A Spoonful of Honey

Feast Day of Francis de Sales - January 24

2012-01-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

(allocution in honor of Francis de Sales on what used to be his feast day, this shows how human and holy he was and how happy and blessed we are to live his spirituality)

From the Allocution Sabaudiae gemma of Pope Paul VI, January 29, 1967

No one of the recent Doctors of the church more than St. Francis de Sales anticipated the deliberations and decisions of the Second Vatican Council with such a keen and progressive insight. He renders his contribution by the example of his life, by the wealth of his true and sound doctrine, by the fact that he has opened and strengthened the spiritual ways of Christian perfection for all states and conditions of life. We propose that these three things be imitated, embraced, and followed.

An acute perception of mind, a solid and clear reasoning, a penetrating judgment, an almost incredible good will and kindness, a gentle and loveable suavity of speech and expression, a calm ardor of an ever active spirit, a rare simplicity of manners, a serene and tranquil peace, an ever firm and secure moderation, nevertheless not separated from strength - gentleness emanates from his strength - by which he was accustomed to love affectionately, and also to take a firm stand in order to achieve what he wished, a lofty elevation of mind and a love of beauty, wishing to show others the most beneficial goods both spiritual and cultural, an immense love of souls and a love of God, radiant as the sun, which surpassed all his other virtues, all of this elevated and increased by the superabundance of divine graces; such are, along with others like them, the characteristics with which the portrait of St. Frandis de Sales is sketched.

He bore the labors of the pastoral ministry undertaken even amid dangers and perils; he composed works rich in doctrine; he preached and renewed sacred eloquence; he reformed many monasteries that had grown lax in religious observance, and together with St. Jane de Chantal, with whom he was joined by a bond of spiritual and supernatural friendship, he founded the Institute of the Visitation of Holy Mary.

St. Francis de Sales appears as a new doctor of the spiritual life quite suited to the present age. His doctrine remains profoundly anchored in the fullness of the faith of the Church, in tradition and in the teaching of the Fathers of the Church. Nevertheless he applied himself to placing the old in a new light; he wisely strove to adapt it to the use and advantage of a new age, and to fashion it harmoniously and tastefully.

As a result he united the cult of humanism with the mystical ascent and ardor, and in so doing promoted and developed in himself and in his disciples the varied and harmonious progress of all the faculties of the human person. Rather than speak as has been done of devout humanism, it would be better to speak of a Christocentric superhumanism, applied to the total holiness of the human person.

It has been clearly established and declared that it is greatly desirable that the ensemble of the faithful including the laity strive wholeheartedly for holiness of life since they are capable of attaining it with the help of divine grace. The Bishop of Geneva presents this variety of the forms of holness under the name and quality of devotion. St. Francis de Sales, enflamed by the violence of a holy desire, urgently exhorted and aroused all Christians regardless of differences of sex, age, fortune, or condition in life, to cultivate and reap the fruits of this devotion. "Holiness is not the prerogative of one group or of another or any one person, but an invitation and a commend addressed to all those who bear the name of Christian."

December 9, 2011

2011-12-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales

~ Is your life harried and hassled?

~ Is it difficult to find time to pray and reflect on your calling as a Christian?

~ These portions of a letter or sermon by St. Francis de Sales, reflect on how he lived what he taught in the concrete circumstances of his own life.

~ St. Francis de Sales lived some 400 years ago, and yet his message is still relevant for our world today. His gentle manner toward everyone he met and his generous service of od and the Church can be an inspiration and example for 20th century Christians of every walk of life.

On December 9, while Francis de Sales was preaching the Advent sermons at Grenoble, he got word of the marvelous cure of Mother Chantal, who was very sick at the time. He rejoiced about this in the Lord, and having finished his sermon he went on foot to the Reformed Franciscans to celebrate Holy Mass. He did this with such sentiments of piety that these good religious believed that he was in ecstasy. The same day, he wrote as follows to the holy convalescent: "I have thought, my dear daughter, that I could not find a better way of thanking the heavenly Physician than through the hands of our most holy mother, Mary conceived without sin, our sovereign and patroness . . . So, after my poor sermon, I came to hide myself in the church of the Franciscans to celebrate Holy Mass, during which our heavenly queen deigned to look upon me with such kindness that I hope to come back to her on other occasions to beg her, as the sovereign medicine, to preserve for a long time our dearest mother, for whom she has without doubt obtained the recovery."
(A. S. XII, p. 171)

Be at peace and let your soul feed upon the sweetness of heavenly love, without which our hearts are lifeless and our life joyless.

