“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

These words lie at the foot of the Statue of Liberty.  After being greeted there, immigrants from northern, southern, and eastern European nations were processed at Ellis Island and then went on to their new homes throughout the United States.  Today, immigrants come from throughout the world – from Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Central & South America.  So, not everyone sees the Statue of Liberty upon arriving at our shores.

The closing of our first reading from Isaiah is filled with rich images.

                        “You shall be radiant at what you see,

                        your heart shall throb and overflow,

                        for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,

                        The wealth of nations shall be brought to you.”

Barbara Reid in her book, Abiding Word, says “all people, from near and far, come to the holy city bearing their priceless gifts:  riches from the sea, caravans of camels bulging with treasures, gold, frankincense, and wealth beyond measure”.

Everyone, today, brings what they have – their humanity, their rich culture, their values, and their religious traditions.  This mix provides all of us with an opportunity to learn from one another’s lived-experience and to be enriched with the various gifts that they bring from their part of the world.

Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s we often heard that the United States was a “melting pot” because of its mixture of people.  The difficulty with that image is that once something is melted it ceases to be what it was originally.  The image that speaks to me today is that of a symphony.  The violin, the clarinet, the trumpet, the drum, and all of the other instruments maintain their original sound.  Yet, while playing together, beautiful harmonies are created that would not be present had the instruments not come together.
We hear further in the Letter to the Ephesians that we are “coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel”.  For us that means welcoming our brothers and sisters from throughout the world into this place that we call “home”.  It means “working with”; it means “collaborating with…”

Barbara Reid speaks again:  The exotic visitors from the East, who come with their priceless gifts for the newborn Christ, signal the welcome of all people’s in God’s embrace” [end quote].  As I was reflecting upon the gospel text earlier, I was challenged by the words:  “They prostrated themselves and did him homage”.  Questions arise:  Where do I/where do we prostrate ourselves today?  Where do I/where do we do homage today?

On December 14^th, thirty-three (33) Hispanic/Latino bishops of the United States issued a letter to immigrants.  I was touched not only by the compassion but also by the reality of the situation of many immigrants.  The bishops say “We will not find a solution to our problems by sowing hatred.  We will find the solution by sowing a sense of solidarity among all workers and co-workers – immigrants and citizens – who live together in the United States.  Further, the bishops state that they “will also continue to advocate on behalf of global economic justice, so that our brothers and sisters can find employment opportunities in their countries of origin that offer a living wage, and allow them to live with dignity”.  The letter ends with “We see Jesus the pilgrim in you migrants.  The Word of God migrated from heaven to earth in order to become man and save humanity”.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany; today we celebrate all of us, for we are all migrants in some way.  It may be from another country; it may be finding ourselves at another place in our lives; or it may be finding ourselves growing deeper in relationship with God and with one another.

May we always remember that Jesus, the Christ, the ultimate migrant, resides in and is present in all of us gathered here today and in our streets.  May we reach out in loving relationship to all we meet…

Filed under: Faith, Scriptures Tagged: Epiphany, religious traditions ]]> http://blog.holyfamilysisters.org/2012/01/09/homily-for-feast-of-the-epiphany/feed/ 0 Sisters of the Holy Family http://blog.holyfamilysisters.org/2011/12/31/january-1-2009-the-octave-day-of-christmas-solemnity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-the-mother-of-god/ http://blog.holyfamilysisters.org/2011/12/31/january-1-2009-the-octave-day-of-christmas-solemnity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-the-mother-of-god/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:09:16 +0000 Sisters of the Holy Family http://holyfamilysisters.wordpress.com/?p=1052 Continue reading »

Theotokos (The Mother of God)
[In the Letter to the Galatians] St. Paul said: “God sent forth his Son, born of woman” (Gal 4:4). Origen commented: “Note well that he did not say, ‘born by means of a woman’ but ‘born of a woman’” (Comment on the Letter to the Galatians, PG 14, 1298). This acute observation of the great exegete and ecclesiastical writer is important: in fact, if the Son of God had been born only “by means of” a woman, he would not truly have taken on our humanity, something which instead he did by taking flesh “of” Mary. Mary’s motherhood, therefore, is true and fully human. The fundamental truth about Jesus as a divine Person who fully assumed our human nature is condensed in the phrase: “God sent forth his Son born of woman.” He is the Son of God, he is generated by God and at the same time he is the son of a woman, Mary. He comes from her. He is of God and of Mary. For this reason one can and must call the Mother of Jesus the Mother of God [in Greek, Theotokos].

Filed under: Faith, Feast Days, Scriptures Tagged: Christmas, Immaculate, Mary, MOther of God, Octave, Woman ]]>

