New Year's Book Pics, attempt #2

Are you about to make a New Year's resolution to do some worthwhile reading every day? Sr. Julia Mary suggests a few books for your consideration...
I have to apologize to Sr. Julia for the awful picture that represents the whole thing: YouTube simply takes the exact middle frame, whatever it is, and uses that... To increase the viability of our informal book review service, please visit YouTube and rate this video, and encourage others to do the same! Thanks and Happy New Year!

a prayer for Saddam

How about everyone offer at least a Hail Mary for the soul of Saddam Hussein? May the Lord have mercy on all of us and deliver us from every form of despotism, political and spiritual.

Anna the Prophetess

Anna really is one of the "grand dames" of the Bible. Imagine living for 60+ years as a widow in a society where widows had no position, no security, no power at all! And this little lady spent it all in prayer. Luke tells us that she came upon the little family there at the Temple, "gave thanks to God and talked about the child to everyone." A good summary of our call (and not just at Christmas): to give thanks to God and talk about Jesus!

New Year's custom

To continue what I wrote earlier about our convent Christmas traditions... We are still in the Christmas season, of course, and one of our traditions at the octave of Christmas (one we have in common with many communities) is to make a year-end retreat day, closing with Eucharistic Adoration. For us, this has a special significance, since it was during adoration on New Year's Eve, 1900, that our Founder experienced the call from God "Come to Me, All of You," recognizing it as an apostolic mission for the new century. And now for our new century.

Blessings on your New Year!

Simeon

Today's Gospel kind of came true for me today, a few times and in a few different ways. It's nothing I can write about now, though. Always a matter of keeping ourselves available to the unusual indications of the Spirit.

Went to adoration at St. Peter's and stayed for the 5 pm Mass. The first two pews had been reserved--rather unusual. Then they began filling up: men and boys in tuxedos, women and girls in formal attire. I leaned over to the woman next to me in a back pew. I was sure a wedding was going to be celebrated. Well, I was right, only it was a wedding that had taken place 30 years ago that was being celebrated with Mass and the renewal of vows. What a wonderful witness to us in the pews and to the 50 friends and relatives of that faithful couple! May the Lord bless them ever more!

Holy Innocents

The homilist this morning, a Paulist Father, shared some phenomenal insights into today's feast. Among other things, he commented that Herod's action shows how "focused" evil is: Evil is not distracted from its goal, but calculates what it takes and carries it out, no matter what. But this feast also tells us that God knew he was coming into a violent world. He knew what to expect, and he freely took it on "for us and our salvation."

ex nihilo

I am attempting to "refine" (i.e., add a few transitions and titles to) Sr. Julia's "Best Catholic Books" for the New Year, but, as my title says, I have to do a lot "ex nihilo." I mean, intro and background music: where can I get that without violating copyright? Ditto for images. Those are my two biggest challenges. Then there is the space challenge. Today I got the sad little message: "There is insufficient memory to complete the process." Blip! The program shut itself down. So this evening I made backup DVDs and I am about to perform surgery on my hard drive, deleting files that I am terrified to lose, but can't afford to keep handy.
Ora pro nobis!

Noel: really?

At Mass today, we sang "The First Noel"--only the way it was written in the hymn book was "Nowell," an allusion to the real meaning of the word: "Now all is well." (Very Julian of Norwich!) And it provoked me enough for me to ask myself, "Do I really believe that 'all is well' now that Jesus has come?"  It certainly gives me something to pray about!

 

And a St. Stephen's Day memory from novitiate: it must have been my turn to set up the Mass vestments, because after Mass I got a hairy eyeball from Sr. Mary David. "Did the Ordo really say to use gold vestments today?" Oops! Even in the Christmas Octave, it's red for martyrs...

