St. Wenceslaus in legend we celebrate today

Wenceslaus in legend
There are many legends about King Wenceslaus. An old one claims a huge army of knights sleep inside Blaník, a mountain in the Czech Republic. The knights will awake and under the command of St. Wenceslaus bring aid to the Czech people when they face ultimate danger.

There is a similar great legend in Prague which says that when the Motherland is in danger or in its darkest times and close to ruin, the equestrian statue of King Wenceslaus in Wenceslaus Square will come to life, raise the army sleeping in Blaník, and upon crossing the Charles Bridge his horse will stumble and trip over a stone, revealing the legendary sword of Bruncvík. With this sword, King Wenceslaus will slay all the enemies of the Czechs, bringing peace and prosperity to the land.

He is the subject of the popular Christmas Carol "Good King Wenceslas".

Thus, we can anticipate Christmas or we can take time today to appreciate Saint Wenceslaus in the communion of saints. Not only do I love his name which speaks of uniqueness but I read that Wenceslaus taught that the safest place to meet the trials of life or to prepare for eternal life is before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

So today I anticipate Christmas and eternal life and commit to taking time before the Blessed Sacrament for prayer today. I have an unreal schedule but there is definitely nothing more important than spending time before the Eucharistic presence.
I will carry each of you in prayer today as well.

May St. Wenceslaus's prayers free us from our self-seeking and help us to serve God with all our hearts.

Spirit of God, throught the mystery of Your Divine Indwelling, may I submit to Your Will and Your Way in everyday life. Amen

This week the nation looks at education

I find it appropriate as I was reading our URSULINE WAY OF LIFE: Constitutions and Book of Directives to note that under the Orgins of the Congregation states:

"As patroness of her new work in the Church, Saint Angela Merici chose Saint Ursula, a virgin martyr of the early Church and a special patroness of learning."

It is evident in the mission and ministry of our sisters that education and learning is a hallmark. St. Ursula, patroness of learning, intercede for us and touch the hearts of others to join us in our misson of Education and Christian formation.

I quote again from our constitution. We, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, are a community of women religious who come together attending holiness. We freely answer the loving call of God by dedicating our lives and our gifts to God in the service of he Church. -Ursuline Way of Life, "Our Charism", paragraph #1)

I entered community 35 years ago today as an Ursuline Sister

On this day thirty-five years ago I entered this Ursuline family. There were four very young women from St. Mary of the Woods Parish in Whitesville who came to the beautiful campus of Mount Saint Joseph, home of the Ursuline Sisters that day in response to a call that could not be ignored. We entered around 3:30pm and became postulants. There were six total. I recall so vividly the feelings of excitement and anxiety as we were welcome by the seven other young sisters in the Novitate at the time who greeted our families and carried our belongings up the four flight of stairs in Bethany to the dorm.

My father and two sisters came with me, and I remember feeling commissioned by the parish that morning as the closing song for Mass that day was, " Sent Forth by God's Blessing". I still recall this day every time I hear that song because it really did feel like a commissioning and sending forth blessing from the faith community where I was baptized.

The journey has been a blessing and today as I return to the Mount, "holy ground" I am filled with gratitude for my family who nutured me and my call, and to my sisters in community who radiated the joy and continue to radiate the joy of being in love with God and pouring out their gifts in generosity and service to God's people.

Strange, I never would have dream 35 years ago, that I would be in the position as Director of Vocation Ministry seeking new members for this community which I love. I heed Angela's words, "...act, move, believe, strive, cry out to God with all your heart, and you will see marvelous things."

Prayer expands the heart and inspires action

To cultivate a life of prayer reqires attention, discipline and steadfastness. It is really hard work, but I have come to recognize that without prayer in my life, I am an empty shell. My actions and words are compelled by what I cultivate in my heart. It there is hurt or pain, than my words cultivate bitterness and anger, if my heart is full of excitement and joy, my words and actions cultivate laughter and openness. "Prayer expands the heart and inspires action" that radiates the peace and love of Christ.

I was told once by a very wise person in my life that if we are too busy to pray we are too busy. I have discovered that being busy is a poor excuse. For when I am most busy is when the need for prayer becomes even more of a gift. Taking all that is on my day's agenda before my God and asking God's guidance and grace is more productive than any number of hours or worries that I pour into getting ready to deliver or meet the day's challenges.

