All is Grace

Congratulations to our newest postulant!

O Holy Spirit, make me aware of the grandeur and dignity, glory and splendor of the God who dwells within me. Make me belong to him, live for him, and serve him in a spirit of awed reverence and humble devotion. Amen.

Following Jesus, by Fr. Jack Farley, SVD

Response to Christ is our Christian vocation. This call is a personal relationship. Primarily, it is not I who am seeking the Lord, but the Lord is seeking me. The purpose of spirituality is to let myself be found. Catherine of Siena expressed this in a unique way. She said: “God is running after you day and night as if God has nothing else to do than be occupied with you.” Can I imagine such a God who has nothing better to do than chase after me day and night?

Can I imagine such a God whose primary interest is to run after me? If I can convert myself to that God, my life will blossom. God is deeply, passionately in love with each of us. Jesus told us nothing more important than this. It is now for us to let this reality penetrate our whole being. God loves me now, as I am, not as I would like to be. Sometimes we prefer to believe that we love God rather than that God loves us.

Today, take time for prayer, time to connect with God's intense, loving presence: around, within, all over us. Prayer simply means: to think about God and to love God at the same time. It is important for us to be open to God's presence, alert to God's call, God's amazing invitation to discipleship, friendship, commitment.

A Special Day

It began...
With a small, quiet voice: "Come, follow Me."
"You are mine. I have chosen you."

It continued...
With a response: "Yes, Lord, I will follow."
"Where you lead, I will go."

It is growing...

With a leap of faith,

A step across the cloister boundary.

Congratulations to our newest Sister!

She entered as a postulant on September 8.

Pray for her!

"You are an enclosed garden, my sister, my bride, 

an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed." 

Song of Songs 4:12

More Than You Can Handle?

Never be hurried by anything whatever.  Nothing can be more pressing  the the necessity for you: peace before God.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

I've often heard it said that God never gives us more than we can handle.  It's meant to be a comfort; even under a crushing burden, we need to remember that it isn't going to last forever and God provides the grace we need.  Katie Davis, a 23-year-old from Tennessee who is a missionary in Uganda and mother to 13 girls,  has a different take on this old adage.  She says that God regularly gives her way more than she can handle.  Her confidence in God is undimmed, however.  She has an unshakable faith that the place where she reaches her limit of endurance is precisely the place where God takes over.  She doesn't need to be strong, she just needs to let God's power shine through her.  Katie's story and her blog is a reminder of how God's power is made perfect through weakness.
We don't need to be strong and powerful to accomplish great things or survive the great trials of life.  We just need to be small and docile in our Father's hands.  Now that takes real strength!

Mother Maria Elizabeth

At the general chapter of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).  They are missionary priests and brothers and were also founded by St. Arnold Janssen.

Prayer Can Change the World

O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy.

I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, O Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors’ souls and come to their rescue.

Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors’ needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings. Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.

Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.

Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.

You Yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy. The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind. The second: the word of mercy — if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The third: prayer — if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically.

O Lord Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for You can do all things.

~from the truly wonderful Divine Mercy app.

Pentecost Hope

One of my favorite Pentecost readings is from the Vigil Mass: Ezekiel 37:1-14.  Ezekiel is shown a plain of dry bones.  A depressing scene...but when he prophesies as God commands him the bones come back to life.  God then makes the promise to Israel: “...I will open your graves and have you rise from them....I will put my spirit upon you that you may live.”

The Easter season begins with Christ's Resurrection—the first fruits from the dead—which is a promise of our resurrection and victory over death. How is this done?  St. Paul says (Romans 8:11) through Christ's Spirit who is given us on Pentecost.  Imagine: the gift of the Spirit is only the first installment of what is to come!  How great is the mercy of God!

The House of Israel was despairing: “Our hope is lost.”  This is the devil's trump card: despair.  May the gift of the Spirit this Pentecost renew hope within you. May he bring you back to life.  May you know God's mercy.
 “O my people! I will put my spirit within you that you may live....I have promised and I will do it.”