Following Saint Angela Merici's lead...

Where Angela Has Led Us--- by Sister Marie William Blyth,osu

Saint Angela, native Italian,
but also a world-wide citizen,
has led us and even now still leads.
Her daughters and sons from every land
follow her to many frontiers.
Her call to meet the needs of the times,
still re-echoes to our present day.

She ever challenged the status quo,
far-sighted in Renaissance time.
Obstacles of church and society
were met and handled with steadfast faith,
a virtue passed on to each of us.
No matter the circumstance or place,
Ursulines follow in her footsteps.

Foundations, missions are everywhere,
her charism spreading the message.
Sisters, Associates, laity
exemplify her deep faithfulness.
Whether we live east, west, north or south,
we are enveloped in her spirit
and give glory to God alone.

Rejoice, for we are highly favored
to be part of such a family.
This legacy is a rare treasure
to be shared with every generation.
all who have gone before urge us on.
Hear her call now to find ways and means
to lead others to this heritage.    
                                       8-2008

in eternity just a moment away

Wherever a beautiful soul has been, there is a trail of beautiful memories.

This week  I lost a dear, cherished friend in community.  As I journeyed with her these last few months, weeks, days, and minutes, I received much grace.  You see it is a kind of purification to watch someone you love suffer and let go.  The paschal mystery was so evident in her death.  Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies....  I had been praying a song by David Haas-- Take me Home-- I thought I was praying it for her, but actually in hindsight, it was more for me, in allowing myself to let go and release her.  The words to the song and my prayer express it so most eloguently as my attempts to express this experience of letting go of Laney are so inadequate.  It is comforting to remember "in eternity, you  are just a moment away, only a moment."

Take me Home to your dwelling place, in Your sweet embrace, ready to hold me, in your arms, take me home to your loving eyes, with You alone I'll  rise, singing forever in Your arms, take me home.

 O my God, you've led me through it all, through all my hurt and my shame. 

 O my God, I traveled far to meet You, to see Your face, and call upon Your name.

With You all pain is left behind, no sorrow or death on that day. 

O my God, how I've longed to know Your love,

come wipe my tears and take my fear away.

O my God, the road is long and hard. Open Your heart, come to me. 

God with You my sorrow turns to dancing.

Reach out Your hand and set my spirit free.

Take me Home to Your dwelling place, in Your sweet embrace, ready to hold me,  in Your arms. Take me home to Your loving eyes, with You alone I'll rise, singing forever in Your arms take me home.--David Hass

Are all sisters nuns?

Last evening, I travel to Louisville, Kentucky to address the parish religious education program of Saint Athanasius youth, grades 4-8 on vocations.  I shared the stage with Friar Paul from Mount Saint Francis.  The plan was to address vocations from the aspect of our baptismal call and share our vocation story which we did.  After both Friar Paul and I exhausted our agenda, we hosted questions.   Now, those of you who know me well, know that for many years, I have tried to clarify that I am not a nun but a sister.  The parish staffs where I have ministered, the children and youth I have taught, and my family know this for sure.   However, I did not bring up the question last night.  Friar Paul clarified, that monks and nuns are cloistered and brother, friars and sisters are not. Which stirred their interest immediately.  What is the difference between a nun and a sister?  I was ready for that question.

Both nuns and sisters are women religious and have responded to the call of consecrated life. Both use the title Sister, and both profess vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.  However, there are differences. 

Nuns belong to religious orders and live in monasteries.  Sisters belong to congregations.  When sisters live in community, they live in convents. Nuns take solemn vows of poverty, meaning they cannot acquire property. sisters take simple vows of poverty, meaning they can acquire property but not use it for their own purposes. 

Nuns usually live in monasteries, and their primary work is prayer.  If they do another type of work, it does not usually involve leaving the monastery.  Orders of nuns incude the Passionists Nuns, the Poor Clare Nuns, Benedictian Nuns and the Redemptoristine Nuns.

Sisters are usually apostolic, dedicating their lives to professions such as teaching, nursing, or missionary works.  They are not bound to work or live only in the place they reside.  Orders of sisters include Ursuline Sisters, Charity Sisters, Franciscan Sisters, School Sisters of Notre Dame and Sisters of Mercy.

