The Eternal City in our Home

Perhaps our readers will remember that we've mentioned -- on occasion -- that there is never a dull moment in the monastery. (See previous posts here, here, here, and here about life in the monastery never being dull!)

This week, a touch of the Eternal City comes to us, right here on the second floor of our school building! The annual fund raiser for the Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas, an international (and Ecumenical) community of theology students located in the heart of Rome, will be held here on Tuesday evening. An all-star line-up is planned including Scripture scholar, Rev. Donald Senior, CP and Dr. Aurelie Hagstrom, professor of Scripture at Providence College. In keeping with our Holy Father's theme for the Pauline year, the topic of the presentation is "The Apostle and His Message for the 21st Century." The evening promises an engaging presentation, delicious refreshments and stellar company at the pre and post-lecture reception. Click here for more details about the Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas and here for more information about Tuesday night's benefit program. (With programming like this on our own campus, who needs cable television?!)

Spiritual Savings

Sometimes we can be tempted to "save up" things that we think we will need in the future. On a practical material level, this is often a prudent decision. On a spiritual level, however, it does not always work the same way. We cannot have a "storehouse" of spiritual graces that we have saved up from another day. If, with the grace of God, we have overcome a tendency to speak unkindly of our neighbor, it does not mean that we will never again be surprised by that same temptation. We cannot rest comfortably upon our "savings account" of graces. We must depend upon the Lord to provide what we need each day.

In today's Gospel, when Our Lord asks the apostles to take nothing with them on the journey, we can think of how we sometimes might like to depend upon our own resources. There are times when this is appropriate, but if we become too confident in our own ability to spread the Gospel, to be faithful Christians, to resist daily temptations, etc., we can forget that it is the Lord who provides our needs. The material dependence that the apostles manifested when they cast out demons and preached the good news of the Kingdom, is a symbol of the spiritual dependence that we should strive maintain in our daily lives. For it is by the grace of God that are able to take even one spiritual step in St. Paul's "good race" that we all strive to run.

"This kind of favor requires to be offered by way of invitation, persuasion, and solicitation, not violently and forcibly thrust upon a man, and hence it is done by way of desire, not of absolute will. It is the same with regard to the signified will of God: for in this, God desires with a true desire that we should do what he makes known, and to this end he provides us with all things necessary, exhorting and urging us to make use of them."
St. Francis de Sales

Hey YOU!

Many of our readers will, no doubt, have seen the news that the Vatican has launched its own channel on the famous You Tube service.

If you haven't yet visited the Vatican's channel, you can visit it here and check out video clips from Vatican as well as links to Vatican Radio, the Vatican website and the official website of Vatican City State, celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.

What might St. Francis de Sales have to say about the Pope signing on to the web-service that allows you to "broadcast yourself?" He would probably be the first to congratulate the Vatican for and the His Holiness for using the resources available to spread the Gospel. St. Francis de Sales didn't earn his title as "patron saint of journalism" by accident. During his time in the Chablais, St. Francis de Sales copied, by hand, many of his sermons and distributed them widely by slipping them under the doors of those who had strayed from the faith. These sermons later became known as "The Controversies" and, more recently, the title was "sanitized" and the works are now known as "Meditations on the Church." His creativity in dissemination of information won him the patronage of journalists. Pope Benedict is surely keeping up with the media of our day by bravely launching a Vatican channel on You Tube. Bravo!

Snow Day!

Even the dog likes a snow day! Nick, our faithful guard dog, got some extra playing time today as various sisters decided to test out the pack-ability of the snow. To no avail they mounded together handfuls of our first snowfall of the year; the snow proved to be impossible to pack and therefore we had no snowball fights, no snow-nuns to show off ... and no one attempted a snow-angel (so far). All refectory trays appear to be untouched, which is an indication that no one (or should we say, "no nun") has "borrowed" them to go sledding down the hill at the top of our property. (Maybe tomorrow.)

Nicholas is also the only resident of the monastery who taste-tested the snow. Several times, when his favorite neon tennis ball found its way onto the snow-covered grass, Nicholas decided to sample the snow's flavor and consistency before retrieving his ball. Since he uttered no complaints, we can presume that the snow tasted as good as it looked!

Salesian Theme Song!

As we celebrate the Solemnity of our Holy Father, St. Francis de Sales, we share a one-minute peek into the Divine Office for the day. The Canticle of Mary, at second Vespers for this Solemnity is probably the closest thing we have to a "theme song." It is comprised of the concluding lines of Book XII of St. Francis de Sales' "Treatise on the Love of God" and the music was composed especially for our Monasteries in the United States. (Many other members of the Salesian family borrow this lovely antiphon and many of our "Sunday regulars" are familiar with it since we also use it on special occasions throughout the year.) Do enjoy a short visit to Vespers with us!

"Live Jesus, Jesus whom I love. Live Jesus whom I love. Jesus who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen!"
St. Francis de Sales

A "Palatial" Feast

It makes sense that on today's feast of Saint Agnes two lambs are blessed and their wool is collected for a special purpose. The origin of this custom is somewhat obscure. It is likely that Roman Christians would have been familiar with the pagan custom of offering lambs to the goddess of shepherding, Pales. The temple of Pales is speculated to have been located near the forum on the Palatine hill. When many important (and wealthy) Romans built their homes close to the forum, these mansions became known as palaces. It is possible that they "baptized" this custom in honor of the young virgin martyr.

The wool from the two lucky lambs is woven into pallia, which can be seen on the shoulders of archbishops (when presiding at Mass in their own dioceses), patriarchs and the Pope himself. The pallia made from this year's wool are placed above the relics of St. Peter on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. They rest there until they are bestowed upon the new archbishops. Although "pallium" and the goddess "Pales" sound similar, it is unlikely that the vestment owes its name to the Roman deity. More likely, the long white garment used as outerwear for a woman, a palla or the rectangular garment worn by Greeks, the pallium is responsible for the moniker of this sacred vestment.

