Category: Our Lord

The Most Holy Rosary

10/7/2017

“The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus,
Our Redeemer, who loves His Mother.” ~ St. Louis de Montfort

As Sisters devoted to serving Jesus by imitating His beloved Mother Mary, we pray the rosary each day asking her to conform us to her Son through our meditation on the mysteries of His life.

Our daily rosary is offered in a special way for the triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart, for our Holy Father, for our Bishop, for all of our apostolates and all the souls entrusted to our care. The daily rosary is a way in which the Sisters who are in the initial stages of formation take an active part in all of the apostolates. Their prayers provide the support necessary for the active works to be spiritually successful.

In praying our rosary, we follow the method of St. Louis de Montfort who assigned to each decade a fruit to be meditated on and asked for. These seemingly simple reflections add an additional layer to the beauty of this prayer. Thus, before praying the first Joyful mystery, for example, the Sister who is leading the rosary would pray:

"We offer Thee, O Lord Jesus, this decade in honor of Thy Incarnation in Mary’s womb, and we ask of Thee, through this Mystery and through her intercession, a profound humility. Amen."

At the end of the decade, the Sister prays: "May the grace of the mystery of the Annunciation come down into our souls. Amen."

"With modesty, attention, and devotion, " St. Louis de Montfort's prayer before the rosary admirably sums up the sentiments we desire to have as we pray our rosary.
St. John Paul II in his beautiful encyclical on the rosary wrote: "Against the background of the words Ave Maria the principal events of the life of Jesus Christ pass before the eyes of the soul." We strive to keep these mysteries ever before us.and with Our Lady to ponder them always in our hearts.

"I unite with all the saints in Heaven, with all the just on earth, and with all the faithful here present. I unite with Thee, O my Jesus, in order to praise worthily Thy Holy Mother and to praise Thee in her and through her. I renounce all the distractions that I may have during this Rosary, which I wish to say with modesty, attention, and devotion, just as if it were to be the last of my life. We offer Thee, O Most Holy Trinity, this Creed in honor of all the mysteries of our Faith; this Our Father and these three Hail Marys in honor of the unity of Thy Essence and the Trinity of Thy Persons. We ask of Thee a lively faith, a firm hope and an ardent charity. Amen." ~ St. Louis de Montfort

"A God Who Is Love"

9/26/2017

"Only a God Who is love could ask you to love Him with all your heart.
Only He Who has given you everything could ask you for everything."

"Only He Who loved you on the Cross could demand from you a love that will lead you to the Cross. Only He Who forms your heart each day with His Spirit could ask you to love in ways different from that of 'flesh and blood.'

"It is therefore often a crucified love, because at certain times it is "at great price." It is not a "game." It is a love that turns often to the Crucifix, in order to remain faithful to crucified love.

"It is a love that knows how to pass from the transfigured face of Jesus to the disfigured face of the Crucifix, a love that exults on Tabor and is faithful on Calvary, a love that knows the powerful attraction of the divine eros and knows how to lower itself to agape's humble, obscure way of loving.

The Crucifixion by Leon Bonnat

"It is a love that must always be cultivated in interiority, in intense prayer, for it imitates the virginal, praying Son, knowing that chastity and intimacy with the Lord are one and the same thing. Only one who cultivates prayerful intimacy can bear witness that the virginal life is the fruit of an invisible, but irresistible, love.

"It is the love of the bride for the Bridegroom: 'It is toward the garden of perfect Union that our path leads.'"

~from A Short Course on the Consecrated Life

Monthly Devotion: Most Precious Blood of Jesus

7/1/2017

"For this is my blood of the new testament, which stall be shed form many unto remission of sins."
~ Matthew 26:28

O precious Blood of Jesus, infinite price paid for the redemption of sinful mankind. O Divine Blood, drink and laver of our souls, standing between us and the Father pleading mercy.

With all my heart I adore You, sweet Lord, and offer reparation for the insults, outrages and ingratitude, which You continuously receive from human beings, especially those who dare blaspheme the Divine Blood You shed for us.

Bless this Blood of Infinite value. Bless the fire of Jesus’ Love who shed it to the last drop for us. Where would I be if not for this Divine Blood that redeemed me? Indeed, Lord, I have drawn if from You to the last drop. What love! Thank You for this saving balm!

May every heart, every tongue, now and forever, praise and thank this priceless balm, this saving Blood, this fountain of crimson Mercy welling up from the fountain of infinite Love. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

6/23/2017

Praised be the Divine Heart which wrought our salvation...

...to It be glory and honor forever! Amen.

You loved me from all eternity, therefore you created me.

You loved me after you had made me,
therefore you became man for me.

You loved me after you became man for me, therefore you lived and died for me.

You loved me after you had died for me,
therefore you rose again for me.

You loved me after you had risen for me, therefore you went to prepare a place for me.

You loved me after you had gone
to prepare a place for me,
therefore you came back for me.

