Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories

It seems fitting that we read from John today during our morning prayer:

John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

We wish you and your family a lovely new year and pray for a future filled with health, happiness and the warmth of Christ’s love.

Our Sister decorators did a lovely job in decorating for our celebration of Christ’s birth.

The chapel’s altar was aglow in red and gold, and pine branches surrounded red candles along the tops of our choir stalls.

The monastery itself took on a holiday flavor as some pieces of a Christmas past or a new gift was set up and decorated.

It all is a lovely sight to behold as we celebrate in grand style the coming of Our Savior.  We pray you celebrate God’s gift of Love Incarnate with your loved ones, and may we all pray for peace, the peace that God inaugurated more than 2,000 years ago.

Our Tucson Sisters had to say goodbye last week to a friend: this beautiful date palm.

The community is planning to install a new solar array and the palm tree’s shade would have hindered the amount of sunlight collected. But sad news turned to joy: the company that removed the tree (for free!) has found a new home for it, where it will be transplanted. We hope it brings the new owners as much joy as it brought us.

We sincerely thank Brad of the Mr. Tree company for taking care of this beautiful tree for us.

We Benedictines love hospitality and welcoming guests to our home…but with renovations wrapping up at the Clyde monastery we will not host a public Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Mass this year. We are very grateful for your understanding and know you are excited about joining us soon and seeing all the wonderful changes made over the past year. We will open the monastery to visitors after the New Year.

To learn about Christmas-related services at our Tucson monastery, please call (520) 325-6401 and for San Benito, please call (307) 655-9013.

It is with sincere gratitude we thank all those who purchase gifts we make – you help support our life of prayer for you and for the world.

Sister Cathleen Marie (aka the Soap Sister) delights in the wonderful smells with which her handcrafted soaps fill the air.

If you’re looking for a sweet gift for someone special, please visit us at www.monasterycreations.com. We have several types of handcrafted soaps, lotions and salves in tons of pleasing scents for men and women. Looking for something really special? Check out Sister Cathleen Marie’s soaps that include a drop of holy water.

Several of our Sisters who make handcrafted gifts have been very busy this holiday season! That includes our San Benito Sisters in Dayton, Wyo., and Sister Cathleen Marie in Clyde, Mo. Many thanks to our volunteers who help prepare the gifts for delivery.

Gift boxes are very popular, in several sizes, offering a variety of items.

As always, all our gifts are made by monastic hands while we pray for those who use them. Thank you for helping us celebrate this very special time in our monastery and welcoming us into your homes and hearts.

Prioress General Sister Pat (left) joins Novice Erma and Sister Lynn Marie, novice director

The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration celebrated a special moment when Erma Relunia became a novice during the Rite of Admittance ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 11, at the Sisters’ Adoration Chapel in Clyde, Mo.

Novice Erma, who entered the postulancy in 2010, was formally granted admittance into the Sisters’ novitiate during Lauds. Prioress General Sister Pat Nyquist, OSB congratulated Novice Erma on her passion for Christ and assured her that the Benedictine Sisters are thrilled to support her as she continues her spiritual and monastic journey.

During the ceremonial rite, Novice Erma pledged her desire to the Benedictine way of life and that she will follow Christ “wholeheartedly in this community.”

She was presented with a copy of the Rule of St. Benedict, the Congregation’s constitution and a Benedictine medal.

Sister Pat prayed, “Loving and merciful God, through the humility of your Son you show us the way of return to you. Look upon this woman who wishes to follow him. Open her eyes to your divine light and her ears to the voice of your Spirit. Ready her heart for obedience to your commands, and where human nature is powerless, give her the help of your grace.”

As a postulant, Novice Erma spent the past 18 months learning more about the Benedictine monastic life, participating in communal prayer, taking classes, assisting in monastic works such as altar bread production, and developing her personal prayer life.

As a novice, she will immerse herself more deeply into monastic life for the next two years, continuing to discern her religious calling through prayer, spiritual guidance, instruction and the lived experience of the Benedictine life.

Celebrating the special day are (from left) Vocation Director Sister Ruth, Sister Lynn Marie, Sister Pat, Novice Erma, Sister Judy and Sister Sean.

Novice Erma is a native of the Philippines and spent several years in Toronto, Canada, before entering the Benedictine Sisters. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and management from FEATI University in Manila and a graduate degree in human resources management from Seneca College in Toronto.

Looking for a sweet holiday gift or the perfect party treat?

Save 10 percent until Dec. 12 at Prayerfully Popped, our amazing line of mouth-watering gourmet popcorn!

Save on gift baskets filled with popcorn, chocolate, fruit cake, jams and mustards.

We also have two new holiday flavors of popcorn:

Tuxedo Biscotti, delicious almond-flavored popcorn drizzled with white and dark chocolate

Christmas Confetti, a fresh and fruity mix of cherry and green apple (which kids love!)

You can shop online or visit our retail store at 1509 N. Wilmot Rd in Tucson, Ariz. PrayerfullyPopped will have extended holiday hours until Christmas for your convenience: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Please call our Toll Free number 1-800-939-8323 for help with your order. Due to the volume of calls received, on rare occasion, you may be sent to voice mail. Please leave a message – we will call you back ASAP.

Thank you for helping support our monastic life!

“And the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.’” (Luke 1:28).

Today we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We will follow a Sunday schedule, taking special time away from our normal works to remain centered on prayer, to give thanks to God for choosing Mary as Christ’s mother, for choosing her as a mother for all of us.

Father, the image of the Virgin is found in the Church. Mary had a faith that your Spirit prepared and a love that never knew sin, for you kept her sinless from the moment of her conception. Trace in our actions the lines of her love, in our hearts her readiness of faith. Prepare once again a world for your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God forever and ever. Amen.

Today the Church honors St. Ambrose (340-397), a Doctor of the Church who was revered for his faith, courage and scholarship.

St. Ambrose by Matthias Stom, courtesy of Offentliche Kunstsammlung Basle

St. Ambrose said, “When you are in Rome, live in the Roman style.” Of course, today that phrase has been altered to “When in Rome, do as the Romans.” He is also credited with saying, “Where there is Peter, there is the Church,” and “There is no time of life past learning something.”

Indeed, a very wise man.

Learn more about the life and influence of St. Ambrose here.

Lord, teach me to seek You, and reveal Yourself to me when I seek You.
For I cannot seek You unless You first teach me, nor find You, unless You
first reveal Yourself to me.
Let me seek You in longing, and long for You in seeking.
Let me find You in love, and love You in finding. Amen.

(courtesy of 2heartsnetwork.org)

Hours of meetings with architects, Sisters, engineers, plumbers, electricians and a multitude of others. Pouring over plans. Deciding on everything from heating and electrical systems to deconstruction to reconstruction to the color of the carpet in the hallway.

The Sisters who served on the building committee for Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories have spent so much time helping us realize our new home. So we hosted a little party to share our gratitude for their dedication, decisiveness and sacrifice to help make this day possible.

“Sadie,” an old friend, and her shy helper, “Linda,” came for a brief visit to help us say a BIG thank you (below).

The five Sisters on the building committee shared funny stories from their many trips to the architects’ office in Dubuque, Iowa.  After the community thanked the Sister committee, the committee members thanked us in turn for our patience and willingness to undergo what we have.  We all had a good laugh and ended the evening with praising God for his providence at Compline.

Those whom we honored were (from left) Sister Cheryl, Sister Valerie, Sister Sean, Sister Rebecca and Sister Pat.