Sunday, March 17, 2024

 

Today we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick’s Breastplate is one of the great hymns of the church, sung especially for Saint Patrick’s Day. It is an Old Irish prayer of protection called a lorica, and the text is attributed to St. Patrick or his followers in early Celtic monasticism. Literally, lorica is the Latin term for body armor, thus the title “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate.” Cecil Alexander translated the prayer into an English hymn in 1889, and since then, it has also been known by its first line: “I bind unto myself today.”

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.
I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.
I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.
I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.



Sunday, March 10, 2024

An Incredible Story

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to the movies.  I went to see Cabrini with one of our sisters. It was a truly moving experience. I remember as a young child learning about her life and visiting her body in the shrine. The timing of the release of the film was on International Women's Day and at the very beginning of National Catholic Sisters Week.

Her story is one that many immigrants faced in her day and still face today. Arriving in New York City in 1889, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini is greeted by disease, crime and impoverished children. She soon sets off on a daring mission to convince the mayor to secure housing and health care for society's most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world has ever seen. 

Cabrini had a tenacity that was unyielding.  She stood up to Church authorities, hostile civil authorities and anyone who stood in her way. Born prematurely, Cabrini suffered from compromised lungs and was always frail. Her health never thwarted her determination to help others.  She was the voice of the voiceless and challenged authorities to help her.  Facing obstacles was a reflection of her strong will.  Nothing would stand in the way of her achieving her goal of serving. Her dream was to go to the east but she was sent to the west.  She made the best of the situation and helped many to survive.

If you have the opportunity and the desire for an uplifting yet challenging film go see Cabrini - you won't be disappointed.




Sunday, March 3, 2024

Transforming Grace

 

The LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious) have been encouraging their membership to participate in a program of Transforming Grace.  Each week they provide a reflection for the journey.

Fasting from Words that Divide

This week, try fasting from spoken and unspoken words that divide. Be attentive to words which create ‘Either | Or’ instead of ‘Both | And’ thinking. Notice the way you think and speak of those who are “other.”

Lenten Fasting for Feast of Transforming Grace



Fast from Words that Divide

Feast on words that invite

Fast from ‘Either | Or’ thinking

Feast on ‘Both | And’ living

Fast from convincing certitude

Feast on space for uncertainty

Fast from anger

Feast on space for serenity

Fast from algorithms

Feast on discernment

Fast from fear

Feast on being willing to speak

Fast from isolation

Feast on connection.

 





Sunday, February 25, 2024

Second Sunday of Lent

 

A friend of mine shared this quote of Pope Francis with me. As I reflected on it this week I found it to be rather challenging.

Pope Francis spoke again:

“Eat what you want at Easter, the sacrifice is not in the stomach, but in the heart.

They refrain from eating meat, but they do not talk to their brothers or relatives. 

They do not visit their parents or burden them with care.

They do not share their food with the needy.

They do not allow their children to see their father.

They do not forbid grandparents to see their grandchildren.

They criticize other people’s lives, beat their wives, etc.

A good roast or meat stew won’t make you a bad person.

Nor a fish fillet will make you a saint.

Better to try to have a deeper relationship with God through better treatment of others.

We are less superficial and more humble of heart.” 

Pope Francis

In today’s gospel we hear the familiar story of the Transfiguration.  We go to the mountain with Jesus, Peter, James, and John where they experience Jesus in a glorified state. Jesus is transfigured before them and the voice of God instructs them, “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him. They have heard Jesus speak before, but have they fully understood what Jesus was saying? The Lenten journey is meant to waken us up to the reality that we have all we need in Jesus. Let us continue to walk the path of the death and resurrection of Jesus. May we always hear and understand Jesus’ call and invitations to us.




Sunday, February 18, 2024

First Sunday of Lent

 

The prayer below was written by Sr. Dorothea Gooud, an Australian Ursuline sister. As we journey through these forty days may we reflect and pray using it during this Lenten Season.

Enlighten, O Lord, the darkness of my heart,

the gateways to my spirit open wide;

My eyes, my ears, my pow’r to feel and love,

O Divine Majesty, pour in your radiant light

So strong, so clear that I would rather die

than lose that radiance shining from your Face.


