Timeless Solemnity

Tomorrow we will celebrate the Solemnity of St. Jane de Chantal. In years past we have recounted the amazing adventure of this (apparently) "movable feast." New readers might enjoy this short account from a couple of years ago.

As movable as this Solemnity is, one might stop to consider how timeless is the example of our Foundress. The readings proper to the feast bring us to the Gospel account where Jesus asks who his mother and brothers are. One cannot help but to associate that text with the often-recounted scene of St. Jane de Chantal stepping over the body of her (overly) dramatic son as she entered the religious life. This often-recounted pericope overshadows the relevance of St. Jane de Chantal's path to sanctity.

We've always tried to keep our blog posts to a friendly length that does not discourage reading and sharing, so this is a thumbnail sketch of what happened before and after she stepped over the threshold of her son to enter religious life: At age 28 she lost her husband to a "friendly fire" hunting accident and was left with four small children. Her father-in-law threatened to remove her children from the family inheritance if she did not come to live with him. There she raised her children alongside his own illegitimate children. She was treated poorly by his mistress but never once allowed that to affect the loving attention she paid to their children. She faced criticism for the foundation of our Order, was predeceased by her earliest companions in religious life, buried three of her own children as well as her beloved friend and spiritual guide, St. Francis de Sales and established 80 monasteries of the Visitation in France prior to her death.

St. Jane de Chantal is proof that holiness is not acquired because of the ideal circumstances in which we find ourselves practicing virtue effortlessly. It might be easy if everyone with whom we interacted was patient, thoughtful and kind; if we were never late because never got stuck in traffic; if the xerox machine never jammed up when we had an emergency; if no one in our house ever ate the last chocolate chip cookie; and if everyone refilled the ice-cube tray when it was *almost* empty. Most of us, however, don't live in such a paradise. Rather, one grows in holiness by the trusting acceptance of the circumstances he cannot change and the virtues demonstrated in the face of such challenging events.

St. Jane de Chantal is a timeless example for us of a woman who practiced virtue amid the joys and deep sorrows she experienced in her life.

"How good it is to see the servants of God . . . have no other tomorrow than that of His Providence!"

St. Jane de Chantal

Salesian Conference 2010

In honor of the 400th anniversary of the Visitation Order, the 28th annual National Salesian Conference is taking as its theme: "The Visit" and exploring the mystery of the Visitation as an image for today's Christian to imitate. Three talks will explore this mystery as a biblical event, as a paradigm for community and as a sign of commitment. A "teleconference" will take place in seven locations throughout east coast and mid west. A freewill offering is asked of those who attend. Those who would like to learn more can click here for details. As always, CD's and DVD's of the presentations will be available for purchase from the DeSales Resource center. We look forward to seeing many members of our Salesian family -- and meeting new friends -- at the conference today!

Fiat Days 2010!

This past weekend our Sister Anne Francis and Sister Anne Elizabeth (that would be the "Sisters Anne E and F") attended the Arlington Diocese's inaugural "Fiat Days Camp" for young women. Above, Sister Anne F prepares for Vespers after finishing Sunday afternoon's Rosary walk.

The three days included talks, discussions, games, Liturgy of the Hours, daily Mass, Adoration, a fireside chat and a lighted Marian procession. Above, Sister Anne E talks with the group about prayer.

During the retreat, Sisters, staff and participants stayed in dorms at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. Sister Anne F and a lovely little Sister of the Poor (our next-door-neighbor) are shown waiting patiently for the "keeper of the keys" to come let them into their dorm. Among the "camping" adventures of the weekend, one Visitation sister left her bedding back on 35th Street as they gang was loading up the car (we won't say which "Sister Anne" it was but curious readers might want to check out the rest of the pictures on our Facebook page ... it shouldn't be too hard to tell!)

Sister Mary Compostina

We have a little update on our monastery vegetable garden. Sister Philomena, our backyard biologist, holds the monastery's first fruits of the season. Those big fruits have come a long way from their humble beginnings!

Carefully hidden in a patch of leaves is a baby sugar pumpkin. Hopefully the leaves and the prickly vine will discourage our furry four-footed friends from sampling the growing fruit.

The vegetables might not be so healthy if it were not for the rich compost which is added to the soil. The remains of raw fruits and vegetables become a source of nutrients for the next gardening season.

Last, but not least, there would be no compost if there were no Sister Mary Compostina! St. Francis de Sales said that we should desire the most humble of jobs. Our faithful Sister Mary Compostina carries out buckets of kitchen waste and coffee grounds to the compost bins twice a day ... and that surely counts as a very humble job. Not to be missed, however, is Sister's smile. It's not just for the camera, it's there everyday when she collects the compost and sets out on her pilgrimage to the north west corner of the garden: a sterling example of doing small things with great love!

The Power of an Example

There is an African proverb that reads: if you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito. The mustard seed and the measure of yeast about which we hear in today's Gospel are both very small entities which produce effects that seem disproportionate to their size. That appears to be a common characteristic of the kingdom of God. A fisherman from Galilee, a tax collector, a virgin from the house of David and a carpenter from Nazareth: all instruments used by God for the glory of his Kingdom; none, at first glance, seem likely candidates to help change the world.