Traditions

We in the convent have our little Christmas traditions, just the way families have theirs. Ours may be a little more hybrid than most, since (a) they have quite an interesting parentage and (b) institutes have really long memories. Lots of our Daughters of St. Paul Christmas traditions are Italian in origin. They stuck around not only because they were "institutionalized," but because for a good 40 years 50% or more of our community was made up of Italian sisters. So from the day I entered, I learned Italian Christmas carols ("Dormi, Dormi, bel bambin' " anyone? What about "Tu scende dalle stelle?" a "Ninna nanna" or two?) to be sung around the creche (presepio) after Midnight Mass (which, thankfully, was rarely at midnight). Then we had cookies or Sr. Antoinette's fruitcake and hot cocoa and went to see what little gifts "Baby Jesus" left under our pillows in the dorm. For Christmas dinner, we had a first course of ravioli or lasagne, and then a full meal after that. (Breakfast was pannetone, which seemed to be nothing but a course, crumbly, dry bread with candied fruits in it--and so I thought for years, until I finally tasted fresh pannetone, which is out of this world...but not as good as "pandoro".) And Christmas Vespers was always a service of carols. One tradition that was never an Italian Christmas tradition, but became ours is having polenta and sausage for Christmas Eve supper. It was a way our Italian sisters remembered that the Founder used to stir the polenta pot with a wooden spoon in one hand, while the other hand held a book--from which he was teaching a class at the same time!

This year in Chicago, we had polenta and sausage before the "Midnight" Mass (at 9:00), followed by pie and cocoa at home. Gifts were under the tree (convent gift-giving is often a "regifting" process!), and there was a fresh pannetone to be had for breakfast. No ravioli for dinner, though. (Heck, we even used to have a first course of ravioli in the convent for Thanksgiving!) And Carols for evening prayer. But so far, amazingly, none in Italian (save the two we sang at Mt. Carmel last night).

What about your traditions?

Christmas Eve Novena

I doubt I'll have the time to post the final day of the Novena on time, since the Fourth Sunday of Advent falls on Christmas Eve (and I'm in the choir!), so here it is, a little early. In case you are wondering, Saturday is still Day 8 for the Novena!

Big blessings for a Christmas full of Jesus!

The Truth about Santa

Every year as Christmas draws near, you hear echoes of the Santa debate: "I'm not going to lie to my children," etc. etc. This goes on in the Letters to the Editor of the Chicago Tribune, as well. I had to laugh when a self-professed pagan mom said that she has instructed her children to answer, if other kids wondered if they got anything from Santa, "My parents give me everything I need." (As if Santa were about "needs".) But for the record, they celebrate (yes, they do) the Winter Solstice ("the most wonderful time of the year!"). (You have to celebrate something to break the gloom of winter.)

Actually, it would be ridiculous for a pagan to invoke Santa, St. Nick, the Three Kings or any other transcendent gift-bringer, because at rock bottom, Santa brings presents because God is a free giver of abundant grace. Santa Claus teaches us that first, most important lesson: "Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights." What about the "naughty/nice" list? The stocking full of coal? Well, not even grace can penetrate a heart that is indisposed to receive it.

So Santa Claus is as true as any parable Jesus ever told. The whole story of Santa Claus is a parable of grace: a free gift, coming from on high, totally beyond our power and merit.

Christmas Novena, Day 8

Mary's picture of God

Today's Gospel, the Magnificat, is like Mary's portrait of God. She describes God's features in terms of what God does:

He notices his lowly handmaid.

He works marvels.

He reaches out with a powerful arm.

He scatters the proud.

He pulls down the powerful.

He raises the lowly.

He feeds the hungry.

He dismisses the full.

He helps Israel.

He remembers his mercy.

In knowing the Bible, Mary knew God.

 

 

Christmas Novena, Day 7

I don't know what happened to the last attempt I made to post this!

Ya gotta love Chicago!

I have lived in Chicago for over five years. I take the "L" train a LOT, especially the Red line. This week I was again waiting on the platform for a midday train. It was a longish wait, but then I saw the first light appear down the tunnel. And then more lights. And more lights. It was an entire subway train, completely decorated with Christmas lights, inside and out. Everything was outlined in tiny lights. And on a flatbed car in the center of the train was St. Nick himself, sleigh and all. We would-be passengers just stared. Santa had to tell us "All aboard! This train makes all stops!" In we went, to be greeted by a fully costumed elf offering us candy canes. Our seats were upholstered in Christmas fabric. The posts inside the car were candy-striped and the ads were elf and reindeer-themed jokes. It was the "Holiday Train."
Amazingly, on my return trip, it was again the Holiday Train that brought me home. It was a lot of fun watching the waiting passengers as this unusual vehicle pulled into each station.
Then I went off to St. Peter's for Mass, and crossed the KrisKindlemarket in Daley Plaza on my way home.

