, we are to make one half hour of spiritual reading at some time during the day. Perhaps a sister intended to make her spiritual reading at 4.30pm in the Chapel. If, shortly into her reading, she discovered a guest entering the chapel who needed to be consoled, we hope she would have the liberty of spirit to approach the visitor and ask if she could be of help. And more so, that she would have the liberty of spirit to see her response to circumstances which the Lord permitted as a service, a prayer pleasing to the Lord. Surely one would not plan to do spiritual reading at a time when we expect a visitor -- but, rather, we would try to have the inner freedom to accept the circumstances which we cannot control and allow the Lord to use us as He pleases.

Liberty of spirit is a freedom of heart that allows us to detach ourselves from the "outcome" that we would like to see in a given situation. Perhaps the sister, setting out to do her spiritual reading at 4.30pm, had imagined herself finishing a certain chapter in her book by the time the bell for Vespers is rung. Through the grace of liberty of spirit, however, she is detached from that "outcome" and open to whatever the Lord's permissive will has in store.

"Walk in the presence of God in a holy and absolute liberty of spirit."
St. Jane de Chantal

St. Francis de Sales on Creation

And then God created . . . the pilgrim.

We have been reading the creation account in Genesis this week and the last two days, in particular, we have read the creation of man. In his own exegesis of the creation account (Genesis ch. 1 in particular), Saint Francis de Sales links the use of reason -- the distinguished wisdom -- of man to our status as pilgrims.

" . . . God has not only bestowed th[is favor of dominion] upon man, but He has also given him full power over all sorts of accidents and events . . . . by the use of reason, he will remain firm and constant amid all the various events and accidents of this mortal life. Let the weather be fine of let it rain, let the air be calm or let the wind blow, the wise man pays no attention to it, knowing well that nothing in this life is lasting, and that this is not a place of rest."

It may be easy to pay little attention to the wind or rain (or snow!) but when the winds blow sand in our eyes and we are faced with difficult circumstances, it is more difficult to "pay no attention." In fact, it may seem foolish, at times, to pay no attention to a situation or circumstance which is troubling to us. This is when the reminder of our "status" as pilgrims will serve us well.

Homecoming!

Yesterday afternoon we welcomed home the last of the "exiles" as our Sister Rosemarie returned from an extended visit to her village in Africa. In fact, we thought that perhaps Sister brought the entire village home with her, in her luggage, which was so heavy (see photo) that it took four sisters (one standing IN the trunk, two helping and one standing nearby ... laughing) to unload the car!

It was a thrill to watch Sister look around the "new" monastery after we deposited her luggage in her new room. Below, she is pictured with Mother Philomena and Sister Mary Roberta in the background.
While she was visiting her village in Lare, Kenya, Sister Rosemarie was able to see, firsthand, the progress of the Mercy Center Project which she, an ocean away from her home, initiated through the generous benefactors who helped her.

Stay tuned for a tour of the new archives and more "new monastery" photos -- coming this week!

Our Saintly Cousin

John Bosco and the many religious, priests and laity who take him as their patron are some of our favorite relatives here in the Salesian family. Most people associate the adjective "Salesian" with this great saint who cared deeply for young people -- and rightly so. For Saint John Bosco put his humble catechetical program under the patronage of Saint Francis de Sales and thereby gave root to an esteemed and valued branch of our Salesian family tree.

Perhaps one of the more humorous (and human) anecdotes that comes down to us about this saint, fondly referred to as "Don Bosco" is his escapade at the abandoned church near the mill. Having taken his motley group of boys to the local parish Church, Bosco was soon "unwelcome" by the pastor due to the shenanigans that one can expect when gathering young men. Finding an empty Church near a mill, Bosco moved his group and soon enough the mill workers were complaining about the youngsters. The bishop sent two priests to visit St. John Bosco and to invite him to take a "ride" in a carriage which would be arriving shortly. Bosco suspected a plot and graciously agreed. When the carriage arrived he carefully suggested that the two priests precede him into the carriage and, slamming the door, instructed the driver to take them to the local asylum -- the very place they intended to send him! In the days before email, faxes, digital images and text messages, the asylum had no idea which priest they were expecting and the two who arrived at the institution were a long time talking themselves out of an extended stay. With a wink and a smile this cheerful friend of young people narrowly escaped an unexpected "vacation."

