I don't know!
Anyway, I expect a most unusual Labor Day weekend. We were given free tickets to the weekend's game at Notre Dame (plus a free stay overnight), so Sr. Susan and I will be making the trip. Sr. Susan is quite a sports fan, and especially excited about college sports, so it will be fun accompanying her.
Meanwhile, I am trying to pull together the many odd ends in my office before we head out!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Y2K
Two years since all hell broke loose over my hometown. Even as some parts of the metropolitan area have gotten cleaned up, patched or rebuilt, all hell is still loose in many people's lives (as evidenced by the increasing murder rate). We need a few legions of angels (the human kind, too) to rout the foe.
Prayers for a Seeker
Back in January, a Michigan teenager posted a YouTube video expressing interest in becoming a Catholic. It generated quite a few hits (over 7,000 so far) and many, many comments (including some interdenominational carping). At this point, the boy who made the video says he is no longer interested in faith, period, and doesn't even believe in God right now. The kid has probably been through a lot: his parents split years ago, Mom remarried and moved a thousand miles away from where he was being raised... At any rate, you might want to say an extra prayer for this boy who is, after all, still only 16 but in a rough patch in the spiritual woods.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The Flying Pilgrims
"Mistral" is no longer just a breeze or a font: it is the airline of choice for the Vatican Pilgrimage Office, with charter flights from Rome to Lourdes, Compostela, Guadalupe, Czestochowa, Eqypt and more... (Sorry, but the Pilgrimage Office website appears to only be in Italian.)The two yellow and white planes are part of the Italian Postal System, but somehow are also the Vatican's charter planes. An interesting collaboration!
PP "Concern" for Women's Health
How appropriate on a day when the Gospel thunders against hypocrisy...
A tiny item in today's Tribune notes that a Missouri law has been put on hold after Planned Parenthood protested it would cause too many abortion clinics to close, thus threatening women's health. The problem with this is that the law would have "put more abortion clinics under state supervision, requiring them to meet specific state standards." So is PP's action an admission that a significant number of clinics would fail to meet medical standards? What does that say about concern for women's health?
A tiny item in today's Tribune notes that a Missouri law has been put on hold after Planned Parenthood protested it would cause too many abortion clinics to close, thus threatening women's health. The problem with this is that the law would have "put more abortion clinics under state supervision, requiring them to meet specific state standards." So is PP's action an admission that a significant number of clinics would fail to meet medical standards? What does that say about concern for women's health?
Monday, August 27, 2007
Fr. Sprott on the Latin Mass
I was hoping to link to Fr. Sprott's sober treatment of the Pope's Motu Proprio, but St. Peter's in the Loop isn't quite up to date with their "Friars Legion" newsletters on line. It would be worth your while to check in a week or two for this; I'll try to monitor the site. If you're in Chicago, you have it easy! Drop in and pick up a printed copy of the newsletter.
Saint of the Day
Right now, the front page of our website has a fine review of a book about today's saint, the mother of tomorrow's saint. I prayed in a special way for moms with worried hearts, like Monica's, for their children's spiritual welfare.javascript:void(0)
Saturday, August 25, 2007
The story of Ruth
Today's first reading was from the book of Ruth. I guess after living in Chicago where there are so many immigrants, and being from New Orleans, seeing my family and so many others evacuate, I am more attuned to aspects of the story regarding immigration. In particular, I recognized the peril Ruth was in--she, a Moabite widow, crossing into another people's lands with only another widow to vouch for her. It wasn't exactly a border crossing issue, because those were tribal lands and were protected not by rule of law but by the same kind of tribal bonds we see at work in Iraq. She was at the mercy of the men of Judah. Her widowed mother-in-law was, too. Widows without menfolk simply had no place in society. That makes Boaz' generosity all the more striking. He takes her under his protection. It doesn't matter that she is a foreigner with no real right to be in Judah: he recognizes her human and feminine dignity, and treats her accordingly. And if he hadn't? Boaz would have been another forgotten name, and not the great-grandfather of King David.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Fig Tree Moments
Still thinking about Nathanael and that fig tree. A homily a few weeks ago reminded me that lots of people have their "fig tree moments" of encounter with God, but they hardly ever talk about them. I mean, a lot of people tell me about theirs, but I am a nun, so people are more open to sharing spiritual experiences. They probably don't say these things around the water cooler. That can lead people to believe that such experiences in prayer are limited to saints or to extraordinary people. But judging from what others have told me, it's more common than you might think.