Ya gotta love Chicago!

Christmas Novena, Day 6

Christmas Novena, Day 5

Christmas Novena, Day 4

The Advent Code

It is time that the truth be made known more widely. For centuries, this knowledge has been handed down within an elite group, the "liturati" (the "liturgically literate"). The fact is, this code is hidden in plain sight in the official prayer of the Church! Amazingly, you yourself have most probably been singing its secret message since childhood, because it has found its way into the classic Advent hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: It is an acrostic in which each verse contains a single piece of the Code, even though the Code only appears when the hymn or the antiphons upon which it is based are sung in Latin. Today, the Code is alluded to in the Alleluia verse of the day's Mass and in the antiphon before the Gospel Canticle in the Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours during the eight days before Christmas.
Behold, I reveal to you the Advent Code, hidden in plain sight in the "O" Antiphons of Advent (which you will also find in our Christmas novena on YouTube):
O WISDOM (Sapientia) of our God Most High, ordering all things mightily and sweetly…Come!
O ADONAI, Leader of the House of Israel…Come! (Adonai—Hebrew, usually translated "Lord")
O ROOT (Radix) of Jesse…Come!
O KEY (Clavis) of David…who open and no one closes…Come!
O RISING SUN (Oriens), splendor of eternal light…Come!
O KING (Rex) of Nations, for whom they have been yearning, Cornerstone who unites in perfect union…Come!
O EMMANUEL…awaited of the nations, Redeemer of all, Come!

Now, the all-important key to the Advent Code.
Part the First
Take the first letter of each key word (in bold). The result will be SARCORE.
Part the Second
Leonardo-like, reverse the order of the letters: EROCRAS.
Part the Third
Use your high-school Latin to discover the two words ERO and CRAS.
Ero: first person, singular, future tense of the verb "esse" (sum, esse, fui, futurus): to be.
Cras: tomorrow

The Code has been broken! By the end of the antiphons, the message appears, "Tomorrow, I will be."

Christmas Novena, Day 3

Christmas Novena, Day 2

Gaudete! (It's "Gaudete Sunday," so take a hint from the readings and "shout to the Lord with joy.")

Christmas Novena, Day 1

I wish I got these ideas a little sooner. This one came yesterday, and it took me a good part of the day to pull together. Even so, it is a pretty rough little attempt at making the Christmas Novena available. Maybe next year (!) we can prepare something more polished. For now, I am offering this basic version, quite abbreviated (Youtube limits you to ten minutes--not that my computer even has enough memory to create a ten minute video!), of the novena we sing in community. It has roots in 17th century Italy, Gregorian Chant, and the messianic Scripture texts. Most of the novena is the same from day to day, but the final antiphon matches the "Alleluia verse" of the day's Mass (the "O" antiphons). Ordinarily, the antiphon would be sung, followed by the Magnificat, and then repeated. Memory (as in RAM), copyright and time all conspired against me including this full version. I'll try to keep up and post each day's version!
Meanwhile, in your novena, please remember Bishop Doran of Rockford, who just underwent surgery for lung cancer.

kids in the village

Today's Gospel is a rather pointed reminder of the ways we can steel ourselves against any unwanted prophetic challenge while still retaining a presumably "objective" stance. Caveat lector!

Guadalupe movie

Well, we just got back from "Guadalupe," now showing in 7 theaters in Chicago. Unfortunately, there were only a dozen of us in that particular theater, so I suspect the movie won't be sticking around--but it will be one of those DVDs that we will, I am sure, see constantly asked for in our centers.

I'm no movie critic, so I won't go into technical things about the film. I'll just say the parts I liked the most. They were the historic recreations of the apparition. It was so nice to see a little brown Virgin in her turquoise robe. And the lovely scene of the cure of Uncle Bernardino. And, best of all, of course, the crowning moment when the roses cascade in slow motion from Juan Diego's tilma (twice): Juan Diego's posture and garments make him seem like an ancient high priest, and in a way he was: "chosen from among men as their representative to offer gifts" (but this time from Heaven, not "to" Heaven!), and "no one takes this honor on his own, but only when chosen."