"It can be said that religious perfection is the real pearl of the Gospel; to acquire it one must be prepared to abandon everything in a vastly different manner from that which is required for common Christian perfection. While this latter can be attained simply by observing the commandments of God, for religious perfection it is necessary to keep not only the precepts but also the evangelical counsels, by following secret inspirations and interior promptings. This is done by entering the religious state and renouncing all the vanities of the world and one's own possessions. Everything must be left, without exception, no matter how small that may be."
(Sermons 44; O.X, p. 23)

29th National Salesian Conference

2011-07-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

DeSales Resources and Ministries, Inc.
invites you to the
29th NATIONAL SALESIAN CONFERENCE
presented locally by Visitation Monastery
(7 location live simulcast)

Consider God's love for you as you travel the
spiritual journey of the gospel with
St. Francis de Sales.

JOIN US on SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
8:00 a.m.-2:30p.m.

Visitation Academy & Monastery
3020 N. Ballas Rd.
Saint Louis, MO 63131

REGISTRATION: DeSales Resources at 1-800-782-2270 or http://www.desalesresource.org/
COST: Free will offering

FATHER EUNAN McDONNELL, SDB
Salesian of Don Bosco from Ireland
will present on "God Desires YOU" including:
- The Human Heart
- The Heart of God
- The Heart of Jesus
- Heart Speaking to Heart
- A Communion of Hearts

What will the day include?
... presentations
... Liturgy in the Visitation Chapel
... Shared opening and closing prayer among ALL sites
... Additional materials available on site including Salesian Marketplace
... Continental breakfast and lunch

Sister Marie Therese retreat musings

2011-07-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

Last summer during our annual retreat I wrote about my delight in

watching mother and father mourning doves prepare for and take

care of their babies. The nest was in a tree whose limbs brush

against my window so I had a box seat.

To my wonderment this year a mother robin chose almost that

spot to build her much more carefully constructed nest, piece by

piece. Then she settled down to warm and protect her beautiful blue

eggs. In blazing St. Louis sun that sifted through the leaves or in the

heavy rains amid thunder and lightning, she spread out her

protecting wings and braved the storm.

After a week or two of patient sitting, I noticed that she had to

perch on the edge of the nest for lack of room and that three pink

mouths vied frantically for the worms she and her mate deposited

in each one. Day by day the baby robins grew in feathers, size, and

rambunctiousness. Mother Robin was unfailingly patient first with

the babies and then with the “teenage” behavior of her brood. Again

when the heavy rains came, they all four seemed to hunker down

in the nest, and she was still able to spread her wings over the bulges

below and protect them.

Gradually the three little birds spent their time flapping their wings,

pushing each other aside, and even teetering to a near-by branch,

only to hop right back into the nest.

I had hoped to see their departure. They were all still there one

morning, but when I came back after lunch, the nest was completely

empty. Neither the mother or babies returned.

Throughout this drama, I was ever aware of the parallel of God’s

nurturing, faithful care for us in sunshine and storm. I thought often

of Paul Claudel’s observation: “Jesus did not come to explain away

suffering or remove it. He came to fill it with his presence.”

Please click on the link below and watch this video of a mother

robin feeding her chicks.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9479342&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_
portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

Feast of the Sacred Heart

2011-06-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

On June 6, 1610, 401 years ago, the Visitation Order began
in Annecy, France.

St. Francis de Sales wrote to St. Jane de Chantal:

"Truly our little congregation is a work

of the heart of Jesus and Mary.

The dying Savior gave birth to us

through the wound of his Sacred Heart."

The Sisters of the Visitation invite you to celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Friday, July 1, 2011

7:30 p.m. Eucharistic Liturgy

Rev. Tom Landgraff, OSFS

Visitation Chapel

3020 North Ballas Road

Saint Louis, Missouri 63131

Please enter at Monastery door. Reception follows.

If you plan to attend, please respond to 314-625-9235.