Afrikaner (Afrikaans) ~ “Geseënde Kersfees”
Argentine ~ “Felices Pascuas”
Bohemian ~ “Vesele Vanoce”
Brazilian ~ “Boas Festas”
Chinese (Cantonese) ~ “Saint Dan Fai Lok”
Danish ~ “Glædelig Jul”
Dutch ~ “Vrolijk Kerstfeest”
English ~ “Merry Christmas”
Filipino ~ “Maligayang Pasko”
Finnish ~ “Hyvaa Joulua”
French ~ “Joyeux Noël”
German ~ “Froehliche Weihnachten”
Greek ~ “Kala Christouyenna”
Hawaiian ~ “Mele Kalikimaka”
Hebrew ~ “Mo’adim Lesimkha”
Icelandic ~ “Gledileg Jol”
Indonesian ~ “Selamat Hari Natal”
Irish ~ “Nollaig Shona Dhuit”
Italian ~ “Buone Feste Natalizie” - Natale italiano
Japanese ~ “Kurisumasu Omedeto”
Korean ~ “Sung Tan Chuk Ha”
Lithuanian ~ “Linksmu Kaledu”
Malay ~ “Selamat Hari Natal”
Maori ~ “Meri Kirihimete”
Norwegian ~ “God Jul” - Jul i Norge
Romanian ~ “Craciun Fericit”
Peruvian ~ “Felices Fiestas”
Portugese ~ “Boas Festas”
Slovakian ~ “Vesele Vianoce”
Spanish ~ “Feliz Navidad” - Cyber Navidad
Swedish ~ “God Jul” - Jul i Sverige
Welsh ~ “Nadolig Llawen

Jesus is born, God is With-Us, the world is different because of the Incarnation. God’s entering into the world enfleshed changed not only that generation of people, but God’s whole relationship with the Earth and its creatures. It’s the work of a lifetime to get beyond the Baby Jesus, the shepherds and kings, the Santas and reindeer, the shopping and eating and drinking to come to an understanding of what the Incarnation continues to mean to each of us, to all of us, to our world and all its inhabitants. Several years ago I was being mean-spirited and resentful about all the people who celebrated Christmas without having a clue what they were celebrating. In a thrift store I found a children’s book that concluded, “Christmas is for everyone!” I’ve been less resentful since I found that book, and have found that if I truly believe that Christmas is for everyone, then I need to do some stretching. It’s a process that makes each Christmas more awesome than the one before. Emmanuel — God-With-Us. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Where is the awe of Christmas for you?

Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

Christmas is a privileged opportunity to meditate on the meaning and value of our existence. The approach of this Solemnity helps us on the one hand to reflect on the drama of history in which people, injured by sin, are perennially in search of happiness and of a fulfilling sense of life and death; and on the other, it urges us to meditate on the merciful kindness of God who came to man to communicate to him directly the Truth that saves, and to enable him to partake in his friendship and his life. Therefore let us prepare ourselves for Christmas with humility and simplicity, making ourselves ready to receive as a gift the light, joy and peace that shine from this mystery.

—General Audience, December 17, 2008

These quotes and reflections from the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, are excerpted from “Christmas: Pope Benedict XVI Spiritual Thoughts Series.”

A few years ago a teenager I knew was arrested, jailed and brought to court.  The parents asked if I would come to the hearing and testify as to his character.  I felt confident, I had him in class, and I knew his parents.  So after I was sworn in, the conversation went something like this:

Prosecutor:  So Gladys, Ms. Guenther, what am I supposed to call you anyway?

Response:  Most people in the parish call me Sr. Gladys.

Prosecutor:  What is your relationship to Juan (name substitution here)?

Response:  He is a member of our parish, and one of the youth in my Monday night religion class.

Prosecutor:  So what do you teach him?

Response:  I went on about the Creed and lectionary based catechesis, that he was preparing for confirmation.

Prosecutor:  As part of your teaching, do you teach the Ten Commandments?

Response:  Yes.

Prosecutor:  Can you name them all?

Response:  Yes.

Prosecutor:  And do you teach your students to live out the Commandments?

Response:  Yes.

Prosecutor:  Has Juan been there for those classes?

Response:  Yes.

Prosecutor:  Then why did he get into the fight and almost kill someone?

Response:  I don’t know that he initiated the fight.  I think he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Prosecutor:  Are his actions a reflection of your teaching?

The interrogation continued in that vein.  I kept returning positive statements until finally the prosecutor said:  “So doesn’t this mean you have failed as a teacher?” At which point I turned to the Judge and calmly asked: “Your honor, am I on trial here?”  I was shaken, exhausted and frustrated that I was not seemingly giving witness to the youth’s character, or helping his case. You could feel the tension in the room.

I felt the same way when we heard today that “a man, John, came for testimony.”  He witnesses to the priests, Levites, Pharisees, and the common folk (for surely this story comes from them).  The bigwigs are all gathered, but John doesn’t let his ego get in the way – No, I’m not the Christ; No, I am not Elijah; No, I am not a prophet.  I am definitely not here to bring you fame or importance.  Stop thinking that you should stand in my light, or ask me to betray Christ.

John says in so many words:

I have a voice, but I am not the Word.

I am like a lantern, but I am not the Light.

I call people to reconciliation, but I do not baptize with fire and passion.

In a very real way we are asked to give Testimony like John:

Could anyone accuse us of being Christ’s disciple?  Could we prove it?

Could we tell tales about how we have resisted temptation and overcome sin?

Our Joy, on this Gaudete Sunday, is in preparing for Christ’s coming, testifying with our lives, time, talent, values, energies and priorities to the promise of God’s kingdom, justice, compassion and peace.  Like John, our task is to bring people to the light and then step aside. It’s an important task!

I left the witness chair, the proceedings continued; Juan was convicted, he went to jail and six years later was released, a very worldly-wise youth; his parents, his friends, his neighbors gave him a “welcome home” party–it was bittersweet.

As I recall, despite what he testified John the Baptist was also jailed, and eventually lost his life.  Testimony has a cost.  Today we are asked to believe that it can also bring us deep Joy!

