"God forbid that I should glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world." - Galatians 6:14

These words of St. Paul are the words we heard in the Introit of the Mass on September 14 for the Exultation of the Holy Cross, and also today for the Commemoration of the Imprinting of the Holy Stigmata on the Body of St. Francis. 

In the spring, Sister Gardener launched into a fun endeavor: growing sunflowers! A basic rule of gardening is to plant a few more seeds than desired in the case that not all of them sprout. Much to Sister's surprise (and our enjoyment), all the seeds decided to sprout and blossom this summer! 

BECOME attached in fervor to the devotion to the divine Blood which softens every heart, and do not fail to turn frequently to the most holy Mary Immaculate under whose protection it is most helpful to remain. - St. Gaspar de Buffalo

O salutaris Hostia,
Quae caeli pandis ostium: 
Bella premunt hostilia,
Da robur, fer auxilium.
Uni trinoque Domino 
Sit sempiterna gloria,
Qui vitam sine termino 
Nobis donet in patria.
Amen.

​Sweet Heart of Jesus, source of love and mercy, 
We beg of Thee, O Fount of living grace, 
Oh! list to souls who humbly now implore Thee, 
And make them Thine fore'ver, ever more. 

​The Saviour's Heart invites us to return to the Father's love, which is the source of every authentic love: "In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins" (1 Jn 4:10). Jesus ceaselessly receives from the Father, rich in mercy and compassion, the love which he lavishes upon human beings (cf. Eph 2:4; Jas 5:11). His Heart particularly reveals the generosity of God towards sinners. God's reaction to sin is not to lessen his love, but to expand it into a flow of mercy which becomes the initiative of the Redemption.

Fittingly, the Month of Mary is followed by the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pope Pius XII writes, "The adorable Heart of Jesus Christ began to beat with a love at once human and divine after the Virgin Mary generously pronounced Her "Fiat"; and the Word of God, as the Apostle remarks: "coming into the world, saith, 'Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldst not; but a body thou hast fitted to Me; holocausts for sin did not please thee. Then said I, "Behold I come"; in the head of the book it is written of Me, "that I should do thy will, O God!"'. . .In which will we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of Jesus Christ once."

There are few things that bring more joy in Community life than sharing in each other's joy. On the feast of Mary, Help of Christians, we collectively entered into the joy of Sister Mary Catherine of Mary, Mother of the Church and Sister Mary Emmanuel of Mary, Cause of Our Joy as they made their first profession of vows.