I also enjoyed the connections that were made as a result of the many scientific studies of the image, especially one that I had never come across before: that the stars on Mary's mantle depict the constellations in mid-December. That correlates to something I heard in June on the socio-cultural dimensions of the Bible: that the weird "signs in the sky" depicted in the book of Revelation refer to the constellations in the Southern sky.

As we discussed it in community, the movie is, in a way, about Mexico as much as it is about Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mexican history and culture is summed up in all things Guadalupana, so much was also depicted and explained in the movie.

In all, an informative, inspiring and enjoyable movie!

Sweet Home Chicago

God bless Sr. Helen for picking me up at Midway yesterday and going straight to the chiropractor's office to have my back pain treated. It helped enormously after two and a half hours in an airplane...

Speaking of air travel, while I was waiting on the "arrivals" deck, I was noticing certain cars doing the slow-circle: a white Hummer, a silver Chevy mini-van, an old black Cadillac... I mean, they came around so often that I actually began to catalog them in my mind! Then a woman to my right, also waiting for a ride turned to me with the remark, "You know you've been waiting a while when you start to recognize the cars that are passing by!"

Yep, you sure do!

O Christmas Trees

I took a walk around the main building here in our Boston motherhouse, just getting photos of the Christmas trees...

I started in the infirmary, where they have one of those fiber-optic trees (see left). (The crib set is on a table on the other side of the window.)

Next, I went downstairs toward the switchboard, where the operator had a tiny one to enjoy (right).


From there, it was only through the next doorway to the lovely tree in the "Community Room" (which has morphed into an informal waiting room near the entrance). I tried to take it without a flash, with mixed results (left).


In the entrance way, a small tree hid behind the creche, but I can't seem to upload the picture! (It's still hiding.)


Down the hall, the chapel tree featured shepherd's staffs (aka "candy canes") and bibles.

I poked my head outside, but it was raining, so I only got a side view of the outdoor Nativity seen, nestled in sparkling trees.

And so I went downstairs to the refectory, for another tree, with an extensive Nativity set-up. These aren't all the trees in that building, not even all the ones I encountered on my walk-through with a camera!

Tomorrow I head back to Chicago. I wonder if Sr. Helena, decorator supreme, has finished whipping the tree into appropriate color and shape...

Viva!

Can't get one of those upside-down exclamation points to express the way the Mexican priest closed today's Mass, but it was "Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!" at which our mostly Anglo community responded, with a bit of hesitation (but lots of gusto), "VIVA!" (Father was delighted.) Naturally, we also sang a feast day song to Sr. Mary Guadalupe at breakfast. And we are looking forward to a Mexican-inspired lunch.

But above all it was the first reading for this feast that was inspiring: from Zechariah, about the Lord stirring from his holy dwelling to visit his people. How fitting!

Jesus' "Come to Me"

Today's Gospel was the one that most inspired our Founder, Bl. James Alberione, so my ears always perk up when it is proclaimed. For Alberione, the key word was "all": Come to Me, ALL of you. Hence, the Pauline mission. It is something I am especially praying over right now, because a hundred years ago, media were rather exclusive, and were the clear way to go to reach as many of that "all" as possible. That is still the case, except that now media are "all" over the place, and most middle and upper class people (in this country, I mean) have more access to communications technology than we members of the Pauline Family. Yet we are still supposed to get that invitation out, "Come to Me, all of you." It is actually the "to Me" that is the most important part!

record breaker

I just checked my stats for this weekend and a record-breaking 338 people visited my blog on Sunday--almost all of them looking for information on the Guadalupe movie--especially appropriate in view of tomorrow's feast day! Check the official website to see if a theater in your area will be showing this Spanish-language (English subtitles) movie.

Right through the roof!

The homily this morning had a wonderful message about the Gospel's story of the paralytic who was lowered through the roof to Jesus: the most important things are "do whatever you can to get close to Jesus" and "do whatever you can to bring others close to Jesus"!

Concert update

Well, our concert "season" has ended, and soon I will be back in Chicago to sing at Mt. Carmel. We had a wonderfully participative audience in Boston for our Saturday and Sunday concerts--Sunday's included the "red hat" ladies (right up front) and a busload from a parish in Rhode Island. The parishioners had prayed a rosary on the way over, so I asked for a remembrance in the one they would pray on the way back. The parish priest assured us that next year, there would be even more people on the bus (or two)! I'll do what I can to prepare a little video report to post on youtube...