What does this have to do with most of us: the ordinary Jane and Joe? The power of a good example is, perhaps, one way in which we can live out this Gospel. Doing a good deed with sincerity and love is something that can have a tremendous effect, far beyond the deed itself. When we see someone who responds to the need of another with kindness and loving attention, it stirs something in our hearts. (If it doesn't, we should have our pulse checked.) The next time we have an opportunity to perform an act of kindness -- and one which might require a sacrifice of time, convenience, comfort, etc. -- we might be more likely to say "Yes" to the opportunity because our heart was moved by the example of another.

Imagine how many good deeds are left undone and how many kind words are left unsaid because no one was there to encourage the doer of the good deed or the speaker of the kind words with the power of a good example. Taking the time to respond gently to a tiresome neighbor, making polite conversation with a coworker who may be difficult company, inviting a lonley-looking colleague to join our lunchtable, stopping to help a senior citizen cross the street, helping a stranger pick up groceries she dropped in a busy parking lot: all of these small acts can have a profound impact on both the beneficiary and all those who are privileged to witness the good deed. We will never know, on this side of eternity, how many other good deeds were done because of one small gesture performed with love. Kindness is contagious: spread it far and wide!

"Great occasions for serving God come seldom but little ones surround us daily."
St. Francis de Sales

Seeking the Lord Everywhere

How many times a day do we respond to the needs of another and then step back and wonder if, possibly, we could have been more attentive, more patient, more loving, more sensitive? How might we feel if we were to revisit the encounter and imagine that the person who sought our help was Jesus. Most of us would probably be eager to meet whatever need Jesus presented to us and we, very likely, would be quick to inquire as to whether there might be anything else we could do to assist him.

How often we share the same fate as St. Mary Magdalen in today's Gospel: we are looking at Jesus and we do not recognize him. Mary was weeping and so preoccupied with finding the body of Jesus that she failed to recognize him speaking to her. How often are we so preoccupied with the task at hand, our own work, our plans for the day, etc., that we fail to see the Lord's presence in those around us?

The great Carmelite St. John of the Cross is said to have been washing the feet of a beggar when the wounds of the stigmata appeared on his feet. Instead of being surprised, the holy man looked up at the beggar and said, "So, it is you my Lord." Perhaps our encounters with those around us -- especially those who need our help or ask for our time -- would be more fruitful experiences if we asked for the grace to see the Lord's presence in our neighbor.

Sometimes our broken, sinful nature can conceal the presence of the Lord in us and in those around us. Performing an act of charity for someone who is suffering may be difficult because it may not be received graciously. From time to time we reach out to someone in the hope of being thoughtful and anticipating a need only to find that our generosity is neither welcome nor appreciated. In these moments it can be difficult to find the Lord in those whom we serve. The wall of our humanity can veil the gentle features of Lord's presence. Earnestly seeking the Lord in those around us can mean the difference between doing a chore and performing an act of love.

"Blessed are the hearts that seek the Lord in all things for they will find Him everywhere and everywhere they will seek what they have found."

St. Jane de Chantal

Both are One

On December 21st the Church addresses Christ as King of the Nations and sings the ancient O Antiphon which tells us that Christ makes "both to be one" -- utraque unum. In many ways our Lord makes "both to be one." Today's Gospel is often the vehicle for assigning a higher value to a life of contemplation over one which involves the busyness which Martha symbolized. A closer look at the Gospel, however might suggest that the real virtue toward which we might do well to strive is a healthy balance between the two.

When Jesus entered the village, it was Martha who welcomed him. We have been told elsewhere in scripture about the importance of being hospitable and surely it is no accident that this detail was included. Other translations even render the passage as "Martha welcomed him into her home." Later in the Gospel account, Martha's preoccupation with serving brought out what might well have been a cranky remark -- not unlike things we might say around our own homes when we are frustrated: "Am I the only one who ever takes in the newspaper?" or "How is it that no one else washes their dirty dishes?" or maybe "Please don't leave just ONE ice cube in the tray? Am I the only one in this house who knows how to fill it?" Our modern-day frustrations may seem to be an exaggeration but on a day when we are tired and burdened, we can sound a bit like dear Martha of today's Gospel.

Mary, on the other hand, keeps her eyes on the Lord and does not leave his presence. And it is she who is praised for choosing the better part. Indeed, most of us would agree that sitting at the feet of our Lord is preferable to leaning over a hot stove! We might wonder, however, if Mary would have had the opportunity to be with the Lord had Martha not welcomed him when he entered the village. Hospitality and contemplation are two sides of the same coin. Both are one.

