One Year

Our "new" website is now one year old!  Here's some stats:

20,000 visitors to our website.

8,000 visitors to our blog.

6,500 prayer requests.

1,000 Facebook fans between our two pages, Mount Grace Convent
and Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters.

Deo Gratias!

Love of Christ

I have heard people say that looking at the crucifix or meditating on the Passion of Christ makes them feel guilty. An experience of God's love—as manifested in the Passion—can leave us asking, “What do you want from me?” To know Someone did so much for me me is overwhelming and we feel we must do something in return. He doesn't ask anything from us, but he hopes we will strive to love him. As our Creator he could demand our love; as our Redeemer he could make us feel indebted to him. But we are free to respond to his love or not.

Dust and Ashes

Lord, you are merciful to all, and hate nothing you have created. You overlook the sins of men to bring them to repentance. You are the Lord our God. 
(Wisdom 11:24, 25, 27)

Let us pray:

Father in heaven,

the light of your truth bestows sight

to the darkness of sinful eyes.

May this season of repentance

bring us the blessing of your forgiveness

and the gift of your light.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

(from the entrance antiphon and alternate opening prayer for the Mass of Ash Wednesday)

Strength

Often we see trials, temptations, etc as "setbacks" along our journey, whether it be the spiritual life, our career, or any goal. But I pose a new thought for you: Maybe those who rise without any pitfalls are weak and those who spiral up and down and up again are able to spring up because of the strength of their latest trial.

Beauty

Behold, the splendor of His Presence

felt in everything beautiful

For He is Beauty itself.

Maybe that is why man

cannot live without beauty.

O wonderful earthly beauty

Yet it is a cheap substitution

for reality.

O Holy Triity, give us

beauty that we may

wonder at You.

O Holy Trinity...give us Yourself.

Candlemass

Reflection from St. Sophronuis for today's feast, 

the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple:

In honor of the divine mystery that we celebrate today, let us hasten to meet Christ. Everyone should be eager to join the procession and to carry a light.

Our lighted candles are a sign of the divine splendor of the one who comes to expel the dark shadows of evil and to make the whole universe radiant with the brilliance of his eternal light. 

Our candles also show how bright our souls should be when we go to meet Christ.

The Mother of God, the most pure Virgin, carried the true light in her arms and brought him to those who lay in darkness. We too should carry a light for all to see and reflect the radiance of the true light as we hasten to meet him.

Transformation in God

St. Joseph Freinademetz was the first Divine Word Missionary sent to China.  He was canonized along with our founder in 2003 and today is his feast day.

For me, Saint Joseph Freinademetz gives me hope that I can change and grow in holiness.  He greatly desired to be a missionary to China but once there he found the Chinese culture and people were not to his liking. He found little in the Chinese character that appealed to him as a European.  But he truly believed it was God's will for him and so he strove to love those whom he served and to adapt to the culture.  By the time of his death he even looked Chinese!  He prayed that in heaven he would be Chinese.  The people loved him greatly and on the 100th anniversary of his death the government even allowed the people to celebrate!