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Yes! December 12th at 11 a.m. All of the brooms, mops and vacuum cleaners stood still at the motherhouse. All of the female Hispanic housekeepers and Edgar from the kitchen, with his guitar, formed a wonderful choir and celebrated the Eucharist for all who attended.

Our Lady of Guadalupe was lovingly honored and serenaded with wonderful traditional Spanish Hymns practiced before hand by Sister Guadalupe.

The sermon by Father William emphasized the role of Mary in our lives, the simplicity of Juan Diego, who carried out the simple but viable command and request to build a church in her honor, which is so prominent today in Mexico City.

Sister Guadalupe stressed in her homily how the entire cosmos from the beginning of time has worked in harmony, and that we as people of God should continue this style of living in our lives to the best of our ability in order to continue the harmony that was intended.

All who work at the Motherhouse, twice a year outdo themselves in generosity and bring their favorite dishes to share with the community. The spirit of the meaning of Eucharist continued in our dinning room and a great December 12th was enjoyed by all.

Sister Thérèse Martinez, 12.12.08

Less than two weeks into Mark’s year, we depart from Mark’s gospel to speak of the Annunciation, an event recorded by Luke but not by Mark. The Annunciation, though, comes many years after the Immaculate Conception we celebrate today.

Today we note Mary’s own conception in her mother’s womb, an immaculate conception that will come to fruition in exactly nine months with the celebration of the Nativity of Mary on September 8. Mary’s own immaculate conception is in preparation for a different kind of immaculate conception that will bring forth Christ, the Sun of Justice. If she is to house the Holy One of Israel during his formative months, she must be a worthy dwelling place. When the Annunciation comes, celebrated liturgically on March 25, she is ready with her unqualified “Yes” – a yes which comes to fruition in exactly nine months with the birth of Jesus on December 25.

The dates themselves are not accurate nor are they important. What matters is that human mother gave birth to human child, a child who is also child of God. And nothing has been quite the same since.

.

Promises –Promises!! — so easy for us to make; so very easy to find excuses to break them, when it might have given someone a needed confidence to feel they could at least count on us. Not so our God!

Although the promises made to our first parents did not give any assurance of immediate fulfillment, the promise of a Redeemer gave them hope, which lived on in their offspring. So also, there has always been a tradition of expectation: “He will come as a thief…; therefore watch and pray.”

St. Paul in his letter to the Hebrews reminded them that, “They (our ancestors) did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth.”

The Israelites throughout their times of slavery and exodus, of captivity and exile, at last returning to their own land, believed in the promises, even as they cried out: “You have promised us a new heaven and a new earth… a mighty One who will come to save us from our enemies… Why do you keep us waiting?  We long for you, 0 Lord. Why do you delay?  DELAY!  I DO NOT DELAY.  I PATIENTLY WAIT OUT YOUR TIME OF READINESS!

And so the Prophets scolded, pleaded, encouraged, keeping the voice of God in their ears, and faithfully fulfilling their role in God’s plan forIsrael.  Didn’t Isaiah (of the many voices) paint the picture well? Even kings in those days travelled by some sort of carriage, sometimes borne on the backs of slaves, so for the royal comfort; some efforts were made to smooth the roads over which their bearers had to carry them.  We know, of course, by speaking in this symbolism of raising valleys and leveling hills, straightening rugged and rough ways, Isaiah wants us to take the message to heart — literally — heart being the seat of our loves. We are called to enter into reflection on what the terrain of our lives looks like at this time in our life.  Perhaps in these Isaiahan images we might see as well, our inconsistencies, crumbling of relationships and neglect in repairing the damages, the rocky nature of our emotional highs and lows.  The second Reading suggests that we should be eager to be found without blemish ; eager to be found ready, Now is the time to ask ourselves: What sort of persons ought we to be?

Like me, my Sisters can remember when we entered religious life as a Sister of the Holy Family.  We clearly understood it as an invitation, but with no specific promises — and hardly a clue what the future would hold for us. But, we were the ones making promises, so sure of God’ grace that we even promised “forever.”  By God’s grace we continue to renew our promises as we live them each new day.

As Sisters of the Holy Family, we have in our Mother Dolores a most beautiful example of a faithful religious woman, Woman of the Gospel as she has been called.  Our Father John Prendergast said at her death, “Sister’s was no passive character; it was positive, strong and firm, one on which you could depend.  Above all, she was so oblivious of self… live as she would have you live; keep her spirit alive within you, be loyal as she was to Christ.” Mother Dolores became a student of the Scriptures… for she knew her Beloved to be present there speaking to her through them.

Mother Dolores spoke simply, but with sincere feeling to her Sisters, as here she speaks of our calling to Holy Family:.. “You cannot appreciate too much being…members of so noble a work of God’s honor and glory.  The work will be what your individual and several sanctities make it, neither more nor less.” “Pure and transparent as crystal should be your hearts, active as fire, unselfish as the ministering spirits, sweet and tender as grace, strong, generous, and enduring as the hearts over which Jesus has attained perfect mastery.”  Sister Dolores’ secret, then, was to center herself in the Lord at the core of her existence, nourish herself with the Scriptures, and model herself constantly on her beloved Jesus.  We heard Father Prendergast tell us: “Live as she would have you live, keep her spirit alive in you, be loyal as she was to Christ.”