"If the martyrs had looked upon their torments outside this good-pleasure, how could they have sung, in chains and flames? The truly loving heart loves God's good-pleasure not in consolations only but in afflictions also; yes, it loves it better upon the cross in pains and difficulties, because the principal effect of love is to make the lover suffer for the thing beloved."
St. Francis de Sales

Coming to Jesus

In today's familiar account of St. Andrew calling his brother to meet the Messiah, we are reminded of one of our most important responsibilities as Christians: bringing others to Christ. Who knew, beside Jesus, how significant Peter's role would be in that first evangelization. Yet, we see that it was his brother Andrew who led him to Jesus.

We can never know what will become of someone whose life is changed when he meets the Lord. By our words, our actions, our example, we can imitate St. Andrew and lead others to Christ. In our workplace we may not be in a position to preach the Gospel as the apostles did, but the way in which we treat our colleagues can speak volumes. In our families, we may be ridiculed if we tried to preach the Gospel with the zeal of the apostles, but by showing interest in the daily life of our brothers and sisters or parents and in-laws being and by being patient with the idiosyncrasies of those with whom we live so closely, we may interest others to "come and see" the source of our joy. We, like Andrew, can bring our brothers and sisters a bit closer to Jesus by the manner in which we live.

"Neither tenderness nor desolation, shall be able to separate us from that Holy Love, whose foundation is in Christ Jesus. Such a fixed resolution never to forsake God, or let go of His Precious Love, serves as ballast to our souls, and will keep them steadfast amid the endless changes and chances of this our natural life."
St. Francis de Sales

A Thing of Beauty

A week and a half ago something beautiful happened: a 23 year-old woman said "Yes" to the Lord. We don't often hear about Consecrated Virgins but they are around and they are a beautiful witness to the kingdom of God.

Our community is privileged to have met Jenna several years ago when she made a retreat with us. She is thoughtful, prayerful, interested, interesting and has a great sense of humor. She is an artist, a student, a thinker, a "pray-er" ... and a lovely young woman. You can visit her blog here and read a bit more about her here in "The Catholic New York." Please join us in thanking God for the witness and the gift of this young woman's life.

"But if you are happily called to be the chaste and holy bride of spiritual nuptials, and purpose to live a life of virginity, then in Christ’s Name I bid you keep all your purest, most sensitive love for your Heavenly Bridegroom, Who, being Very Purity Himself, has a special love for purity; Him to Whom the first-fruits of all good things are due, above all those of love."
St. Francis de Sales

The Humility of John

In today's Gospel we hear something of the humility of St. John the Baptist, a humility we are invited to imitate. Not only does he reiterate for his disciples that he is not the Christ, but he speaks of the joy in being the bridegroom's friend, a joy that is complete even as John decreases and Christ increases. In a way, there is something about John's humility which goes against the grain of our human instincts. We are not accustomed to finding joy in situations where we "decrease" and another person "increases."

John's role as the "bridegrooms friend" brought him great joy because it brought him to honesty about his own role. John knew that he was not the Christ. He knew that he was the forerunner. There were no illusions of grandeur about John's role in Salvation history. And his joy was a joy that was born in truth. When we do not claim to be anyone other than who we are, we are poised to receive the Lord's gift of joy -- the joy that belongs to those who, in humility, accept their gifts and limitations. We may not be as smart, as attractive, as tall, as charming, etc., as we would like to be, but when we feign something that is not honest, we forfeit our chance to receive this joy.

"Oh, how far was St. John's spirit from that of our times! . . . We, on the other hand, are extremely receptive to the honors that are extended to us! Our human nature is anxious to attract whatever is to its advantage . . . . Our self love is such that it draws to itself all the glory that in any way belongs to it but also that which in no way belongs to it. . . . We act quite differently from the glorious St. John, who is not content simply to reject what does not belong to him; he even refuses what he could justly have accepted."
St. Francis de Sales

The Queen of the Bean!

Pictured above is a very special pink jelly bean. This year, it heralded the Epiphany queen. Some years it has been an M&M and other years a different sort of bean, but this year, buried deep inside a piece of pineapple-pecan fruitcake was the bean pictured above. The cake on the plate belonged to our dear Sister Mary Immaculata. After many "queen-less" years of religious life, Sister Immaculata was delighted to be this year's Epiphany Queen (of the bean).

Sister Immaculata is crowned by last year's Queen, Sister Leonie Therese and our lovely visiting vocational retreatant (who is responsible for the bead-work on the crown). Stay tuned for a short video featuring some end-of-year activities as well as scenes from the Epiphany play where the Irish, Colombian and Italian kings, bearing native gifts, visit Mary and Jesus ... and a late-arriving Joseph (immigration problems at the Judean boarder!).

Christmas Ass

Don't be scandalized, that's what the ancient holy card says, "The Ass." To be exact, it says, "No. 19: The Ass."

We have a Christmas custom in our community -- very likely one which is found in other monasteries as well -- where we draw billets for offices in the Court of the King Jesus. No one seems to recall the origin of these billets, but they are a beloved tradition in our monastery. Each billet has a quotation from scripture, a spiritual description of the office itself as well as a suggested practice and an aspiration. Besides this noble animal, other offices in the Court of King Jesus include the ox, the lamb, the lamp, the straw, the stable owner, St. Joseph and The Blessed Virgin.

This year, the editor of our humble blog was privileged to draw billet No. 19, The Ass. Perhaps it is the Lord's way of calling her to be a bit more humble in the world of push-button publishing. (or, perhaps, to resign from publishing entirely.) What follows is the text of the holy card:

No. 19
The Ass.
---------
THE ASS KNOWETH HIS MASTER'S CRIB
(Is., 1, 8)
--------

At the court of the King JESUS you will have the office of the Ass, which a GOD permitted to be near His crib.

Offer yourself very humbly to this divine King, to be engaged in the most abject services, since you are incapable of sublime and elevated employments. Resign yourself to suffer and to be despised, in imitation of our Lord; say to Him with the prophet King that you are as a beast of burden before Him; ask Him to give you the understanding of Christian truths with humility of mind and heart.

Practice: Love to be unknown and reputed as nothing.
Aspiration: My Saviour, give me the treasure of Thy humility.