 

Back in Boston

I've had quite a time of it the past five or so days... some severe back pain that has me walking around the Boston convent using a pair of crutches as ski poles... but that also has the sisters tripping over each other to try to help me in various ways: things like tying my shoes (ouch!)... Yesterday a sister with cancer took my lunch tray down to the dishwasher for me, and Sr. Laura brought a canary to my room while I did some therapy with an ice pack. God bless them all.

We had a wonderful concert in Philadelphia--our first in that city, and it was standing room only. I limped downstairs at the break and discovered that one of my nun friends from the Sisters of the Holy  Family of Nazareth had indeed gotten my Christmas card on time to be informed about the concert, and there she was! (Her community offered us generous hospitality at their hospital convent near our Philadelphia book center.)

 

While in the City of Brotherly Love, I noticed a local paper with an article that made my blood boil. It seems that on December 6, St. Nicholas' Day, Planned Parenthood was giving out free samples of "Plan B." Anything to make every form of "pregnancy termination" more than acceptable in the general culture. How hideous! And what a revolting form of marketing on behalf of both PP and Duramed (a subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), the drug's manufacturer, both of whom worked so hard to get this powerful drug approved for over the counter purchase.

 

We drove to Boston on Thursday--I curled up on the back seat of a mini-van, surrounded by pillows for the grueling ride. And today my Mom and my sister Mary are coming in to Boston for the weekend's concerts at the motherhouse! I wish I could be more companionable, but... It will have to do!

Nativity movie

It has been a week since "The Nativity Story" opened in theaters. I will quote a very important point from Sr. Rose in case you don't click into her blog: "...the first weekend's box office for The Nativity Story was slow, to say the least. If you are a believer in authentic films that tell good stories, that are religious and for the family, please be sure to support this film now. Otherwise, it won't be around when it starts to "feel" like Christmas. Go now as a way to begin Advent spiritually and then you can go again at Christmas."
It is important that the "bottom line" tell the Good News that religious believers go to the movies, so that more movies will be made that respect what we hold sacred. Spread the word! Do not take this sort of thing for granted.

From Entertainment to Academia

After our off-Broadway performance Saturday, we moved to a totally different milieu: Princeton! A good 200 people (including Lisa) came to St. Paul's Church for our concert, which was held at 3 in the afternoon, after 5 infants and a toddler were "claimed for Christ." I asked the priest if that was typical for a once-a-month service, and he said that they have this many baptisms three Sundays every month! I was delighted to spend my afternoon prayer time joining with the whole Church in welcoming these new Christians into the life of Christ on the first Sunday of Advent.
I also have some very nice pictures to share with you, but not from this computer!
Tomorrow: Philadelphia! Will you be there?

off Broadway

Well, there we were, singing our hearts out to Jesus "off Broadway" at St. Malachy's. We had a very supportive audience of a hundred or so, with passers-by coming in while we were singing, thanks to the invitations the parish staffers were making on the sidewalk. Hopefully, their Advent season will be a little more Christ-centered because of it.
Do we dare to say the Advent word? Maranatha!

Nativity Movie

Here are links to three articles about The Nativity Story written by Sr. Rose: From the Los Angeles Tidings, two articles (here and here) and from St. Anthony Messenger, one.

Check Pauline.org for Sr. Rose's movie discussion guide book and for the book on Mary, as well as a lovely CD of Marian music.

Guadalupe Movie

In a wonderful "co-incidence" that hints of Our Lady's presence to us, today is the opening day for both "The Nativity Story" and the movie on Our Lady of Guadalupe. About this second, the official website lists the places where it will be playing, since these are limited to areas with large Spanish-speaking populations. In Chicago that would be: City North (Western Ave--AMC), Cicero (S Cicero Ave--AMC), 62nd + Western (Chicago), Gurnee (Gurnee Cinema, Gurnee, IL), Addison (Marcus Addison Cinemas, Addison, IL)Â Carpentersville (Meadowdale Shopping Center, Carpentersville, IL), Tinsel Town (N. Aurora, IL), as well as others.
Thanks to Sr. Helen and the crew in Chi-town for the info!