|
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife” Matthew 1:18-24.
Every journey requires preparation. Every lifework requires education. Every vocation requires formation. Mary, although conceived full of grace and free from original sin, was not exempt from this law of human nature. Mary needed formation for her high calling as the Mother of God, thus tradition tells us that she took up residence in the Temple at the tender age of three years old.
Kids say the darndest things! And children seeing Religious Sisters in habit for the first time are no exception. We’re heard it all from, “Look at the princess!” to “Is that an angel?” and “Are those elves?” But our favorite is when we hear the kids call out, “Hi Mary!” or “Look at all the Marys!” Because, as Marian Sisters, being Mary to the world is really what we are going for.
On the 4th of July, we celebrate and give thanks to God for our beautiful country. We have the traditional BBQ, decorate our patio with red, white, and blue, have a water balloon toss, sing patriotic songs around the campfire, and -- for those willing to stay up after grand silence -- watch the local fireworks from the top of our hill. But beyond these joyous and meaningful community traditions, we spend the day in prayer for our country.
"For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my friend, my beautiful one, and come!" Song of Songs 2:11-13
Advent is the season of Our Lady. During the first Advent, Mary carried the Christ-child next to her heart and waited in joyful expectation for His birth.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to know Jesus as well as Our Lady knew Him? To understand and share in His life as she did?
|
Categories
All
Archives
November 2025
|
RSS Feed