Posts
December 10, 2008
The first words I read this morning after I got up were, “Sometimes it seems as if everyone I meet is tired…tired of working, tired of their daily grind, tired of boredom, tired of loneliness, tired of financial pressures, tired of stress, even tired of being tired.”
It almost made me want to go back to bed again! Next I read from the Gospel of Matthew (1:28-30) “Jesus said to the crowds: ‘Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy, and my burden light.’” That lifted my spirits. Christ offers Himself, opening His arms wide, and inviting all who are weary to come to Him and to find rest. When we are “yoked” to Jesus, we can be assured that the Lord will do the heavy lifting and will be our Guide as we move through the day. So the day has moved along nicely and there have been no burdens that I can’t handle. Thank you, God.
The concert last Friday was beyond words to describe. The Strings players were superb and then the Chorale joined them to do the “Halleluiah Chorus”! It was a spiritual experience that brought the audience to their feet. Thanks, Celo.
Sr. Rosaria just came back from her Mother’s funeral. She said it was beautiful. To think that her Mom lived to the age of 114 years. Think of all the changes she had seen in her lifetime. Wow!
Monday we celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception. None of us will soon forget that feast day Mass. Just at the Consecration, the fire sirens started blaring and kept it up until Father said, “Now offer one another a sign of peace.” We had quiet for a short time and then the noise all began again, but for a shorter time. My thought was, “We are all in Chapel and in what safer place could we be?” A sprinkler system head froze and broke and water was coming down the steps as the men ran up the steps to find the problem. One thing we know for sure is that one cannot ignore the fire alarms!
Various departments are having their Christmas parties. Last night I worked at the Convent Switchboard while the regular workers had their party. Today the Community Relations and Development Department had their party and I was invited to that one.
Good food. Good company. Good visiting and sharing. Next Sunday we have our SFO Christmas party in Brainerd. On Sunday, also, is the Heartland Orchestra concert at the Charles Martin Auditorium. Since I don’t yet have bilocation, I guess I will need to give my tickets to someone else to use.
This Friday afternoon/evening I will be going out to the Corborn’s superstore to “Make a Joyful Noise.” This is a fundraiser for the local Food Shelf. I recruited a helper to join me in my four-hour shift. We will make joyful noises and invite people to help our cause.
Winter has definitely come. Between Saturday and Tuesday we had 5 inches of snow. And the temperatures have stayed cold. I don’t mind the cold and snow so much, but I don’t like freezing rain and ice.
God bless and continue to care for you. I’m off to writing more Christmas cards and letters. The second batch went out this morning. There are still more to go!
Sister Mary Lou
12/10/08
12/4/08
December 3, 2008
Welcome to the first week of Advent. I am happy to see Advent Wreaths here and there around campus. It is such a wonderful symbol of waiting for the coming of Our Savior.
Sometimes a day doesn’t go the way one expects it to go. My intention was to write this Monday morning after I got my date pinwheel cookies mixed up. I got half through mixing the cookie dough and got the call asking me to go to Perham to pick up Sister Sylvia to bring her to Little Falls as it seemed that her sister, Sister Susan, was soon to go to heaven. Three hours later I was back here in Little Falls. {Sister Susan is still with us. She is my classmate in Community—the class of ’53.} Anyway, I got the pinwheel cookies put together Monday night. (The recipe is one that Mom got in 1935 from our neighbor on the farm.) The recipe says “to put the rolled up dough in the icebox overnight.” Since we don’t have an icebox anymore, I decided to put the cookie rolls in the trunk of my car until the next day when I’d take it to the Motherhouse to bake as part of the cookie making/baking project Terry had organized. The cookies are now baked and there are lots of containers of goodies ready for the Christmas holidays.
Sunday night, November 30th, the St. Francis Community Chorale put on a wonderful concert, “Oh, What a Wonderful Child.” Our St. Francis Chapel was full of listeners who appreciated the beautiful Advent and Christmas songs. Barb Stumpf is a great director who really knows how to get the music out of the singers.
This same group will sing again this Friday night when they join Celo V”ec and the sfz String Orchestra and the Beginning String Orchestra in the performance of Hallelujah from Handel’s Messiah. As always, I expect the Chapel to be filled to capacity for the Christmas Concert by the String Orchestras…and the Community Chorale.
Saturday is the Feast of St. Nicholas. He always comes with treats to us at the Convent. I hope he brings treats to you, too. I will never forget the great times we had when I was teaching and St. Nicholas came to visit the classrooms. For those who were not good, they got a stick or a lump of coal.
Saturday we have our Advent Reflection Day. Our speaker for this retreat day is Sister Joann Haney, OSF. I think she is a Rochester Franciscan Sister. I am looking forward to a day of quiet prayer and reflection after all the business of this first week of December…and things will only get busier s the weeks to Christmas fly by.
Next Monday, December 8th, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. For us Little Falls Franciscan Sisters, this is our patronal feast. And then a few days later, on December 12th we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron of the Americas.
Take some time to be aware of Who we celebrate at Christmas. And keep in mind and prayer those who will have a tough time in this time of our bad economy.
Peace and blessings,
Sister Mary Lou
Welcome to the first week of Advent. I am happy to see Advent Wreaths here and there around campus. It is such a wonderful symbol of waiting for the coming of Our Savior.
Sometimes a day doesn’t go the way one expects it to go. My intention was to write this Monday morning after I got my date pinwheel cookies mixed up. I got half through mixing the cookie dough and got the call asking me to go to Perham to pick up Sister Sylvia to bring her to Little Falls as it seemed that her sister, Sister Susan, was soon to go to heaven. Three hours later I was back here in Little Falls. {Sister Susan is still with us. She is my classmate in Community—the class of ’53.} Anyway, I got the pinwheel cookies put together Monday night. (The recipe is one that Mom got in 1935 from our neighbor on the farm.) The recipe says “to put the rolled up dough in the icebox overnight.” Since we don’t have an icebox anymore, I decided to put the cookie rolls in the trunk of my car until the next day when I’d take it to the Motherhouse to bake as part of the cookie making/baking project Terry had organized. The cookies are now baked and there are lots of containers of goodies ready for the Christmas holidays.
Sunday night, November 30th, the St. Francis Community Chorale put on a wonderful concert, “Oh, What a Wonderful Child.” Our St. Francis Chapel was full of listeners who appreciated the beautiful Advent and Christmas songs. Barb Stumpf is a great director who really knows how to get the music out of the singers.
This same group will sing again this Friday night when they join Celo V”ec and the sfz String Orchestra and the Beginning String Orchestra in the performance of Hallelujah from Handel’s Messiah. As always, I expect the Chapel to be filled to capacity for the Christmas Concert by the String Orchestras…and the Community Chorale.
Saturday is the Feast of St. Nicholas. He always comes with treats to us at the Convent. I hope he brings treats to you, too. I will never forget the great times we had when I was teaching and St. Nicholas came to visit the classrooms. For those who were not good, they got a stick or a lump of coal.
Saturday we have our Advent Reflection Day. Our speaker for this retreat day is Sister Joann Haney, OSF. I think she is a Rochester Franciscan Sister. I am looking forward to a day of quiet prayer and reflection after all the business of this first week of December…and things will only get busier s the weeks to Christmas fly by.
Next Monday, December 8th, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. For us Little Falls Franciscan Sisters, this is our patronal feast. And then a few days later, on December 12th we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron of the Americas.
Take some time to be aware of Who we celebrate at Christmas. And keep in mind and prayer those who will have a tough time in this time of our bad economy.
Peace and blessings,
Sister Mary Lou
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