Blog Archives

Walk for Life 2018

1/30/2018

On Saturday, January 27, 2018, a large portion of the community was blessed to join tens of thousands of faithful witnesses to the sanctity of life from natural conception to natural death at the Walk for Life 2018.

The Sisters began the day by attending the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass celebrated at the Cathedral by the Archbishop joined by many Bishops (including our Bishop) and priests. It was inspiring to be in the midst of so many faithful gathered to implore God's mercy.

The community was delighted to connect with our diocesan seminarians as well as seminarians, religious, relatives, and friends from around the country.

Septuagesima

1/29/2018

The soon to be buried "Alleluia" resting at Our Lady's feet before the procession

"Benedicamus Dominio, alleluia, alleluia!" With this last chant, the word alleluia ceases to pass our lips until Easter. We are now just nine weeks from the commemoration of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our sweet Savior. The Church will soon be placing these mysteries before our eyes and it is time for us to turn our thoughts to the contemplation of our redemption, so we bid farewell to the alleluia as a word too highly expressive of joy and exultation to be with us during the somber days of Lent.

"The word Alleluia signifies praise God: but it says much more than this, and says it as no other word or words could. The Church is not going to interrupt Her giving praise to God during these nine weeks. She will replace this Heaven-lent word by a formula also expressive of praise: Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory! But this is the language of earth; whereas Alleluia was sent us from Heaven. "Alleluia," says the devout Abbot Rupert, "is like a stranger

Doctor of Divine Charity

1/24/2018

St. Francis de Sales

Feast:

January 24 and January 29

Episcopal motto:

Non excidet ~ "He [Jesus] will not fail"

"May the sweet Infant of Bethlehem ever be your happiness and your love, my very dear Mother. Oh I the loveliness of this Little Child! I imagine I see Solomon on his ivory throne, all beautifully gilded and carved, which, as the Scripture tells us, had no equal in all the kingdoms of the earth, neither was there any king that could be compared, for glory and magnificence, with the king that sat upon it. And yet, I would a hundred times rather see the dear Jesus in his Crib, than all the kings of the world on their thrones.

St. Francis de Sales giving St. Jane de Chantal and her nuns the rule of the Visitation

But, when I see him on the lap or in the arms of his Blessed Mother, he seems to me to be more magnificent on this Throne, not only than Solomon ever was on his of ivory, but than he himself on any throne that the heavens could provide him with; for though the heavens surpass Mary in outward grandeur, yet she surpasses them in invisible perfections. Oh! may the great St. Joseph give us some of the consolation that filled his soul; may the Blessed Mother lend us something of her own love, and the Infant Jesus mercifully pour into our hearts of the infinite abundance of his merits!

I beseech you to keep close to this Divine Babe, and rest near him as lovingly as you can—he will love you in return, even should your heart feel no tenderness or devotion. What sense had the poor ox and the ass ?—and yet he refuses not to let them breathe warmly upon him. And think you he will refuse the aspirations of our poor hearts, which, though just at present they feel no devotion, yet are sincerely and loyally his, and are ever offering themselves to be the faithful servants of his own divine self, and of his Holy Mother, and of his dear protector Joseph!"

~ Letter of St. Francis to St. Jane de Chantal

Contemplation of Divine Things

1/20/2018

"The first and foremost duty of all religious is to be the contemplation
of divine things and assiduous union with God in prayer." ~ Canon 663

This excerpt from the Code of Canon law beautifully expresses our primary responsibility and fundamental orientation as religious: union with God in prayer. Prayer unifies the whole of our life of consecration and mission, the two primary facets of the vowed life. Prayer is the "soul of the apostolate." It is the animating factor that makes the actions of each Sister efficacious for God because they flow from union with Him.