You loved me after you came back to me,
therefore you desired to enter into me
and be united to me.

This is the meaning of the Blessed Sacrament.

The mystery of love.

By Archbishop Alban Goodier, SJ

"Arise, then, O soul beloved of Christ! Cease not your vigil;
bring close your lips, that you may draw waters out of the Savior's fountain."

~ St. Bonaventure

Monthly Devotion: The Sacred Heart of Jesus

6/7/2017

To choose the heart for an emblem
is to dedicate oneself to the only Heart
which does not lie,
and it is encircled with thorns.
~ Jacques Maritain

I believe, O Lord; but strengthen my faith!
Heart of Jesus, I love Thee; but increase my love.
Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee; but give greater vigor to my confidence.
Heart of Jesus, I give my heart to Thee;
but so enclose it in Thee that it may never be separated from Thee.
Heart of Jesus, I am all Thine;
but take care of my promise so that I may be able to put it into
practice even unto the complete sacrifice of my life. Amen.
From a prayer of Blessed Miguel Pro, SJ

A Most Efficacious Prayer to the Sacred Heart

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we know that there is but one thing impossible to Thee, to be without pity for those who are in suffering or distress. Look down then, we beseech Thee, on us, and grant us the grace for which we humbly implore Thee, through the Immaculate Heart of Thy most sorrowful Mother to whom Thou didst confide us as her children; and whose prayers are all powerful with Thee. Amen.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
Give it an increase of divine love, with the grace of final perseverance.

Investiture on the Feast of the Queenship and Visitation

5/31/2017

To waste my life on Jesus
is my whole desire.
Like incense ever burning
in the smoldering fire.
Like sudden spilling ointment
from a flask now shattered.
Like fresh and fragrant petals
of a rose all scattered.

O let the fire continue
through the night and day!
A spark is all I need
to give my life away.
A puff of smoke, so docile
to your slightest breath
my joy is to surrender
my all in life and death.

O may my life be broken,
useless at your feet.
A wilted costly fragrance,
smelling strong and sweet.
What good will all this do You,
all this waste, my Lord?
The house is filled with sweetness
from a life out poured.

I am a host You've taken,
fragile, small and weak.
Changed into Your Body,
given for all to eat.
Into Your hands,
Beloved, I commend my soul.
O let Your love consume me!
This is my one goal.

My life is but an instant,
here and gone so fast,
but all along the journey,
love will light my path.
What good in this brief lifetime
can I hope to do?
O Jesus, I will spend it,
waste it all on You.

Text from a poem by Sr. Mary Karis of the Holy Spirit, Poor Clare

Sr. Marie de Lourdes, Sr. Mary Emmanuel, Sr. Mary Catherine, Sr. Maria Magdelena,
Sr. Michelle Marie, Mother Teresa Christe

Please join us in praying for our new novices:
Sr. Michelle Marie of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels,
Sr. Maria Magdelena of Our Lady of Fatima,
Sr. Mary Catherine of Mary, Mother of the Church,
and Sr. Mary Emmanuel of Mary, Cause of our Joy.

Mary, Queen and Mother of Religious, pray for us!
Our Lady in thy Visitation,intercede for us!

Picture Gallery

Abundant Life

5/18/2017

Another "First"!

4/19/2017

As an emerging community, the Sisters are frequently given the opportunity to participate in "firsts" - the first clothing of novices and the first Mass in our new convent being just two of the more important of the "firsts". This Holy Thursday marked another "first" for our community: the first Procession of our Lord to the conventual Altar of Repose. We have never before had enough space to make a real Altar of Repose and so delighted in our ability to offer Him this small act of loving adoration.

At the conclusion of the Holy Thursday Mass, Father, vested in cope and humeral veil, carried Our Lord from our little chapel to a small altar of repose. Following the processional crucifix, the schola chanted the Pange Lingua while the Sisters processed with candles indicating our Lord's presence among us.

Holy Thursday Gallery

Alleluia! Resurrexit Sicut Dixit! Alleluia!

4/16/2017

"Resurrexi..."
"I arose and am still with you..."
Alleluia!

We were privileged to attend the Easter Vigil
at the Cathedral with our Bishop. After the Vigil, Father Keyes brought our Risen Lord back to our Chapel. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Our dear friend, the Alleluia, has been reposing in silence since the beginning of Septuagesima, so after our Lord returned to our chapel, dug up the Alleluia.

Benediction following the Easter Sunday Mass

Good Friday

4/14/2017

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Jesus descends from the Cross by Nicolas Tournier

O my people, what is it I have done unto thee? How have I grieved thee? Answer thou me.

Is it because I brought thee out of the land of Egypt, that thou hast made ready a cross for me, thy Savior?

O my people, what is it I have done unto thee? How have I grieved thee? Answer thou me.

Is it because for forty years I led thee through the wilderness, feeding thee with manna, and bringing thee into a land exceedingly good, that thou hast made ready a cross for me, thy Savior?