When we are hospitable, we cannot offer anything which is spiritually nourishing if we have not spent time -- in one form or another -- at the feet of the Lord. By the same token, when we spend time in prayer and contemplation, we should question the quality of that time if it does not, in some way, lead us ever more toward a loving service of our neighbors -- be they our neighbors who are homeless on the street whom we serve at a shelter, our colleagues at work, our peers in school, the members of our family, or our sisters in community with whom we live. Hospitality is the fruit of a rich relationship with Christ. For only when we see Christ in our neighbor does our act of kindness toward another become an act of divine love. Hospitality is the fruit of prayer for both are one in Christ.

"Many approach our Savior: some to hear him as Mary; some to be cured by him, as she that had the issue of blood; others to adore him, as the three kings; others to serve him, as Martha, others to overcome their unbelief, as St. Thomas . . . but his divine Sulamitess seeks him to find him, and having found him, desires no other thing than to hold him fast, and holding him, never to quit him. I held him, says she, and will not let him go."

St. Francis de Sales

Childlike or Childish?

There is a subtle difference between being childlike and being childish. In today's Gospel we hear that the hidden treasures of the Gospel are revealed to the childlike and not to the "wise and the learned" whom we might expect to be likely candidates for such knowledge.

What is it that makes one childlike as opposed to childish? One very simple, approach might be to sift through the characteristics of children and separate the endearing qualities of a child (which many of us adults would do well to cultivate) from those which are unbecoming of grown-up members of our species. To name a few, we might list selfishness as a characteristic of one who is childish and curious as a quality of a child. Think how often children ask "Why? or How?" We might do well to ask some of these questions in our hearts as we ponder the immensity of the Lord's love for us. We could speculate that one who is childish lacks direction in his life and one who is childlike is "coachable" and takes direction easily and willingly. How easily and how gratefully a child will follow the encouragement of an adult whom he loves and respects. How much more readily ought we to follow the gentle tug of the Lord as He calls us -- each day -- to align our lives with His will for us.

St. Francis de Sales had a few suggestions of his own as to how we might imitate the more positive qualities of a child. This excerpt is from his "Treatise on the Love of God."

"Imitate a little child, whom one sees holding tight with one hand to its father, while with the other it gathers strawberries or blackberries from the wayside hedge. Even so, while you gather and use this world’s goods with one hand, always let the other be fast in your Heavenly Father’s Hand, and look round from time to time to make sure that He is satisfied with what you are doing, at home or abroad. Beware of letting go, under the idea of making or receiving more—if He forsakes you, you will fall to the ground at the first step. When your ordinary work or business is not specially engrossing, let your heart be fixed more on God than on it; and if the work be such as to require your undivided attention, then pause from time to time and look to God."
St. Francis de Sales

From the Comment-box!

We had a recent request to say a bit more about our dear Sister Anne Marie, of happy memory, and her famous poster with its ten words of wisdom. Above is a picture of the poster and here we share sister's sage advice:

1. Never tell your age or they'll put you on a shelf; besides, a woman who will tell her age can't keep a secret.

2. Always walk with a purpose, dearie.

3. Moderation in all things ... including moderation.

4. To keep fit and healthy, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and supper like a pauper and never eat before going to bed.

5. Mother is the Superior, I am the acting Superior.

6. Never volunteer, dearie, you'll get the job for life.

7. The answer is no. Now, what's the question, sister?

8. No vacation in the woods for me. I want pavement under my feet and lights over my head.

9. I don't go to meetings; they can almost always be described in two words -- mass confusion.

10. Darling, if you're going to make excuses, make them good.

Sister Anne Marie's departure from this life was marked with three posts on our blog. You may visit them here, here and here if you would like to read more about this remarkable sister whom so many of us were privileged to know and love.

Lifestyle Adjustment

When Jesus sent out the twelve apostles, whose names we hear in today's Gospel, he called them to leave behind all that they knew: their livelihood, their families and their own plans and to embark on a mission to preach the kingdom of God. Their lives would never be the same again.

And so it is with us, when we seek to take the Gospel message seriously and try to align our lives carefully to the Lord's will for us: our lives change dramatically, too. The life of an apostle is one which is filled with a tension of opposites at every turn. The security of knowing the Lord's abiding presence is contrasted with the uncertainty of how the Gospel message will be received. The road is neither easy nor smooth for one who seeks to follow the Lord closely but the road -- when traversed mindfully, carefully, and prayerfully -- is always lined with the deep joy that comes with uniting our will to the Lord's will. And most will agree that the company, along this pilgrim road, is a priceless perk.

"Take notice, I pray you, Theotimus, how the life of the Apostles was filled with afflictions: in the body by wounds, in the heart by anguish, according to the world by infamy and prisons, and in all these,—O God! what Indifference they had! Their sorrow is joyous, their poverty rich, their death life-giving, their dishonor honorable, that is, they are joyful for being sad, content to be poor, strengthened with life amid the dangers of death, and glorious in being made vile, because—such was the will of God."

St. Francis de Sales

Sister Sighting!

In 1993 when our school building burned to the ground and our chapel suffered devastating water damage, our dear Sister Anne Marie set out to help raise money to restore the chapel. She sold posters which featured her ramrod straight pose and ten pearls of wisdom which frequently peppered her daily conversations.