Sister Lucy's Reflection at the Mothers' Club Lenten Day of Recollection

2011-04-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

Sister Lucy

Lent is upon us - a time to reflect on what Jesus Christ, in His great love, has done for us and how we have responded to this great love.

Christ in His passion did not have the support of His friends (apostles). They slept as He agonized. He even asked God His Father to relieve Him: "Father let this chalice pass from me, but not my will but Thy will be done." When we are distressed and feel no support - and this does happen whether in great things or small things - can we respond as He did? If not, we can turn to One who knows how it feels to be bereft. We can also be a support to others in their distress.

Christ was beaten so badly with whips that His flesh was ripped open. He suffered that for me and for you. Have we ever thought that we may be the cause of some of those lashes when we lash out in anger or gossip about another? It is well to think of our tongues as whips. For a positive Lenten practice, perhaps we can curb our tongues when we speak out of impatience, anger or lack of charity. It might also be well to examine and ask, "Why am I impatient? Why am I angry? Why am I feeling uncharitable?" We need to be honest with ourselves and admit that the fault is with ourselves.

Christ was crowned with a circle of thorns; they were not small thorns and they were beaten onto His head, not gently placed. Can you imagine the pain! There are times when we may feel like we have a crown of thorns because of tensions we are under at home, at work or other circumstances. Christ suffered that for us without complaint; can we offer our suffering up to Him, ask His help, calmly and peacefully ease the situation if possible?

Mothers' Club Lenten Retreat
Visitation Academy Chapel

Christ was forced to carry the heavy cross beam on badly bruised back and shoulders - again no complaint. We have many crosses in our lives - heavy, medium and small ones - how do we carry them? Sometimes we think we are the only ones who have crosses, but if we look around near us and far away from us, we will see that there are others carrying crosses. Christ is always there to help us for He knows our capacity for suffering. Remember in Scripture He said: "Take up your cross daily and follow me."

Christ is stripped and utters no complaint but suffers this indignity for love of us. There are times when we are "stripped" of our job/income, ourhealth, our families, our reputation. I am sure that you can think of other strippings. Do we turn to God and ask His help?

Now we come to Christ being nailed to the cross. The hammering of the nails - spikes! into His hands and feet. Can you imagine the pain! I believe we all have pains, some worse than others. Can we offer our suffering in union with Christ's suffering? There is so much in us, in our families in the world that needs explanation.

Christ did all this for love of us and He sees and knows our splendor, each and every one of us. He said to St. Margaret Mary: "Behold this heart so full of love for men and have received so little love in return."

l-Sister Lucy, r-Sister Margaret Mary

Can we be those who return love?

Sisters Adopt L'Arche St. Louis as a Prayer Partner

2011-03-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday Franciscan Sister Janet Ryan and Visitation associate Helen Rissi came to update the Sisters on the progress of the L’Arche project in St. Louis. As found on their website, “L’Arche enables people with and without disabilities to share their lives in communities of faith and friendship. Community members are transformed through relationships of mutuality, respect, and companionship as they live, work, pray, and play together.” Author Henri Nouwen popularized this ministry by living in a L’Arche community and writing about his experiences.

In St. Louis, core members—developmentally disabled adults—are being identified to live in community in the tradition of founder Jean Vanier and associate members—those who dedicate themselves to living with them-- are being recruited. The renovation of the former Immaculate Conception convent in Maplewood is only a week away from being complete.

This project has been in the process of planning by Helen and a small group of inspired people whose dream it is to see marginalized persons live in a small loving community rather than an institution. Sr. Janet is leading and coordinating the foundation and alumna Margaret Tucker ’77 is a member of the Board. This project is dear to the Visitation Community as the Sisters are the official prayer partners for the L’Arche community in St. Louis.

The essence of L’Arche is shared life between persons with visible developmental disabilities and those who carry their handicaps less visibly. What an inspiring example for our workplaces, families, parish and religious communities.

Learn more about L’Arche USA here.

The Mount of Temptation

2011-03-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

During my Holy Land pilgrimage in November, I had the privilege of going to the Mount of Temptation. In this sun-baked barren place in Jericho Jesus lived for 40 days and 40 nights, fasting and praying. Here in the desert he withstood the wiles of Satan.