One final Old Testament Prophet stands at the threshold of the New Covenant. The messenger of the Good News, foretold in the firstReading, becomes John the Baptist in our Gospel. Saint Luke begins his account of events fulfilled in Jesus with the story of Zachary, Priest of the Old Testament, and his wife Elizabeth.  Faith-filled Elizabeth does not question the promise of the Angel Gabriel that she will bear a son. Her words: “This is what the Lord has done forme.” evidences her deep trust in God’s personal concern for her. She accepts the promise that her John “will be filled with the Holy Spirit (from his mother’s womb”) all the days of his life … and … that in some way he will have a work to do for the Lord.” And then later in welcoming her cousin Mary of Nazareth,Elizabethresponds to the excitement of the child in her womb with recognition of the presence of her Lord in young Mary.

But John was more than a herald.  He had to prepare a way for the Lord… which is the very task that has been entrusted to all of us in our present sphere of influence. The fruit of our prayer during this Advent time may well be a heightened recognition of the Lord in others, or in helping others see Jesus in our midst in every act of compassionate love. Our loving Savior will come as close as our desire invites Him.

Recalling the messages in ourReadingsand Gospel we learn that God will expiate our guilt but repentance for sin is expected.  Welcoming the Lord into our life requires serious preparation. Vigilance (being awake, attentive, watching, listening) — prayerful reflection on how we stand before God — conversion to the virtues and attitudes we most want our Lord to find in us at His coming.  God is patient, God loves us, God wants to be received so is willing to give us time to prepare: to increase the longing of our desire, our confidence that only in the love and abiding presence of our promise-keeping God is our deepest joy.

By Sister Patricia Whitman, SHF

Okay, first we need to talk about Sister Jacinta. I was sitting next to her at dinner one night, and she picked up her glass and took a drink. Now, this is not an unusual act at dinner in the dining room. But her glass had a clear liquid in the bottom and a brown liquid in the top. I asked what she was drinking. “Pepsi and 7-Up,” she said. “How did you get them to stay separate like that,” I asked. “I don’t know; it just happens,” she said. “If I fill the glass with ice, and then put in the 7-Up and then put in the Pepsi, they stay separate. But if I put in the Pepsi before the 7-up, then it all mixes together.” Moments of wonder happen when you least expect them!

At some point in my life, I heard of a drink called a pousse-cafe, defined as “a style of layered drink prepared by gently adding each liqueur from densest to least dense in order to create colored stripes when the drink is viewed from the side.” It’s the high-class version of Sister Jacinta’s two-layer mystery beverage. The pousse-cafe, we are told, “is sipped, sometimes through a silver straw, one liqueur at a time. The drink must be created and handled carefully, as the layers created will mix together into a brown sludge if handled roughly,” it says somewhere on the Internet.

Advent this year makes me think of a pousse-cafe. Listen to the news; we hear so much of violence, both in foreign lands and in our own city streets. We hear of dissatisfaction, not only with the economy and the political parties, but with the whole political process. We know people who are ill, people who are dying, people who have recently died. Even our days are getting darker, colder, rainier. Sometimes it seems that we have lost the layers that give our lives variety, and it’s all a brown sludge — kind of like the life described in our first reading today: God so far away, no longer performing awesome deeds as in days of old, the people “all withered like leaves, all our good deeds like polluted rags — our guilt carries us away like the wind.”

And then along comes Advent, with its message of hope, promise and joy. Advent helps us to separate the layers that have been mixed into a brown sludge. Our Gospel reading today can indeed be read as a warning, but it can also be read as a promise: Christ will return, and is in fact already present among us. Whatever pain, whatever sorrow, whatever fear, whatever grief fills those top layers of our lives, down deep within is an abiding joy — not a woo-hoo Pollyanna-type joy that sings, “la-la-la, all’s for the best in this best of all possible worlds.” No, this is a serious adult joy that says, through betrayal, crucifixion, death, and resurrection, “I am with you always.” That’s a little litany we might want to practice: God is with me — all the time. All the time — God is with me.

Have you seen the television ad for Kaiser Permanente where a sad depressed voice asks, “Where did you leave it? Could it be outside? Could the children have taken it? Could it be upstairs under your bed?” The ad is encouraging us to find our motivation to lead healthier lives. I am encouraging us to find our joy, to find that deep joy of God’s abiding presence and love, to separate that out from the brown sludge and to sip from that layer — with a silver straw if you wish, but sip deeply.

Paul the Apostle seems to have that ability to sip deeply from joy. He seems always attuned to the grace of God, to God’s loving presence. In prison, in shipwreck, in suffering, he knows God’s presence, he tastes that deep joy. “God is faithful,” he assures us today, “and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” \

This Son, this Jesus Christ our Lord, is the very One we are told will surely come, in today’s Gospel. Neither Isaiah, nor Paul, nor even Jesus himself found life to be a bed of roses, but they all found joy and meaning in God’s abiding presence. During this Advent season, we tend to sing, “O come, O come, Emmanuel” — but Emmanuel means precisely “God-with-us.” God is already with us, loving us, teaching us God’s ways. This Advent we are going to be singing a lot of songs about joy. May our celebration of Advent this year help us to separate out that layer of deep joy in our lives, and know the peace that Christ alone can give.

Looking at the first reading we find that the scriptural author points out a few salient features of wisdom.

First of all, wisdom is shown to be accessible, especially in the verses about “perceived by those who love her and found by those who seek her.”