As the sale of posters took off and alumnae, friends and family of our sisters began giving them as gifts, we would often hear people remark that "Sister Anne Marie was spotted" in this or that location. Sometimes halfway around the world, sometimes in a local doctor's office. It was a bit like "Where's Waldo" without the red-and-white hat!

In recent weeks, alumnae and friends have been sending us copies of the Memorial Day Weekend edition of the NY Region "New York Times" where our dear Sister Anne Marie made a posthumous appearance. Although she is probably turning over in her grave at the thought that she appears in an article whose second paragraph beings with the query, "When was the last time you had sex?" we might all enjoy a chuckle at the irony since those of us who were privileged to live with her know that her modesty was rivaled only by her sense of humor. When asked about the sale of her posters, Sister used to wink affectionately and say, "Hey, could you make $30,000 selling pictures of your face?"

If you are interested in reading the complete article, it may be found here for a limited period of time.

No Space Too Tight for God

The 1980's action show MacGyver featured a technical troubleshooter who was known for getting himself out of tight places with the most meager of supplies: usually just a Swiss Army knife and some household items. The angel in today's first reading could give Angus MacGyver a run for his money as he rescued Peter who was secured with double chains and imprisoned between two soldiers. The heavenly messenger instructed Peter to get up, get dressed and follow him out of prison. Peter, to his own surprise -- and that of his captors -- was set free and returned to the community of believers.

While the account in today's first reading would have made a great finale in a MacGyver episode, it teaches us a lesson at a deeper level: there is nothing we can get ourselves into that, with God's help, we cannot be led out to safety. This applies to more than prisons in Roman-occupied Judea. Perhaps we find that time and distance have created a tension in a treasured friendship and we do not know how to remedy the discomfort. Maybe we have a coworker with whom we find it more and more difficult to work each day. Sometimes we discover that we have offended a family member with whom we live and do not know how to reconcile our carelessness. There is no space too tight for God's grace. Like Peter, double-chained between two soldiers, we may feel trapped, but the Lord's grace -- if we are open to it -- can find a road out of even the tightest of places!

"So did Saint Peter vest himself in the prison, not at his own choice but at the angel's command. He puts on his girdle, then his sandals, and afterwards the rest of his garments. And the glorious S. Paul, stripped in a moment of all affections: Lord, said he, what wilt thou have me do? that is, what is it thy pleasure for me to love, now that throwing me to the ground thou hast made my own will to die? Ah! Lord, plant thy good-pleasure in the place of it, and, teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God."

St. Francis de Sales

Way to Grow!

Just under two months ago, Sister Philomena shared some biology factoids with us as our tomato seeds were germinating and sprouting. It seemed a good time to check in and see how those seedlings have progressed. Above, Sister poses with one of the 23 tomato transplants which were among our "nursery school graduates" this year. Several other graduates were placed with loving families among friends of our community.

Several of the plants have begun to set fruit already and flowers, on all plants, seem plentiful and hearty. We have a great deal for which to be thankful!

The tomato plants, however, are not the only things growing on our campus. Gabriel, the new "watch-dog-in-training" is also growing rapidly. He may not be covered in flowers like the tomato plants, but he has grown lots in the last few months. Above, he shares a happy moment (and a tennis ball) with Nicholas, his noble -- and very patient -- mentor.

A Wooden Beam with Red Flags

Several years ago we were coming home from Home Depot with some long pieces of wood to make our "compost corner" into a respectable two-bin system. The planks of wood were SO LONG that before we pulled out of the parking lot the nice man who worked in the lumber section had to staple some red baggies to the back of the wood which was sticking out of the pick-up truck. The planks were huge and -- just to make them more visible, they were now flapping red baggies like flags in the wind. This image paints a colorful comparison to the splinter -- also mentioned in today's Gospel -- which can often be so small most of us need a sterilized pin or tweezers to extract it.

How embarrassing to imagine our own faults as obvious and glaring as 8-foot 4x4's with bright red flags! Yet what a compelling call to examine our own imperfections and shortcomings before we look upon -- and dare to judge -- the actions of others. St. Francis de Sales had a great deal of counsel about why we should never judge a person's actions based solely upon what we see; he often reminded his correspondents that although we may observe an action with clarity, we bystanders lack the perspective provided by the mind and heart of the person carrying out the action -- for some things are known to God alone.

"If your affections are warm and tender, your judgment will not be harsh; if they are loving, your judgment will be the same ... And so ought we always to judge our neighbor as charitably as we can; and if his actions are many-sided, we should accept the best."

St. Francis de Sales

Adoration and Movie Night

All-night adoration will continue on the third Friday of each month through the summer, but this will be our last "movie night" until September. The feature presentation will be "Miracle at Moreaux" a 1985 film that takes place in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. The one-hour story is based upon the novel "Twenty and Ten" by Claire Hutchet Bishop. Locals can RSVP by Friday morning (please ... so we know how much pizza to have) by email or they may visit our Facebook page and RSVP to this event.

