The Servants' Privilege

One of the apostolates of our Community is to service in residences of a few Bishops in the United States. One of these residences is the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C. The day to day life of the Sisters who serve here revolves around a horarium (order of the day) which is mostly similar to the schedules that all of us keep. Prayer, Holy Mass, and Community time are all mingled with apostolic service. Much of what the Sisters do at the Nunciature is in the realm of cooking, cleaning or laundry. It is one of the ways in which we support the Church through our direct service to the Shepherds of the Church. We are also able to pray for them and the intentions that they entrust to us.

In these days, this role of servant is allowing the Sisters to serve Pope Benedict during his stay in Washington, D.C. Right now they are probably gearing up for the Holy Father's birthday dinner. They have been planning for these moments for a long time. What a blessing for our Country and what a blessing for our Community. May we always strive to have hearts of service after the Heart of Jesus. May we always make His Merciful Love visible in this service.

Here are some newslinks which include images of the Sisters greeting the Holy Father at the Nunciature.

http://video.nbc4.com/player/?id=240753

http://www.wusa9.com/video/player.aspx?aid=58791&sid=70752&bw=hi&cat=74&provider=topVideo

Photos: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSL1564528320080416

"I vow to the Triune God..."

During Holy Mass on Sunday, April 13, 2008, our 15 Junior Professed Sisters renewed their vows for another year. We thank God for them and for their continued "Yes!" of consecration in our Religious Community. These young Sisters are serving the Church in a variety of apostolic services and bring great joy to the rebuilding of the Church in our day.

Alleluia! Celebrating Christ's Resurrection for 50 Days!

It is in great joy that we continue to celebrate Christ's Resurrection. These days are certainly filled with HOPE! Although Easter morning greeted us with snow flurries, the novices and postulants were filled with the graces of the Easter Triduum and enjoyed the new life of Jesus which lives in each of them. We have prayed for the intentions of all of our loved ones, those most in need of prayers and those who have no one to pray for them. May you also experience the peace which only Christ can bring. Alleluia!

Mission: To be SENT with Christ into the world

At the beginning of February, our six second year novices returned to the novitiate from their mission experience. They have come with a deepened knowledge about our religious life, of the difficulties and joys of apostolic service and a greater appreciation of prayer and the Lord's work in their own hearts. To read about some of the graces of their time on mission, visit our website at http://altonfranciscans.org/. Please pray for them in their time of preparing for their first profession of vows. Thank you!

Our Lady of Lourdes and Lent

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the 150th Anniversary of Our Lady’s first appearance to Saint Bernadette. What a beautiful parallel is given to us by the Lord in this feast falling in the season of Lent.

Lourdes today is a place of faith and healing. Lent is a time in which we renew the faith of our Baptism and present all of our brokenness and wounds to Jesus for His healing love to touch us and make us whole again.

May the example and intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes lead us to a deeper surrender of our lives this Lent, that we may commend ourselves into the arms of Mercy.

For more information on Lourdes and the 150th Jubilee go to http://www.lourdes-france.org/index.php?goto_centre=ru&contexte=en&id=405&id_rubrique=405

God bless you!

Laudate Signore!

These are the first words of a song which we have learned in Assisi, the words of which are St. Francis's prayer, The Canticle of the Creatures. It is with much joy and peace that we have returned to the Motherhouse. Our time in Assisi was truly a time of grace in each of our lives and for our entire Congregation. During our stay in Assisi, we were able to walk in the footprints of St. Francis and St. Clare. We spent time in Assisi itself, but also had the opportunity to go to the other places that Francis loved such as La Verna, Greccio, the Portiuncula, San Damiano, and many other places.

One of the highlights was being in Assisi for October 3 and 4th. There were many people there for the feastday. On the evening of October 4 there were Vespers in the Basilica of St. Francis followed by a procession from the lower Basilica to the upper Basilica. At the piazza of the Upper Basilica, the Bishop blessed all of those attending with the Autograph of St. Francis. It is the blessing that St. Francis wrote to Brother Leo which is now kept in a reliquary. The picture above is of the procession and to the side is the blessing. The friars brought branches from olive trees to be blessed and distributed to the people. This was a very striking and beautiful part of our experience in Assisi.

We prayed very often at the tomb of St. Francis and brought all of the intentions entrusted to us there. May all that the Lord wishes to give you through the intercession of St. Francis and St. Clare bring you joy! We will share more of our adventures in the weeks and months to come!

An International Joy

As we have now finished up our official meetings, I have time to post before we depart for Assisi! The time that we have thus far spent together as formation directors in our Congregation has been a great joy for each of us.

We spoke at the end of our time about the graces that each of us received. One of those has been that we have all been touched in a very deep way is in the experience of the beauty of the way in which we have been called - a way inspired by Mother M. Anselma's response to the Holy Spirit in response to the needs of her time. We are each called to live out our lives in response to the Holy Spirit in our times and in our own cultures. "Simply ready in obedience to God's call." That is the spirit of a Thuine Franciscan.

To live with joy the fullness of the life which we have chosen is what the Lord desires for each of us and for each young woman who is called to our community. We pray that those who are called, in each part of the world, be able to answer the Lord with joy and enthusiasm.

Now we have the grace to go together to Assisi and experience the spirit of St. Francis that still lives there to this day. We do not receive these graces only for ourselves but for all of our Congregation and for all who have asked for our prayers. May God bless you!