So the admonition from the author is that one has to search for wisdom.  One can only find wisdom by looking for it.  We all need to search.

The Thessalonians were searching for wisdom – wisdom and understanding about the fate of believers who have died.  If you recall, the thought of the early Church was that the second coming of Jesus, the parousia, was immanent, just around the corner, “coming soon to an assembly near you”.  What would happen to the faithful departed then ?

Paul, one of the big names that held the belief that Jesus would come any second now, tells them “we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not proceed those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord… will come down and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then, we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”

Today’s Gospel, the parable of the 10 young women waiting for the bridegroom with their lamps full of oil, or not, has always been a little problem for me.  Where was the charity in refusing to share oil ?  How could Jesus, who was the world’s champion sharer, tell a story where those who wouldn’t share what they had were labeled “wise”, and the ones who could not convince their neighbors to share with them get locked out of the party ?

All right, so it was Matthew and his community recalling the parable, but it still does not ring very Christian, this refusing to share.

The symbolism of the parable had gotten in my way because I had not clearly seen the meanings as the early Church had. I had let too many centuries and their meanings crowd out the original.

The ten virgins represent expectant believers, like Paul or the Thessalonians, or us.  They are waiting for the bridegroom, who is delayed.  The second coming isn’t coming fast enough.  That’s the problem – the delay of the second coming of Christ.  The entire point of the parable is readiness.  Readiness no matter when he comes.  Jesus, being the Lord of Surprises will come at a time we least suspect.  It might be the middle of the night, or tomorrow or 100 centuries into the future.  Matthew and his community are commenting on the danger of love growing cold because the waiting grows long.  What do we do while he hasn’t shown up yet – what about the people who have died waiting ?  And what about that oil ?

Oil, for the community of Matthew, represented good works.  The foolish ones haven’t got enough, they’ve been slacking off, while the wise ones, fully ready cannot transfer their good works to someone else.  They can help, but readiness to accept salvation is ultimately a matter of personal responsibility.  When the door is shut, admission is not automatic if there is a shortage of love and good works – you’d better go and get some.

Sister Dolores, also considered the possibility of love growing cold because the waiting grows long.  “It is generally by very small degrees that fervor vanishes,” she commented. The perfection of each sister, she went on, depends on “performing extraordinarily well the ordinary courses of every day.”  She asked “that Charity and holy friendship flourish in the house.”

Our mother was a wise woman, as we know from her many recorded words, and she was conscious of the need to be ready for her Lord.  But what was she like as a person in community ?  How did she inspire her sisters to keep their love warm and bright ?

Irene Otto, was a woman who, as a child had been at the Cathedral Sunday School.  She said of Sister, “Mother Dolores would often stop to listen to the children and to talk to them individually.  This was particularly true in my case because my father was an invalid and things were difficult at home.  She was always sympathetic, often humorous, touching off her conversation with a light remark.  I always waited for her, as her comments made things shine.”

So, we know that she kept her lamp burning brightly for her ministry.  What did the sisters have to say ?

Sister Consilio, remembering Sister Dolores to younger sisters spoke of Sister’s outstanding qualities such as extreme kindness, understanding and love for her sisters.

Ask Sister Lucille some day about the letters that she found from the early 1900’s from a sister telling how Sister had such concern for them.  If the night turned cold, there she was with an extra blanket or offering them a little extra comfort if the day had been hard.

We know that when a sister’s parents were extremely ill or dying that Sister Dolores would send them home to spend time with the family.  Sister Stanislaus was sent home to her dying grandmother and stayed there four days.

Even her corrections were given with some humor.  One sister recalled how Sister Dolores often reminded her to not keep her eyes on the floor, but to hold herself naturally.  One day this sister, forgetting how much Sister had reminded her of her down cast eyes complained, “Oh, Sister, I haven’t seen the stars for months.  “Well,” came the answer, “hold your head up !”  That night as the young sister was leaving the chapel Sister Dolores was there, putting her hand over the young sister’s.  “Take these three pills before you retire”, she said.  “There in my hand,” wrote the younger woman, “were three delicious candies.”  It seems that this was a habit with Sister.  The first Sister Vincent told Sister Benedicta that whenever Sister Dolores gave a correction which seemed severe the reprimanded sister would later find some little remembrance under her pillow – new gloves or something else thoughtful and kind, which suggests that Sister Dolores really disliked having to correct anyone.

Sister Benedicta said, “I do not recall any words ever spoken by her, but never felt ill at ease in her presence.”

In her Councils to Superiors – the superiors she hoped there would be some day – she reminds them to speak gently to each other, not interrupting others when they are speaking and listening carefully however little they might relish what they hear.  “Never contradict or maintain your own opinion with obstinacy,” she wrote … “you ought to interiorly believe that it is possible that you may be mistaken as perhaps you have been on many former occasions.”         In addition she commented, “You must learn to accept gracefully and humbly the attentions and services of your Sisters, as well as to bestow yours on them.  This…is essential to the happiness and perfection of Community life.”

How simple are the activities that she saw keeping the fires of love and good works going while waiting for the coming of the Lord.  It is in our relationships with each other in community that will render the oil of personal responsibility, something that no one else can provide.

“Apply yourself,” she said, “to acquire a manner that will indicate respect and consideration for the person, feelings, wishes and happiness of others, for thus only can you fulfill the rule, render yourself dear to your community and to God for whose sake you yield to, and serve all.  This practice alone will render you truly amiable and holy.”