...one week later

One week ago today we marked the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary and as we celebrated the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, we marked the occasion with a procession down 35th Street and a blessing of the Monastery, Chapel and School buildings. Come, walk with us for a few minutes.

"The Savior instituted the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, really containing His Body and His Blood, in order that they who eat it might live for ever. And therefore whosoever receives it frequently and devoutly, so strengthens the health and life of his soul, that it is hardly possible for him to be poisoned by any evil desires. We cannot be fed by that Living Flesh and hold to the affections of death; and just as our first parents could not die in Paradise, because of the Tree of Life which God had placed therein, so this Sacrament of Life makes spiritual death impossible."

St. Francis de Sales

Commencement 2010

On a day when the weather seemed custom-ordered and every detail was painstakingly prepared ... from golf-cart rides for grandparents to a stellar and smooth-running sound sound system ... the two hundred and eleventh commencement exercises began at 11.00am. The address to the graduating class was delivered by former chief international correspondent and the anchor or ABC's "News This Week," Christiane Amanpour. She shared with the class her experience of being an "accidental journalist" who, as a child, had aspired to be either a rock star or a Wimbledon champion. A stellar student address was delivered by Abaigeal Doherty in which she considered the pursuit of greatness as proposed by Shakespeare. She masterfully traced the class of 2010's four years, through her own experiences, and concluded with an imperative used by Our Lord and the repeated often to young people by the late Pope John Paul II: "Be not afraid!"

The day was splendid, the graduates were elegant and the well-wishing family and friends were as joyful as they were plentiful. We here on 35th Street have a great deal for which to be grateful! Enjoy a six-minute recap of the event here or on You Tube.

Countdown to 400

At the conclusion of our First Friday adoration yesterday, we had a prayer service in union with all our other Monasteries around the world. The program for the prayer service was sent to us from Annecy, where over 70 Superiors are gathered for an assembly to commemoration our 400th anniversary of foundation. Part of this prayer service included an act of consecration to the Sacred Heart. Here we share the English translation of this moving part of the ceremony:

Act of Consecration of the Order of the Visitation to the Sacred Heart

Lord Jesus, the God of all Goodness, your Father and our Father, has given us all things in and through you. Y our heart reveals his heart. Your heart joins with our heart. For your heart is y our everyday human life, your passion, your death and your resurrection.

Today, we consecrate to you the Order of the Visitation into your merciful heart we place its past, present and future. Into your meek and humble heart we confide each community and each sister, for we belong to you.

Through your open heart, we open our own hearts to the visitation of the Holy Spirit. May our desires, our choices, our joys, our moments of fidelity, our weaknesses and failings, our times of trail and our questions all continue to be enlivened by your light and your truth.

Lord Jesus, the Spirit whispers your Father's name in our hearts. Your loving heart calls us to life in community. May we become women of blessing for our sisters, through your heart which welcomes without judging. Teach us how to touch the hearts of the men, women and children of our time. May they discover their own dignity as children of God. Through your heart, turned ever toward the Father help us to pray without ceasing.

We ask this of you, who live with the Father and the Spirit forever and ever. AMEN.

Diving for Treasure

Our Sister Scavengers were at it again this week ... but only one things was different: when they came home, instead of finding Sister Helpful Henrietta, they found Sister Mary Videocamera waiting for them. The only regret is that the enormous flowered couch that is now sitting under our porch (destined for a friend of our community who cannot afford to furnish her apartment) arrived while Sister was fetching the video camera! This two minute video shows our tag-team treasure hunters unloading their bounty. Viewers can rest assured that the larger-than-life mirror will not take up permanent residence in the monastery. Oscar the Grouch's 1969 classic "I love Trash" was too nifty to pass up as a theme song for this little window into an "ordinary" evening at the monastery.

Tidbit on the Trinity

As we prepare for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we thought we might share a word or two about what an important model the Trinity is for a religious community. The Church's document, "Fraternal Life in Community" points out that:

"It is impossible to understand religious community unless we start from its being a gift from on high, from its being a mystery, from its being rooted in the very heart of the blessed and sanctifying Trinity, who wills it as part of the mystery of the Church, for the life of the world."

Religious community life, not unlike family life, calls for a careful distinction between living "in common" and living "in communion" with one another. We can share our food in common and we can share the same space and keep our belongings in common. (Or as one sister was recently heard to quip, "There is no 'mine' and 'thine' in the Visitation.")

Keeping things in common, however -- as important as it is -- is a mere suggestion of the communion that we strive to cultivate in our relationships with one another. This is where the gift of community -- as of family -- is a mystery. The Lord does not call to religious communities those who are cookie-cutter-exact copies of one another. We are different people with different gifts and limitations who may not have chosen each other as "friends" in a common workplace. And although we may not have chosen each other, we have each been chosen by God for the work of building community. When we allow the Lord's grace to work in us to deepen our communion with one another we become a sign of this unity -- which is the life of the Triune God.