Prayer has a way of expanding our perception of life to see people as sons and daughters of God, as my own brothers and sisters in Christ, who are different than me, who have their own uniqueness, and rest assuredly something to teach me that I need to learn. If I prayerfully embrace them rather than dismiss them , my heart is expanded and I am moved to action that not only inspires others but takes me offguard and I am giving thanks for a lesson in expansion of the heart.

Light up the darkness of my heart and give me the grace to be light today!

Pope Benedict's message on discernment to Catholic youth

I was reading over some material and came upon Pope Benedict's sharing on how he discerned his vocation and found it to be very interesting. I hope you find it interesting as well.

" I had to ask myself: Is this really the path I was meant to take? Is this really God's will for me? Will I be able to remain faithful to him and completely at his service? A decision about embracing God's will demands a certain struggle. It cannot be otherwise. But then came the certainty: This is the right thing! Yes, the Lord wants me, and God will give me strength. If I listen to God and walk with him, I become truly myself. What counts is not the fulfillment of my desires, but of God's will. In this way life become authentic."

Now, I can resonate totally with his statement of knowing and embracing God's call in my own life. The struggle is disturbing but the peace and certainty that follows confirms that it is a genuine call.

I pray today for all youth and young adults who are struggling to know and embrace God's will and call to authentic and fulfilling life. Give them your peace, Gracious and Loving God to know that your call will not lead them where the grace of God will not sustain you.

My most profound experience

IF YOU HAD TO DESCRIBE THE SINGLE MOST PROFOUND EXPERIENCE OF YOUR LIFE SO FAR, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Isn't it amazing that when you have to give one response there are numerous responses that come to mind. Yet, when you are asked to give several responses your mind goes blank. As I try to prioritize the many profound experiences of my life I smile because some profound experience have been very simple yet powerful. Others are truly once in a lifetime experiencea and we know it at the moment.

If I had to describe the single most profound experience it would have to be in May of 2008 when I went to the home of St. Angela Merici, the founder of the Ursuline Sisters, and gazed upon her incorruptible body. I was moved to tears of joy and reverence for such a holy and convicted woman of faith. I knelt in front of her and recalled and prayed in gratitude for all the Ursuline Sisters who had taught me, those who had a significant influence on me, and those who supported my vocation to be a Mount Saint Joseph Ursuline Sister. I never felt so blessed to be called a daughter of Angela.

Her prayer flowed from my heart: "O God light up the darkness of my heart.'.. It was a sacred encounter and remains a graced moment in my life. I am filled with gratitude just recalling the memory. St. Angela,interceed for our community and stir in the heart of others as you did mine, a desire to give all to our loving and gracious God.

How about you? What is your most profound experience of your life, thus far?

Favor from God

IF GOD WERE TO GRANT YOU ONE FAVOR WHAT WOULD YOU ASK?

The thing that I might ask for today is unity and peace in my heart, family, community and world. What a difference life would be with the gift of peace and unity among us.

St. Angela reminds us, " ...live in harmony, one mind, one heart..." Grant this O God in your own way, in your own time.

What part of your day is service, what part is work?

We are just a few days past the celebration of labor day-- I came upon this reflection by Joyce Rupp and want to share it with you, but acknowledge her as the author. I share pieces of her reflection and ask you to take time to respond as your heart and spirit is moved. Joyce Rupp raises a very powerful and insightful question.

HOW MUCH OF WHAT YOU DO EACH DAY IS SERVICE AND WHAT PART IS JUST WORK?

Meditation
"Stand in an open doorway. Take a deep breath and deliberately unite with the Holy One’s presence. Call to mind qualities you bring with you into your labors. Extend your arms outward beyond the door. As you do so, send forth your earnest love toward those who are a part of your life and recepients of your service today. Imagine this love blessing them. Continue standing in the doorway. Now extend your love to the larger world. Face the East. Send your love to this part of the world. Do the same for the South, the West, and the North. Close by folding your hands over your heart and extending this same goodness to yourself."


God who labors and serves with us, in us and through us---
Teacher and Healer,
your brought the gift of yourself
to those who benefited from your work.
You touched them with steadfast love.
Remind me each day to do the same.
Touch and bless all I do today
so my service to others brings a blessing to them and also to me.
I open the door of my heart to you.