The stories that we hear about Sister Dolores indicate that her presence in community carried out the directives that she proposes.  We know that she apologized when she thought she had been at fault or had been harsh with another. She prayed for those who wronged her – recall her prayer for the fraudulent stigmatist, her first companion, who brought down such humiliation and publicity upon her, so that for years, as our older sisters told me, people on the streets would still point at her and whisper about her.

How wise she was. How anxious she was that her own love, and that of her sisters, would not grow cold as they waited for their Lord.  She sought wisdom and found it, prayed for understanding and received it.  She continually reminded herself and her sisters by word and deed to fill their lamps full and remain watchful and ready to receive the bridegroom joyfully whenever he arrived.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another.”

– John O’Donohue

God of Creation,

Please sustain our sisters and brothers that are suffering around the world as a result of conflict and natural disaster. Console our Japanese sisters and brothers who are living with the results of a devastating earthquake followed by a tsunami on March 11th. Comfort those separated from their families and loved ones.

Bless the relief workers as they work with the survivors of this natural disaster. Protect those responding to the nuclear power plants and enable them to prevent further harm. Lord, help us to respond to the needs of our brothers and sisters in the coming days. Foster in us a greater sense of solidarity, so that we assist as needed, beyond our excess. We ask this through your son Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Intercessions

Response: God of Creation, hear our prayer

For our sisters and brothers in Japan who suffered an earthquake and tsunami on Friday, we pray to the Lord
Response: God of Creation, hear our prayer

For families separated from their loved ones as the result of this destructive natural disaster, we pray to the Lord
Response: God of Creation, hear our prayer

For relief workers in Japan, provide them with the resources to respond to this disaster and the wisdom needed for quick decision making, we pray to the Lord
Response: God of Creation, hear our prayer

For those of us gathered here, that we honor our call to solidarity and respond to the needs of our Japanese sisters and brothers without hesitation, we pray to the Lord
Response: God of Creation, hear our prayer

Will Your Chocolate Easter Bunnies Contain Child Labor?

by Tim Newman · March 18, 2011

Now that Lent has officially begun, Easter is coming soon. While many people will be giving up something leading up to this holiday, chocolate will likely not be one of the popular items being avoided in the next month. In fact, Easter is thesecond top-selling confectionery holiday of the year, as consumers stock up on chocolate Easter bunnies and Easter eggs. With forced, trafficked and child labor continuing in the production of cocoa, will this year’s Easter bunnies be contaminated by labor exploitation?

As the production of Easter-themed chocolate products jumps in to high gear, children continue to work in hazardous conditions on cocoa farms throughout West Africa. Some workers are also in situations involving forced labor or may have been trafficked from neighboring countries to harvest cocoa beans. It has been almost ten years since major chocolate companies committed to eliminating these abuses in their chocolate products, but unfortunately, these labor abuses are still connected to the products we buy.

Many companies are starting to shift their cocoa to beans that have been certified by independent third parties to comply with international labor rights standards, but the Hershey Company has lagged behind in making such commitments. The iconic Hershey Company makes many most popular Easter-themed chocolate treats, but the company has not implemented the demands of well over 7,000 Change.org readers calling for Fair Trade Certified Hershey chocolate.

The International Labor Rights Forum, Global Exchange and Green America now have new resources that you can use for Easter and Passover to support the Raise the Bar, Hershey campaign. You can download this Easter-themed letter and mail it to Hershey. The letter includes a picture that can be colored in which is a great activity for kids. For Passover, you can use this supplement for your seder and collect Passover-themed letters to Hershey. Additionally, these organizations are also sponsoring a creative Hershey Brand Jamming Contest and have just announced a new grand prize of $1,000 for the best entry and have extended the deadline to April 10, 2011. More details on the contest are online here.

You can also take action by sending an e-mail to Hershey through Change.org and inviting your friends to join. If you are on Twitter or Facebook, you can send a message to Hershey through its Twitter account (@Hersheys) or on its Facebook wall saying that you want a Fair Trade Certified chocolate bunny from Hershey this Easter.

Photo credit: dearbarbie

Tim Newman is a campaigns assistant at the International Labor Rights Forum. He also works on the Stop Firestone campaign.

This story was published at www.Change.org

Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter Sunday, is the first day of the Season of Lent. Its name comes from the ancient practice of placing ashes on worshippers’ heads or foreheads as a sign of humility before God, a symbol of mourning and sorrow at the death that sin brings into the world. It not only prefigures the mourning at the death of Jesus, but also places the worshipper in a position to realize the consequences of sin.  (See Reflections on Ash Wednesday, below).  Ash Wednesday is a somber day of reflection on what needs to change in our lives if we are to be fully Christian.

In the early church, ashes were not offered to everyone but were only used to mark the forehead of worshippers who had made public confession of sin and sought to be restored to the fellowship of the community at the Easter celebration. However, over the years others began to show their humility and identification with the penitents by asking that they, too, be marked as sinners. Finally, the imposition of ashes was extended to the whole congregation in services similar to those that are now observed in many Christian churches on Ash Wednesday. Ashes became symbolic of that attitude of penitence reflected in the Lord’s prayer:  “forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us”  (Luke 11:4, NRSV).

