Setting Out on the Journey

As we begin this most sacred season of Advent, we may think of this season as a time to remove obstacles on our journey to the manger. Those of us who pray the Liturgy of the Hours will be spending a great deal of time with the prophet Isaiah during the Office of Readings. One may look at this book as one which calls us to embrace hope and to reject the temptation to give in to pride. Isaiah felt that the judgment and punishment which the Israelites brought upon themselves were due to Israel's and Judah's pride, made manifest in their desire to shape their own destiny instead of being faithful to Yahweh's covenant for them. Despite the gloom and doom of his words, Isaiah called the Israelites to wait in hope for the coming of a Messiah, the promised descendant of David's line.

His word still speaks to us today as it calls us to be vigilant in keeping our eyes and our hearts on the star as we set out on this four-week pilgrimage to the birthplace of our savior. Let us look carefully in our hearts and ask ourselves what obstacles might stand in the way as we journey to Bethlehem. Do we need to reconcile with someone at work, at home, at Church? Do we need to examine how we spend our time? Do we need to spend more time with the Lord, more time in prayer, more time with our family, with our friends? Do we need to be more patient with someone in our life? Let us find the obstacles, the detours and roadblocks and let us ask for the grace to negotiate them in a way which will help us to grow in grace as we approach the manger later this month.

"Our dear Savior and Master came to teach both the little and the great, the learned and the simple. Yet we almost always find Him among the poor and simple. How different is God's spirit from that of the world!"

St. Francis de Sales (Advent Sermon 1620)

Thanksgiving Leftovers

As most of us in America celebrate the secular holiday of Thanksgiving, we might profit from adding a Christian flavor to our holiday and to all the days that follow.

"Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness. Let the word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you" (Col 3:12).

It is a good practice to pause as we celebrate Thanksgiving and to give thanks for the many blessings we have received. It is a better, practice, however, to make sure that the "leftovers" last all year long. Long after the last turkey sandwich (with stuffing inside) has been eaten and the remains of the pumpkin pie enjoyed, we might do well to savor the spirit of Thanksgiving in our daily life. Let us keep before our eyes, a deep sense of the Lord's goodness to us in the many gifts we receive on a daily basis. Perhaps our Thanksgiving leftovers may last us the whole year through!

"Is it possible that I was loved, and loved so tenderly by my Savior, that He should have thought of me individually, and in all these details by which He has drawn me to Himself? With what love and gratitude ought I to use all He has given me?"

St. Francis de Sales

The Power of Prayer

We're pretty sure that if St. Francis de Sales were alive today he would be using the Internet to spread the Good News and to encourage his readers to grow in holiness. In some small way, we try to be worthy daughters of this great patron saint of journalists by sharing bits and pieces of his patrimony with you, our dear readers. The Internet does seem to be evolving into an effective means of aiding in the noble work of evangelization!

In addition to being a medium for spreading the Gospel (and, in our case, sharing tidbits of monastery life) the world of push-button publishing makes the global world much smaller. News travels faster; rumors and false-reports spread like wildfire; on account of the Internet maps, directions and weather reports are at our fingertips and the encyclopedia salesman has had to hang up his briefcase. One other advantage to this fast-paced new medium is the "ripple effect" (sometimes called "going viral" ... which sounds scary!) of one message, picture or video reaching the eyes -- and hearts -- of millions.

In an effort to help spread awareness of a special intention, we share here the special intention of a seminarian in need of prayers. Philip Johnson is a seminarian at St. Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia who is studying for the diocese of Raleigh, NC. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy for a brain tumor. Those who wish to join their prayers, are invited to take part in a Novena which will begin on 29 November and conclude on 8 December. Links to the Novena prayer (in English and Spanish) as well as a letter from his bishop asking for prayers can be found here. Do join in the prayer brigade; for where two or three are gathered . . .

The Tiny Tax Collector

Today's Gospel affords us both a spiritual and syntactical example.

First things first, the spiritual example is a charming one: a grown man, disliked by his own people because his job as tax collector implied that he colluded with the Roman authorities, climbs a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus. One might not have difficulty imagining a teenager climbing a tree to see a rock star at an outdoor concert; the sight of a grown man scaling a tree with no indication of any concern for the opinions of those around him would surely have been the target of finger-pointing and head-turning.