After I tell you about one of my fig tree moments, I invite you to share yours in the comments for our mutual edification (and to praise and thank God for his goodness to all of us).
About twenty years ago I was in the Virgin Islands for a mission trip with another sister. We were staying at a convent on Frederiksted. It was like a large, split-level home, and the room designated as the chapel was lovely and airy, with louvered windows and lots of light. The one thing it didn't have was a tabernacle. But we gamely tried to make a go of it for our prayer time, using the kneelers that faced the altar. During my prayer, I got the distinct sensation--the kind you get when you begin to realize that you are not alone in a room. It was coming from my right side, at about a "two o'clock" position. The only thing there was a sort of ceramic planter on a small table. But the feeling of "someone" being just at that geographic location was too strong to ignore. I turned to my companion and whispered, "I think I know where the Blessed Sacrament is." Then I walked toward the planter. It was shaped like a castle, and, yes, there was a plant growing happily from one of the turrets. Took me a while to figure it out, but when I lifted the entire thing, there was a ciborium "inside" the castle.
For a long time, I have tried to "reason" this experience out, crediting that "feeling" to an intuition or subconscious recognition of the "castle" as a tabernacle, but a few years ago I realized that this sort of reductive thinking was not very pleasing to the Lord who had been so good as to make his personal, living presence felt so strongly. So now I offer it as a "fig tree moment" in witness to God's ongoing willingness to communicate himself to us.
What sort of things have happened under the fig trees in your life?
After I tell you about one of my fig tree moments, I invite you to share yours in the comments for our mutual edification (and to praise and thank God for his goodness to all of us).
About twenty years ago I was in the Virgin Islands for a mission trip with another sister. We were staying at a convent on Frederiksted. It was like a large, split-level home, and the room designated as the chapel was lovely and airy, with louvered windows and lots of light. The one thing it didn't have was a tabernacle. But we gamely tried to make a go of it for our prayer time, using the kneelers that faced the altar. During my prayer, I got the distinct sensation--the kind you get when you begin to realize that you are not alone in a room. It was coming from my right side, at about a "two o'clock" position. The only thing there was a sort of ceramic planter on a small table. But the feeling of "someone" being just at that geographic location was too strong to ignore. I turned to my companion and whispered, "I think I know where the Blessed Sacrament is." Then I walked toward the planter. It was shaped like a castle, and, yes, there was a plant growing happily from one of the turrets. Took me a while to figure it out, but when I lifted the entire thing, there was a ciborium "inside" the castle.
For a long time, I have tried to "reason" this experience out, crediting that "feeling" to an intuition or subconscious recognition of the "castle" as a tabernacle, but a few years ago I realized that this sort of reductive thinking was not very pleasing to the Lord who had been so good as to make his personal, living presence felt so strongly. So now I offer it as a "fig tree moment" in witness to God's ongoing willingness to communicate himself to us.
What sort of things have happened under the fig trees in your life?
Recording Complete!
It was my distinct pleasure to sing the very last recorded notes for this album, doing a solo for one verse of "Gift of Finest Wheat." The CD won't be released until... (actually, I have no idea), because there is still all the audio mixing to do, but the major part of the work is done now. Thanks for your prayers! Keep them coming for Sr. Bridget and Matt as they prepare the mix.
Meme
Karen tagged me with a very particular meme. It has rules.
"The rules are simple…Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog."
I will follow Karen's example and do the meme and the tagging, but not all the homework part. And I will reduce the list quotient by half.
Fact: I admire people who work in an orderly fashion and keep their workspace/living space in just as orderly a fashion. I wish I could be like them.
Habit: Yes. Blue.
Fact: If there were five of me, we would all be busy. And we would probably daydream about having five clones each.
Habit: Maintaining small workspaces in several parts of the convent. (If I don't see the work, it fades from my universe.)
Consider yourself tagged: Coffee Wife, Sister Lorraine, Lisa, Sister Helena (she doesn't know about memes, yet, I suspect). That's about enough for now.
"The rules are simple…Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog."
I will follow Karen's example and do the meme and the tagging, but not all the homework part. And I will reduce the list quotient by half.