"Love not finding us equal, equalizes us, not finding us united, unites us. Now the Father and the Son finding Themselves not only equal and united, but even one same God, one same goodness, one same essence and one same unity, how much must They love one another."

St. Francis de Sales

Taking Pentecost a Bit Too Literally

Back in 2006, we told the TRUE STORY of our Pentecost adventure in 2005. Click here if you haven't read it.

And just when we thought things couldn't get any more literal than being gathered in one room when a LOUD SOUND filled the house ... this past Saturday afternoon we were visited by tongues of fire. Not on our heads, but in the basement. We have not stopped thanking God for the relatively minimal amount of damage that resulted and the near-disaster that could have come about if the fire reached our (nearby) gas dryer or (adjacent) electrical room.

Sister points out the fire extinguisher which remained undamaged despite the flames which melted the clock on the wall above. (Too bad no one was around to use the fire extinguisher!) By the time the sprinkler head tripped and the fire alarm was sounding, however, there was so much smoke that no one could (safely) find their way to the fire. We had to wait for the FD to arrive and locate the source of the smoke.

A cross suffered some damage -- but not nearly as much as one would have expected. The FD broke one window and two doors (hinges repaired yesterday) but stayed to help clean up a good deal of the water and were very cheerful about the whole ordeal.

We sang a rousing "Te Deum" in Thanksgiving for our safety. A very under-used final verse of "Holy God We Praise Thy Name" expresses well our gratitude:

Spare Thy people, Lord, we pray,

By a thousand snares surrounded:

Keep us without sin today,

Never let us be confounded.

Lo, I put my trust in Thee;

Never, Lord, abandon me.

Mystery Solved!

We had a bit of a "Who done it?" mystery in the monastery this past week. Every evening the tomato plants would be watered and "put to bed" (their light would be turned off). The following morning three of them would be dead. This went on for about three days (read: nine dead plants) before Sister Mary Marple concluded her investigation.

The evidence was baffling. Each plant was healthy and strong at night and by morning they all died the exact same way: they appeared to be pinched in half at the point where the stem meets the soil. The root ball on each plant was healthy and strong; the leaves were large and strong-looking but the plant was dead. Was someone sneaking into room 212 and snapping the plants in half? Was there a small mammal visiting the nursery nook at night and stepping on the plants?

Sister Mary Marple talked to all the remaining plants about the incidents. She inspected the healthy plants, studied their stems, and examined their leaves, and questioned them thoroughly. Upon visiting the third and final tray of plants, our crime-solving sister found the culprit in the tray: one large and very overfed beetle. The stem-savoring scarab had munched his way through each of the nine plant stems and drowned in the overflow from the tomato plants' evening watering. Since Sister Mary Marple's investigation, no tomato plants have perished. She may not be the crime-buster that Sister Mary Raphael is but she disposed of the accused insect and reassured the remaining plants of their safety.

One Man's Trash is a Nun's Treasure

On-lookers may have mistakenly identified Sister Rosemarie and Sister Leonie Therese as overgrown squirrels in long blue habits. And that would have been an understandable mistake since they were both found INSIDE some of the dumpsters on the campus of Georgetown University. (No, this isn't a joke. But it is pretty funny!)

During move-out week, Hoyas are known to discard many items which they are unable to take with them as they vacate University housing ... and nuns are known to rescue some of these items.

One trash container, upon arrival at the monastery, was IMMEDIATELY claimed for the pantry to help keep our furry friends from scavenging through household garbage.

Sister Rosemarie found a sewing machine in the dumpster and, below, Sister Leonie found a large pillow which will be cleaned and given to the poor. Some items (such as the quickly-claimed trash container) will find a home in the monastery but most will go to needy families.

We would like to thank our friendly neighbors for their generous donation to our monastery and to the poor to whom we will distribute most of the collected items!

"Nothing brings so much temporal prosperity as free almsgiving, but meanwhile, you are sensibly poorer for what you give. Truly that is a holy and rich poverty which results from almsgiving."

St. Francis de Sales

Cheerful Optimism

We try to inculcate in our students -- and all those with whom we interact -- a sense of cheerful optimism, as one of the "little virtues" St. Francis de Sales bequeathed to his spiritual children. Recently, we received a news magazine called, "Wellsprings of Love" from the St. Francis de Sales Family Spiritual Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Among the different facets of Salesian Spirituality which they highlight is a segment called "The Positive Side of Life." We share here a few excerpts which give examples of the cheerful optimism of our common spiritual heritage:

• Living on earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.
• Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live.
• Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.
• People who are late are often much jollier than the people who are waiting for them.
• We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors ... but they all exist very nicely in the same box.
• A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Bringing Jesus to Others - LITERALLY!

Some of us have been heard to remark that it would be lovely to have a Eucharistic Procession down 35th Street for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. It may not have been the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, but it happened this past Friday afternoon (albeit unplanned).