The Mount of Temptation

The whole scene came back vividly to me as I listened to the Gospel of the First Sunday of Lent. Against this backdrop, the reflection on Scripture of Fr. Carroll Stuhlmueller, C.P. in his Biblical Meditations for Lent opened new vistas:

We are not usually tempted by what is obviously bad. Rather, temptations emerge out of goodness which we desire selfishly for ourselves alone. Temptations change at once to invitations to greater goodness, once we recognize the possibility to share properly and happily with others….

Strange as it sounds, goodness provides the occasion for temptation, goodness around us in other people, places and events, goodness within us in our talents and values….Jesus was tempted while fasting and praying in the desert. Here he was led by the Spirit; here he realized the incomparable gifts which he, a human being, possessed because of being Son of God with a messianic mission. In the desert the devil suggested:”Because you are so saintly and so powerful, work those extravagant miracles quickly, at once, and the messianic triumph all over the world will be accomplished! Why wait?”

Jesus, however, waited and concentrated upon his public ministry. This way of God was long, at times tedious and in the end seemingly a failure. The work had to be handed over to apostles and disciples, and as it continues into our own day, it is still unfinished. Maybe we are tempted to think that Jesus should have followed the devil’s advice and carried out the world’s salvation as quickly as turning stones into bread. Then all the kingdoms of the world would be his, enthusiastically acclaiming this wonder-worker who can even throw himself from the highest and most conspicuous spot of the temple and remain unharmed. Jesus waited; for only by a slow process of thought, prayer and dedication can salvation be achieved according to God’s holy will. This salvation must be shared with everyone before individual persons can consider themselves fully saved.

Fr. Stuhlmueller ends his reflections by contrasting the responses of Adam in the garden and Jesus in the desert. In Adam we are selfish and apt to misuse goodness; in Jesus we are strong enough to share without losing. It is an interesting insight that not evil but goodness provides the opportunity for temptation.

Lord Jesus, help me to fast from selfishness this Lent and unselfishly share goodness.

Lent is the Time for Loving

2011-03-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

Again we are entering the joyous season of Lent. Does that adjective surprise you? We have long associated Lent with penance and sharing in the sufferings and death of Jesus by fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. Of course that is correct, but it is only half the truth. It is incomplete because we know the end of the passion story which is not death but resurrection: Christ has died; Christ is risen. So why do Catholic Christians journey through the 40 days of Lent?

I’d like to suggest that Lent is the time for loving—not the hearts and flowers infatuation that is a prelude to real love but the unheroic, unsung, “ordinary” ways that are easily within our reach. In his Treatise on the Love of God St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of Divine Love, teaches:

There are people who imagine doing great things for God, things that would involve great suffering and heroic actions. Yet there is no opportunity to perform such deeds—and perhaps there never will be. They believe that just by imagining these deeds, they have shown great love, but they are often deceived. For while they desire to embrace great future crosses, they anxiously avoid the much lighter burdens that are presented to them now. Isn’t it a big temptation to be heroic in imagination but cowardly in carrying it out?...Great deeds do not always come our way, but in every moment, we may do little ones with a great love.

Francis’ insight that by doing little acts, we practice loving more often, more humbly, and more usefully can give us a clue to making our Lent a time for love. He continues with an ordinary -extraordinary agenda of “Little Virtues” we can practice in union with the suffering love of Jesus:

1. Putting up with other people’s moods and troublesome behavior,

2. Gaining victory over our own moods and passions,

3. Renouncing our petty preferences, coming against our own revulsions,

4. Honestly acknowledging our faults,

5. Keeping our souls in peace,

6. Gently and graciously welcoming scorn or criticism.

Perhaps you would like to join me in choosing one of these practices for each of the six weeks of Lent? Like St. Francis de Sales and St. Therese of Lisieux we will experience in little ways that "Lent is a time for loving."

Sr. Marie Therese's Journey to the Holy Land: The Real Story of Where Jesus Was Born

2011-01-10T08:19:00.000-08:00

As the time after Christmas disappears, so do the many nativity scenes that have decorated every corner of our monastery. No matter what country each represented—and there were many--- after I came home from the Holy Land I had a whole new perspective on our visualizations of the scene on Christmas night in Bethlehem.