Fact: I admire people who work in an orderly fashion and keep their workspace/living space in just as orderly a fashion. I wish I could be like them.
Habit: Yes. Blue.
Fact: If there were five of me, we would all be busy. And we would probably daydream about having five clones each.
Habit: Maintaining small workspaces in several parts of the convent. (If I don't see the work, it fades from my universe.)
Consider yourself tagged: Coffee Wife, Sister Lorraine, Lisa, Sister Helena (she doesn't know about memes, yet, I suspect). That's about enough for now.
Look and see
Today's Gospel is John's story of the call of Nathanael (presumably the same as Bartholomew in the other Gospels). Evidently there is a great unstated "given" in this story, because the turning point comes when Jesus tells Nathanael "I saw you under the fig tree." This provokes an outpouring of awed faith on Nathanael's part that has left people wondering for 2,000 years, "What on earth happened under the fig tree?"
Fig trees (and the leaves thereof) are pretty important in the Bible. In general, reference to a person's "vine and fig tree" hinted at peace and modest prosperity. Especially peace. And under a fig tree, the peaceful, modestly prosperous property owner could sit in the shade and meditate on God's goodness. So we presume that Nathanael was doing something of the kind, and in that shady place of prayer found that, not only was Nathanael contemplating God's goodness, God was, in a way, contemplating Nathanael. And then along comes this Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth who says, in effect, "Uh, that was me."
The Gospel also has some interesting language about sight. Philip invited the skeptical Nathanael "Come and see." That's close to the invitation Jesus extended to Andrew and the other disciple who had asked where he was staying: "Come and see." But while Philip used the verb form for "behold," John depicts Jesus using a word that the Bible often reserves for visions of God--for sight that is "bestowed."
And, finally, today's Gospel is situated in a part of John (Chapter 1) that gives us practically a litany of titles for Jesus, all culminating in Nathanael's profession of faith:
John the Baptist calls him "the Lamb of God."
Andrew says he is "the Messiah."
Philip calls him "the one Moses and the prophets wrote about."
and Nathanael exclaims "you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
And in the Bible, the only real King of Israel is the Lord God himself.
Jesus, meanwhile, insists on calling himself only "Son of Man." It is as if in his Incarnation he chose to identify more with us than with God.
Fig trees (and the leaves thereof) are pretty important in the Bible. In general, reference to a person's "vine and fig tree" hinted at peace and modest prosperity. Especially peace. And under a fig tree, the peaceful, modestly prosperous property owner could sit in the shade and meditate on God's goodness. So we presume that Nathanael was doing something of the kind, and in that shady place of prayer found that, not only was Nathanael contemplating God's goodness, God was, in a way, contemplating Nathanael. And then along comes this Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth who says, in effect, "Uh, that was me."
The Gospel also has some interesting language about sight. Philip invited the skeptical Nathanael "Come and see." That's close to the invitation Jesus extended to Andrew and the other disciple who had asked where he was staying: "Come and see." But while Philip used the verb form for "behold," John depicts Jesus using a word that the Bible often reserves for visions of God--for sight that is "bestowed."
And, finally, today's Gospel is situated in a part of John (Chapter 1) that gives us practically a litany of titles for Jesus, all culminating in Nathanael's profession of faith:
John the Baptist calls him "the Lamb of God."
Andrew says he is "the Messiah."
Philip calls him "the one Moses and the prophets wrote about."
and Nathanael exclaims "you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
And in the Bible, the only real King of Israel is the Lord God himself.
Jesus, meanwhile, insists on calling himself only "Son of Man." It is as if in his Incarnation he chose to identify more with us than with God.
Sr. Helena joins blogging nuns!
My sister-in-arms, Sr. Helena Burns, started a blog of her own (in addition to her essay site). Please pay a visit and tell her the nunblogger sent you....
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Homilist's nightmare
Today's readings are the sort that no homilist really wants to touch. In the first reading (from Judges), there is a story of human sacrifice, and the Gospel parable has the "King" throwing someone out of a party for not wearing a wedding garment. What do you do with that?