Spiritual Blindness

Just as the darkness of night can make it difficult for us to see where we are going on an unlit road, so the spiritual darkness of hatred, anger or jealousy can blind us to the places where the Lord wishes to lead our hearts. In today's first reading, St. John tells us that "whoever hates his brother is in darkness." Harboring feelings of hate, revisiting memories which provoke us to feel angry or enviously resenting the good fortune of others are all recipes for a spiritual fender-bender -- or worse! Negative energy blinds us to the presence of the Lord in our hearts. It turns our thoughts and concerns in on ourselves and, as a result, we become insensitive to the needs of those around us. Today's Gospel gives us an example of what can happen when we resist the temptation toward negativity. We learn that it had been revealed to Simeon "by the Holy Spirit" that he would not die before he saw the Messiah. Only one who is not caught in the snares of spiritual blindness can be poised to receive such good news from the Holy Spirit.

Certainly we are not in the same position as Simeon, awaiting the birth of Israel's Messiah. But we, too, must keep ourselves open to the Lord's message in our lives. The Lord continues to speak to the hearts of those who seek Him. In the little everyday matters which might tempt us to cultivate negative thoughts, let us ask the Lord for the grace to put aside all that is negative and all that will impede our ability to be open to the Lord's voice in our hearts.

"If I am beset with pride or anger, I must above all else strive to cultivate humility and gentleness, and I must turn all my religious exercises,—prayer, sacraments, prudence, constancy, moderation, to the same object."
St. Francis de Sales

Christmas AD 2008

We cheated. We sang Christmas Carols during the third week of Advent; but we couldn't resist! The Young-Lum family came to visit and we had a sing-a-long complete with signs for all the days in the "12 Day of Christmas." The audio (well sung, but poorly recorded on a digital camera) is from our sing-a-long last Friday.

Also captured in our two minute video are shots from our "troublesome tree." The tree in our Assembly room fell over and the angel went flying across the room. It appears she injured herself on a nearby bookcase. Sister Mary de Sales rushed her to the infirmary for some super-glue surgery on her broken wings. Although we do not have any post-op shots of the angel, we do have a picture of a small giraffe ornament who managed to survive the crash and remain upright. Amazing! Some other important preparations include the ordinary tasks of cooking, cleaning, walking the dog and answering the phone. Do enjoy a two-minute Christmas visit.

A happy and holy Christmas to all our readers!

The Rising Sun!

With this fourth Sunday of Advent, we come to the fifth of the Great O Antiphons and we reach back over 350 posts and share a piece from our archives, posted on this day in 2005.

As the calendar is currently arranged, this antiphon is sung on the shortest day of the year. The rising sun, the Oriens, from the Latin verb orior is translated as the "Branch" in the book of Zechariah, which the angel of the Lord announces (3:12). The title Oriens as well as the two which follow, everlasting light and Sun of justice, all link Christ, present with God at the beginning of the world, to the sun which came to be on the fourth day of creation. This same light is experienced as the fulfillment of what Yahweh promised to the people of Israel; for Zechariah, father of St. John the Baptist, announces that God, "from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us, to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death" (Lk1:78-9).

Nature's brightest star is but a mere indication of the brightness of the light of Christ. To the people of Israel, the Branch, the one who rises from the stump of Jesse, is the longed-for-Messiah; to those preparing to celebrate the Incarnation of the second person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Branch is the Messiah who has come and who comes again each year, in the hearts of Christians.

As we prepare our hearts to welcome the Lord, let us clothe ourselves in the light which flows from the Sun of justice. Let us seek justice in all our relationships. Justice is what we owe to one another; some relationships are equal -- marriage, siblings, peers, co-workers, etc.; in other relationships it is proper that it be "unequal" -- parents and children, teachers and students, employer and employees, etc. When we examine our relationships, we may find that we "owe" a little more to some people than we ordinarily give. Advent is a wonderful time to ask for the grace to be more generous in our relationships with one another. Let us thank the Lord for the different relationships in our lives and let us strive to be true sons and daughters of the Sun of justice. Come, Lord Jesus.

O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae et sol iustitiae: Veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.

---

O Rising brightness of everlasting light and Sun of justice: come and enlighten those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O!

Although the "Lion of Judah" didn't make it into the titles used by the Church in the O Antiphons which begin today, we hear in today's readings how the house of Judah is the privileged family from which will come the "Flower of Jesse's Stem" and the "Key of David."

As we begin this sacred octave which prepares our hearts for the coming of the Messiah, we are given seven titles of our Lord upon which to reflect. It is significant to note that each of these Antiphons, divided into two parts: first the title, addressing the Messiah to come and then the second part which begins, in Latin, with the imperative "Veni." Come! We invite the Messiah to come to us each day. We beg him to to set us free, to show us the way, to break our chains, to come quickly!

This is a wonderful pattern for us to consider in our prayers. After addressing the Lord and describing some attribute of his greatness, these antiphons petition Him to come among us. How very much this is needed today. Let us invite the Lord into our lives, our hearts, our world, our families, our relationships. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

O Wisdom, you who proceed forth from the mouth of the Most High, stretching from end to end, ordering all things strongly and sweetly:
Come to teach us the way of prudence.

Dreams Come True

Dreams, that is, for the people whom this hero is helping. Several weeks ago we encouraged shameless voting for our alumna and, "community crusader" Liz McCartney who was nominated as one of CNN's top 10 heroes of the year. Having earned more votes than her nine fellow activists, Liz' St. Bernard Project received the $100,000 award from CNN. Below is Liz' very gracious 40-second acceptance speech.

If you'd like to read more about Liz' work visit the write-up on our school's website and check out the snappy new look on the St. Bernard Project's own website. If you'd like to help the SBP ... or you're just looking for a good deed to do during this Advent season, you can visit the SBP wishlist where wishes can come true for as little as $25 for faucets, $50 for plumbing tools and bigger gifts of $12,000 can rebuild an entire house. Kudos to Liz and her 8,000 volunteers: olive branches of hope to the flood victims of New Orleans!

