December 21, 2010

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF WINTER!!! This is the calendar day, but to my thinking winter has already been here a month! The snow piles are growing wherever one looks.

At Mass this morning we sang the song, “Soon and very soon we are goin’ to see the King… Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.” We are well into the fourth week of Advent and all the candles on the Advent Wreath are now lit. Soon and very soon we will celebrate the birth of Our Lord. Jesus came in history two thousand years ago. Jesus comes again to us in the Eucharist as His Body and Blood. Jesus comes to us in one another, our brothers and sisters. My prayer, for you, my readers, is that Jesus will come to you in the graces and blessings you desire and need in your personal life.

Last Thursday we had our Employee/Sister noon pot-luck luncheon. After the meal we had the drawings for the baskets and other items. All the proceeds from this Caring by Sharing project were donated to the Boys and Girls Club and to Hands of Hope. Each group received approximately $530. Thank you for your generosity, Employees and Sisters. During the meal a group of employees sang some Christmas songs for our entertainment. What talent!

Last Friday evening the group From Age to Age presented a marvelous program in our Chapel. They are a professional vocal ensemble who makes beautiful music together. They sang the Our Father (Otche Nash) and Hail Mary (Bogoroditse Devo, Raduisya) in Russian. (We had the translations.) Except for the music, the Chapel was wrapped in meditative-prayerful silence. Violin, harpsichord, cello and viola added to the beauty of the evening’s music.

In earlier writings I’ve talked about reading to Mrs. Hanson’s First Graders. I brought a box of Christmas mice from my mouse collection to the classroom and they used them to decorate the Christmas tree in their room. I was please to share my treasures with the students.

Our services in the Motherhouse Chapel on Christmas Eve begin at 7 p.m. with songs and Scripture readings. The Mass begins at 7:30 p.m. There will be refreshments in St. Francis Hall after Mass. You are most welcome to come. Mass on Christmas Day is at 8:30 a.m. The next day, Sunday, December 26th is the Feast of the Holy Family. Again, Mass is at 8:30 a.m.

Merry Christmas to you and those you love. Let us pray for peace in our hearts, our world and our universe.

Pax et Bonum.

Sister Mary Lou

November 8, 2010

I like the kind of November weather we’ve had the past few days. And when it changes the end of the week, we’ll say, “Well, this is November!” This week, November 8 to 12, is Winter Weather Awareness Week. Refresh in your mind your driving skills and clothing types needed for bad winter weather conditions. Be prepared for winter weather…and in the meantime enjoy the present conditions.

Last Sunday, my friend John said something about the Mississippi River being high and flooding their lower lawn in Royalton. So after brunch I took my camera and went to look at the dam here in Little Falls. I was amazed to see all the turbulent water—much coming right over the top of the spillway. As I was looking, I was thinking this looks like how I’ve seen the river in the spring snow-melt season. I hadn’t given much thought to the fact that to the north of us places got three inches of rain a couple weeks ago and now the water was coming our way.

Tuesday was Election Day. I worked the second shift at City Hall in Ward 2. We were busy. Had lots of people registering, many because they had moved, and some were new voters. I took this picture of first-time voter, Joshua, as he put his ballot into the counting machine. It does disturb me that some people do not take the privilege of voting seriously and show it by voting for Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny.

Last week, too, we had the Red Cross Bloodmobile here for three days. Our goal was 260 and we got 254 units of blood. Had the 25 people we had to turn away been able to donate we would have gone way over our goal. Thank you, all you generous donors. YOU are a blessing.

Saturday evening we had another successful Spaghetti Supper. Many hungry spaghetti eaters filled the main dining room twice and St. Francis Hall once. I’m hoping there will be some leftovers for today’s noon lunch. The gift shop seemed to do good business, too.

God bless you.

Remember God loves you.

Love God in return.

Peace

Sister Mary Lou