We, too, should be unselfconscious when we seek the Lord in our daily life. Our quest may not take us up a sycamore tree, but it may take us some places which are equally precarious and similarly uncomfortable. When we encounter someone who treats us unkindly it is often difficult to reach out after we have been rejected or ignored. We may feel like walking in the opposite direction just so as not to have eye contact and risk feeling the discomfort of a cold stare. When we go out of our way to reach out to this distant neighbor, we are seeking out Christ. We, like the first-century tax collector in today's Gospel, sometimes have to behave in ways that will draw more attention that we might have wanted. We should not be surprised to overhear our colleagues say things like, "Why is she talking to him? He's always rude to everyone!" Or, we may fear that people will treat us differently if we begin to reach out to the local crosspatch. Let us not be concerned about how uncomfortable it can be to perch ourselves atop this tree of virtue. Rather, we should be emboldened by the knowledge that when we earnestly seek the Lord, we will see Him and He will come ever closer to us.

Our syntactical example is almost as charming as the image of the sycamore-scaling Zacchaeus and it speaks to the importance of identifying clearly the antecedents we use. The English translation of today's Gospel reads: "Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature." There is no indication in the passage of who "he" was who was short. Was it Jesus or Zacchaeus? English, not being an inflected language, lacks the ability to make this distinction. A cursory check of the Greek text, however, would reveal that the antecedent to the ambiguous "he" is, in fact, the diminutive tax collector. Without the original text to confirm the case of the pronoun, one might be left wondering.

"Blessed is the soul that seeks God alone. For she will find him everywhere and everywhere she will seek what she has found."

St. Jane de Chantal

Featured Film

November's all-night Adoration and movie night on the 19th will feature the1956 classic film, "Miracle of Marcelino." The 90-minute story features an orphan who is raised in a Spanish monastery where his puerile antics wreak havoc for the monks.

The little boy's insatiable curiosity and his mischievous ways pave the way for a life-changing encounter with the Lord. This touching film continues to charm viewers (and keep Kleenex in business.)

Adoration begins at 7pm in the Chapel and movie go-ers may gather in the front hall by 7.15 to head up to the Little Odeon for pizza and our featured film. Don't miss this enchanting story!

Locals who would like to attend, may RSVP to the FB event here; or, they may email us directly.

A Century in Review

Last Sunday, when many of our neighbors were out ringing doorbells, we were ringing in a new century. Our Sister Mary Raphael, about whom we wrote last week, celebrated her one hundredth birthday on Halloween. To honor our centenarian, the community performed a skit which highlighted events from sister's life: a fondness for map-reading, making washcloths for WWI soldiers, disciplining children, learning to dance and putting Mary Kay out of business with her very own wrinkle-busting exercises. The skit was written and directed by our Sister Archivist, costumed by our Sister Refectorian; it starred almost all 20 nuns, one postulant and our visiting retreatant. The opening song was penned by our Sister Organist and some of the more unusual (and un-monastic) props were procured thanks to our faithful friends and benefactors. We hope you enjoy a 5 minute visit to our recreation last Sunday evening.

Hoof Tracks

There is usually a mixed feeling of relief and frustration when, at long last, we find someone for whom we have been searching. We feel relieved because our search is over and we have been safely united with the object of our quest. We do, however, at times feel a surge of frustration: perhaps a misunderstanding or miscommunication necessitated the "search" in the first place; maybe we did not anticipate having to circle the airport 50 times before finding our party for pick-up; and dare we muse about how we ever managed to "find" people in the dark ages, before the advent of cell phones? Surely, most of us have experienced this angst-ridden relief at finding the person for whom we were looking.

We know for sure that there were no GPS tracking devices embedded in the hooves of the sheep we hear about in today's Gospel. The shepherd who left 99 sheep unattended did not have a ETA and a cheerful voice offering to "recalculate" every time he took a wrong turn in search of his wandering ungulate. One can only imagine the frustration in the heart of this good shepherd as he searched for his missing mammal. Of the many lessons and truths hidden in this parable, perhaps one of the most striking is the manner in which the lost sheep was treated. The searching shepherd -- if he felt any frustration -- did not show the least bit of annoyance. He does not merely pick up and carry home the lost sheep; rather, "he sets it on his shoulders with great joy."