Actually, the reading from Judges is a good one for noticing the different ways the Bible treats certain subjects. In it, the hero of the day makes a vow that if God gives him victory in battle, he will sacrifice whomever comes out to meet him on his return. You'd think that God would have him lose the battle, but no, he wins. It is his daughter who dances out of the door to greet him. The storyteller plays up the poignancy of the scene: the child comes out playing the tambourines and singing. And that's not all. She's an only child. And she meets the fate her father had vowed.
Taken in isolation, this story could be interpreted as a normative example: there is no commentary, none of the Deuteronomic homilizing about "and so the LORD punished this abomination" or anything. The horror of child sacrifice is so understated that it catches the heart unprepared. But if we were to go by the mere letter, we would miss that.
It's a good guideline for those who would single out a passage or group of passages from any religious texts and attempt to characterize the whole religion by them. It seems to me that the best interpretive tool for a religious text (taken as a whole, of course!) is in the lives of its holiest adherents. Through them, we see the full story.
Actually, the reading from Judges is a good one for noticing the different ways the Bible treats certain subjects. In it, the hero of the day makes a vow that if God gives him victory in battle, he will sacrifice whomever comes out to meet him on his return. You'd think that God would have him lose the battle, but no, he wins. It is his daughter who dances out of the door to greet him. The storyteller plays up the poignancy of the scene: the child comes out playing the tambourines and singing. And that's not all. She's an only child. And she meets the fate her father had vowed.
Taken in isolation, this story could be interpreted as a normative example: there is no commentary, none of the Deuteronomic homilizing about "and so the LORD punished this abomination" or anything. The horror of child sacrifice is so understated that it catches the heart unprepared. But if we were to go by the mere letter, we would miss that.
It's a good guideline for those who would single out a passage or group of passages from any religious texts and attempt to characterize the whole religion by them. It seems to me that the best interpretive tool for a religious text (taken as a whole, of course!) is in the lives of its holiest adherents. Through them, we see the full story.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Look what I found!
The Paulines in the Philippines are busy YouTubing while we are recording our new album. (Did a Magnificat today; tomorrow is O Sanctissima and the Arcadelt Ave Maria--are you praying?)
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Studio Update
We did two and a half songs today. (The "half" part is because there are solo verses that will be recorded later. We did the background vocals today, though.)
The Sign of Gideon
Remember what Jesus said about the "sign of Jonah"? He was referring to the prophet-in-the-belly-of-the-whale as a hint of his own three days in the tomb. Well, we have a hint in today's Gospel of the "sign of Gideon" when Jesus says "Many who are last will be first and the first will be last." In the first reading, Gideon puts it this way: "My family is the least of all the families in Manassah, and I am the least in my father's house!"
The angel had addressed him as "O Champion," but Gideon was claiming the title "Loser" instead. It didn't matter. Gideon wasn't going to save his people by his own strength or strategy: God was already "choosing the things that are not to confound the things that are" (as St. Paul would later say). Why? Same reason God keeps putting the "treasure of the knowledge of Christ" in "earthen vessels": "to show that the surpassing power is from God and not from us."
Speaking of earthen vessels... Today is the 31st anniversary of my entrance into novitiate. And tomorrow will be the entrance day for our new postulants. It will be a major blessing if the "sign of Gideon" is upon them.
The angel had addressed him as "O Champion," but Gideon was claiming the title "Loser" instead. It didn't matter. Gideon wasn't going to save his people by his own strength or strategy: God was already "choosing the things that are not to confound the things that are" (as St. Paul would later say). Why? Same reason God keeps putting the "treasure of the knowledge of Christ" in "earthen vessels": "to show that the surpassing power is from God and not from us."
Speaking of earthen vessels... Today is the 31st anniversary of my entrance into novitiate. And tomorrow will be the entrance day for our new postulants. It will be a major blessing if the "sign of Gideon" is upon them.
Monday, August 20, 2007
All in a day's work
Practice, practice, practice! (No actual recording today; Matt, our engineer, couldn't make it in.)
A microphone, ready when we are.
And, outside, members of our wild turkey patrol on sentry duty.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Catholic Tube
I came across Cajun Geek Travis Boudreaux and found out that his Mom reads this blog! Not only that, but my friend Father Bryce Sibley officiated at his wedding, and is leading the Theology of the Body study group that Travis and his wife participate in. World sure is small. Especially if you're from Louisiana and want to evangelize through the media. Travis designed this "CatholicTube" portal for videos, which I've added to my sidebar. His currently highlighted video is one of my favorites, too!
