First week of Lent.

We’re into the first Week of Lent.  May the Holy Spirit direct you in ways of Prayer, Fasting and Alms  Giving…your time, your talent, your money. 

Paul Baker Hernandez is touring North America to share a wonderful inspirational Latin American music, to talk about life in Latin America and to raise funds to continue grass-roots health, educational and cultural programs in his working class barrio in Managua.  Paul sings in both Spanish and English.  As part of his tour, Paul will be performing here in Sacred Heart Chapel on Wednesday, February 29^th at 7 p.m. Free-will offerings will be accepted to support Paul’s “Save the Water, Save the Children” ministry. I hope the program will not be a victim of the predicted big storm for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Friday, March 2^nd is the World Day of Prayer service.  This year it is at First Lutheran Church here in Little Falls.  Women, men and Children in 170 countries will celebrate this day.  The women of Malaysia prepared this year’s service.  The theme is “Let Justice Prevail.”  The message of the day is a clear message:  It takes courage, compassion and active engagement for justice to prevail.  World Day of Prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer on the first Friday of March.   Services begin at sunrise in the Pacific and follow the sun across the globe on the day of celebration.

Last Saturday a group of students and parents from Flensburg, Randall, Sobieski came for a tour of the Convent.  On a tour we show them the Chapel, the Library, have a video and see the display of the Altar Bread Department, St. Francis Center, and talk about the Music Center, Health and Recreation Department, and the Continuing Education Center.

We will have Stations of the Cross on Friday at 3:30 p.m. God bless you this week.

Peace.

Sr. Mary Lou                                                                                                                                                                       

Ash Wednesday 2012

Christmas seems like so long ago.  Now we begin Lent and Easter will be here before we know it!  We had a couple inches of snow with more to come the next days.  The clean white cover of snow makes everything so bright and light.  Thank you, God.

Yesterday was Shrove Tuesday or Doughnut Day…or Mardi Gras.  Doughnuts on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, is a tradition in our Community.  Our Elders all can tell you about Sr. Margaret Fruth’s doughnuts.  It seems she made them for everyone on campus.  And they were so good!  We had doughnuts yesterday and we celebrated Mardi Gras.  Now today we will get serious about Lent and Lenten practices—prayer, fasting and alms-giving.

We have an international visitor with us this week.  Sister Maristell’s first cousin  once removed, from the country of Luxemburg is here visiting her American Family.  After visiting Sister and other relatives “up north,”  she will go on to New York for a meeting which was her real reason for coming to the States.

Another big puzzle was finished the other day.  One BIG horse with many other pictures of horses included.  Very lovely…challenging because of the irregular outline.

Next Wednesday is February 29^th.  Enjoy the day.  It won’t come around for another four years.  Once in my teaching years, we had a student with a February 29^th birthday.

On March 1^st we celebrate our Founding Day…Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, MN…our 121st Community’s Birthday.

My blessing for you today is the one at the end of Morning Prayer for today:  “May God remember our work and labors and may a place be reserved for us among the rewards of the just.  May we receive every blessing we desire and may our every worthy request be fulfilled.”  (St. Francis {1C 108})

Peace,                                                                                                                                                        Sister Mary Lou