We might expect a proud parent to set a child on his shoulders when the celebrated offspring has done something meritorious. Getting lost is hardly a behavior which parents seek to reinforce (with good reason!) Principles of good parenting aside, the lesson for us, perhaps, is the gentleness with which the straying sheep was treated. How easy it is to be unkind to those who have inconvenienced us. How quickly we can forget the mercies shown to us by the Lord! How do we treat those in our lives who have strayed: from us, from the Church, from virtue, from a spouse, from family? The next time we have an opportunity to show our frustration or unleash our vexation, let us ask for the grace to imitate the good shepherd in today's parable and, with joy, bend our shoulders to carry the burden of a lost soul.

"You will catch more flies with a spoonful of honey than a barrel of vinegar."

St. Francis de Sales

A Centenarian Among Us

Pictured above is our dear Sister Mary Raphael signing her vows in our vow book on 21 November 2009. This year, when she signs the vow book she will be 100 years and 21 days old. Mass this morning will be offered for Sister's intentions and our Sunday "parishioners" will be treated to a 100-rose bouquet adorning the altar; the flowers were was sent to Sister by a former pupil of hers in Parkersburg, WV. Mass programs all have an insert telling readers a bit about this quiet and humble (but ever-so witty) sister. Below, we share it with our readers:

Lucille Catherine Speer, the daughter of Elvader and Stella Stoddard Speer, was born October 31, 1910 in a rural area near McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. Her father was a farmer and a tax collector and like many families of that area, the family held membership in the Presbyterian Church.

After attending Crafton public schools, she graduated from the then teacher's college which is now Indiana University of Pennsylvania. While a college student, she became a member of the Catholic Church in 1930.

For two years in the early 1930s, she was a relief worker for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. A coworker there told her about a teaching position that was available at De Sales Heights Academy in Parkersburg, West Virginia, an academy founded in 1864 by Visitation Sisters from Georgetown and Frederick. On August 15, 1938, Miss Speer entered the Parkersburg Visitation community, making her final vows in 1943. As Sister Mary Raphael, she began a long career at De Sales Heights that included teaching English, Mathematics and religion as well as being librarian, assistant principal, principal and superior of the community. In 1941 and 1942, she received an MA in educational Administration from the Catholic University of America, an accomplishment unique for a Visitation Sister in those pre-Vatican II times. Another special remembrance she has is of accompanying a group of De Sales students on a four-week trip in Europe for which they received a credit in the study of world cultures.

When De Sales Heights closed its doors in the early 1990s and the sisters were received into other Visitation communities. Sister Mary Raphael and Sister Mary Immaculata Janz were welcomed here at Georgetown Visitation in 1992.

Beginning on October 20th, Founder's Day, when the Georgetown Visitation students and faculty presented a special cake to Sister Mary Raphael, we have been celebrating a milestone that in 2010 is still a rarity, even though she assures us that "We all age at the same rate of speed..."

Other famous quotations from Sister include: "Well ..." (spoken calmly and deeply.) When asked if she would like something else to eat: "I believe that I feel quite satisfied." And when Mother Mary Berchmans offers to push her chariot for her she responds with: "Mother, you have bigger fish to fry."

Living Rosary 2010

The Spiritual Life Committee of our Parents' Association organized our annual "Living Rosary" yesterday evening. Normally, the event takes place in our student quadrangle but weather conditions made the Chapel a better choice for the location of this year's tribute to Our Lady.

Mothers and students gathered in the student dining room at 6pm for some lip-smacking good chili and homemade cookies. At 7pm students, parents, faculty and sisters gathered in the front hall where each one received a lighted taper and a rose. As the procession entered the Chapel, each participant placed her rose in a vase at the foot of Our Lady and commended to her heart a special intention.