Misc.
Free passes to see "Hairspray." (Who am I to turn down such a gift?) Music lover that I am, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, even if I really didn't appreciate the fact that the only "religious" character in the whole movie was so stereotypically anti-all-things-fun. (Why is that one stereotype allowed to remain unchallenged in pop culture?) Oh, well. The movie was still delightful, even if I cringed for that one character. (Mom, you're going to enjoy it, too, when you and Miss Betty go to see it this week.)
What else?
Read an interesting book. Actually "read" is a bit strong: "perused an interesting book and read all the stories in it" is more like it. The book is "A New Kind of Normal" by Carol Kent. I do not know if we have it in our Pauline centers, because it is written from a strongly evangelical Protestant point of view and written for that audience, but there is much that a Catholic can appreciate in it. The author is writing for people whose lives, especially familiy lives, have been turned upside down in some way: abuse, infidelity, a husband or child in jail. Kent's life turned upside down when her son was sentenced to life in prison without parole and without appeal (and evidently without a good lawyer from the start). (The young man, a Navy officer who was convinced that his tiny stepdaughters were in danger and desperate to protect them, had flipped and killed their father in front of multiple witnesses.) That will wreak havoc on an extended family and on their faith. Hence, the book. What is most remarkable about this is not that Kent and her husband find biblical ways to renew their shattered lives: it is that their primary model is Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Almost every chapter develops a different moment in the life of Our Lady as the "Sign of Contradiction" her Son was and is turned her life upside down. As my friends in the "Mary, Mother of Captives" support group know, Mary, too, had a son in jail. At any rate: a good read, and some worthwhile inspiration.
And the Feast of St. Bernard is an especially significant date for us Paulines: it is the anniversary of our founding! This year, the Daughters of St. Paul international "Chapter" meeting also opens on the Feast of St. Bernard. The Chapter is held every six years, for the purpose of electing our interntational governing team (mother general and council), and for looking over the situation of the community in terms of spirituality, vowed life and mission, setting goals and so on for the next six years. The Chapter lasts one month, and your prayers throughout are mightily appreciated.
What else?
Read an interesting book. Actually "read" is a bit strong: "perused an interesting book and read all the stories in it" is more like it. The book is "A New Kind of Normal" by Carol Kent. I do not know if we have it in our Pauline centers, because it is written from a strongly evangelical Protestant point of view and written for that audience, but there is much that a Catholic can appreciate in it. The author is writing for people whose lives, especially familiy lives, have been turned upside down in some way: abuse, infidelity, a husband or child in jail. Kent's life turned upside down when her son was sentenced to life in prison without parole and without appeal (and evidently without a good lawyer from the start). (The young man, a Navy officer who was convinced that his tiny stepdaughters were in danger and desperate to protect them, had flipped and killed their father in front of multiple witnesses.) That will wreak havoc on an extended family and on their faith. Hence, the book. What is most remarkable about this is not that Kent and her husband find biblical ways to renew their shattered lives: it is that their primary model is Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Almost every chapter develops a different moment in the life of Our Lady as the "Sign of Contradiction" her Son was and is turned her life upside down. As my friends in the "Mary, Mother of Captives" support group know, Mary, too, had a son in jail. At any rate: a good read, and some worthwhile inspiration.
And the Feast of St. Bernard is an especially significant date for us Paulines: it is the anniversary of our founding! This year, the Daughters of St. Paul international "Chapter" meeting also opens on the Feast of St. Bernard. The Chapter is held every six years, for the purpose of electing our interntational governing team (mother general and council), and for looking over the situation of the community in terms of spirituality, vowed life and mission, setting goals and so on for the next six years. The Chapter lasts one month, and your prayers throughout are mightily appreciated.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Ever onward
Well, another song and a half today, bringing our total to 6. Thanks for the prayers (keep them coming!).
Didn't you love today's first reading? It's on a lot of framed images and bookmarks: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." But what struck me today was the tone of "witness." Joshua tells the people that they are witnessing each other's commitment, and that even the rocks are witnesses who can be called upon to testify. There's an objectivity to the matter: it's not "private" at all! That's important for us to remember, because our culture insists that certain things stay hidden within the heart. The Gospel can't be one of them, though!
