September 12, 2008

A beautiful fall morning! Yesterday God blessed us with about 1 ½ inches of rain. We need more rain to get us up to par, but we are grateful for every bit we receive. This morning the sun is bright. In Marty Haugen’s song, Canticle of the Sun the refrain is so true “The heavens are telling the glory of God, and all creation is shouting for joy. Come, dance in the forest, come play in the field, and sing, sing to the glory of the Lord.” One other blessing to the cooler nights is that the mosquito population seems to be lessened.

Last weekend the city of Little Falls had its big Arts and Crafts Fair. It was a great weekend. As a Block Host, I spent many hours touring the Fair. I loved it. I saw almost every one of the 650 booths. I always marvel at the creativity of the artisans and the beautiful things they make. Except for a few gusts of strong wind Sunday afternoon, the weather was perfect. I always think, “Cooler is better.” The years when the temperatures were in the 80s, it was too warm. It made my heart happy to hear from vendors who stayed at St. Francis Center, how well they liked the accommodations there. I recommended staying there to several additional vendors.

On the radio, I just heard that Jason’s Restaurant, south of town, was destroyed by fire during the early morning hours today. I am sorry to hear that.

Tonight we are expecting special visitors to the Convent. Sisters Pauline Mary and Albina, from Kenya, will be here a few days to visit us. They are Community superiors from the Community that Sisters Alice and Beatrice are from. Sisters Alice and Beatrice, from Homa Bay Diocese in Kenya have been living at our house since October 2006 and are minitering at the Motherhouse.

Saturday afternoon I will be at a Memorial Service for deceased Secular Franciscans from our Brainerd Secular Franciscan Fraternity. We have this service at the Camp Ripley Cemetery since that is where Diane Beal, SFO is buried.

Our Sister Lois is very ill. She is so ready to go to heaven. Please pray with us for her. Thanks.

Peace and blessings,
Sister Mary Lou