The Catechism tells us that prayer is "both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part" (2725). It is a battle against our fallen inclinations and the temptations of the devil, a battle to remain in the presence of God, Whose countenance is ever turned toward us. Prayer is an essential element of our life - the body does better without oxygen than the soul and apostolate of a consecrated person who goes without prayer. Our desire is to know Jesus Christ Crucified with the depth and intimacy of a spousal relationship, but this type of communion is not established overnight. Rather, it is the result of years of fidelity, fidelity to individual, communal, and liturgical prayer and to living the fruit of that prayer in our apostolate.

The Sister's prayer must first be individual and personal. A deep relationship is formed and fostered through the Sister's fidelity to seeking Him in everything and setting aside time to simply be with Him Whom her soul longs for. She seeks Him in the Eucharist, where His face is most clearly revealed and concealed, in meditation, spiritual reading, Lectio, and those little aspirations of the heart that draw her back to Him throughout the day. Her periods of personal prayer assist the sister to internalize and make her own the communal and liturgical prayer of our life.

For her prayer is also communal. Her personal relationship with her Spouse must find expression in the particular prayer life of the community. It is fed by the communal spirituality and is supported by the communal effort. Each Sister has a right to be able to rely on the community to pray for her and on her behalf. She enters into the efficacy of the prayer of those gathered "in His Name", benefiting from it personally and praying with the confidence of one who knows the prayer of the community will be heard before the throne of God. The way that a community prays and worships demonstrates the community's beliefs and values. Our communal prayer has a liturgical character, a meditative quality, and a Marian dimension that publicly expresses our orientation and charism.

Liturgical prayer is at the heart of our life of consecration. We sanctify our day and join with the voice of the Church in praying together Lauds, Vespers, and Compline. These hours are an extension of the Eucharistic Sacrifice in which we are privileged to participate each day. Assisted by the example of our sisters and uniting with the heart of Mary, Mother of the Church, we offer our Divine Lord adoration, intercession, praise, and thanksgiving to intercede for the salvation of the whole world (cf. Canon 1173).

Musica Sacra

1/16/2018

As a community steeped in the traditions of the Church, her sacred music is held especially dear by each of the Sisters. Our communal Office is lovingly chanted each day, and the sacred music of the Church is prayed at each liturgy celebrated in our Convent. Two of our Sisters were blessed to be able to attend Musica Sacra's Winter Sacred Music Workshop for Chant and Sacred Polyphony in New Orleans, LA this month.

The five-day workshop combined intensive chant and polyphony instruction and practice with excellent breakout sessions by Dr. William Marht. The Sisters were delighted to be immersed so deeply in the sacred music and liturgy of the Church for these days and are excited to share their increased knowledge with the whole community.

In spite of the full conference schedule, the Sisters were able to re-connect with a dear community friend who is a Pastor of the Diocese. As the Sisters were walking one afternoon, a generous guide offered them a free bike tour, enabling them to see some unique parts of New Orleans and feel like real tourists.

Sweet Jesus

1/13/2018

“O sweet Jesus, may every good feeling that is fitted for Thy praise, love Thee, delight in Thee, admire Thee. God of my heart and my Portion, Christ Jesus, may my heart faint away in spirit and mayest Thou be my life within me! may the live coal of Thy love grow hot within my spirit, and break forth into a perfect fire; may it burn incessantly on the altar of my heart; may it glow in my innermost being; may it blaze in hidden recesses of my soul; and in the day of my consummation, may I be found consummated with Thee. Amen.” ~ St. Louis Marie de Montfort

My Jesus, Thou alone art sufficient for me!

Most Holy Name of Jesus, save us!

O Mary, draw me all to God!

Evangelical Mission

1/8/2018

"Consecration inevitably implies mission." ~ Essential Elements, 23

By her consecration by public vow, the Marian Sister is free to love Christ and to be totally His. He has chosen her, called her, and consecrated her to Himself, not for her sake alone, but for the sake of all His children. She is wholly dedicated to Him and therefore totally given to His mission of salvation.