A few words from from his own pen regarding youth:

"Give them ample liberty to jump, run, make a din as much as they please. Gymnastics, music, theatrics, hikes, are very effective methods for getting discipline; they favor good living and good health."

St. John Bosco

And Sew on and Sew forth

Yesterday, our Visi moms held a sew-a-thon to complete curtains for most of the rooms in the monastery. They had an amazing crew of "cutters," "sewers," and "runners" who cut, stitched and delivered the finished curtains to several "stations" in the monastery. (We'll have pictures of the fruits of their labors as soon as they're hung -- a great improvement over the bedsheets we used to use as curtains.)

Little by little, as pictures are returning and statues appearing (to say nothing of curtains made with love) the monastery is beginning to feel like home again. Amid the inevitable inconveniences such as not being able to use the dishwasher or washing machines (calling for very creative solutions!), we are grateful for the many kindnesses shown to us by our benefactors. And it is in the spirit of our Holy Father's exhortation that we strive accept the blessings and (the hopefully temporary) challenges which we discover daily:

"Do you ask what I desire should remain most deeply engraved upon your mind, so that you may put it in practice? Desire nothing, refuse nothing. . . let us receive with perfect evenness of mind all that the Providence of God may permit. May God give us the grace to do this."

St. Francis de Sales

Solemnity of St. Francis de Sales

This year's Solemnity of St. Francis de Sales is a very different sort of Feast for us; for it finds us settling into our newly renovated Monastery. Despite the little inconveniences to which we need to attend, the joy of being home in the monastery far outweighs any of the unfinished details. And, once again, at risk of boring our readers, we share some pictures from this great event.

On Monday afternoon, prior to our first night in the "new" monastery, we had a formal blessing of all the rooms. Pictured below, Sister Anne Francis, Sister Mary de Sales (candle bearers) and Sister Leonie Therese wait while the rest of the procession visits the Chapel of St. Joseph on the retreat wing for its blessing.

The blessing of the monastery proceeds through the novitiate hallway.

The procession passes the infirmary and approaches the professed sisters' dormitory wing.


More pictures forthcoming!

Happy Campers!

The days are growing closer! For those of our readers who have been following our journey to the promised land -- during our ten months (who's counting!?) in exile -- we have a few pictures of some very happy campers who can see the end of the exile approaching on the horizon. Pictured below, Sister Mary Austin pauses to do some spiritual reading in a new chair.

Sister Bernardine, below, gives her seal of approval on one of the new chairs in our assembly room. We're not sure we will recognize the room without a complete set of "unmatching" chairs!

On Saturday, many of our Visi Dads came and moved boxes, arranged furniture, assembled beds (and some moms were seen doing heavy lifting, too) while Moms and daughters helped clean and unpack. While many worked hard, some of us, er, worked hard at entertaining our cheerful helpers. Below, Sister Mada-anne seizes the opportunity to pose on an empty statue pedestal.

. . . and Sister Anne E thinks she's Augustus Caesar -- though she looks a lot more like she's trying to hail a taxi than the noble style of Polyclitus' spear carrier. Fortunately for the community, the Blessed Mother will soon be atop that pedestal. Stay tuned for more pictures.

A Cut Above the Rest!

As we make final preparations for our move back into our renovated monastery, we have the opportunity to make new door tags. One of our monastic customs is to have a saint's name and a virtue on the door of each sister's room, as well as that of our common rooms and offices. Pictured below, Sister Mary de Sales prepares the engraving machine for the virtue "courage."