Both sisters and nuns do important work in our church. Whether in cloistered monasteries or in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, homeless shelters, mission lands, or thousands of other places and work, both build up the reign of God.  Both have responded generously to the call of consecrated life.

Thus Ursuline Sisters are not nuns, although they have been know to say they are, they are canonically not nuns.  So, you were not taught by the Nuns, you were taught by the Sisters!  End of sermon, I mean lesson!

An interesting and proud moment from the evening was I was greeted warmly by Debbie Minton, director, who travel to Brescia, Italy with our own Ursuline Sister George Mary Hagan.   She was radiate as she spoke about seeing Saint Angela Merici and visiting  the home of Angela where she slept on the floor.  However, what most touched her heart she told the youth was that a woman in 1535 recognized that women and children did not have the opportunity to learn and Angela gather other women around her to address this great need.  At that moment, among many other times in sharing the face of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph as Director of Vocation Ministry, I was very proud to be a daughter of Angela Merici!

Turn off the distractions

On the feast of Saint Anthony of the Desert,  I am aware that there has been, almost from the beginning, a way of following Christ that draws the believer away from busyness, away from noise, away from the sense stimulation that many experts say we are becoming addicted.  We respond reflexively not to what is most important in life but to the latest signal, beep, buzz, or ringtone to impinge upon our consciousness. Few of us have a desert at hand where we can retreat and listen to the still, small voice of God, but perhaps there is a park, an inviting space outdoors, a chapel, a parked car with the radio off that can offer a chance for contemplation, for quietly considering the things that really matter.

George Bernard Shaw would have been a fan of Saint Anthony of the Desert.  Shaw says, "Choose silence of all virtues, for by it you hear another's imperfections, and conceal your own. "  Pray for the courage to know when to speak and the grace to know when to remain silent.

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/silence_2.html#ixzz1jkPZUjKr

Getting head and heart right

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY

“One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right if the head is totally wrong.” The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote that in his book Strength to Love in 1963. He underscored the necessity of taking responsibility for the formation of our consciences—including informing our consciences through ongoing education even after formal classroom days are behind us. After all, integrity doesn’t mean simply holding to your principles and actions in tandem with each other. You have to be sure, first of all, that your convictions are tied to more than your preferences, biases, and opinions! To be tethered to true north, reflect on scripture daily.

What a challenge! I have a great admiration for Rev. King Jr. for in the midst of his challenges, I was an eleven year old child and I was moved by his convictions, courage, and dream!  For so many he was the voice that cried out from oppression, following his conscience and deep faith.  It has been a long journey, and I am reminded of this when I feel that things are moving so slowly.  Transformation comes from pain and courage, and for this lesson I thank you Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

WHO'S CALLING?

This Sunday's scripture readings included two of my favorites--the call of Samuel and the call of Peter. I was particularly struck this time by the fact that both calls were mediated in some way by other persons. Samuel needed a wise spiritual guide to help him understand that his call was from God (I resolved then and there to make my first appointment with my new spiritual director here in NYC)!

And for the first time I noticed the "chain call" required to get Peter where he belonged: John the Baptist recognized Jesus, and pointed him out to two of his own disciples. One (Andrew) passed on the call to his brother Cephas, and the rest is history. It renewed my awareness and gratitude for all the calls that have been made clear to me by other people--most recently the powerful call I felt to this new ministry, in service with the religious NGOs at the United Nations. Sometimes we need help actually hearing the call, or just have to be reassured that the call is real, and that we have what it takes to follow it (especially when the going gets tough).

This latest call is taking me into new territory, away from blogging, so this will be my last one for the foreseeable future. But I want to thank you for traveling with me on this journey of discovery, as I blogged my way through this past year of transition. Thank you for your support and kind responses. Hope there are some other bloggers out there who would like to take up the torch, and share their stories! God bless all, and may your own calls be very clear.

I will take our community love and greetings to the New Rochelle Ursulines, where I am spending a day of celebration for Saint Angela's feast day...

Sister Cheryl's insight on vocations

Awareness of vocations and the significance of each vocation whether it is the vocation to married life, single life, conscerated life or ordained ministry is needed in the Church today. I recognize in the lives of those around me that each is good and holy. I invite you to read Sister Cheryl Clemons, osu thoughts.

http://www.icatholic.org/article/all-catholics-incur-the-call-to-a-vocation-8523560