Two of our sisters and our retreatant left the monastery at 4.10pm to attend the Holy Hour for Vocations at the St. Ignatius Chapel at nearby Holy Trinity. When they arrived for the 4.20pm start of the Holy Hour, they were informed that the parish didn't have a consecrated host for the monstrance. The choices were two: celebrate Mass before (and, as planned, after) the Holy Hour or run back to the Monastery for Jesus. "We can bring Jesus" said the sisters. "Faster than Mass?" asked the few gathered patrons. "Eight minutes" replied the hot-footed sisters.

Setting off in haste they didn't go to the hill country, but back up the street to the Monastery where they procured a consecrated host. Returning the way they came, the sisters processed -- one with candle ahead and the other carrying Jesus behind -- two blocks down 35th Street. Passers-by looked on with quizzical looks at the fast-moving sisters.

Adoration began just before 4.30pm and the 5.30pm Mass was followed by a delightful gathering on the rectory porch. The sisters and other guests enjoyed meeting Flannery, the 3 1/2 month old puppy who has recently moved into the rectory.

Archdiocesan Vocation Fair

A woman stepped out of the door to the Basilica just as Sister Mary Snapshot was going to take a picture of Sister Anne Francis carrying this six-foot table on her head. She was going to ask Sister Anne Francis if some of her students could help carry the table. At exactly the same moment, Sister took her left hand off the table and struck a pose for the camera. The thoughtful on-looker stood in the doorway with her mouth agape and said, "I guess she probably doesn't need any help after all."

Eighth grade students from archdiocesan schools attended a 10.30am Mass and then proceeded to visit tables set up by local religious communities. Students were given a sheet with facts about each community and they had to identify correctly the institute to which each fact referred. Above, Sister Anne Francis helps a young man answer question number seven: Which order is 400 years old and was founded by St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal?

In an inspiring homily by Fr. Mark Ivany, parochial vicar at Little Flower parish, students were invited to listen to the Lord's voice in their lives as they would listen to the coach on a sports team: amid all the other noises and distractions, we must train ourselves to listen to the voice of one who can see the whole picture.

For more pictures from the vocations fair, visit our page on Facebook.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Cotyledon!

Former biology teacher, Sister Philomena, is nice enough to move her computer and allow her desk space to be used as a mini nursery for our tomato seedlings. She's also thoughtful enough to share some wisdom with the "backyard biologists" who will be planting the seedlings in a few weeks when they're ready for the great outdoors. Just yesterday about 25 of the seeds poked their heads up through the soil ... only they don't have heads, they have cotyledons. Tomatoes, like many plants, have "baby leaves" which push off the seed casing and begin the photosynthesis process of nourishing the plant. These, however, are not "true leaves" because they are actually present in the seed prior to the germination process. The first set of "true leaves" will grow at the intersection of the two cotyledons (see below).

The seedling on the left still has the seed casing stuck on the end of the cotyledons. If it does not come off in a day (on its own) Sister Philomena's gentle touch may have to ease the casing off and free the cotyledons. The seedling on the right has already lost its seed casing and is ready to begin its journey to the garden!

Historians disagree about when tomatoes were first used as food in Europe. Some assert that they were popular in Spain by the early 16th century and in Britain by the late 16th or early 17th century. It is unlikely that St. Francis de Sales would have been exposed to tomato seedlings, but his penchant for botanical metaphors provides us with a wealth of spiritual insights.

"The root of a good name is to be found in virtue and honesty, which will always cause it to spring up afresh, however it may be assaulted. . . . Be sure that if [anyone] should succeed in rousing any evil impression against you, your good name will soon revive, and the razor of slander will strengthen your honor, just as the pruning-knife strengthens the vine and causes it to bring forth more abundant fruit."

St. Francis de Sales

We Follow Because We are Known

Today's familiar Gospel, an echo from Sunday's Good Shepherd reading, reminds us of the Lord's tender care for us ... but it also reminds us of a deeper truth: why we do follow this divine herdsman.

My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me. How many of us have been in a supermarket and heard a child yell, "MOM!" While every maternal ear in the store perks up, only one stomach drops. It may have come from three aisles away but the resounding cry for "MOM" is recognized. A mother knows her child's voice when she hears it -- even as far away as the cereal aisle may be from the frozen food section.

We cannot love what we do not know. If we believe that the Lord knew us before we were knit together in our mother's womb then we can ponder with awe how much more sensitively the Lord can know us and how much more tenderly he can love us. This Good Shepherd who calls out to us, whose voice we hear, is one who knows us and loves us deeply. Just as the well-trained ear of a mother knows her offspring's cry of distress, how much more sensitively will the ear of the Lord's heart be listening to the cry of his children in distress.

We are known by this Good Shepherd; we are loved. My very self you knew ... when I was being formed in secret (Ps. 139). It's no wonder we follow.

"As a holy shepherd he feeds me, his dear sheep, amidst the lilies of his perfections, in which I take pleasure; and I, his dear sheep, feed him with the milk of my affections, by which I strive to please him."

St. Francis de Sales

Fisher-nuns!