Many years ago, when she was director of athletics, the price of engraving skyrocketed from 2 cents a letter to 15 cents a letter. Sister recalls being so frugal that the year the price increased, the "Ping Pong Runner-Up" trophy read, "PPRU." (Apparently sister was working on a 60 cent budget!) Given the cost of engraving, Mother Cecilia thought it was a great idea for Sister Mary de Sales to learn how to engrave. And learn she did.

One anecdote that Sister tells with a chuckle is how, as a student at Visitation, Sister Mary de Sales, on a national spelling test, scored in the lowest 10% of the nation. She recalls being late to field hockey practice because she had to go to an after-school spelling class in Mother Mary Leonard's office. That Sister is "spelling-challenged" is no secret in community -- and it was Sister Mary Paula who, upon hearing that she was taking up engraving, said to Sister Mary de Sales, "Now it will cost you money to misspell a word!" Lo, these many years later, Sister is still a poor speller but she is a very fine engraver! Pictured below is the plate for Room 405: the virtue is courage and the soon-to-be-engraved saint is our Holy Sister, Saint Margaret Mary. Stay tuned for more pictures!

Moving Along

The countdown has begun! The finishing touches are being completed and the "new" monastery is beginning to look like a home. Sister Mary de Sales, pictured below, is showing off the novitiate hallway. (The red signs, to the right, are not going to stay on the doors; they are there for the day when the movers bring our furniture back.)

Sister Anne E, below, is testing out a chair in the "new" teachers' workroom. Before long, there will be a desks to go with the chairs. . . and the room will be filled with books and supplies (and papers to grade...) Stay tuned for more pictures in the coming weeks as we hope to be living in the monastery by the Solemnity of our Holy Father, St. Francis de Sales, later this month.

Spreading the Good News

The former-leper in today's Gospel was asked to present himself only to the priests and not to tell anyone about his miraculous healing. Instead, he does just the opposite. If we may overlook his failure to obey Jesus' wishes, we can find in this leper a good example of how we should respond to the gifts which we receive from the Lord.

In our culture, where rugged independence is praised, esteemed and encouraged, we are not often comfortable telling everyone about a little (or big) grace we have received from the Lord. There is something in the message of the media which exhorts us to be fiercely independent and self-made beings. And yet the Lord would have it otherwise. He invites us, constantly, to tell him our needs and to ask for them. When we receive a blessing, a happy surprise, let us not keep it quiet, but let us share it with those around us. Let us make known the wonders of our God!

"As regards your smaller consolations and joys, I wish you not to be so reserved about them, and, when the occasion presents itself, to speak of the frankly and simply to one another."
St. Francis de Sales

The Wise Still Seek Him

The magi left the royal court of Herod and followed the star to Bethlehem where it rested upon a stable. The wise men traveled from what was likely a palace to a humble stable where they paid homage to the newborn Messiah. Earthly riches did not cloud the discerning eyes of the magi; they encountered the Lord in a fragile baby, born in a stable. They knew that this was an altogether different kind of royalty, but one very worthy of their gifts and their journey.

We can learn from the magi -- that the Lord is found in the most ordinary of circumstances, in the most humble of places: where we least expect Him to be. Let us, like the wise men, seek the Lord at all times. Let us be vigilant to keep our eyes on all that points toward him, all the "stars" of our life that lead us ever closer to his presence.

"When the magi kissed the feet of Jesus, they kissed the feet of God."

St. Francis de Sales

Trivia but not Trivial!

Today is commemoration of the Holy Name of Jesus, a feastday which was reinstituted by Pope John Paul II after being dropped from the Roman calendar during the 1969 revisions (the Feast erstwhile known as the "Feast of the Circumcision.")

The letters "IHS" are ubiquitous in Churches, on altars, on vestments, etc. and they are sometimes mistakenly represented with periods between the letters (I.H.S.) as an acronym for "Jesus Hominum Salvator." Originally, however, they were intended to represent the first three (capital) letters of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in Greek (Iota, Eta, Sigma).

"How are we to pronounce the sacred name of Jesus? . . . It is not enough to say it with your lips; it must be engraved upon your heart."

St. Francis de Sales