Day by Day

Happy New Year!  May the Year of our Lord 2009 be one filled with grace and blessings.

Did any of you make New Year's Resolutions?  I have.

1) I want to memorize more Scripture. I am joining with a bunch of other women around the country (and perhaps the world) to do that.   Here is the link if you are interested - Scripture 2009.  The first one is 2 Timothy 3:16-17.  "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work."  I figure that it will remind me of why I want to do this.

2) I want to exercise at least 5 times a week.  I NEED to... lets hope I will have the fortitude and willpower to do so.  I truly believe we are God's temple and mine is in bad need of renovations! 

I have been praying and I know God is pleased with my desire to please Him.  I know, too, He will give me the grace if I avail myself of it!

Rich blessings to you all as we start this new year!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!  Ours was simple yet sincere and joyful. 

The Gospel reading this morning at Mass was the story of Simeon meeting the infant Jesus with Mary and Joseph in the Temple.  Simeon's prayer has become one of the great canticles of the Church

                         Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
                         your word has been fulfilled:
                         my own eyes have seen the salvation
                         which you prepared in the sight of every people,
                         a light to reveal you to the nations
                         and the glory of your people Israel.

Fr. Samuel from Conception Abbey was our presider today and he gave us two key points to ponder regarding light that I want to share with you.  First he said - light often surprises us.  He noted many of us in the monastery awaken while it is still dark outside.  He has often wanted to make note of when it begins to become light but most often, he is distracted and it is bright outside before he realizes the light has come.  The second point was that light forces us to change our perspective.  Likening this to coming out of a darkened room or building to the bright outdoors, he said light causes us to see things differently and to change our perspective.

The endless grace of God and the goodness of Jesus continues to surprise me.  Just when I think things are at there worst, grace is there.  And I have had to change my perspective, opinion, heart many many times because the Word in which there is no darkness has given me new perspective and insight. 

The Light of Christ has come into the world.  How has it surprised you?  How has it made you change your perspective? 

I can't believe Christmas is just a week away!  I thought maybe you all might like to hear about Christmas in the monastery.  We are putting up our Christmas creche and trees today.  ( I say "we" but a couple of our workmen are really doing most of the work).  We have been using artificial trees for the last few years.  It is cheaper, ecological, and they are actually quite pretty.  I didn't grow up with real trees so there is no nostalgic longing on my part for a real tree. 

The activities really gear up this Sunday with the decorating of the tree.  That seems to be the time when the whole community switches from Advent mode to Christmas mode.  Monday will be a regular day with some preparations being made for Tuesday.  The 23rd is our Employee Christmas Dinner.  (In case, I haven't ever said it before on this blog - we have the BEST employees in the world!!!)  We give them each a small gift and then have a drawing for some larger gifts.  Its a lot of fun.  It is usually the last work day for most of them before Christmas.  This meal is a very small way for us to say THANK YOU for all that they do for us all year long.

Then comes Christmas Eve.  The day is a usually a whirlwind of activity from cleaning to meal preparations, chapel decorating to singing practice.  Somehow, it all gets done by 5pm!  After first Vespers of Christmas - there is still some bustling about as we get ready for Mass at 9pm but by 8:30 we are all in chapel ready to celebrate the birth of Christ!  After Mass, we have punch and cookies for any who have joined us for our Christmas celebration.  It is a nice time to visit and celebrate with our local friends and neighbors. 

Christmas Day is thankfully a little less busy.  We have Lauds later in the morning and Mass with our sisters in OLR at 11am.  Then we have a nice leisurely meal with nothing scheduled in the afternoon.  Christmas evening is a special celebration just for the community.  After Vespers we change into our comfy clothes - pjs, sweats,etc.  We gather in our community room which has lots of sofas and soft seating.  There are finger foods and snacks available.  It is a very relaxed and casual atmosphere and a very lovely way to end the day.  We don't buy each other gifts and things - we just celebrate the gift of each other and the greatest gift of all - The God who is With Us - EMMANUEL!

May you all have a most blessed and joyous Christmas!

It is hard to believe that Advent is upon us.  Sadly, in our culture, there is no space for Advent.  We seem to start celebrating Christmas right after Thanksgiving.  Here at the monastery, we don't start singing carols or decorating for Christmas until after December 17th.  It is important for us not to lose the sense of watchful waiting that Advent gives us.

Sr. Sean gave a reflection prior to the First Sunday of Advent.  In it, she mentioned that most things worth having require a time of waiting - from the simple anticipation of a baking loaf of bread, to the waiting for seeds to sprout and plants to bear fruit, to the eager joyfulness that comes from awaiting the birth of child.  How we choose to use the time of waiting is where grace enters into the picture.

