Community Night

New Year's Eve is a special night for Paulines, since it was during adoration at the dawn of the 20th century that our Founder received that special "light" that would mark not only his life, but that of the Church (and of yours truly!). This year we made our retreat all day Saturday and ended it with our community Holy Hour in the evening. We were joined by the women attending our Pauline Discipleship Week, an intensive discernment experience. (Please pray for them as they move toward the conclusion of this very enriching week.)

On the following night we (and the visitors) shared a community recreation that was especially well-planned by our "entertainment committee." The sisters had the inspiration to challenge us to coming up with 90-second skits on the theme "#MediaNuns: the Musical." I am proud to say that I was the first "act" booked for a slot (even if I was third in the lineup). The contributions were so spot-on I had to share them with you.

Sr Domenica was our conductor!

In addition to the mini-musicals, other songs of the season were sung: Sisters from our seniors community led us in a beloved Italian carol written by none other than St Alphonsus Liguori, Tu Scendi dalle Stelle ("You come down from the stars, O King of Heaven..."). When Sister Emily Beata (from Buffalo) and one of the discerners (also from Buffalo) announced that they were going to share a Polish carol, my ears perked up. It has been four years (or more) since I sang Dzisiaj W Betlejem with the choir at Our Lady of Mt Carmel--and it was just this carol that they had chosen! Naturally I jumped up to sing with them, despite my rusty Polish pronunciation! (My music in Chicago had my own carefully written pronunciation guides written below each word: Dzisiaj W Betlejem = Gee Shy Bet-lay-em.)

Now for the "originals" submitted to #MediaNuns: the Musical

Daughters We have Heard Online, presented by the Brazilian outreach team to the melody of Angels We have Heard on High (the audience was asked to provide the "Glo-r-i-a in Excelsis De-e-o.")

Daughters we have heard online
Sweetly sing in cyberspace,
and God's people in reply
Asking: Let us see His Face! (Gloria...)

People, why this jubilee?
Why this joy for all to see?
Word made flesh to set us free
Media showing how to be Gloria...

Daughters, give His holy Word
Making sure that all have heard,
Books and CDs, cyberspace
Bringing all to see His Face (Gloria...)

Human river flows along*
to eternal destiny
Our life, our total song
Jesus to the world to bring (Gloria...)

*This line is a reference to a powerful question our Founder raised in a sermon: "Mankind is like a river, flowing into eternity. But where is humanity going?"


My own contribution built on the holiday melody "Up on the Housetop."

Up at the crack of dawn we rise,
Eyes already on the prize.
Down to the chapel, quick, quick, quick--
A cup of coffee should do the trick.

First things first,
Hear the Word,
Then proclaim what we have heard
Through all the media every day,
Jesus the Master,
Truth, Life, Way!


And finally the classic "Twelve Days of Christmas" in which twelve sisters of very good will each represented a day:

On the first day of Christmas, the good Lord sent to me: Life as an FSP!
Then:
Two authors writing
Three concerts praising
Four important meetings
FIVE TWEETS OF JOY!
Six new book covers
Seven books a-printing
Eight parish book fairs
Nine packages shipping
Ten readers leaping
Eleven e-mails waiting
All the sisters praying