Blog Archives

Heart Undivided

2/27/2017

"Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of
Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment."
John 12:3

"Those who have been given
the priceless gift of following
the Lord Jesus more closely
consider it obvious that he can and
must be served with an undivided heart,
that one can devote to him one's
whole life, and not merely
certain actions or occasional
moments or activities....

"The precious ointment
poured out as a pure act of love,
and thus transcending all
"utilitarian" considerations,
is a sign of unbounded generosity,
as expressed in a life spent in
loving and serving the Lord,
in order to devote oneself to
his person and his
Mystical Body....

"From such a life 'poured out' without reserve there spreads a fragrance which fills
the whole house. The house of God, the Church, today no less than in the past, is
adorned and enriched by the presence of the consecrated life....

"What in people's eyes can
seem a waste is, for the individuals
captivated in the depths of their heart by the beauty and goodness of the Lord, an obvious response of love, a joyful expression of gratitude for having been admitted in a unique way to the knowledge of the Son and to a sharing in his divine mission in the world....

"'If any of God's children were to know and taste divine love, the uncreated God,
the incarnate God, the God who endured suffering, the God who is the supreme good,
they would give themselves completely to him, they would withdraw not only from other creatures but even from their very selves, and with all their being would love this God
of love to the point of being completely transformed into the God-man, who is the
supreme Beloved'." ~ Vita Consecrata 104

Love Divine

2/24/2017

I gave myself to Love Divine
And Oh! My lot so changed is
That my Beloved One is mine
And I at last am surely His.

When that sweet Huntsman from above
first wounded me and left me prone,
into the very arms of Love
my stricken soul forthwith was thrown.

Since then my life's no more my own
And all my lot so changed is
That my Beloved One is mine
And I at last am surely His."
~ St. Teresa of Avila

Now and Then

2/21/2017

"I have trodden the winepress alone: and of the people there was none with me..." ~ Isaiah 63:3

As we make our way through Septuagesima in preparation for Lent, we have the opportunity to turn our eyes to those who have trod this way before us to discover the meaning of these season. The great Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine tells us that, "There are two times, one which is now, and is spent in the temptations and tribulations of this life; the other which shall be then, and shall be spent in eternal security and joy. In figure of these, we celebrated two periods: the time before Easter, and the time after Easter. That which is before Easter signifies the sorrow of this present life; that which is after Easter, the blessedness of our future state.... Hence it is that we spend the first in fasting and prayer; and in the second we give up our fasting, and give ourselves to praise." The graces of this present season found in prayer and fasting prepare us for the joy of the season and the life to come.

Making A Space Where Christ Is Loved Above All Else

2/18/2017

"In all religious houses...some part should be reserved to the members alone. This form of separation from the world...is part of the public witness which religious give to Christ and to the Church. It is also needed for the silence and recollection which foster prayer."
~ Essential Elements 11

Our Lady greets all who approach the Convent

Moving to a different location has presented the community with the opportunity of setting up a new house where Jesus Christ can be loved above all else. The convent, as the Church tells us above, is not just a place where like-minded people congregate together to do good things for God. It is rather a part and an expression of our consecrated lives. As such, the way the convent is configured and the objects present in it affect and reflect our vowed life. Recently, we have been able to erect a few things of particular significance for the community: the convent bell, the Stations of the Cross, and the statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

The evangelical counsel of obedience, lived in faith, is a loving following of Christ
who was obedient unto death." ~ Essential Elements 22

The convent bell, which Father is seen blessing above, is the voice of Christ sounding on the convent grounds. The Sister responds to the sound of the bell as to the voice of her Bridegroom. It calls her to prayer, to study, to meals and community life. The Sister's loving response to all that the daily order requires allows her to enter into the mystery of Christ's own mortification in both her interior life and the use of her exterior senses.

Stations of the Cross placed conspicuously around the convent grounds remind us that this consecrated community is built on the way of the Cross, where each Sister leaves off living for herself and instead lives for the common good. Our life in community is a gift from the Holy Spirit and we strive to strengthen its bonds by our communal efforts to be of one heart in prayer, in apostolate, and in mutual esteem for one another. The daily joys and challenges of community life are to us an aid in finding Christ, Who is always lovingly present. By our vows, we become with Christ bearers of His Cross, walking confidently with Him toward the glory of the resurrection.