Didn't you love today's first reading? It's on a lot of framed images and bookmarks: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." But what struck me today was the tone of "witness." Joshua tells the people that they are witnessing each other's commitment, and that even the rocks are witnesses who can be called upon to testify. There's an objectivity to the matter: it's not "private" at all! That's important for us to remember, because our culture insists that certain things stay hidden within the heart. The Gospel can't be one of them, though!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Day 2
We did one full song and two half-songs today, so I guess that means two songs! And I have a movie recommendation for you--from what I understand, it opened this week, but so far I haven't found where it is playing in the Chicago or Boston areas. It is a movie called "Bella" , and Sr. Helena (our community movie person) says it is worth your attention for its subtle pro-life message. Elsewhere I read that it is also considered significant for the Latino community, because the main character is Latino. Generally, Latino characters are foils for other, more important characters. So try to find a showing in your area--and fill the comments box with your movie reviews!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Making Music
Spent the better part of the day in the below-ground-level sound studio, singing unto the Lord and the mikes. We got two and a third songs done (the one-third means we got the melody tracks done and will do the harmony tracks tomorrow, God willing!). The arrangements of these fairly well-known hymns and songs are original and very, very lovely. I took some video and had thought about trying to post a bit, but the camera is not available right now, and ... it was a long day! Maybe I'll manage to at least get some rough footage online over the weekend.
Please continue to pray for this project, and for our music ministry in general.
Please continue to pray for this project, and for our music ministry in general.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
A new song (or not)
The choir is gathering here in the motherhouse for a new recording session. We'll be working on an album of "regular Church music": favorites old and new, from "I am the Bread of Life" to (I think) "Holy God We Praise Thy Name." I'm looking forward to seeing Sr. Julia (haven't seen her since Dad's funeral) and getting some video footage to put together into a "making of" video for YouTube (plus maybe a few "vocation stories" along with it).
Needless to say, prayers are requested. We'll be short one very significant voice, since Sr. Margaret Timothy (in Honolulu) came down with a throat problem.
Needless to say, prayers are requested. We'll be short one very significant voice, since Sr. Margaret Timothy (in Honolulu) came down with a throat problem.
Retreat ended yesterday with the Vigil Mass for the Feast of the Assumption. I was the impromptu lector, but it was an especially significant matter for me: 32 years ago, at about that very time of day, I entered the Daughters of St. Paul. Sr. Sharon Anne (then Sr. Mary Irma) had picked me up at Logan airport, where I had taken the now-defunct Eastern Airlines nonstop from New Orleans. (There are now zero nonstops from New Orleans to Boston, I believe.) Arriving at the motherhouse, we paid a visit to chapel, and then went to the dining room (refectory, that is) where the postulants were having a snack, and then I was shuttled to the seamstress' room where a half-finished uniform was waiting to be fitted. (Mother Paula remembered me from my visit the year before, and gave Sr. M. Veronica an approximation of my size.) Then it was...off to St. Thecla's for the postulants' retreat! So I spent my first night in the convent on retreat. The next morning, I dressed in my black uniform, surprising the other postulants who had had to wait up to a week for theirs to be custom made.
Many of these memories came to mind, oddly enough, in the linen closet at St. Thecla's. While hunting for a pillowcase, I came across one of the bath towels that had been part of my original trousseau. The idea was that you entered with a lifetime supply of things like sheets and towels and handkerchiefs. And other things, too: a black sweater (I had to bring my mother's), snow boots (this I could not find in New Orleans!) and a black umbrella. As far as the linen went, when you made vows, most of them went into the supply closet and you only kept the ones you were using. If I remember correctly, we were told to bring 12 bath towels, and for some reason I thought they ought to be identical. On a trip to the factory outlets in North Carolina with my godmother I hunted down the only pattern which the outlet store seemed to have in sufficient quantity: a bland beige-and-white design. (Naturally, I got the matching face cloths, too!) And there was one of them in the linen closet, worn thin with the years, but definitely identifiable!
I don't know what our recommended trousseau list looks like now; we have three young women who are probably putting the finishing touches on their boxes, though. Entrance day is August 22. Pray for our candidates and for all those who will be making a first step toward a religious vocation!