We can be anxious and fretful, impatient and sullen.  Or we can choose to embrace the waiting and make it a part of our joy.  This is the hope of Advent.  Jesus is coming.  He comes at every moment of our lives - are we watching for Him?  He will come again in glory - are we hastening the coming of the Kingdom? 

I pray that you all can enter a bit into the sacred space of Advent.  Take time to be still and wait  - and maybe in the stillness and quiet we will able to hear His footsteps as he comes to knock up on the door of our hearts.

Advent blessings!

Well, I am sitting here quite contented after our Thanksgiving feast.  I am not stuffed to the point of uncomfortable and I am grateful! 

I love Thanksgiving Day.   I love the idea of having a whole day where we give thanks for what we have.  Of course, we should give thanks everyday but I love that we have set apart a day as a nation to give thanks.  We are richly blessed as a country and it is right to give thanks.

I have much for which to be thankful- my sisters in community and my family, health and security, food and shelter, wealth enough for all that I need and many "luxuries" besides.  But above all, I am grateful for my call to this life and the great grace of knowing Christ and being found in Him.  He is the source of all goodness and blessing and I am humbled to be His servant.

Below is my favorite prayer - may we all be blessed with grateful hearts this day and always.   HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thou that has given me so much

Grant one more thing – a grateful heart.

Not thankful when it pleaseth me

As if Thy blessings have spare days

But such a heart

Whose very pulse is praise.

-                                                                          -George Herbert

Hello Internets!  I am back on the blog!

I just completed my eight day retreat.  It was wonderful.  I didn't go anywhere special - just right here in the monastery.  When the sisters are on retreat here we are allowed to set our own prayer schedule and keep silence and solitude which I did.  As much as I love our times of prayer in chapel together it was good to have a chance to pray silently and privately. It is good to have that time to focus intensely on our personal relationship with God.   These eight days were a tremendously blessed time for me.  Praise the Lord!

This Sunday is one of my favorite feasts - Our Lord Jesus Christ the KING!  He has already won the battle and the Kingdom is at hand.  All too often I forget that and let Satan tempt me with his lies that things are hopeless.  But that is not so!  Jesus reigns - He has a right to rule and His rule is right! Beloved friends, whatever hardship or trials you may be facing know that Jesus will see you through and if you are in a place of joy and happiness - give Him thanks! 

I will be praying for you all as we head into this Thanksgiving week.  May we all have hearts filled with joy and gladness and gratitude for the good gifts God has given us!  Have a great Thanksgiving!

I wanted to post this earlier today but alas...

Please go VOTE today!  We have a great freedom in this country in the ability to elect our leaders.  Many have died to earn and protect this right.  Let's honor their sacrifice and make history today!

God bless America!

Once again, I apologize for my long blog pause.  I keep hoping things will settle down and I will be able to devote time more consistently to this blog.  So far that has yet to happen.  I will just snatch time here and there and somehow it will all work out!

About two weeks ago, I officially hung up my apron and hat and handed over the reins of the Altar Bread Department (or AB as we call it).  I have worked in our AB since I entered as a postulant nine years ago. It is a significant change for me not to be a part of the daily production or management.  In light of my new duties, I am grateful to be relieved of the responsibility but there is much I will miss about it. 

I will miss our much beloved lay staff.  We have 13 employees in our AB.  They are all from the local area and most of them have worked in the AB since long before I entered.  One recently completed her 25th year with us.  They are a loyal and dedicated bunch, I have relied on them a great deal this last year as I was learning the ropes in managing the department.

I will miss working with the other sisters.  The AB is one of the job assignments we give our newest members and also a place where there are tasks that our more elder sisters can do as well. There is plenty to do for those of us in-between, too!  I have enjoyed working with the whole range of them - the energy and enthusiasm of our postulants is a joy for me and the great wisdom and perserverance of our elders inspires me.

And I will miss the work itself.  I love our Altar Bread ministry.  I love the whole process of watching the flour become bread and then hosts that are sent out.  I feel a deep connection to all those who receive our breads.  It is way that I can somehow grasp that great mystery which is the Body of Christ.  My work in the AB has helped me understand and love the Eucharist. For that, I am deeply grateful.

As hard as it is to let go, I know that it is in good hands.  Sr. Rita and Sr. Sophia are more organized that I can ever hope to be and they will do a great job as Managers.  Even though I won't physically have a hand in the work anymore, I continue to pray that God will bless and prosper the work of our hands. Ultimately I know it is all in His hands and there is no better place for it to be! 