"If anyone wishes to come after me, let him take up his cross daily and follow me..."

"Oh Jesus, it is for love of Thee and in reparation for the offenses committed
against the Immaculate Heart of Mary and for the conversion of poor sinners."

As a community, we take Our Lady as our model in living our life of consecration to God. As such, it is no surprise that depictions of her are found all around the convent while we endeavor to cultivate her spirit of joy, peace, and loving sacrifice. Her images serve to remind us to ask her to share with us something of her strength of mind and courageous will as we strive to spread the reign of Christ Jesus in the world. The little shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, whose message inspires our apostolates, is a new favorite place for the Sisters to pause for a moment of recollection and for the community to gather in prayer. We are very grateful to a team of dedicated friends who made it possible to erect this beautiful (and heavy!) marble statue!

A bell, Stations, a statue - each of these are good in and of themselves, but as part of the convent they take on extra significance. They help us to remember who we are as women consecrated to Christ, seeking to find Him in all things while maintaining a certain separation from all that is not Him. They also serve to help others to see the sacredness of the convent space. They are visible reminders that these grounds are not a common space but are given to Christ along with the people who live on them. It is this set apartness of the convent that fosters the intimate conversations with Christ that are at the heart of consecrated life, conversations from which the Sister is strengthened to go forth in service of God and His people.

Our Lady, Queen and Model of the Religious Life,
intercede for us, enable us to make this convent a place where Christ is loved above all else!

Farewell to the Alleluia

2/13/2017

For centuries it has been customary to observe a period of preparation for the rigors of Lent. Called the season of Septuagesima from the Sunday that marks its beginning (three Sundays before Ash Wednesday), these three 'weeks' leading up to Ash Wednesday are characterized by a certain somberness in the extraordinary form - the vestments are changed to violet, the Mass texts turn our attention to the reality of original sin and its consequences, and, perhaps most striking of all, the Alleluia is omitted, not to be heard again until the Easter Vigil.

The Alleluia, that joyful word expressing our gratitude for the gift of our salvation and our joy at the Resurrection, is traditionally silenced at the end of 1st Vespers for Septuagesima Sunday. Such sorrow is felt at the absence of this dear and constant friend that in some places the tradition of burying the Alleluia until Easter has been revived. Like a true Christian burial, the burial of the Alleluia is marked not by inconsolable sorrow, but by confidence that what is laid in the ground will rise again. At the end of our Lenten prayer, fasting, and giving, the Alleluia will ring out announcing the Resurrection with a vigor increased by its temporary absence.

For the first time in our community history, we observed this delightful custom. The Alleluia rang out one last time at the conclusion of Vespers followed by a solemn procession escorting the Alleluia from its honorary place on the altar to its Lenten grave, where it will remain until after the Easter Vigil. Its absence is notable, reminding us of the solemn season rapidly approaching and prompting us to ask for the graces attached to this liturgical season.

Apostolic Endeavors

2/10/2017

Our vocation is an open ended "Yes" to God and His holy will. With the basis of our life as consecrated women being this broad invitation, there is a never ending variety to what He asks from His brides. Beyond the ordinary daily duties - teacher, catechist, sacristan, etc. - which are the source of our sanctification, this winter has included a number of special apostolic activities.

One of the elements of an authentic apostolate is the ability to communicate the Word of God to each soul encountered in a manner that that soul can receive and understand. This sometimes takes on surprising forms - the younger Sisters visited the dance classes at Cardinal Newman high school to demonstrate the integration of art and faith through sacred music and classical dance. After a brief catechesis on Gregorian chant, the Sisters chanted the ancient Tota Pulcra Est while Sister Ballerian gracefully expressed its message in classic ballet style.

In mid-January, two of the Sisters were invited to speak at and MC the annual Serra Club Vocations Dinner in Vancouver, WA. The Sisters were privileged to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the vocations dinner, speak to parishioners at St. James Proto-Cathedral, and to evangelize through their travels.

Pictured to the right: Fr. Thomas Nathe, chaplain for the Serra Club in Vancouver, Sr. Mary Vianney, Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Seattle, Sr. Margaret Mary, Val Park and Anh Tran, seminarians for the Archdiocese of Seattle.

Simultaneously as these Sisters were fulfilling God's will in Washington, a number of the Sisters attended the Walk for Life.