From our large nativity scene in the Chapel

To a smaller one outside the Sacristy

Traditionally, we have been told that St. Joseph could not find a place for his young wife, soon to be in labor, to give birth to her baby son. As the story goes, the inns were too full and only at the last minute were they offered a manger in a stable. I have spent many Advents lamenting the lack of hospitality of the inhabitants of Bethlehem. Our manger scenes depict all kinds of structures out in the back of an inn that I imagined similar to the innyards of Shakespeare’s time or as the first century equivalent of a Motel 6.

The explanation of Husan, our Arab-Christian guide, offered a whole new light on the situation. In those days in Nazareth and Bethlehem, any kind of place offering shelter would have been a cave. I was privileged to see restorations of what these cave homes looked like. There was an entry into a space roughly equivalent to a modern family room. The difference was that that area was where the family lived during the day and also where they slept at night. On one side in the wall was an oven for baking and cooking. This room opened immediately on a second space where the animals were kept. They were a necessity because they kept the house warm, especially at night.

Now think back on the parable Jesus told about the head of a household who had an unexpected guest come during the night. Because he had no bread, he went to a neighbor’s cave, knocked on the door and asked that family to lend him some food. The father replies that he cannot do that because “the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.” ( Lk 11:7)

The explanation Husan gave was that in all probability when Mary and Joseph sought lodging, the places were already full of family and traveling friends. The only space would have been in the adjoining room of the cave where the cattle and the manger were. This description takes the people of Bethlehem off the hook, so to speak. They were not inhospitable. They gave the Holy Family the room and warmth for Mary to deliver the Christ Child with some privacy.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light.

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

December 23rd - O Emmanuel

2010-12-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

Today's O Antiphon reminds us that God is with us always. The name Emmanuel means God-with-us. As we draw ever closer to the celebration of Jesus' birth, we are assured of God's presence in our lives and our world. Read the words of the prophet Isaiah (7:13-14):

                   Then Isaiah said:
                   "Listen, every one of you in the royal family of David.
                   The Lord will give you proof. A virgin is pregnant;
                   she will have a son and will name him Emmanuel."

O come, O Come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

December 22nd - O King of Nations

2010-12-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

Today's O Antiphon gives two titles for Jesus. First he is called the "king of all the nations," then he is called Jesus our "keystone." The keystone is the stone in the middle of an arch. It supports the other stones so that the arch does not fall down. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is also called a cornerstone. The cornerstone of a building is perfectly straight so that the walls built on it can be strong and true. Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah (28:16-17):

   The Lord says this:
   "I'm laying a firm foundation
   for the city of Zion.
   It's a valuable cornerstone
   proven to be trustworthy;
   no one who trusts it will ever be disappointed.
   Justice and fairness will be the measuring lines
   that help me build."

O come, Desire of nations, bind

In one the hearts of humankind;

Come bid our sad divisions cease,

And be for us the King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

December 21st - O Dayspring

2010-12-21T09:36:00.000-08:00

In today's O Antiphon, we call Jesus the "dawn" or "dayspring." In wintertime nights are long and days are short. So we call on God to be light to us at this time of the winter solstice, the shortest days of the year. Just as the dawning sun soon rises high in the sky and shines brightly, we think again of the coming of Jesus who is our "sun of justice" and "light of the world." Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah (60:19-21,22).

              The Lord says this:
              "You won't need the light of the sun or the moon.
              I, the Lord your God, will be your eternal light
              and bring you honor.
              Your sun will never set or your moon go down.
              I, the Lord, will be your everlasting light,
              and your days of sorrow will come to an end.
              I am the Lord, and when the time comes,
              I will quickly do all this."

O come, O Dayspring, from on high

And cheer us by your drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadow put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

December 20th - O Key of David

2010-12-20T17:09:00.000-08:00

In today's O Antiphon, Jesus is called the Key of David. People with keys are often recognized as people with authority and/or special permissions. Jesus is the key that opens the gate of heaven for us. In the book of Revelation (3:7-8,11) the Lord says this:

                            "I am the one who is holy and true, and I have the keys that
                         belonged to David. When I open a door, no one can close it.
                         And when I close a door, no one can open it. Listen to what I
                         say.
                            "I know everything you have done. And I have placed before
                         you an open door that no one can close. You were not very
                         strong, but you obeyed my message and did not deny that you
                         are my followers.
                            "I am coming soon. So hold firmly to what you have, and no
                         one will take away the crown that you will be given as your
                         reward."