Many of these memories came to mind, oddly enough, in the linen closet at St. Thecla's. While hunting for a pillowcase, I came across one of the bath towels that had been part of my original trousseau. The idea was that you entered with a lifetime supply of things like sheets and towels and handkerchiefs. And other things, too: a black sweater (I had to bring my mother's), snow boots (this I could not find in New Orleans!) and a black umbrella. As far as the linen went, when you made vows, most of them went into the supply closet and you only kept the ones you were using. If I remember correctly, we were told to bring 12 bath towels, and for some reason I thought they ought to be identical. On a trip to the factory outlets in North Carolina with my godmother I hunted down the only pattern which the outlet store seemed to have in sufficient quantity: a bland beige-and-white design. (Naturally, I got the matching face cloths, too!) And there was one of them in the linen closet, worn thin with the years, but definitely identifiable!
I don't know what our recommended trousseau list looks like now; we have three young women who are probably putting the finishing touches on their boxes, though. Entrance day is August 22. Pray for our candidates and for all those who will be making a first step toward a religious vocation!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Into Great Silence
A few months ago, I posted an entry about the movie "Into Great Silence" (about the French Carthusians). Now it is my turn to go "into great silence" (but only for a week). Annual retreat starts tonight. I'll bring your special intentions to the Lord during this week of prayer; please pray that I might be particularly receptive to the Lord's voice myself. (Nice weather wouldn't hurt, either.)
Thanks--and see you next week!
Thanks--and see you next week!
Harry Thompson update
Rebecca asked for an update on the Burger King donation contest. Well, here it is. The upshot is that Mt. Carmel High School won the grand prize, followed by the Friends of City Park, and then my old Alma Mater, Archbishop Chapelle High. The Father Thompson Center, in fourth place, got the consolation prize of $2,000. (Certainly better than nothing! And it will go a long way.)
Walking on Water
Today's Gospel (actually, one of the options for today's Gospel) is Matthew's account of Jesus--and Peter--walking on water. In my meditation, I prayed various themes from Scripture with this picture in mind: the Exodus (across the sea), Habbakuk's canticle about God making his way through the mighty waters "and no one saw your footprints", and eventually, St. Paul's writings on freedom. Because in some way, this is a narrative about freedom, which calls for a kind of "dying" to certainty, to the good solid feeling of the ground beneath your feet. Peter was free enough to set out, but lost his footing (so to speak) when he became more overly aware of the wind (which was utterly irrelevant, considering that he was walking on the waves). And it wasn't he who reached out to Jesus; it was Jesus who reached out to save him. (I imagine that at that point, Peter's arms were flailing all over the place.)
Monday, August 06, 2007
Sweet Sorrow
Our newest professed sisters were in tears this evening: time has come for them to say a really "big" good-bye to their novitiate companion, Sr. Karen Theresa, who is returning to her community in Singapore after spending four years in formation in the US. Sr. Karen is the third (or fourth?) Singaporan vocation to have had her religious formation here. Singapore is one of our newest communities (it was founded as part of a missionary project our Superior General was inspired with about fifteen years ago), and the native sisters are increasing in number. I'm sure Sr. Karen's delegation will be eagerly awaiting her return as a full-fledged Daughter of St. Paul. Hard as it is on her closest friends in community, our missionary life is full of departures--and arrivals!
Saturday, August 04, 2007
All Together Now
Today's first reading is from Leviticus (the same section that you find quoted on the Liberty Bell: "Proclaim liberty throughout the land"). It details the liturgical celebrations for the year, starting with the date of Passover and going through the feast of Weeks (harvest festival) and the solemn day of Atonement. You can get pretty lost in the details of what day of what month to do what, but there is an interesting refrain that caught my attention. Every time one of these significant days is named, the Lord says, "call a sacred assembly and do no sort of work." It's the "sacred assembly" part that struck me. That's what the Church is: a sacred assembly. That's what we are when we gather for liturgy today: a sacred assembly.
How many of us think of ourselves--or of our neighbor in the pew--as a member of "a sacred assembly"?
A new prayer intention: Sister Christine Virginia's dad died in his sleep. Sister is here with us (she expected to make her retreat this week with me). Please pray for his eternal rest and for the comfort of his small family.
How many of us think of ourselves--or of our neighbor in the pew--as a member of "a sacred assembly"?