The group prayed the Joyful Mysteries with a different special intention announced at the beginning of each mystery. Despite the weather conditions and change of plans, the event was seamlessly well-executed. For more pictures, visit our Facebook page's photo album.

An Obstructed View

In a Broadway theater, an obstructed view seat is usually a very economical way to see a show. In our earthly pilgrimage, an obstructed view can be very expensive!

Today's Gospel reminds us that our own observations can often be very, very far from accurate --even when it seems that we have all the information needed to make a sound judgment. As certain as we may be that we have a complete picture of a situation, we can never make a correct judgment unless we know the heart of the person whose actions we are tempted to judge.

How often are we tempted to take offense at the words or actions of another and sometimes we even allow it to affect our own actions and reactions? How many of these times have we been wrong about the intention of the "offending party?" Our "judgment" may cause us to change our behavior, become less solicitous, less generous, less friendly and it may well be the case that since we did not know the heart of our neighbor, our judgment was incorrect.

The publican's heart was so very clearly disposed to the Lord's mercy that he was justified. We can never know, on this side of eternity, how the Lord sees the hearts of our neighbors. We can, however, strive to remember how incomplete a picture we have from our own vantage point and, with God's grace, we can starve the temptation to make a judgment on the actions or words of our neighbor.

"The Pharisee looked upon the publican as a great sinner . . . but how mistaken he was, inasmuch as the condemned publican was even then justified! If God's Mercy is so great, that one single moment is sufficient for it to justify and save a man, what assurance have we that he who yesterday was a sinner is the same today?"

St. Francis de Sales

Looking Ahead

At the end of this month, on Halloween day, we will be having a very special celebration as our dear Sister Mary Raphael turns 100. We hesitate to say that she is 100 "years old" because there is nothing "old" about Sister except her age. In fact, when asked about her up-coming milestone, Sister has been heard to remark, "We all age at the same rate of speed." True, indeed!

They may not be ready for a game of "Monopoly" or "Sorry" but these handsome "Barker Brothers" are always ready for a game of tug-of-war with each other or with the closest obliging biped. They donned their Halloween costume a couple weeks early so as to be eligible for our school newspaper's costumed-dog contest. Readers can rest assured that will be sporting their handsome scrubs and helping our dear Sister Raphael ring in her 100th year on Halloween day.

Stay tuned for pictures of our dear Sister Raphael's birthday party as well as our handsome canine couple!

Feast of St. Margaret Mary

On 17 October 1690 the Lord called home to Himself our Holy Sister, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque who spent the last 19 years of her life in our Monastery of Paray-le-Monial where she received revelations of Our Lord's Most Sacred Heart. Most of us do not have such clear and unmistakable experiences of the Lord's will for us in our own lives. We do, however, have daily opportunities to commend ourselves to the Lord's Most Sacred Heart. These opportunities are times when we are invited to place our trust in the Lord and allow Him to use us for His good pleasure and His good works.

What does it mean to place our trust in the Lord? Many of us are familiar with the aspiration: "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee." What does it look like, what does it feel like to place our trust in this Most Sacred Heart? There are probably as many answers to this question as there are hearts that seek the Lord ... this is but one suggestion: only when we sincerely try to imitate the Lord's mercy in our daily interactions with our neighbors will we be at home in His Most Sacred Heart. And only then can we place our trust in Him.

"Plunge yourself often into the charity of that lovable Heart so that you may never act towards your neighbor in a manner which may, in the least, wound that virtue, never doing to others what you would not wish done to yourself."

St. Margaret Mary

The Gift is in the Giving

How often do we feel as though we don't have anything to give to others in need? How often do we, wishing we could do more, feel helpless in the face of others' needs? In today's Gospel, Our Lord tells the Pharisees of the importance of giving alms. How can we give alms when, at times, we feel as though we have nothing to give?

The real gift is not that which is offered, but the place from which it is offered. We may feel as though we cannot offer money or something which can make a significant difference to those who need our help. We can always offer our time and our attention, no matter how rich or poor we are. And the manner in which we offer our time and our talents is often as valuable as the gift itself. It is possible that one may write a generous check and make a much-needed financial contribution without any emotional or spiritual investment in the beneficiary of the gift. By the same token, it is almost impossible for one to help a family in need by delivering a meal, picking up groceries, running errands, etc. and not, in some way, touch the lives of the recipients.