This mission is not exclusively a mission of active works, though it is ordinarily expressed in this manner. Christ's mission is as fully shared in by the elderly or infirm Sister whose sole apostolate is that of prayer and suffering as by the vigorous Sister just beginning to labor for His harvest. The Sisters in formation also participate in His redemptive mission by their close sharing in His hidden life. The years of preparation for the day when they, too, will vow to go forth in the more public apostolates allow the Sisters to learn from Our Lady how Jesus prepared for His public ministry and to take on her dispositions of humility, charity, and constant prayer.

When our good Bishop approved our Constitutions at the founding of our community, he ratified our expression of Christ's mission to communicate the Beauty, Goodness, and Truth of the Catholic faith in a spirit of joyful evangelization while living the fullness of the Church's liturgical life. Through his action, we received our mission directly from Christ through the Church in the person of our Bishop. This mission we are charged to fulfill in fidelity to the Gospel, the Church, and in accord with our own community and charism.

The Marian Sister strives to fulfill this mission in a religious manner, imitating Mary's cordiality, graciousness, and joy. We pray that each Sister's profound union with God and sensitivity to the needs of her "children" enables her to communicate the Truth by expressions of Beauty and Goodness that all can understand.

O Mary, most pure and gracious, pray for us!

Monthly Devotion: The Most Holy Name of Jesus

1/2/2018

The Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

V. Lord, have mercy on us.
R. Christ, have mercy on us.
V. Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us.
R. Jesus, graciously hear us.
V. God the Father of Heaven
R. Have mercy on us.
V. God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. God the Holy Spirit,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. Holy Trinity, one God,
R. Have mercy on us.

The Presentation by Bellini

V. Jesus, Son of the living God, R. Have mercy on us.
Jesus, splendor of the Father,
Jesus, brightness of eternal light.
Jesus, King of glory.
Jesus, sun of justice.
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary.
Jesus, most amiable.
Jesus, most admirable.
Jesus, the mighty God.
Jesus, Father of the world to come.
Jesus, angel of great counsel.
Jesus, most powerful.
Jesus, most patient.
Jesus, most obedient.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart.
Jesus, lover of chastity.
Jesus, lover of us.

Jesus among the Doctors by David Teniers

Jesus, God of peace.
Jesus, author of life.
Jesus, example of virtues.
Jesus, zealous lover of souls.
Jesus, our God.
Jesus, our refuge.
Jesus, father of the poor.
Jesus, treasure of the faithful.
Jesus, good Shepherd.
Jesus, true light.
Jesus, eternal wisdom.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

The Transfiguration by Bellini

Jesus, infinite goodness.
Jesus, our way and our life.
Jesus, joy of Angels.
Jesus, King of the Patriarchs.
Jesus, Master of the Apostles.
Jesus, teacher of the Evangelists.
Jesus, strength of Martyrs.
Jesus, light of Confessors.
Jesus, purity of Virgins.
Jesus, crown of Saints.

V. Be merciful, R. spare us, O Jesus.
V. Be merciful, R. graciously hear us, O Jesus.

V. From all evil, R. deliver us, O Jesus.
From all sin,
From Your wrath,
From the snares of the devil.
From the spirit of fornication.
From everlasting death.
From the neglect of Your inspirations.
By the mystery of Your holy Incarnation.
By Your Nativity.
By Your Infancy.
By Your most divine Life.
By Your labors.

Casting out the Money Changers

By Your agony and passion.
By Your cross and dereliction.
By Your sufferings.
By Your death and burial.
By Your Resurrection.
By Your Ascension.
By Your institution of the most Holy Eucharist.
By Your joys.
By Your glory.

V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. spare us, O Jesus.
V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. graciously hear us, O Jesus.
V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. have mercy on us, O Jesus.

V. Jesus, hear us.
R. Jesus, graciously hear us.

The Descent from the Cross

Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, You have said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you." Grant, we beg of You, to us who ask it, the gift of Your most divine love, that we may ever love You with our whole heart, in word and deed, and never cease praising You.

Give us, O Lord, as much a lasting fear as a lasting love of Your Holy Name, for You, who live and are King for ever and ever, never fail to govern those whom You have solidly established in Your love. R. Amen.

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