A new prayer intention: Sister Christine Virginia's dad died in his sleep. Sister is here with us (she expected to make her retreat this week with me). Please pray for his eternal rest and for the comfort of his small family.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Another full day (and still taking prayer requests)
More meetings all day long! Well, it's a kind of in-service, so you have to expect that. Our liturgical needs are being met by various priests of the Archdiocese of Boston. They're probably the most sorely tried brotherhood in the world right now, but from what I've seen, these men are dealing with it in a profoundly spiritual way. I'm really edified by them.
Among the prayer intentions: the tiny nephew of two of our sisters (who are sisters) is dying of cancer. The little guy is on morphine, and has about two weeks. He is not quite two years old, so you can imagine the family's pain. Please pray for them all.
Among the prayer intentions: the tiny nephew of two of our sisters (who are sisters) is dying of cancer. The little guy is on morphine, and has about two weeks. He is not quite two years old, so you can imagine the family's pain. Please pray for them all.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
From Billerica to You
Yesterday I got through the security line at Midway just in time to miss the 11:30 Mass in the airport chapel. I got into Boston Logan airport and arrived at our St. Thecla Retreat House a little before supper. Today was entirely spent in our encounter workshop on communication! It's good content, but a lot of sitting still and a lot of group work. This continues through Monday, and then we settle into retreat mode. Start sending in your prayer intentions, and I'll add them to my long list of things to pray about (in addition to my own spiritual growth!).
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Hidden Treasure
Today's Gospel is from Matthew's "Parables of the Kingdom" section (chapter 13): the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price. We probably all tend to look at these images as parallel, whereas there is a good possibilty that they are mirror images of each other, and that, as Robert Frost would say, "makes all the difference."
In the first image, Jesus says "the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field." The lucky person who stumbles upon it immediately calculates its value, and thinks nothing of selling everything in order to buy the whole field. While people have been scandalized by this parable (technically, the buyer had a moral obligation to inform the owner of the true worth of the property), the ethics of buying and selling are not the point. The whole point is that the "treasure" of the Kingdom outweighs all our other possessions. It is worth divesting ourselves of everything to possess.
The second image seems to say the same thing, but there is a rather significant difference. Here, the "Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant." The focus has shifted: in the first parable, the Kingdom was "discovered". In the second, the Kindom is the seeker. In both, the "Kingdom of Heaven" is GOD. So God is the merchant, and God "discovers" us as his pearl of great price, and God "sells all" to make us entirely his.
There is a hint of this parable in St. Paul's exhortation to the Corinthians: "You have been purchased for a price! So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:20). (The Greek words for "purchased" and "price" are the same in Paul and in Matthew, though Matthew's version has the prefix "poly" to indicate "great price.") Paul also, of course, gives us the marvelous hymn in Philippians 2 in which Jesus "despoiled himself", and in the next chapter, Paul describes how he himself had "sold everything" for the sake of Jesus. It could almost be the "autobiography" of the man who found the treasure in the field: "the things I once considered gain, I now reappraise as lost for the sake of Christ."
In the first image, Jesus says "the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field." The lucky person who stumbles upon it immediately calculates its value, and thinks nothing of selling everything in order to buy the whole field. While people have been scandalized by this parable (technically, the buyer had a moral obligation to inform the owner of the true worth of the property), the ethics of buying and selling are not the point. The whole point is that the "treasure" of the Kingdom outweighs all our other possessions. It is worth divesting ourselves of everything to possess.
The second image seems to say the same thing, but there is a rather significant difference. Here, the "Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant." The focus has shifted: in the first parable, the Kingdom was "discovered". In the second, the Kindom is the seeker. In both, the "Kingdom of Heaven" is GOD. So God is the merchant, and God "discovers" us as his pearl of great price, and God "sells all" to make us entirely his.
There is a hint of this parable in St. Paul's exhortation to the Corinthians: "You have been purchased for a price! So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:20). (The Greek words for "purchased" and "price" are the same in Paul and in Matthew, though Matthew's version has the prefix "poly" to indicate "great price.") Paul also, of course, gives us the marvelous hymn in Philippians 2 in which Jesus "despoiled himself", and in the next chapter, Paul describes how he himself had "sold everything" for the sake of Jesus. It could almost be the "autobiography" of the man who found the treasure in the field: "the things I once considered gain, I now reappraise as lost for the sake of Christ."
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