To Love Like God Loves

In today's Gospel we have the familiar parable of the lost sheep. It may not speak to the experience of those of us whose daily lives do not involve the agrarian chores of shepherding and care of animals but surely it speaks to our sense of the practical. It makes no sense to leave behind 99 sheep to seek out one lone lost animal. In fact, one might be tempted to wonder about the quality of the lost sheep if he couldn't manage to stick with the flock in the first place. This, however, is probably not our Lord's intention in telling us this parable. It is the unreasonableness of God's love that He wishes to show us. God loves us so much that he would leave behind the flock to go in tender search of any single lost soul. The parable does not suggest neglect for the rest of the flock; it suggests lavish -- and perhaps even undeserved -- love for each single member of the flock.

This coming Thursday in the Office of Readings we will hear a selection from St. Peter Chrysologus which speaks of a longing to see God: "Hinc est quod amor qui cupit videre Deum, et si non habet judicium habet tamen studium pietatis." The Breviary renders it loosely: "A love that desires to see God may not have reasonableness on its side, but it is the evidence of filial love." One could fill a page with translations and interpretations of "pietatis" but that ancient Roman sense of "responsibility to the God(s)" carried with it a sense of loyalty, tenderness and kindness. And so, if we desire to see God, to imitate that love with which He loves us, let us put aside the temptation to measure our love for one another by what seems reasonable to us. Let us show our love and our kindness to one another by being unreasonably tender as the Lord was when he went in search of the lost sheep. Imagine how different our families, workplaces, parishes, etc., could be if each person felt as loved and as cared-for as the lost sheep in the parable. Together, ewe and we can change the world, one lost sheep at a time!

Wait ... an Advent Thought!

On Wednesday evening we were treated to a wonderful Advent hour of reflection. Our Sister Archivist dusted off the Advent Sermons of St. Francis de Sales, combined it with a touch of some more contemporary authors and wove it together with her own rich style of reflecting on our Salesian heritage. Her theme: the art of waiting. We share an excerpt from sister's stellar presentation. Among other words of wisdom, Sister suggested that "waiting" is not a very popular activity today:

"Since we are uncomfortable waiting, our impulse is to fill in the time with cell phones and iPods. We have to stay, but we want to get out of the place where we are waiting -- most of all, by doing something . . . . It is important to note that all the figures appearing on the first pages of Luke's Gospel are waiting. Zechariah and Elizabeth are waiting. Mary is waiting. Anna and Simeon have been waiting in the temple for years! The whole opening scene of the Good News is filled with people patiently waiting. . . . And these to whom promises have been made are waiting actively. They aren't just sitting on their hands, awaiting THE moment. They know that what they are waiting for is growing from roots in the ground on which they are standing. The secret of waiting is the faith that the seed has been planted, that something has begun. St. Francis de Sales encourages us to live fully in the present moment. Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Anna and Simeon are all ACTIVELY waiting, fully present to the moment, fully confident that something is happening within them."

Come, Lord Jesus!

As we begin this most sacred season of Advent, we might stop to consider what a rich invitation it is for us to examine our own journey. We who seek Christ are all pilgrims on this side of eternity. During this season of preparation, our journey takes us to Bethlehem where we shall marvel at how the Lord comes among us as a child.

Those of us who live in monasteries do not travel a great deal, but when we do, we are struck (sometimes in more ways than one) by the rules and regulations that have been added at airports: shoe removal, food and liquid prohibitions, baggage limits, etc. Recently applied airline regulations may give us some insight into this journey of ours during the season of Advent.

Moses took off his shoes after the Lord appeared to him in the burning bush. He was standing on holy ground. Airports may not be holy ground, but our heart's journey to the manger where the Holy Family is gathered is a journey which can help us to grow in holiness. When we prepare ourselves for the Lord of Lords to be born anew in our hearts, we lay aside all that is unworthy of so great a visitor. Our hearts, if they are ready for the coming of Christ, will be made holy by Him whom we welcome.

Fortunately for us, we do not need to carry large bags when we travel: our wardrobe is simple and our needs are few. One cannot help but to notice, however, that the number and size of bags one may now carry on board an airplane continues to grow smaller. This, too, provides an insight into our pilgrimage to the manger in Bethlehem. When we journey toward Christ we cannot carry extra baggage. Such "baggage" might be: resentment, fear, anger, jealousy, discouragement, etc., and they are all roadblocks along our way. The more baggage we have, the more difficult it can be to stay on the road that will take us to Bethlehem. When we are not weighed down with baggage, we are also free to help others along the way. Let us set out, this Advent season, to throw down our baggage (or at least check it at the curb) and hurry for God is with us and He awaits us at the manger.

Belated Halloween Video

We are a little belated in sharing these highlights with our readers, but we trust that they are still as amusing as they were almost a month ago. Our dear Sister Raphael shares her birthday with the celebration of All Hallows ... and she enjoys every minute of it. This year, our Sister Mada-anne -- in a creative monologue -- appeared to Sister Raphael in a one-nun-skit as a talking lighthouse. (Sister Raphael is very fond of lighthouses!) Later in the skit, the rest of the community donned masks of Sister Raphael. Amid the frivolity and eutrepalia Sister Raphael was heard to exclaim, "I'm being faced with myself!" Do enjoy a two-minute visit to Sister's birthday party!

Renewal of Vows

On Friday, as we celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of Mary, we observed our custom of renewing our vows during Mass and signing our vow book during the day. Pictured above is the 1816 vow book as it waits for the next sister to approach it to rewrite and sign her vows.