Pictured are the Sisters with our dear Chaplain, Fr. Jeffery Keyes, Fr. Frank Pavone, founder of Priest for Life, and Fr. John Boettcher, Director of Spirituality for our diocese.

Sister Seamstress discovered that it was God's will for her to exercise our charism to communicate the beauty of the faith by making a rose-colored dalmatic to match the lovely rose chasuble at the Cathedral.
We are blessed to have such a talented Sister who, responding to God's invitation, uses her gifts for the support of the Church, our priests, and the community.

Several Sisters were blessed to become re-acquainted with the beautiful Victorian Village of Ferndale, CA and the wonderful people at Assumption parish. We were founded to serve this diocese and so it is a special delight when we are able to spend time in the more remote parish communities.

One of the greatest privileges of having received a vocation to the consecrated life is the opportunity to share this joy with others. The younger Sisters were blessed to be able to speak to the student body of St. Eugene's Cathedral School about the different vocations and to witness to the joy of consecrated life by their presence in the school. The Sisters invited a few students to help them with their presentation by representing members of the various religious families that the Sisters spoke about.

To support the students of Cardinal Newman high school (where our Mother Superior teaches Advanced Theology), and to provide the invaluable witness of consecrated life on campus, the Sisters attended a varsity girl's basketball game - where our Sister Flutist performed the National Anthem - and a varsity boy's game - where the whole community sang the National Anthem. Both games were marked by an admirable display of christian discipline and sportsmanship.

Video courtesy of Mr. Rich Hextrum

Monthly Devotion: The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ

2/7/2017

"The remembrance of the most holy Passion of Jesus Christ is the door through which
the soul enters into intimate union with God, interior recollection and most sublime contemplation..."
~ St. Paul of the Cross

Ecce Homo by Philippe de Champaigne

This year, the month of February, traditionally given to cultivating devotion to the Passion of Christ, provides us with a month to prepare for the liturgical season of Lent beginning on March 1st. It is said that none of the saints became saints without frequent and devout meditation on the Passion of Christ and many of the saints attribute this meditation to being the impetus to their surrendering their lives to God's holy will. This reflection ought to provide us with at least the desire to incorporate this admirable practice into our own lives!

"Ah, my Jesus, if I look on Thy body without, I see nothing but wounds and blood. If within, in Thy heart, I find nothing else but bitterness and anguish, which make Thee suffer the agonies of death. Ah, my God, who but infinite goodness, such as Thou art, could ever have humbled himself to suffer so much for his creatures ? — but creatures beloved of God, because Thou art God. These wounds which I see in Thee are all tokens of the love which Thou bearest to us.

Oh, if all men could have contemplated Thee in the condition in which on that day Thou
wast a spectacle of sorrow and reproach to all Jerusalem, who would not have been seized by
love of Thee ? Lord, I love Thee, and give myself wholly to Thee. Behold, my blood, my life,
all I offer Thee. Behold me ready to suffer and die as it pleaseth Thee. And what can I deny to
Thee who hast not denied to me Thy blood and life? Deign to accept the sacrifice which a
miserable sinner makes of himself,who now loves Thee with all his heart."
~ From St. Alphonsus Liguori's Meditation on the Ecce Homo

Candlemas

2/2/2017

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"...give the light of thy heavenly benediction to these candles, which we thy servants desire to carry in honor of thy Name: that by offering them to thee, our Lord God, we may be inflamed by the fire of thy sweet love, and made worthy to be presented in the holy temple of thy glory..."
~ From the blessing of Candles on Candlemas

The feast of the Purification of Our Lady and the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, also known as Candlemas, is celebrated by the blessing of candles before the festive Mass, a beautiful ceremony with special chants and prayers.

"A light to the revelation of the Gentiles,
and the glory of thy people Israel."

After the five prayers have been said and the candles have been sprinkled with holy water and incensed, they are distributed to the faithful during the chanting of the antiphon "Lumen ad revelationem" and the Canticle of Simeon.

The newly blessed candles are held lit during the Gospel and again from the beginning of the Canon to the Communion.

The candle represents Christ: the wax of His humanity hid the wick of His divinity throughout His earthly life. Like the candle which gives light at the cost of its own substance, in His burning love for His creation, Christ offered His very life for our salvation.