“Loving slaves of Jesus in Mary should hold in high esteem devotion to Jesus, the Word of God, in the great mystery of the Incarnation, [on] March 25th, which is the mystery proper to this devotion…” excerpt from St. Louis Marie de Montrfort's True Devotion in the Preparation for Total Consecration In the marvelous lilt of the Church’s song of fasting and feasting, it is with the joy of hearts made pure by the austerities of Lent that we rejoice to celebrate our patronal feast: the Solemnity of the Annunciation. In the 10th anniversary of our founding, we delight—like a child who has discovered in itself its parents beloved features—to unite with Our Lord’s dependence upon the Blessed Virgin Mary and Our Lady’s great “Fiat”, that made possible the marriage of heaven and earth by the union of the Divine Nature and Sacred Humanity of the Eternal Son in her blessed womb.
Build Him a home in my heart; Father Dear,
Build Jesus a home in my heart. Shave off all that keeps me from loving aright The Lord of the World, Whom your lips kissed goodnight. Cut out all the knots of self-love, and my thoughts Make polished for Him in His home in my heart. Build Jesus a home in my heart, Joseph Just, As a cradle to hold Him always. Set right the beams of my penance and make Of my heart a sweet refuge where Jesus may stay. With your hands to forge me, to finish from start, I’ll know He’ll rest, safe, in His home in my heart. - A Marian Sister of Santa Rosa Said Joseph to Mary,
“I dreamed a dream Of a quaking rock And a maid’s shrill laugh At crow of cock. I saw lost keys As it were, of a realm, Then a fisherman’s boat With an empty helm.” Said Mary to Joseph, “I dreamed too. Thirty coins bled Like a heart in grief While a swart thief fled-- Thirty coins In a barren plot And our little Son crying, ‘Iscariot’.” Sister Mary Immaculate (p. 98 Guardian of God’s Lillies) “Knowing by experience St. Joseph’s astonishing influence with God, I would wish to persuade everyone to honor him with particular devotion. I have always seen those who honored him in a special manner make progress in virtue, for this heavenly protector favors in a striking manner the spiritual advancement of souls who commend themselves to him.” - St. Teresa of Avila The novena to St. Joseph - very dear to our hearts - begins today. We invite you to join us in praying to the Patron and Father of the Universial Church in preparation for his feast day
The bluebirds, looking bright as sapphires in their Springtime best, chirp happily all about the convent grounds. A hummingbird has delighted the Sisters by choosing to build her nest in the crook of a Japanese maple tree that hangs fondly over the Pieta statue in the patio. Audacious daffodils smile brightly at the blooming world around them, while tulips demurely peak out from behind the curtain of earth. The world fairly hums with the expectation of oncoming rebirth—and it would seem that nature can tend herself and usher in a delightful Spring and a fruitful Summer and Autumn without our Sisters so much as lifting a finger.
"Beloved searcher of hearts, Thou knowest the infirmities of men; show pardoning grace to those who return to thee." - Verse from Parce Domine During important liturgical feasts and seasons, such as Lent, often times one may find it hard to express in words the sentiments the soul feels. How - during a time so sacred - can one even begin to describe what wells up in the heart? This poverty which strikes us is, in itself, a reminder of a necessary disposition during Lent: that even the penances and mortifications we desire to perform require complete reliance on the Lord for strength and perseverance. We can do nothing on our own.
The Lord often works together with His Bride the Church to takes care of His children. Holy Mother Church sees the poverty of Her little ones and provides for them in their need through the prayers of the Liturgy. For where Her child does not know what to say, She gives words; where there is yearning of the heart, She provides the supplication it wishes to express; where the child says, "I do not know how to pray as I ought," She says, "I shall provide prayers for you." The prayers of Ash Wednesday give a prime example of Her maternal care: |
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