Let me not betray the trust you place in me

Within that secret room which is my heart

I lay before you, Lord, my weakness and my sin

Blind, lame, bent down, I can’t look to you.

But night and day, at work and rest, I pray

My Healer, lay your gentle hand on me.

 

Your mercy is my hope; forgive me, Lord, restore

The crystal clearness of Baptismal grace

And thus I pray, O Lord, for those you give to me

With all in this vast world, Jesus, you died to save.

And by your passion, by your blood outpoured –

In pity grant us time for change of heart.

 

I give to you, my Lord, my only life and hope,

Your dear-bought treasures I have called my own.

Within, without, they are your gifts to me.

Oh cast your fire of love upon my dried-up heart.

Consume its dead wood like the wild bush fire,

Then touch to green new growth of love and peace.

 

How long I’ve made you wait for my poor service, Lord.

Life’s hurts are hard to bear when love is small.

Yet I can truly say my greatest sorrow, Lord,

Is watching human beings turn from love.

I’d gladly give my life to cure their blindness.

Take all I am and have! Blessed be your name!



Sunday, February 11, 2024

Ash Wednesday and Valentines Day

 

For the first time since 2018, Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day fall on the same day. This year, Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day coincide: a day about joy, love, and celebration alongside a day about sacrifice, remembering our mortality, and recalling our utter dependence on God. As we prepare to commemorate these two realities let us remember that it may be the perfect time to invite our loving God into all of our life experiences and remember that love heals. It may just be the perfect way for us to enter Lent, remembering God is the one love that was here at the beginning of our lives and will be here long after our inevitable end.

In his 2024 Lenten message, Pope Francis reminds us of a question that God asked Adam and Eve after they had eaten of the fruit, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9) God was looking for them not to judge them, but rather to enter into a dialogue. Notice that God made the first move to search out where Adam and Eve were hiding, and God reached out. Lent reminds us that God continues to reach out to us. He does not want any of us to be lost. He knows our limitations; thus, He comes to tell us that He understands us and loves us. That is what Lent is about. It is a time to respond to the call. Let us not allow our fears, our notion of unworthiness hide us from God. Lent invites us to open our ears and our hearts and listen to the voice of the Lover. And we can do that by practicing the three disciplines of Lent: Listen in prayer. Fast from the noises, activities, attitudes that inhibit us from hearing His voice. Give alms, which is to be good to others and to ourselves. In doing so, we rediscover that God absolutely loves us.

This year as we celebrate Valentine’s Day let us remember to invite God in for the joys as well as the sorrows, the excitements as well as the frustrations, and the healthy moments as well as the sick ones. Ash Wednesday and Lent are both encounters of love.  Let us allow our hearts to be filled with love and at the same time be open to the ultimate gift of love that our God continually showers us with.





Sunday, February 4, 2024

Bridges of Hope/Puentes De Esperanza

From Thursday, January 25th to Sunday, January 28th, Jeannie and Pat attended Bridges of Hope/Puentes De Esperanza sponsored by the Leadership Collaborative for women religious under 65.Jeannie participated in person in Chicago and Pat participated via Zoom. There were 150 women religious under the age of 65 gathered in person, with more than 100 others joining them virtually from 108 Congregations and 28 Countries, to discuss, discern and embrace the future of religious life. Discussion and prayer time was lively, deep and meaningful. Connections were strengthened and built as simultaneous translation was provided.

Some of the questions discussed were:


·What are you willing to challenge and be challenged about in this life? 

·Can we be fearless? What does that mean? What would it look like? 

·How can we live without anxiety and with hope in this in between time of what was and what     will be? 

·How you have been an agent of hope and a co-creator with God in your life/ministry?

Some of the shared thoughts were:


·Mission is what we are about-not just ourselves and our own ministries.

·A healthy balanced life of ministry, relationships, wellness activities, contemplation, reading,   recreation, and prayer are needed and desired. 

·We are proud to be women religious and enjoy the connections we have with one another.  

·Our willingness to be vulnerable is not a sign of weakness but an embrace of strength and authenticity.

·As Pope Francis, says ‘We will never be disillusioned or lose our way if we are guided by God”. 

They both enjoyed the gathering tremendously and look forward to continuing the connections made.