Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue

            This morning, the usually quiet and empty church basement was a sea of bouncing, happy first communicants dressed in white dresses of satin, veils of chiffon and tulle, and blue silk ties and white shirts.  It was the day after their first Holy Communion and the parish celebration of May Crowning.  It also happened to be Mother’s Day and the feast of the Ascension.

            After calling for attention, I gave the usual announcements about procession and going to communion. (Followed by the usual chorus of “I don’t get it.”  They didn’t, by the way.  We had a wayward flock of 5 children in the wrong bench!)  Then, as they were lining up, we gave each child a flower for Mary.  “What is this for?” “Do we get to keep it?“  Obviously, I hadn’t done a great job of explaining the traditions surrounding Catholic’s honor of Mary during the month of May.

            Why do we honor Mary as Queen of the May?  Why do we place flowers at her grottos and crown statues of Mary with wreaths of flowers?  I definitely do not have an historical, researched answer on this, but I do know that there are few gestures more tender or more Catholic than this. To give to her the fairest of the glory of spring seems a fitting gift to the one whom we call “the fairest honor of our race.”  It is our opportunity to join Gabriel in his acclamation on bended knee, “Hail full of grace!”  It is a gesture that has come to mean a great deal to me, for the more time goes by, the more apparent it is to me what a gift Mary’s spiritual motherhood is for us.

            Our three children who crowned the statue of Mary did beautifully.  (The crown bearer was so impressed by the import of the event that afterward he wanted to hold the pillow for the rest of Mass!)  As the children stood in their guard of honor while the last chorus of “On This Day, O Beautiful Mother” was sung, I was reminded of the children’s poem made famous by Archbishop Fulton Sheen,

Love lady dressed in blue,

Teach us how to pray.

Jesus was your little boy,

You showed him the way.

           

Lovely lady dressed in blue, please show us the way to Jesus!

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Last Saturday, we had a special guest at St. Francis Convent: Justin Cardinal Rigali, cardinal emeritus of Philadelphia, and a long-time friend of our community.  Cardinal Rigali was invited to speak to the Sisters about his memories of the Second Vatican Council and memories of the work he did for Pope Paul VI as his English-language interpreter, as well as collaborations with other popes.  This was a perfect theme during this Year of Faith!

His Eminence shared many stories that showed the character of Pope Paul VI.  Among other virtues, one that stood out was his utter fidelity to the Lord Jesus Christ and his humility in exercising the authority of the office entrusted to him.  During his talk, I was struck by the thought that we stand on the shoulders of giants.  Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we stand on a firm apostolic foundation, the one established by Christ! 

Almost in confirmation of this idea, the next morning Cardinal Rigali reminded us of the importance of the apostolicity of the Church (i.e., the Magisterium) in safeguarding and transmitting the sacred deposit of faith handed onto us by Christ.  The apostles, and many of their successors after them, spent their lives in service of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to the point of shedding their blood.  Without their sacrifice and witness, you or I would not know Jesus!  What should our response be to the gift of faith given to us by God’s grace through the ministry of the Church?  Gratitude is a good beginning. 

William F. Buckley, commenting on ingratitude, wrote that to live without any sense of gratitude is “spiritually atrophying. “ The converse, then, must also be true: fostering memory of gratitude has the capacity to strengthen our relationship with God.  During this Year of Faith, take time to reflect on the many people who have helped to initiate or deepen your faith, both those whom you knew personally and the many more that you do not know.  You will find that you too, are standing on the shoulders of giants.

L O V E

LO

VE

           You’ve probably seen this on postage stamps or Valentine cards, but I think it’s based on a sculpture in Philadelphia.  The sculpture is the centerpiece of a public gathering area.  I once visited the site, and I was at once struck by the sheer amount of people who were gathered there.  It was a locus of activity, with people talking, laughing, playing, and overall, enjoying life. 

            I doubt that most of those gathered were Christian, and probably fewer still had an understanding of the new commandment, but yet they all wanted to gather at a sculpture that contains a word that is the foundation our faith: love.  It gave me hope that authentic love can still speak to our culture.  Whether it is the love of a husband for his wife, or of a mother for her children, or a consecrated woman for the world that she embraces in her vow of chastity, love has the capacity to communicate to another something of the beauty, nobility, and dignity of being human.  Love opens the pathway in a person to encounter the living God.