Having the book out of its glass case for a day is a real treat. One stumbles upon many fascinating pages as she follows the handwritten numbers in the top-right corner of the pages to locate her own page. The very beginning of the book bears the traditional inscription of every Visitation vow book which is taken from the original manuscript in Annecy, written by St. Francis de Sales in 1611. Below is an excerpt from one of our Holy Father's aspirations for Our Order:

"O true God, who will grant me grace for the Almighty to hear my desire that He Himself should write this book, so that I may carry it on my shoulders and put it about me as a crown? . . . Yes, Lord Jesus, hear the cry of my heart for your servants: may you yourself write in this book, and may no Sister ever write her name in it except by your inspiration and in response to your call . . . . In all my soul's aspirations to you I shall call out all the names written in it, and this roll-call will be a hymn of joy and praise to offer up to your Divine Providence as a bouquet of sweet fragrance."
St. Francis de Sales

Shhhhhh .... Sisters at Prayer

"Every year, on November twenty-first, Feast of the Presentation of Our Lady, after three days of recollection, all the sisters publicly renew their religious vows, although simply as an act of devotion."
Constitutions of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, chapter XXXII

It may be "simply as an act of devotion" but is, indeed, an important day in the life of our monastery. The 1816 vow book, in which the founding sisters of our monastery wrote their vows, comes out of its glass case and is placed on a table in front of the altar. During Mass we all recite a short renewal formula and then, all during the day, the sisters have a chance to sign their page in the vow book. We even have a visitor's page for sisters who are away from their monastery on this feast and renew their vows with us.

It is fitting -- and particularly meaningful for us -- that November 21st has also been named a day "pro orantibus" -- for those who pray and, in particular, the Church prays for cloistered religious. We leave off here with a prayer from St. Francis de Sales' instructions as he founded our Order:

"Grant, O Jesus, holy and sweet love of our souls, that the year in which each Sister shall inscribe her oblation in this book may be a year of sanctification for her; the day, a day of salvation, the hour an hour of lasting benediction."

AU: Amazing University Students

Just yesterday we were privileged to have 12 AU (that now stands for "Amazing" university students) join us for a day-long discernment retreat. In the morning the group looked at the three vocations of marriage, religious life and a committed single life and in the afternoon they filled their tool bags with some "tools for discernment."

Among the first things that these young women learned (and it wasn't even on the outline for their retreat day) was that there is never a dull moment at the monastery. Yesterday was also our annual Gold-White intramural field hockey game where students battle for "team points" in a hockey game after a rousing pep rally and dance contest. The AU retreatants were informed that they were to be rooting for the gold team; it was a natural choice since the sisters who spent the day with them are all members of the (winning) gold team. We were a bit sad to learn that one of our amazing students was strong-armed into being a white-team supporter.

Please note the large blue area at the bottom of the group picture. It might amuse our faithful readers to know that there were two cameras on self-timer set to photograph the group; one camera was on a 5 pound box of Twizzlers, atop a tin of popcorn and the camera that caught this picture was resting upon a 5 gallon water-cooler jug, balanced on its narrow end. Can readers guess which two subjects in the picture below were the two who came running (er, diving in one instance) into the picture with seconds to spare?

A Peek at the Bazaar

We should probably have titled this post, "A Peek at the sisters at the Bazaar" for we share here some "action" shots of our "Salesnuns" at work. We are sorry not to have pictures of the sisters on the moonbounce but the "take of your shoes and your glasses" sign scared some of us away. Maybe next year!

Mother Mary Berchmans talks to an alumna about the Visitation history book she is selling.

Sister Leonie Therese makes friends and sales. (The camera just missed her modeling one of her brightly-colored scarves!)

Sister Anne Francis minds the "Vocation Visibility Booth" and offers free copies of our ten-minute vocational DVD as well as "Prayer Warrior" magnets.

Sister Maureen assists a customer at her table. So many cards to choose from ... so hard to decide which ones to buy!

A sincere thanks to all our Visi moms (and dads) and volunteers who helped to make Esprit de Noel 2008 such a success!

Bazaar Weekend

Don't worry, we haven't adopted green habits or striped stockings; this is the Esprit de Noel Elf who can be found on just about every signpost on campus. She directs shoppers and volunteers to food, vendors, the (very popular) used book sale and other features of our annual Christmas Bazaar, one of our school's first fund-raisers of the year.

Among countless vendors, one can find the sisters selling their own creations. Sister Leonie Therese is raffling off a hand-painted night table and peddling her embroidery work; Sister Rosemarie is raising money for the Mercy Project, which helps families in her native village of Lare in Kenya; Sister Maureen has added a host of new items to her stationery creations and Mother Mary Berchmans can be found selling copies of the Visitation history book, recently updated and republished in 2004. Stay tuned for pictures of the sisters at work at the bazaar!

Oremus!

Thanks to the diocese of Wilmington, Bishop Malooley, and his predecessor, Bishop Saltarelli, for issuing (and re-issuing) this prayer. Pray! (and vote!)

If you haven't already seen it (or heard it), EWTN hosted a 13-part series on St. Thomas More. Although it was only available through 31 October, Jay Anderson has the files available here.

Litany of St. Thomas More,
Martyr and Patron Saint of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers

V. Lord, have mercy
R. Lord have mercy
V. Christ, have mercy
R. Christ have mercy
V. Lord, have mercy
R. Lord have mercy
V. Christ hear us
R. Christ, graciously hear us

V. St. Thomas More, Saint and Martyr,
R. Pray for us (Repeat after each invocation)
St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers
St. Thomas More, Patron of Justices, Judges and Magistrates
St. Thomas More, Model of Integrity and Virtue in Public and Private Life
St. Thomas More, Servant of the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Christ
St. Thomas More, Model of Holiness in the Sacrament of Marriage
St. Thomas More, Teacher of his Children in the Catholic Faith
St. Thomas More, Defender of the Weak and the Poor
St. Thomas More, Promoter of Human Life and Dignity

V.Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R.Spare us O Lord
V.Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R.Graciously hear us O Lord
V.Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R.Have mercy on us

Let us pray:

O Glorious St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, your life of prayer and penance and your zeal for justice, integrity and firm principle in public and family life led you to the path of martyrdom and sainthood. Intercede for our Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, that they may be courageous and effective in their defense and promotion of the sanctity of human life - the foundation of all other human rights. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

Reaping a Harvest of Righteousness

As we begin reading St. Paul's letter to the Philippians, we are reminded of our call to cultivate the soil of our hearts so that it may be well tended enough to grow the "fruit of righteousness." At first glance, the word "righteousness" may not appeal to us as a quality we would like to nurture but when we think of it as being "full of doing the right thing" it may seem more appealing. Very often we know what we should do or how we should act and, being human, we probably also find that we fall short of "doing the right thing" when left to our own devices. Asking God for the help we need to deal with each day's challenges -- those which we can foresee and those which take us by surprise -- is the first step toward cultivating a harvest of righteousness. When we put our hearts at the Lord's disposal by asking for His help, there is no limit to what the Lord can do with us. His grace can help us to respond lovingly in situations which we find difficult; He can make us His instruments in situations we might never have imagined if we had not allowed the Lord to use us for His good works.