Reflections on Ash Wednesday

Stuart Malloy

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It is a somber day of reflection on what needs to change in our lives if we are to be fully Christians. It was not always the way we know it today. Ashes marked on the forehead of worshippers were not given to everyone, but only to the public penitents who were brought before the church. Much like Hester Prynne bearing her scarlet letter, these open and notorious sinners were marked publicly with the sign of their disgrace.

As time went on, others began to show their humility and their affection for the penitents by asking that they, too, be marked as sinners. Finally, the number of penitents grew so large that the imposition of ashes was extended to the whole congregation in services similar to those that are observed in many Christian churches on Ash Wednesday.

We who will bear the ashes upon our foreheads stand with those whose sins may be more public, but not, according to the Scriptures, more grievous to the heart of God. And so we make our confessions. . . . If you only knew the secrets of my heart, if you only knew the sins that I am capable of contemplating, if you only knew some of the schemes I have considered – and of course God does know – then you would know that I, too, am a sinner.

Ashes are signs that we are all in this sin business together, and that the difference between the good in us and the bad in us is sometimes frightfully thin. We so often fall short of the Faith we claim. We have treated people as things and we have treated things as if they were valuable people. And so we look into our hearts and make the ancient prayer of one notorious sinner our own: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10; see Psalm 51 and the Language of Transformation).

Lent is a season that reminds us to repent and get our lives centered, our priorities straight, and our hearts clean. This holy season offers us a new chance to say, “yes” to the Lover of our Souls who created us, who made us in his own image. Lent is the time for a restoration project that will reveal the beauty of God’s design for us, showing once again the scale, proportion, and priorities intended by our Maker.

Further, Lent is a season of hope and with ashes on our foreheads and hope in our hearts, we go forth to love and serve. For by God’s grace in Christ, we do not have to stay the way we are.

-Stuart Malloy, Copyright © 2010, Christian Resource Institute

Below are a list of ritual suggestions which had been developed in consultation with the diocesan Pastoral Care of the Sick Committee. In addition, there are suggested general intercessions and a blessing for caregivers that can be a part of a parish celebration of Anointing of the Sick.

“When the Church cares for the sick, it serves Christ himself in the suffering members of his Mystical Body” (Decree on the Pastoral Care of the Sick, December 7, 1972).

Assessing your parish’s ministry to the sick:

• Have enough ministers been trained and commissioned to bring Communion to the sick?
• Are parishioners encouraged to visit the sick in their homes and hospitals?
• Are the homebound invited to participate in parish life in whatever way possible?
• Are the sick and dying remembered in the prayers that begin parish group meetings?
• Does the parish support other organizations that assist the sick and dying and those who are easily forgotten?

Suggestions for a parish celebration remembering the sick

• Remind pastoral care ministers and ministers of Holy Communion to visit the sick and shut-ins of the parish.
• Place the names of the sick in a special book that is displayed in church.
• During February, place the names of the sick on separate pieces of paper and ask parishioners to take a name, pray for the person, and send him/her a card.
• Use the diocesan Rite for Sending Communion Ministers to the Sick from a Parish Mass.
• Schedule a parish Anointing of the Sick either during Mass or outside of Mass.
• Include intercessions for the sick or use the suggested prayers below.
• During Mass, give a special blessing for caregivers. Suggested text is below.
• The following prayer from the United States Bishop’s “Pastoral Care of the Sick” can be printed in the bulletin or on cards for people to pray at home or at weekday Mass:
  

  Father, your Son accepted our sufferings to teach us the virtue of patience in human illness. Hear the prayers we offer for our sick brothers and sisters. May all who suffer pain, illness, or disease realize that they have been chosen to be saints and know that they are joined to Christ in his suffering for the salvation of the world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

  Padre nuestro, tu Hijo aceptó nuestros sufrimientos para enseñarnos la virtud de la paciencia en el dolor humano. Eschucha las oraciones que te ofrecemos por nuestro(a) hermano(a) enfermo(a). Que todos los que sufren dolores, enfermedades o males se den cuenta de que han sido escogidos para ser santos y para conocer que están unidos a Cristo, que sufre por la salvación del mundo. Te lo pedimos por Cristo, nuestro Señor. Amén.

General Intercessions for the Sick

For the Church: [pause]
May we accept the challenge to respond to the needs of God’s people.
We pray to the Lord.

For all who suffer throughout the world: [pause]
May they experience the peace of Christ.
We pray to the Lord.

For all who have come today for healing: [pause]
May they be filled with new hope and strength.
We pray to the Lord.

For all who are dedicated to the care of the sick: [pause]
May they receive the grace to continue their ministry of compassion.
We pray to the Lord.

For the families and friends of those who are ill: [pause]
May their faith bring them comfort.
We pray to the Lord.

Blessing for Caregivers

Almighty God, you are lavish in bestowing all your gifts;
your mercy is without measure,
and the treasures of your goodness without limit.

We thank you for the ministry of pastoral care
with which you have graced your church.

We thank you for these, your ministers,
who faithfully give of themselves in caring for their brothers and sisters.

Send your blessing upon them;
shelter them in the shadow of your wings.

