March 14, 2008

Spring is coming!!
The other evening, there was a little boy about 4 or 5 years old playing with his little trucks in the water and mud at the end of his driveway. One could tell he was having a wonderful time. Another sign of spring was the Little Falls Track Team out running (some with shorts on). And this noon, I noticed the bleeding heart plants are about 1/2 inch high poking out of the ground on the west side of our house.

When I came out the east door of the convent the other day the thermometer was registering 70! Well, the sun was shining directly on it, but nontheless it is nice to know that it can still register 70 degrees after the cold minus 20s in February. The actual temperature was 50 and that was good, too.

Today I had a great experience. I brought Sisters Alice and Beatrice to Melrose, MN, to St. Mary’s School for the school’s Mission Awareness Day programs. They had speakers from several cultures telling the students about life in Nicarauga, Kenya, Africa, and other places. The students were very attentive during the presentations. It always amazes me at the good questions students can ask a speaker. I went the the presentation by Father Greg, a priest from Kenya, serving in our St. Cloud Diocese. He showed a portion of a video that featured Father Danny Ohmann, who has served in Kenya for 50+ years.

Tonight for evening prayer we will again be using the Chapel. Since January we have been having services in St. Francis Hall because of the painting and cleaning of the Chapel walls, etc. Recently I went in to take a little look to see how the work was coming along. It is lovely--so fresh and clean.

Holy week is nearly here. Sister Mary David’s nephew always sends her palm earlier than Palm Sundays so I am busy making "Palm things." Monday afternoon I will go to Our Lady of Lourdes School to help the students do some palm weaving. Wednesday of Holy week I will be going to Sobieski to talk to the Religious Ed students about Holy Week...and I will give them a braided piece of blessed palm after the class.

Happy Holy Week. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all who are Irish--or wish they were.
May your days be blest.

Pax et Bonum
Sister Mary Lou