I realized that I have been remiss in keeping you informed about our major renovations and building deconstruction.  Well, I don't have to worry anymore because a few of our sisters decided to start a blog to help you all keep abreast of the latest news in that sphere.  Here is a link to their blog: Sacred Stones Sacred Stories.  I hope you enjoy it...  I notice that they figured out how to post pictures on their blog... hmmm, I will have to see if they can help me do that on this one. 

In other news, I recently attended the Benedictine Subprioresses Conference at Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove, Indiana.  There were 26 in attendance from across the U.S.  It was a time of rest, renewal, and sharing among other sisters who hold the position of subprioress in their monastery.  I was grateful for the chance to be with them. 

On October 3rd, I will end my time in the Altar Bread Department.  I have been the manager for the last year but I have worked in the department for the last eight years!  So, this is a significant shift in my schedule.  I will have more time to devote to assiting Sr. Sean as we begin the intensive work of clearing out the monastery in preparation for deconstruction and renovation.  I will miss my daily interaction with our devoted staff but I know that I will be able to pop in from time to time to stay in touch.

Fall is officially here.  The weather has been simply beautiful here in Clyde.  The mornings start with just a hint of winter chill but soon give way to warm days.  The evenings are deliciously cool and the trees are getting their first touches of gold and red.  I hope where ever you are you can take a moment and savor the beauty of the changing season and give thanks to God who planned such a beautiful world for us!

One Saturday each month is designated as a "renewal day".   We live an intensely communal life - we work together, pray together, and eat together every day.  Naturally, there are times when we absent from community events- doctor's appointments, homevisits, or an occassional workshop.  For the most part, however, we are here together every day, all day.  Since most of the members of our community are introverts, there needs to be some times and days when we can have more solitude and silence to renew our energies.  Our monthly renewal day is one of those times. 

Our schedule is much the same as a regular day - Lauds and Mass in the morning, Vespers in the evening.  The little hours of Day Hour and Compline are not prayed in common to give the sisters longer stretches of unscheduled time.  Throughout the day we try to maintain silence as much as possible.  There is no paging on renewal days, we don't run the vacuum nor do laundry.   We acknowledge each other with a smile or nod rather than a verbal greeting.  Any necessary conversation is done in a very quiet and subdued tone so as not to disturb others.  On this day, we usually have only one meal prepared for the sisters and it is eaten in silence.  It is not a time for TV or entertainment but a chance to spend more time in prayer or other spiritually renewing pursuits.  These might include writing letters, working on a hobby or craft.  For example, I sometimes use these days to make a few rosaries, other sisters might paint, do pottery, paper crafts, etc.  When the weather is nice, it is a great time to go for a long walk or bike ride or to just sit outside and let God speak through His marvelous creation. 

Renewal days are great thing.  I highly recommend them to everyone.  At least, try to get in a renewal hour once in a while! 

Hello Internet Friends!

Sorry for the long blog pause.  My life has taken on an extra dimension of craziness these last few weeks.  Here is what I have been up to:

Learning the ropes in my new job - I think I am going to enjoy my new role as subprioress.  I am a people oriented person.  I like listening to people, I am attentive to feelings and moods, and I can be organized.  I think that being subprioress will strengthen and utilize some natural skills I have and will also call forth from me abilities that I will need to consciously work on to do well.  It will be a time of learning and growing and I think that is a good thing. 

Keeping up in my old job - The Altar Bread Department is doing well.  We FINALLY have some breads in the freezer - this is a great thing!  We had been a little nervous that we wouldn't get any breads in the freezer before Christmas but we did!  I know that I won't be able to do both jobs of AB Manager and subprioress so I am enjoying these last few weeks with my staff.  They are a great bunch and I will miss seeing them on a daily basis. 

Watching the Olympics - I LOVE the Olympics for lots of reasons.  I guess they always trigger fond memories of watching the games with my dad when I was little.  Another reason, I am a patriot at heart.  I am proud of my country and the athletes who represent us.  I love hearing the athlete's stories and the odds they have had to overcome to get to the games.  But more than all that - I love the unity the Olympics foster.  There is something neat about seeing the countries in the Opening Ceremonies all separated by nation and then entering the Closing Ceremonies in a hodgepodge of nationalities and uniforms.  It gives me hope that somehow we can overcome all our differences and policies and just PLAY together and celebrate the marvel of the human body.  It is an AWESOME thing.