            In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment: love one another.  As with all of Jesus’ words, He will reinforce this teaching through His actions to let us know what exactly this means:  He will literally lay down His life for His friends on the cross. Earlier in the reading, He announces that now is the time for the Son of Man to be glorified.  It is hard to understand how the crucifixion is the glorification of God.  And yet, on the cross, the true glory of God is unveiled, just as the veil in the temple was torn in two:  God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, so that all who believes in Him might have eternal life.  The cross speaks definitively to us that God has truly loved us to the end.  This is glory that defies the imagination, but more importantly, it is the love that opens the pathway for humanity to be reconciled to the Father.

            Jesus shows us what love is and what love is capable of on the cross.  And, lest we think that it is only God who loves, He reminds us that all will know we are His disciples if we have love for one another.  As audacious as it sounds, when we authentically love another person, we participate in the redemptive work of the Son.  We, through, with, and in Christ, are capable of bringing many sons to glory.

Who has God placed in your life that is in most need of love? How is God calling you to love them?

A Blessed Easter!

The Sisters pray the peace and joy of the Risen Lord fills your heart to overflowing today. 

We pass on to you today the words of our Holy Father Francis.  To sum up his words, he invites us to experience the newness of life, to remember what God has done for us and to allow God to surprise us each day!  We invite you to be attentive these days of Easter and ask Jesus to surprise you.  Let His love transform you and be not afraid. 

Following are a few quotes from Pope Francis’ homily and a link to the full text. 

“Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.

…To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled; this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future. May we learn to remember everything that God has done in our lives.

…On this radiant night, let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who treasured all these events in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19,51) and ask the Lord to give us a share in his Resurrection. May he open us to the newness that transforms, to the beautiful surprises of God. May he make us men and women capable of remembering all that he has done in our own lives and in the history of our world. May he help us to feel his presence as the one who is alive and at work in our midst. And may he teach us each day, dear brothers and sisters, not to look among the dead for the Living One. Amen.” 

Habemus Papam!

Where were you yesterday when you heard the news of the white smoke?  I was waiting at a gate in the airport.  You will remember that for a life time.  God's providence allowed me to see the whole thing at the airport - from the white smoke to waiting for an hour to reading (no sound from the TV) the words "Habemus Papam!" before boarding a plane right after Pope Francis gave us his first blessing.  It was an exciting moment waiting in the airport.  It was a moment of pride to be Catholic, of joy in anticipating the news!  It was incredible to witness the crowd at St. Peter's and to know that millions were watching and waiting around the world.  Now we have a Papa again!  We Franciscans are joyful too with his choice of name! May our Holy Father Francis intercede from heaven for our Holy Father Francis on earth.

Today Pope Francis shares with us about the journey and the Cross in his first homily.  Let us remain in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to descend upon our new Pope.

St. Alban Roe, Pray for us!

May the Lord give you peace!  This is Sister Teresa Maria sharing a little about my time on mission at Mater Dei Convent in Wildwood, MO.  Our Sisters in Wildwood serve at St. Alban Roe elementary school.  While our three Sisters who are stationed there have their own classes, I had the opportunity to help all over the school.  I had outside duties each day and spent time with students from each classroom (Pre-K-8th) during my six months.  I would give religion lessons, help students with homework, sit at the front desk, and often answer curiosities about religious life and the difference between myself and the other Sisters.  I encountered many puzzled faces when I arrived in a white veil.

Even though I was not physically in our Province's Novitiate, my time on mission was a very natural continuation of my initial formation.  Although none of the Sisters I was living with were my Novice Director, they have had a role in my formation.  It is not possible to be prepared for every situation you might have on mission before you go.  I feel blessed to have had the Sisters willing to guide me.  I look forward to finding out just how much I learned the last six months as we prepare for vows and share our experiences with each other.

Pope Benedict XVI's Final General Audience

In gratitude we pray for Pope Benedict XVI!  Read his words to the world at his last general audience today: Pope's Final General Audience Address

"I am not abandoning the cross, but remain in a new way with the Crucified Lord"