We are in a heat wave. Saturday morning it was minus 19 degrees outside. This morning it was zero and maybe by the end of the week we will be closing in on the 30s. Wow! January thaw? I hope so. My brothers are snow-birding in Texas. It was 28 there this morning and their exposed pipes did not freeze—for which they are grateful.
There is a retreat going on here at the Motherhouse until Thursday noon. Father Jude Winkler, OFM, Conv., is the retreat master. Of the 50+ Sisters making the retreat, most of them live here on campus. We are reflecting on the Gospel of Luke. This is a prayer-filled time for all of us. The Sunday Gospel readings this year are from Luke, so it is good to get new insights into this Gospel.
This is a silent retreat, so it is pretty quiet around here. During the retreat I’ve made it a point to sit in the dining room so I face the beautiful woodcarving of the Last Supper that hangs on the far west wall. This is a beautiful piece of art carved by E. Zelimar. It is about 20 by 36 inches in size and carved from one piece of wood and is about 2 ½ inches in depth. What talent the carver shares with us.
Yesterday afternoon at 3:30 our Sister Mary Seraphine went to heaven. Her funeral is Thursday at 11 a.m. May she be enjoying life with the Lord. She had fallen in her room on January 1st and had surgery on the 2nd. It was too much for her 93 year young body to take. She was so ready to go to a new home in heaven.
There is a Red Cross Blood drive here Wednesday, Thursday from 1 to 7 p.m., and Friday from8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The blessing at the end of morning prayer today is: May God give us peaceful hearts, fill our souls with joy and preserve in us the virtue of patience. Now, isn’t that something to think about for a while?
Pax et Bonum
Sister Mary Lou
February 2, 2009
Feast of the Presentation—Jesus presented in the Temple…and also the blessing of candles. We use candles in so many ways. And because of our Baptism we are expected to be lights to all around us. Let us strive to make the world a better place, one person at a time starting with ourselves.
Last Friday we had a blessing service for those being deployed to Iraq. Relatives and friends of employees and Sisters were invited for this prayer service. Four men were present for the blessing, but I included all those being deployed in my prayers. May they come back safe and sound.
Yesterday I attended the thirty-sixth annual l Pro-Life dinner at the Falls Ballroom. They were expecting four to five hundred for the dinner. As full as the Ballroom was, I believe there were that many present. The guest speaker was a local lady, Laureen Witt. She spoke on the blessings and challenges of raising a Downs Syndrome child. God bless all families who live with any challenges especially in this time of a tough economy.
Well, we didn’t have a January Thaw. I think I heard that you have to have two days in a row with temperatures over freezing to make it a January thaw. January ran out of days before the second day of warmer weather. It was 40 degrees above zero on the 31st and into the 30s on February 1st. So was it a January ½ thaw? And the Groundhog saw its shadow today. Even without that I believe we will still have another six weeks of winter!
Our Community Newsletter recently carried the following article submitted by Sister Gloria Haider. I hope you can relate to it.
On the sixth day God turned to the Archangel Gabriel and said:
“Today I am going to create a land called Minnesota. It will be a land of outstanding natural beauty; a land of 10,000 beautiful lakes—each one full of fish.’
It shall have tall majestic pines, peacefully flowing rivers, landscapes full of buffalo, tall grass, and eagles, beautiful blue skies, forests full of bear, elk and moose and rich farmland.”
God continued, “I shall make the land rich in resources so as to make the inhabitants prosper and they shall be known as a most friendly people, people who practice being Minnesota Nice every day.”
“But Lord,” asked Gabriel, “don’t you think you are being too generous to these Minnesotans?”
“Not really,” replied God. “Just wait and see the winters I am going to give them.!”
The remodeling project in the Convent kitchen started in earnest today. The workmen were there in full force. This past week there has been much activity in moving some of the needed cooking items to the small kitchen in Hurrle Hall across the street where meals will be prepared the next three months while the kitchen is being fixed up. A temporary bakery is set up in the storeroom across the hall from its usual home. So again we will have the mess of reconstruction going on for a little while, but it will be so nice when it is all finished. The remodeling projects in the other areas of the Motherhouse are so beautifully done. Now the last project is under way. May the work proceed without accident, injury or without unforeseen delays.
Peace and blessings,
Sister Mary Lou
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
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