O come, O Key of David, come,

And open wide our heav'nly home,

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

The O Antiphons: Daily Prayers for the Week before Christmas

2010-12-19T12:41:00.001-08:00

As the last few days before Christmas are counted, we pray with increasing intensity for the Lord to come. Traditionally, each of the last seven days of Advent, from December 17 through December 23, received its special prayer, called the "O Antiphon." Each O Antiphon calls upon the Lord with a different title, a beautiful image of the Messiah, used by the prophets to describe the amazing promises of God. These prayers, dating from the eighth century, are created from short texts found in the prophetic and wisdom books of the Bible.

Each of the seven days before Christmas, the Sisters hold these antiphons in their hearts and sing them at Evening Prayer. We invite you to carry the antiphons with you as we prepare with joy for the coming our Our Lord.

December 17th - O Wisdom
One of the prophets' ancient names for God was Wisdom. They wrote of Wisdome moving about the city like a beautiful woman inviting people to her home, where she would teach them to know what was good and just.

O come, O Wisdom from on high,

Who orders all things mightily;

To us the path of knowledge show,

And teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

December 18th - O Lord
Out of respect, Jews never say the name of God aloud. When reading from the scriptures, they call God "Lord." Christians also call Jesus "Lord". He is the fulfillment of the promise that God would one day come to live among the people to strengthen and redeem them.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,

Who to your tribes on Sinai's height

In ancient times once gave the law,

In cloud, and majesty, and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel

December 19th - O Flower of Jesse

King David, the some of Jesse of Bethlehem, was the first great King of Israel. Long after he had died, the people longed for another great king who could lead them as he had done. Through the words of the prophet Isaiah, God promised that the Messiah would be a new branch on the royal family tree of Jesse and David.

O come, O Rod of Jesse's stem,

From every foe deliver them.

That trust your might pow'r to save

And give them vict'ry o'er the grace.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

Sr. Marie Therese's reflections on her pilgrimage to the Holy Land: Part 1

2010-12-14T11:41:00.000-08:00

Since the gift of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land this past November 8-17, I will never be the same. In the past when I prayed the Psalms or read or listened to the Epistles and Gospels at Mass, I thought I appreciated them. However, now that I have followed in the footsteps of Jesus in His earthly life in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem, the words of Scripture have taken on a whole new life.

Olive tree at the Garden of Gethsemane

Sycamore tree like Zacchaeus climbed

Each day of our trip, I was surprised to come upon places and things that Jesus saw and the evangelists described. Now I know what the sycamore tree that Zacchaeus climbed and the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane looked like. Sitting in a small ferry boat, I felt the breeze blow gently on the Sea of Galilee. Very early before the shops opened, I helped to carry a large wooden cross from one station to the next along the narrow Way of the Cross. In Jericho I rode in a red cable car up to the Mount where Jesus, fasting, withstood Satan’s three temptations. I tried to float in the shallow salty waters of the Dead Sea and marveled at the sight of the cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls were first found.

Cave where Dead Sea Scrolls were found

Sea of Galilee

At another level, it is difficult to find words to describe the wonder of being present where Mary said “yes” and the Word was made flesh, of touching the star that marks the place where Jesus was born and the hole where the cross stood on Calvary where He died. At each holy site, we were privileged to celebrate Mass or to read the Scripture passage that described what happened there. At every opportunity I prayed for all our Visitation families and friends and their intentions.

A unique privilege for me was our stop at Ain Karim, where Mary traveled to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Luke’s Gospel says Mary went into the hill country, and not much has changed in that respect. On the late afternoon we retraced the last part of Mary’s journey, I was not sure I would make it up the long hill. Without the help of another kind member of our pilgrimage, I probably would not have reached the top--or gotten safely down the slippery stones when we returned to the bus. But then there it was, the lovely Church of the Visitation. Although it was bright sunlight when we went in, hardly a half hour later it was completely dark and a pale crescent moon was shining!