St. Francis de Sales encourages us to put our hearts before the Lord every morning before we begin our day and to offer to the Lord all that we will do or undertake. He also encourages us to examine our hearts at the end of the day: two very ancient spiritual practices. His explanation of the end-of-day examination is a happy reminder about the importance of keeping the soil of our hearts well-tilled and ready for His hand to sow the seeds of righteousness.

"If you have done anything good, offer thanks to God; if you have done amiss in thought, word, or deed, ask forgiveness of His Divine Majesty, resolving to confess the fault when opportunity offers, and to be diligent in doing better. Then, commend your body and soul, the Church, your relations and friends, to God. Ask that the Saints and Angels may keep watch over you, and with God’s Blessing go to the rest He has appointed for you. Neither this practice nor that of the morning should ever be omitted; by your morning prayer you open your soul’s windows to the sunshine of Righteousness, and by your evening devotions you close them against the shades of hell."
St. Francis de Sales

U Haul Update!

The secret is out: the U Haul did not contain 8,000 lbs. of meatballs from September's "Monastic Meatball Supper" but it did contain the 8-foot nun-poster where visitors could "picture" themselves with us. Students who stopped at our table had the opportunity to have their picture taken as a Visitation Sister. Travel with us for 2 minutes to the Finnegan Field House at FUS for the largest Vocation Fair in the country. And pray with us that seeds sown will bear fruit.

Special thanks to Lucia Bortz for organizing the event and for the men of the Pre-The program at FUS who served as guardian angels for unloading and loading cars. Our "Noisy Neighbors" had a bigger set of speakers than we and their "rock music" outblasted our DVD's Gregorian Chant, but they were great company for the day (and they gave out cool T-shirts!)

Free music on our 2-minute video courtesy of AudioTreasure.

Meatballs on the Move

It's that time of year again ... when our sisters head to the Franciscan University of Steubenville's annual vocation fair. This year, our monastery's cargo load has grown, as the (dubiously) accurate picture suggests. We haven't packed our community into the U-Haul (FUS asks that each community only send two participants) but we've packed a few new things. In fact, since we couldn't transport the meatballs from the Monastic Meatball Supper which we hosted in late September, we decided to take the next best thing from the supper (not the brownies, either -- there were none left) ... stay tuned to see what the Visi Vocation Van has in tow. Or, if you're local, stop by Finnegan Field House at FUS for a look at our display and close to 100 others as well!

Voting Early and Often

Is anyone else tired of the campaign rhetoric? Here's someone else for whom you can cast a vote and your vote can help make a difference. Georgetown Visitation Alumna Liz McCartney's "St. Bernard Project" has helped to rebuild over 150 homes in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Liz and her project have been selected as a contender for CNN's Hero for 2008 -- an ordinary person who is changing the world. Click here to read about her nomination. Click here to vote (often, please!) And click here to visit the St. Bernard Project homepage. If Liz is selected the St. Bernard project will receive $100,000 from CNN.

Spiritual Poverty -- Blog Action Day 2008

It seems appropriate, as we approach the Feast of our Holy Sister, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, that our contribution to the "Blog Action Day 2008" conversation about poverty touch on the often-misunderstood gift of spiritual poverty. It is not our intention to exhaust this rich topic; we hope, rather, to shed some light on what it might mean to be blessed because we are "poor of spirit" -- a poverty, it seems, which could impact the world one heart and one soul at a time.

For those of us who do not have to worry about having enough to eat, it is hard to pray "Give us this day our daily bread" and understand what it feels like to be needy. We have clothes on our back and food on our tables -- for which we should be grateful ... but are we spiritually self-sufficient, too? Are we so spiritually comfortable that we no longer need to ask for our daily bread?

Have you ever tried to put leftover mashed potatoes in a Tupperware that was just a bit too small? No matter how hard you try -- even if you get a cover that fits -- there are always some mashed potatoes that ooze out from under the lid. One learns the lesson that when something is FULL nothing can be added to it. And so it is with our spiritual lives: only when we stand empty before God can He fill us with Himself. When we are spiritually poor we are disposed to receive all that God wants to offer to us.

Maybe we have a family member with whom we have a strained relationship or perhaps we have a coworker with whom we have had a long-standing disagreement. If we are honest with ourselves, we probably have our own ideas about how we can manage these relationships. We might think we know how we should respond but we might feel unable to do so and so we find other means of negotiating these relationships. This is the beginning of spiritual poverty. The prayer of the spiritually poor person is: "Please, Lord, when I go to work today, help me to be loving to so-and-so. I am unable to do so on my own." There is no thought for tomorrow. There is no "savings account" for spiritual riches. The spiritually poor person asks, each day, for what he needs. Only when we stand naked and empty before the Lord and ask for all that we need can we be heirs to the kingdom of heaven.

"If you are in the depths of poverty, stripped of all and of self, go and lose yourself in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He will enrich you and take delight in clothing you with his own perfection if you allow him to act."
St. Margaret Mary

St. Francis de Sales on Virtues and Flowers

A snapshot of the monastery garden in fall color and a thought from St. Francis de Sales about virtues and flowers -- otherwise known as the passage we call: "Doing small things with great love."