We can only give what we have. Some of us do not have money which we can give but almost all of us have time and talents which can be offered to those around us. We can offer to pray or make sacrifices for those in need; in this way, we give the gift of our time and our comfort. How we give alms is as important as -- if not more important than -- the gift which is given. Let us not feel discouraged that we do not have many things to give; let us remember that we all have the resources to give cheerfully, lovingly and generously ... even if all we have to give is a smile.

"For fasting, prayer and alms-giving are the coins whereof your treasures are to consist. Now as amongst the treasures of the temple, the poor widow's mite was much esteemed, and as indeed, by the addition of many little pieces treasures become great, and their value increases, so the least little good works . . . are agreeable to God, and esteemed by him."

St. Francis de Sales

Live From Ohio!

Positioned very close to the location we had last year, the Visi vocation team set-up shop in the shadow of the great San Damiano cross. Peering up above the sea of displays one can spot the top of the "picture yourself with us" display that stood next to our electricity-equipped table. Close to 100 religious communities, orders and dioceses were represented this year, filling Finnegan Field House from end to end with religious sisters, brothers, priests, displays, give-aways, holy cards, candy, candy, lots of candy and delightful students. For more pictures from our adventure, visit our monastery Facebook page or click here.

Road Trip Time!

It's that time of year again ... the traveling team from the monastery is gearing up for a trip to the annual vocation fair at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. This year, two cars will be traveling with a couple of guests and the usual assortment of sisters. Stay tuned for "live coverage" from Ohio this coming Friday!

Feast of the Guardian Angels

One day a student walked into class and announced to her teacher, "Guess what? I learned that we don't actually have to believe in angels!" The teacher while considering for a moment that the information reported was, in fact, accurate (since *technically* angels are not an article of faith) but before responding to the excited child, she maintained a look of consternation long enough for the student to recognize an element of confusion. After a brief pause the teacher replied, "But why wouldn't you want to believe in angels?" To which the student had no reply.

It is true that we are not obliged to believe in the presence of these heavenly messengers who assist us daily and protect us; it is also true, however, that Jesus was assisted by an angel in the garden during a time of great suffering. Why would we not want to believe that these divine beings would assist us, too? Today the Church gives us a memorial of our Guardian Angels, the divine guide whom we believe was given to us at our birth. These quiet and unseen helpers protect us and guide us in ways that we will never fully understand on this side of eternity. Let us be mindful of and grateful for the many ways in which the Lord provides for our needs. And today, let us spend a moment giving thanks for our Guardian Angel and for the many trials we have been spared or the many temptations that were averted because of such loving assistance!

"Give yourself up to your guardian angel, that he may be your guide, and gird up your courage!"

St. Francis de Sales

Are You on the Way?

In today's Gospel, the Samaritans would not welcome Jesus because his destination was Jerusalem. Jesus' destination hit a nerve with his audience. The age-old animosity between the Jewish people and the Samaritans had to do with a dispute as to whether the Jerusalem temple, revered by the Jewish people, or the Samaritan temple, located near Mt. Gerizim, was built according to the Mosaic law. When the Samaritan village learned that Jesus had "set his face" toward Jerusalem they refused to welcome him.

This is a powerful metaphor for those of us who seek to follow Christ in our daily life. Jesus was traveling the road that many Jewish people would take to visit the temple. Jesus' destination, however, was not the temple, it was the cross. Jesus is the temple; He is also the way, the road that leads to life -- but only after the cross.

Just as Jesus' destination was a source of discomfort for those around him, sometimes our "destination" can provoke the same reaction -- especially when He is our destination! Have we ever felt a sense of distance from certain people in our lives because of the choices that we have made? Perhaps we did not laugh at an unkind remark or an inappropriate joke; maybe we offered a word of defense for an absent coworker who was a victim of detraction. Has it been our experience that we are ridiculed for going to Church or for taking time during our lunch hour to pray or attend Mass? It may be the case that we have lost friends or experienced pain in relationships because of our decision to follow Christ closely.