Ain Karim - Church of the Visitation

To be continued in the next installment…

In the 'Nick' of Time Gift Giving

2010-12-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

You are in the nick of time to buy a unique Christmas gift for yourself or a friend! Visitation Academy: Educating the Mind and Heart, 1833-2008 is an attractive coffee table book with outstanding photographs of the first 175 years of Visitation Academy and Monastery in Saint Louis.

Sr. Marie Therese shares about the book at the 2010 Reunion Weekend

The price of the book is $45 which includes shipping. If you're interested in purchasing a copy, checks may be made payable to Visitation Monastery and mailed to us at 3020 N. Ballas Rd 63131. Attn: Sr. Marie Therese. If you need more information, please feel free to call the Monastery at (314) 625-9235 or email us at livejesus@visitationmonastery.org.

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas

2010-12-06T14:19:00.000-08:00

For today, the Feast of St. Nicholas, patron of unselfish giving, the Gospel reading is perfect! It tells the story of the good friends of a paralyzed man who are frustrated in their attempts to bring him to Jesus through the door of the house. Their unselfish friendship prompts them to lift him to the roof, take out a tile, and carefully lower him right at the feet of Jesus. Of course, Jesus heals him because of their and the man's faith. Happy Feast of St. Nick to all our friends!

As you can see, St. Nicholas visited the monastery and left a gift in each sister's shoe!

Sister Marie Therese goes on Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

2010-11-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

For decades I enjoyed sharing with English classes the lively humor of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, especially the prologue. I never dreamed that I, like the Wife of Bath, would go on a prayer pilgrimage not just to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket but to the Holy Land itself. Unbelievably, I will enjoy this privilege from Nov. 8-17 this year! My friend and former colleague in the Theology Department Carol Costigan and her husband, Ed, are giving me this journey of a lifetime. My sister Rita is also going on the trip.

After so many years of also teaching Old and New Testament, the places mentioned in the Gospels will come to life for me as I follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We will be staying in hotels in Bethlehem and in Jerusalem and will go out from there. I am looking forward especially to celebrating Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation and also on Mount Calvary as well as going to Ain Karim where Mary visited Elizabeth and Zachary and the unborn John the Baptist. We will take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee which Jesus and his apostles crossed so often and also pray at the famous Wailing Wall. We will visit Capernaum, Cana, Mount Tabor, Qumran, the Dead Sea, the Grotto of the Nativity, and even follow the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

You can read between the lines how excited I am! I promise to keep all of my former students, friends , and family in my heart and pray for you at all the holy places. I’ll take a camera and keep a journal, but I can’t promise to write a Chaucerian prologue.

A Pumpkin Prayer

2010-11-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

Last week, Sister Catherine prayed with the seventh grade class...

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin,

God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you.

He opens you up, touches you deep inside
and scoops out all of the yucky stuff:

Including the seeds of doubt, hate and greed.

Then He carves you a new smiling face and

He puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.

Lord, open my mind so I can learn new things about you.

Remove the things in my life that don’t please you.

Forgive the wrong things I do and help me forgive others.

Open my eyes to see the beauty
You’ve made in the world around me.

I’m sorry for the times
I’ve turned my nose at the good You provide.

Let everything I say please You.

Lord, help me show Your Light to others
through the things I do and say.

When I see others needing a light, help me to share mine. Amen

Sr. Catherine even brought her own pumpkin!

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

2010-10-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

The Gospel reading for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Luke 18:1-8) so captured my attention that I have been thinking of it for over a week. It was Luke's portrayal of the poor widow who day by day went persevering to plead for justice before the unjust judge. By right it should have been her father or brother who took her side in court, but she had no one. The judge himself boasted that he feared neither God nor man. Yet even he finally gives in and grants her request. The image of this poor little woman threatening the powerful man with a black eye and finally winning her case by sheer persistence is sheer comic relief.

However, the last sentence of this Scripture passage is what has reechoed in my mind: "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" Will Jesus find us imitating the poor widow? Whether it is in relationships, financial reverses, serious illness, or an uncertain future, will we, like the widow, persistently cling to our faith no matter what happens? This is an almost daily challenge. Yet we put our faith in a God who is just and who loves us beyond words.

Dear God, please give us the grace to persevere when you do not seem to be answering our prayers as soon as or as we wish. As Dante wrote in his Divine Comedy, "In Your Will is our peace."