Rupp's words are worth your time for reflecting. There is a tremendous difference between labor and service. Both require energy, determination and attentiveness. However service is shown with tremendous care, compassion, selflessness and humility. Bless my service with your grace and direction.

Golden Present

We do not know what is in store tomorrow, or, whether there is a tomorrow, or even a tonight! But still, we have the golden present. Now we are alive and passionate. What should we do now? Love all, serve all.

Yesterday I celebrated my birthday, we won't go into the exact number. However, the number is large enough to claim a piece of wisdom to know that it is important to live each day to the fullest. Why does this kind of wisdom wait until you reach a ripe age? In my youth, I had extreme enthusiasm and energy, Life was good, challenging, exciting and one discovery after another. Strange, how life seasons you and you discover that the most important, fulfilling, meaningful things in life are much different than what you valued in your youth. For me the most important things are not things but LOVE and SERVICE.

If you don't love what you are doing, why stay in it? If you don't love the people around you, why not? Can't you see the person of Christ that dwells in them?
If you are not willing to serve all, what is your purpose on this earth?

Love and service are very fulfilling and rewarding for me. In my new year of life that I begin today I want to hold and cherish the golden present, for the way I love and serve will determine my golden eternal future.

I invite you to examine, reflect, ponder your life today. Take advantage of the golden present to discover how well you are loving? Whom do you choose to love today? Whom do you offer your life in service. Enjoy the golden present! In fact I challenge you to enjoy the opportunity and blessing you have to love and serve in this golden present!

Happy 40th

Today, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph invite you to our 40th annual picnic to benefit our retired sisters who have served the People of God and the Church so faithfully through the years!

It is a glorious day and all the effort, energy and prayers that culminate today is an example of the fruit of a group of women who love God and give it their all, while at the same time inspiring others to join in the mission. If you travel out to our beautiful campus you will discover lots of reunions--families, parishioners connecting with an Ursuline sister, youth giving in service, and flocks of benefactors who have so faithfully come over the past 40 years.

God of all gatherings, I ask your blessing upon this day, shower all the reunions with joy and laughter, keep everyone safe and grant us a successful picnic!
Thank you for all who have done so much to make this 40th MSJ picnic possible. And yes, praise God it is over for another year!

Remembering and reverencing the memories

Today is 9-11! That phrase speaks volumes to those of us who lived through it. Today I had a little time before heading to Mount Saint Joseph for picnic preparation to catch a memorial. It was a hanging of a wreath at the Pentagon. The mood was sober and the memories flooded over me.

One of the speakers stated, it is best summed up in the words of a 6 year old. Our hearts remember and our minds honor all those whose lives were changed forever on 9-11!

What do you remember? Let us pause for a moment of silence and remember, honor and reverence all those who continue to grieve their loved ones and for all those who continue to sacrifice for our safety.

God of Peace, please protect all countries from the evil of terrorism. Amen

for all dog lovers!

This is one of the kindest things you may ever see..

It is not known who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies..' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey &Meredith and this note:


Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven.
Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.
Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by..
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.
By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

I wish I'd known....

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The soul that rises with us, our life's star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar;
Not in entire forgetfulness...
--William Wordsworth

Human beings seem to be divided into two subspecies--the RESIGNED,who live in quiet desperation and the EXHAUSTED,who exist in restless agitation.

The quiet and resigned believe that our time on this earth is random, a roll of cosmic dice, completely beyond our control. You know these folks when you hear them; their sighs speak volumes. (Point well made, Brad!)

The restless agitatiors sense that there's got to be something more to why we're here, something other than discovering what money, power,or love have to do with the meaning of life. They grow their own vegetables, take vitamins, drink water, meditate, start study groups, exercise. They work five days a week and then wonder why they are perpetually cranky.

Can you tell what kind of mood I am in today? Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting.... Wordsworth had it right. I wish that I'd known from the beginning that I was born a strong woman. What a difference it would have made! I wish I'd known that I was born a courageous woman; I've spent so much of my life cowering. How many conversations would I not only have started but finished if I had known I possesssed a warrior's heart? I wish I'd know that I had been born to take on the world; I wouldn't have run from it for so long, but run to it with open arms.

Is it too late to be re-born? If only I had known!

"The soul that rises with us, our life's star, Hath had elsewhere its setting." -WW If only I had known....