May they see you in the faces of those entrusted to their care,
and may they share your gifts with those in need
out of love for Christ our Lord who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Originally posted here

We are thankful for all who have responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to be a religious priest, brother, sister, hermit or consecrated virgin.  May they, and all members of Secular Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life experience the support of the Church as they continue their growth in holiness.  We pray to the Lord…

4:00 pm Vespers Service with Communion
Followed by a collective listening to Richard Gaillardetz’ LCWR Address 2010 Hope In The Midst of Darkness

Outline Provided
Short Discussion

5:15 pm Festive Dinner

6:30 pm Part 2 of Richard Gaillardetz’ talk
Short Discussion

7:15 pm – Closing Prayer

In 1997, Pope John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. This celebration is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd. This Feast is also known as Candlemas Day; the day on which candles are blessed symbolizing Christ who is the light of the world. So too, those in consecrated life are called to reflect light of Jesus Christ to all peoples. The celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life is transferred to the following Sunday in order to highlight the gift of consecrated persons for the whole Church.

Prayer for Openness to God’s Call

(Pope John Paul II)

Lord Jesus, once You called the first disciples in order to make them fishers of men. Continue to let resound today Your sweet invitation: “Come and Follow Me.”

Grant to young men and women the grace of responding promptly to Your voice. Sustain our bishops, priests, and consecrated souls in their apostolic work. Give perseverance to our seminarians and to all those who are fulfilling the ideal of a life of total consecration to Your service.

Enkindle in our communities a missionary zeal. Send, Lord, workers into Your fields and do not let mankind be lost because of a lack of pastors, missionaries, and people dedicated to the cause of the Gospel.

Mary, Mother of the Church, Model of Vocations, help us say “Yes” to the Lord Who calls us to collaborate in the divine design of salvation. Amen. – Pope John Paul II
Amen.

Prayer to Our Lady for vocations

(Pope John Paul II)

Virgin Mary, humble daughter of the Most High, in you the mystery of the divine call was fulfilled in a marvellous way. You are the image of what God accomplishes in those who entrust themselves to Him; in you the freedom of the Creator raised up the freedom of the creature. He who was born in your womb has joined in one single will the salvific freedom of God and the obedient assent of man. Thanks to you, the call of God is definitely joined with the response of the man-God. First-fruits of a new life, you keep for us all the generous “Yes” of joy and love. Holy Mary, Mother of all who are called, make all believers have the strength to answer the divine call with generous courage, and let them be joyful witnesses of love toward God and toward their neighbour. Young daughter of Sion, Star of the morning, who guide the steps of humanity through the Great Jubilee toward the future, direct the young people of the new millennium toward Him who is “the true light which enlightens all men” (Jn 1:9). Amen!
Amen.

Prayer of St. Catherine of Siena

Lord, take me from yourself and give me to yourself.

God our Father,

You will all men and women to be saved
and come to the knowledge of your Truth.

Send workers into your great harvest
that the Gospel may be preached
to every creature
and your people, gathered together
by the word of life
and strengthened by
the power of the sacraments,
may advance in the way
of salvation and love.

I ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

The Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, January 9-15.

God calls us all to live our faith and seek out our vocation to become a deacon, priest, religious sister, married or single person. Perhaps God is calling you to the priesthood or consecrated life. Will you have the courage to follow your heart? We are all called to love and serve Him and one another. As we continue to walk in the light of Christ and to serve our Lord with our whole heart, mind and soul, may we be filled with the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and seek to forgive all who have hurt us. National Vocation Awareness Week is a time for reflection. During the week of January 9th-15th, we encourage all Catholics to:

• Take time to pray for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.
• Reflect on our own vocation and strengthen our personal relationship with Christ.
• Educate our young people about the importance of silent prayer and taking the time to truly
• Listen to God’s voice in our hearts.

The Sisters of the Holy Family will be celebrating Vocation Awareness Week on January 8, 2011 in Hawaiian Gardens, CA.  Contact vocations@holyfamilysisters.org for more information.

The Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, January 9-15.

God calls us all to live our faith and seek out our vocation to become a deacon, priest, religious sister, married or single person. Perhaps God is calling you to the priesthood or consecrated life. Will you have the courage to follow your heart? We are all called to love and serve Him and one another. As we continue to walk in the light of Christ and to serve our Lord with our whole heart, mind and soul, may we be filled with the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and seek to forgive all who have hurt us. National Vocation Awareness Week is a time for reflection. During the week of January 9th-15th, we encourage all Catholics to:

• Take time to pray for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.
• Reflect on our own vocation and strengthen our personal relationship with Christ.
• Educate our young people about the importance of silent prayer and taking the time to truly
• Listen to God’s voice in our hearts.

The Sisters of the Holy Family will be celebrating Vocation Awareness Week on January 8, 2011 in Hawaiian Gardens, CA.  Contact vocations@holyfamilysisters.org for more information.

The Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, January 9-15.

God calls us all to live our faith and seek out our vocation to become a deacon, priest, religious sister, married or single person. Perhaps God is calling you to the priesthood or consecrated life. Will you have the courage to follow your heart? We are all called to love and serve Him and one another. As we continue to walk in the light of Christ and to serve our Lord with our whole heart, mind and soul, may we be filled with the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and seek to forgive all who have hurt us. National Vocation Awareness Week is a time for reflection. During the week of January 9th-15th, we encourage all Catholics to:

• Take time to pray for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.
• Reflect on our own vocation and strengthen our personal relationship with Christ.
• Educate our young people about the importance of silent prayer and taking the time to truly
• Listen to God’s voice in our hearts.

The Sisters of the Holy Family will be celebrating Vocation Awareness Week on January 8, 2011 in Hawaiian Gardens, CA.  Contact vocations@holyfamilysisters.org for more information.