We sent out a dynamic duo, Sister Mary Roberta and Sister Jacqueline, to represent our community at the Benedictine College Vocation Fair this week. Hallmark Benedictine hospitality marked their stay from delightful transportation service to and from the airport by their ever-helpful campus ministry angel and lovely accommodations at St. Benedict's Guesthouse. The kindness of the hosts was rivaled only by the attentiveness and interest of the students with whom they interacted.

Above, Sister Jacqueline spoke as part of a vocation panel which followed the 9am-2pm vocation fair. For more pictures from their exciting trip, visit our Facebook page here.

" Let every one then, having once found out God's holy will touching his vocation, keep to it holily and lovingly, practising therein its proper exercises, according to the order of discretion and with the zeal of perfection."

St. Francis de Sales

Vigil Video 2010

After two weeks -- and some very alliterative problems (computer-codex-complications) we have a two-minute highlight video from our Easter Vigil Mass. "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken" was sung during the sprinkling rite after the renewal of our baptismal promises. Our faithful Father Heet, OSFS, made sure that Sister Mary Videocamera got enough holy water for her AND all the viewers of the soon-to be video! Do enjoy a short visit to the summit of our Sacred Triduum.

Movie Night Moved!

Our April movie night and all-night Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament is moved from this coming Friday until Friday 30 April. This month's movie will be "Ocean of Mercy" -- an apt theme for the Easter Season -- and will be accompanied (as always) by some yummy pizza and fixin's thanks to our Sister Mary Roberta and Sister Anne Francis, the bringers of the cart-of-goodies!

This film chronicles the lives of St. Faustina, St. Maximilian Kolbe and the Venerable Pope John Paul II. It includes rare footage of the trio as well a fascinating explanation of how closely linked were the lives of these three followers of Christ -- even though they never met one another. Movie starts at 7.15pm and Adoration continues until 7am in the chapel. Be sure to RSVP on FB or to our email account so we can be sure that we have ample pizza and goodies for all!

Thomas Takes a Thumping

Poor St. Thomas the Apostle will take a beating in many a homily today as the often-dubbed "Doubting Thomas" Gospel is read on this Divine Mercy Sunday. We might do well to consider a time when we have uttered a similar cry of disbelief. Perhaps we can recall saying, "I won't believe it until I see it." St. Thomas' reaction is quite normal and, in fact, very human. It is the humanity of his statement which makes room for Jesus' mercy. Jesus not only appears to Thomas but he comes to him in the precise manner in which Thomas needed to see him in order to believe it was really the Lord Himself. Jesus met Thomas in his doubt, in his weakness, in his humanity and he met him with tenderness; he invited Thomas to touch his wounds. Even after his victory on the cross, the Lord continues to heal his followers by his most sacred wounds. Those of us who seek to follow the Lord today are no exception. Christ comes to us in our brokenness, with all our faults and failings and he offers us the gift of his mercy -- and He does this in a special way in the sacrament of confession.

As we celebrate this Octave day of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, let us, with Thomas exclaim with gratitude: My Lord and my God!

"But in order that the sweetness of his mercy might be adorned with the beauty of his justice, he determined to save man by way of a rigorous redemption. And as this could not properly be done but by his Son."

St. Francis de Sales

Hearts on Fire

"Were not our hearts burning within us when he spoke to us?" At some point we've all felt a tug, a burning, a feeling much deeper than the quotidian joys and sorrows which await us each day. It's usually something connected with our deepest sense of who we are and who we know we were created to be. Former Secretary of State, Condolezza Rice, spoke at our commencement exercises a few years back and she described how she felt when she walked past a Russian history class that was overflowing with students; she described how it changed her life and she talked about the challenges of switching her major from music to political science. She described the experience as following her passion -- something which she encouraged our graduates to do as they leave us.

How many married couples can pin-point a moment when they had a *sense* that they would like to spend the rest of their life with this particular person. It's usually not a logical conclusion or the result of a mathematical equation. Most of us in religious life, similarly, can speak about a moment when we had a deep sense of the Lord calling us to this or that particular community, a feeling which cannot be rivaled by the outcome of a vocation-match placement test or a personality index.

Like the disciples, we do not always recognize the significance of our "burning hearts" in the moment when we're set ablaze. Sometimes it is only after the fact that we realize just how important a particular experience was for us. Perhaps, as we begin our Easter journey, we can recall with gratitude those times when the Lord has set our hearts on fire with His love. Sometimes it is helpful to revisit scripture passages or spiritual writings which may have served to "fan the flame" in our hearts.

Holy Week Highlights

As we have done in the past we try to provide our readers with a little window into our celebration of Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum. Here we share some snippets from Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Preparations and celebrations show the time and care that go into making the liturgies of Holy Week prayerful and solemn; our sisters and visiting retreatants all lend a hand where it is needed to be sure that everyone has sufficient time to pray amid the busyness of these days.

The music in the video is the Litany of the Passion which we use as the opening hymn for Night Prayer on Holy Thursday. The video ends with the "crossing of the buns" for supper on Good Friday. They were not crossed quite as amply as they were last year, but they were consumed just as readily!

A blessed Easter to all our readers.!