Jesus was rejected because he was on his way to Jerusalem; he was on his way to do the Father's will. We should not be surprised when our journey as disciples-on-the-way takes us places where we experience rejection and suffering -- all on account of our destination. This is the pilgrim journey of every Christian. This is the road that Our Lord walked before us and this road, has been made sacred by his footsteps. This is the way. It is the way of the Cross and it is the way of every Christian.

"Love and death are so mingled in the Passion of Our Savior that we cannot have the one in our heart without the other. Upon Calvary one cannot have life without love, nor love without the death of our Redeemer."

St. Francis de Sales

Sophomore Retreat 2010

How many angels can fit on the head of a pin? We don't have an answer to that but we do know how many angels can fit in our refectory, as evidenced by the 22 sophomores who joined us as the first of seven classes to spend a mini day-of-reflection in the monastery.

Students gather in the chapel for an introduction to the Liturgy of the Hours, followed by Daytime Prayer with the sister in the Choir. After Daytime Prayer, there is a period of Q and A before the gang heads down to the monastery refectory for dinner with the community. After dinner, the retreat concludes with a presentation and practice of Lectio Divina in the chapel. Students return to their normal schedule after the "mini-retreat" but we can spot their halos as they toodle back to their afternoon classes!

"Simplicity towards God consists in seeking Him only in all our actions, whether we are going to the Office or to the refectory. . . Let us seek to please only God, and to advance in His love."

St. Jane de Chantal

Shining Our Light

Today's Gospel proposes a familiar challenge: the exhortation not to light a lamp and place it under a bed. This may seem an odd (if not impractical) image to us today -- in part, perhaps because current OSHA regulations would, no doubt, prevent anyone from lighting a lamp and putting it under a (highly flammable) bed.

How often, however, do we do this spiritually? How often do are we uncomfortable showing external signs of the faith we treasure in our hearts? Perhaps we are eating out in a restaurant and we feel funny saying grace at the table for fear of what others around us might think. Maybe we are away with friends for a few days and we feel shy to tell them that we'd like to find a Church for daily Mass. Or, perhaps we are in conversation at work and we are uncomfortable about how an absent colleague is described; do we find a gentle way to show our dislike of detraction or do we cover over the light of truth that shines in our hearts? These are difficult and, at times, dangerous situations. In the case of the latter, a person's reputation may be at stake and fear might keep us from shining the light of a good example by speaking out in truth and in charity.

One very effective way of making sure that we do all in our power to let our proverbial light shine in moments where we might be tempted to hide it is to take some time each morning and consider prayerfully all that we anticipate meeting in the coming day. Just as, at the end of the day, we examine the moments where we might have been more loving, more gentle, more kind and we ask for the grace to do better the next day ... we can do this before the day begins by preparing ourselves for those encounters which we can anticipate. When we have considered the promise of a new day and done so with the Lord at our side, we stand a better chance of keeping our light visible and helping to light the way for others.

"Consider beforehand what occupations, duties and occasions are likely this day to enable you to serve God . . . and make a fervent resolution to use all means of serving Him and confirming your own piety. . . . It is not enough to make such a resolution, --you must also prepare to carry it into effect. Thus, if you foresee having to meet someone who is hot-tempered and irritable, you must not merely resolve to guard your own temper, but you must consider by what gentle words to conciliate him. If you know you will see some sick person, consider how best to minister comfort to him, and so on."

St. Francis de Sales

Movie Night Resurrected

After a hiatus for the summer, we have brought back our movie and pizza event for the academic year! This Friday we will enjoy a stellar movie on Padre Pio, some quality company from our usual repeat offenders and an extraordinary treat: homemade pizza. One of our faithful neighbors (and readers) has offered to cook up some fresh pizza for our movie-going gang. We understand that the said pizzas will be arriving in some very professional-looking boxes donated to our friendly neighbor by Saxbys, the local coffee shop. We are excited and very grateful for this fabulous gift!

Adoration begins in the Chapel at 7pm and the movie begins in little odeon at 7.15pm. Adoration will continue until 7.00am on Saturday. Locals are welcome to join us and can RSVP via email or on our FB page invite.