"Do you seek the higher things, such as prayer and meditation, the Sacraments leading souls to God and kindling good thoughts in them? Do all these good works according to your vocation; but meanwhile do not neglect your spindle and distaff. I mean, cultivate those little virtues which spring like flowers round the foot of the Cross, such as ministering to the poor and sick, family cares, and the duties arising therefrom, and practical diligence and activity; and amid all these things cultivate such spiritual thoughts. . . . Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily; and our Lord Himself has told us that 'he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.' If you do all in God’s Name, all you do will be well done."
St. Francis de Sales

Blog Action Day 2008

In 2007 it was the environment, in 2008 it is poverty. Blog Action Day is a non-profit event which started as a "what would happen if all blogs discussed one important topic on the same day" kind of an idea and blossomed into a successful event. Last year over 15,000 blogs posted about "going green" in October 2007. The engineers behind Blog Action Day encourage bloggers to keep their posts consistent with the nature of their blog and post about the topic in a way which is commensurate with that genre. Some of their suggestions include:

• A Design Blog might analyze a set of charity posters and how they convey their message
• A Tech Blog might look at pro-poor technologies and projects like 1 Laptop Per Child
• A Political Blog might examine the relevant agendas of leading candidates
• A Sports Blog might look at recent charity activities of a major sports franchise
• A Business Blog might discuss how businesses can utilize ethical practices to boost their bottom line

Not surprisingly, there were no suggestions for what religious blogs might do. Stay tuned and find out next Wednesday! If you are a fellow blogger, looking to get involved, click here to sign on.

Another Field of Dreams

Last Sunday we wrote about one Field of Dreams and this Sunday our school community participated in an event on another field of dreams. This dream is about eliminating hunger! Georgetown Visitation teamed up with Gonzaga College High School for our tenth annual "Gleaning of the Fields" service project. The day included Mass under the gleaning tent, work, work, work, lunch and more work. The event was organized through the Mid-Atlantic Gleaning Network and took place at the Gleaning Warehouse in Cheltenham, MD. In years past students, parents and faculty have gleaned (and sorted) countless of pounds of sweet potatoes, peaches, cucumbers, apples, greens, etc. Above, Sister Leonie Therese is busy harvesting some of this year's vegetables. All gleaned foods are given to local food agencies which to feed the hungry of our area.

In our urban culture, metaphors about planting and harvesting -- in the Gospels and other writings -- can be lost on those of us who do not work with our hands as our ancestors might have. St. Francis de Sales encourages us to leave the harvest to the Lord after we have made our best efforts to pursue virtue in our lives. The "work" is ours to do and the harvest is His to produce:

"God has ordained that we should employ our whole endeavors to obtain holy virtues, let us then forget nothing which might help our good success in this pious enterprise. But after we have planted and watered, let us then know for certain that it is God who must give increase to the trees of our good inclinations and habits, and therefore from his Divine Providence we are to expect the fruits of our desires and labors, and if we find the progress and advancement of our hearts in devotion not such as we would desire, let us not be troubled, let us live in peace, let tranquillity always reign in our hearts. It belongs to us diligently to cultivate our heart, and therefore we must faithfully attend to it, but as for the plenty of the crop or harvest, let us leave the care to our Lord and Master."

St. Francis de Sales

Our Guardian Angels

Have you ever found it difficult to pray for someone with whom you have difficulty getting along in everyday life? Sometimes it is easier to commend people to the Lord in prayer when we feel kindly disposed toward them. It can be difficult to pray for someone who has hurt us or rejected us. Perhaps, the next time this happens, we might try to pray to the guardian angel of the person for whom we are struggling to pray. Each of us has a guardian angel who is there to protect us and guide us. It can be a bit easier for our clay feet and sometimes-delicate hearts to pray to the angel of a person than to pray for the person himself. Over time, one of the fruits of our prayer may be that we realize one day -- without ever knowing exactly when it happend -- that we are praying, without hesitation, for someone who has hurt us or offended us.

St. Francis de Sales referred frequently to angels in his spiritual writings and especially in some of his meditations. We share here a short exhortation from his writings on saints and angels:

"Seek to be familiar with the Angels; learn to realize that they are continually present, although invisible. Specially love and revere the Guardian Angel of the Diocese in which you live, those of the friends who surround you, and your own. Commune with them frequently, join in their songs of praise, and seek their protection and help in all you do, spiritual or temporal."
St. Francis de Sales

Field of Dreams

...if you build it they will come. And come they did: in droves! All summer long the dump trucks drove up St. Joseph's drive to deliver dirt, seed, sod and other needed ingredients to help make the (re)dedication of our Moore Field a dream come true. This year's Sports Saturday found us blessing the newly-completed soccer (and soon to be softball) field. In addition to evening the slope of the field and adding length to bring our soccer field closer to regulation proportions, the field renovations also made room for "mezzanine" level seating for soccer and softball fans. Prior to the renovation, fans either watched from the upper deck (also known as the St. Joe's parking lot) or the field level bleachers (provided one could run -- or slide -- down the hill without sustaining an injury). Now, between our upper deck and field level seating, there is a lovely "terrace" with Adirondack chairs and low-rise bleachers. With accommodations this good, we might need crowd control at Moore Field! The development office and the athletic department make a great team!

Mr. Kerns (with Moore field behind him) invites the soccer and softball coaches to come forward as Mother Mary Berchmans prepares to read a prayer during the ceremony.

Also in attendance, among some of the sisters, was Nicholas, the monastery guard dog who is sporting his softball uniform shirt.

We don't know what St. Francis de Sales thought of soccer and softball, but he did have a few things to say about recreations which include "field sports." As always, the message of moderation is clear in his words of wisdom:

"It is a great mistake to be so strict as to grudge any recreation either to others or one’s self. . . . Walking, harmless games, field sports, etc., are such entirely lawful recreations that they need no rules beyond those of ordinary discretion, which keep every thing within due limits of time, place, and degree. So again games of skill, which exercise and strengthen body or mind, such as tennis, running at the ring, chess, and the like, are in themselves both lawful and good. Only one must avoid excess, either in the time given to them, or the amount of interest they absorb for if too much time be given up to such things, they cease to be a recreation and become an occupation."
St. Francis de Sales

Leftover Meatballs

Sunday was a Salesian double-header for us. We had our Salesian family Mass at 10am, attended by over 200 guests and our meatball supper in the evening which drew some 30 plus locals for Vespers and supper. Highlights included Sister Philomena's top-secret response to the "What do the nuns do all day?" question ... we can't tell secrets on the internet but inside sources report that "dancing" was part of her response?!?! Curious readers will have to attend next year's supper or stay tuned for an up-coming excerpt from her comments. :)

A pre and post-supper attraction was the "Picture Yourself with Us" display where guests were able to pose as part of a life-sized group of sisters and see what they might look like in a habit. Nearly all the guests took a turn "stepping-up" to the display. In fact, in addition to the many women who tried in on for size, three men joined in the fun. Among them, a certain head-of-school and a venerable Monsignor -- we promise not to tell the archbishop which Monsignor.

Below, author (guest and set-up helper) Dawn Eden prepares to pose as a Visitandine.

Below, one of our alumnae tries it on for size.

One observer suggested using the picture as a "change of address" postcard (not to mention a change of wardrobe notification as well!) Some guests looked a bit more natural than others when posing ... pictured below is one for whom the ensemble seems to be a good fit. Even St. Jane de Chantal (standing behind her) appears to be smiling in agreement.

Person Dawn Eden

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Nuns With Clubs

No, it's not a game of bridge or even of hearts . . . it's our school's annual club fair!

Normally each freshman preregisters for a co-curricular club of her choice but our upperclassmen are free to "shop around" at the club fair with dozens of co-curricular clubs such as Model United Nations, Science Fair, Booster Club, Triathalon Club and the Environmental Club. Also on display at the club fair were after school clubs and "full time clubs" such as "The Wicket" (school newspaper) and the chorus.

Sisters were well represented at the fair with Sister Leonie Therese recruiting new members for her art club and Sister Maureen de Chantal, pictured below, discussing the Salesian Leadership Club with a potential member. Sister Mary Roberta and Sister Philomena (see below) signed up a record number of girls for the Thursday after school Rosary club and Sister Anne E is squinting into the sun as she attempts to lure students to the dodgeball table with a bag of twizzlers. Stay tuned for future posts about nuns with clubs!

God the Visitor

In today's Gospel we hear the townspeople's reaction to the miraculous healing of the widow's son. The crowd proclaims that "God has visited his people." For Christians, it is not hard to see the larger context which points toward the approaching death and resurrection of our Lord. In the "smaller picture," however, the townspeople tell us something insightful in their reaction to the miracle they witnessed: it is easy to forget that God is always with his people.

Surely the crowd's reaction is one of joy -- at the widow's grief consoled, of surprise -- at the Lord's power over death and, possibly, of fear. One can almost get a sense of the crowd looking toward God because God answered their prayers (or, at least the prayers of the widow of Nain). There is a temptation to use the word "miracle" only when the God does our will: when our prayers are answered. Is it no less a miracle when we do His will? Sometimes it means accepting the circumstances that befall us -- those things which we cannot change -- the vicissitudes of daily life that St. Francis de Sales so aptly named God's permissive will. God indeed visits his people: always. God is always with his people; it is for us to accept the reality that His ways are not always our ways, but He is no less with us amid suffering than He is amid consolation. If anything, our suffering affords us a space in which to welcome Him even closer.

"Now, whatever we accept simply because it is God's will is acceptable in His Sight, so long as we accept it heartily and out of love:—the less of self the more of God — and a single-hearted acceptance of God's will purifies any suffering very greatly."
St. Francis de Sales

The Terrorist in Our Basement

Seven years ago this day found us at a loss for words. How does one explain what happened on that Tuesday morning which began as usual but unraveled into tragedy before lunch. The following day we had a school Mass to pray for healing of all those affected by the terrorist attacks. In the month that followed the 9/11 attacks, one of our sisters, giving a tour of the monastery crypt, was struck by the life-history of one of the crypt's "permanent residents."

Buried in a sarcophagus (pictured above surrounded by Latin students and their teacher) -- which is inscribed in Latin and littered with oddly-placed French accent marks -- is the Rev. Joseph-Pierre Picot de Limoëlan de Clorivière, called the second founder of our monastery on account of his success in erecting buildings and his expertise in educational leadership. He can also be called a "terrorist." Prior to coming to this country and studying for the priesthood, Father Clorivière was responsible for the death of over 50 innocent bystanders as part of a failed-attempt to assassinate Napoleon on Christmas Eve 1800.

On this side of eternity, we will never know what happened between Clorivière's involvement with Royalists, the fateful night which caused him to go into hiding for several months before escaping to the United States and his ordination as a priest. One, however, can only surmise that some profound conversion and transformation of life took place. This history does not ease the pain of 9/11 but it does instill a renewed sense of wonderment at the mysterious ways of the Lord. For we can never predict what will become of someone who opens himself fully to the Lord's will. Having a "terrorist" as our second founder and the namesake of one of our three monastery bells (a story for another post) makes it difficult to condemn those who commit acts of violence; it is not ours to condemn, it is only ours to commit them to the Lord's justice and mercy -- in prayer and in deed.

Hellooooooo Hannah !

If we were counting the "never a dull moment in the monastery" posts, we'd be up to five or six by now. Yesterday, we were visited by Hurricane Hannah who arrived around 8.30am and left in the late afternoon. When she departed she took our electricity with her. We share some pictures from our adventures in the dark.

Above, Sister Leonie Therese washes supper dishes with the help of a flashlight. We had a few large flashlights around the refectory to help light our supper since our refectory windows are under the second floor porch and receive little afternoon light. Our choir was too dark for Evening Prayer so we prayed in our Assembly room where northerly windows provided ample light to sing the office. Below, Sister Jacqueline uses her flashlight to read the newspaper to Sister Raphael in the St. Joseph workroom.

Sister Philomena adjusts the impromptu-chandelier (mounted area light) so that Sister Rose can see well enough to sign a thank-you note to one of our generous benefactors.

Shameless Promotion

Many folks have been heard to wonder: “What do the nuns do all day?” We thought we'd put an end to some of the wondering and invite people to pray with us and have supper while we share a bit about the life of our community. The evening will include Vespers, supper and a short program. Attendees will have an opportunity to “picture themselves” as a sister of the Visitation and will receive a souvenir Monastery stadium cup. Locals who would like more information or to sign up can email us at GVMonastery (at) gmail.com. Non-locals can email for a copy of our Monastery DVD; we can't package up the spaghetti and meatballs (and nuns) but we can send along the "window into our life" part of the evening.