Visiting family - I grew up in St. Louis but moved to Texas when I was in high school and spent some time in California before I entered the convent.  My parents currently live in Nashville and so I usually go there for my homevisits.  But last weekend, a cousin in St. Louis was getting married so it was a great chance to see some of my family that I hadn't seen in years.  I had a great time visiting and laughing with my sisters and cousins and playing with their babies. 

Now I am back at the monastery and settling into my old routine.  It was good to get away and it was good to come home.  Other than that, there is nothing else terribly exciting happening.  Will hopefully post again sooner!  Hope you are all well (all 5 of you that read this blog!).

A lot can change in a week.  As some of you may know, we have finally elected a new prioress here in Clyde.  Sr. Sean was elected on July 15th and officially installed on the 16th.  She is the elected superior in the Clyde Monastery.  You can read more about her here (scroll down she is towards the end). 

As prioress, she is responsible for the temporal and spiritual goods of the monastery.  She gives the blessings in chapel and at table.  She is the one we go to when we need permission for leaving the monastery or to purchase something.  She has an assistant, the subprioress, whom she appoints with the approval of the Prioress General.  The subprioress assists the prioress in her duties and fills in for her in her absence.

So...guess who was appointed subprioress? 

Me. 

It was a big surprise to everyone.  When Sr. Sean asked me she needed an answer fairly quickly.  I went to chapel and told the Lord - "OK if this is NOT your will you have 30 minutes to let me know!"  I was scared but I knew I couldn't say no because of fear.  I thought about it and realized that I was scared because I lacked experience and because I didn't want this to be an ego trip.  As I often do when faced with a difficult decision I turned to Scripture. 

I came to Psalm 19 and as I was reading it a calm came over me.  These are the two passages that spoke to me. 

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (vs 7)

Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. (vs 12-13)

In the first, I was calmed because I knew that if I stayed in God's Word, He would give me the wisdom I needed.  I am young and inexperienced but God will provide what I need.  And the second passage, reminded me again, that if I am faithful to my lectio and pray with the Scriptures, God will not allow me to become too proud in this new position or have any hidden ego agenda. 

As I prayed with these words, peace washed over me, the peace that only comes when we are safe under the umbrella of God's authority.  So, I told Sr. Sean that I would accept her appointment.

This a big change for me and I am not quite sure yet how it will all unfold.  But, I know that God is faithful - and that is where I will put my trust.  I count on your prayers, too.

I try to keep this blog mostly about things that happen in the monastery but sometimes I have some cute family stories that I will share, too. 

I have 4 nieces and 5 nephews.  My sister's daughters are the youngest nieces - they are 4 1/2 and 3 1/2.  My sister told me this story about them.

Recently at the dinner table. Zahra (the older of the two) said "Is God in this food?"  Kavi (the younger one) then asked, "Was God in the grocery store?"  My sister said, "well God isn't a person you can see...."  And Zahra said, "I know, God is love, but you said Daddy cooked this food with love and that love was the secret ingredient.  So is God in this food?"  My sister replied "Well, I guess in a way God is in this food."  Zahra said, "Good, because then He can get into our hearts!"

My sister told me about this website called www.wordle.net

You can enter the address of your blog and it creates a graphic with the words you use most. 

You can see mine here.

I love the 4th of July.  I know that there is much wrong with the American government and I don't support many of things that have been done in our name by our elected officials.  But I love our country - I love the idealism and hope that we are founded upon and that we carry into each generation. 

I think much of my love for the USA comes from my parents.  As immigrants, they have seen firsthand what life outside the US is like.  They know the many blessings that are afforded to the citizens of this country.  They encouraged us to participate in our government and not to take the blessings of liberty for granted. 

The 4th in the monastery is a simple day.  Mass and morning and evening prayer are full of prayers of thanksgiving for God's blessings on our nation and for peace for all countries.   I am grateful as I am aware that in some places in our world - we would not be able to live this religious life as we are free to do here in the US.  We also have a picnic meal at noon and the rest of the day is leisure time.  Its is a restful day.

I think another reason I love the 4th is because its is 3 days before my birthday!  Today I turned 36!   I think birthdays are great.  I don't mind getting older (so far)!  Birthdays in the monastery are fun.  You get included in a special intercession at morning prayer, the sisters sing a blessing over you and sing "Happy Birthday" to you at the noon meal, and throughout the day individual sisters leave you notes and greetings of love and affection.  I love life and I am grateful that God has so richly blessed mine. 

Every year on my birthday, I ask God for something.  I try to think of things that I know are for sure in His Will for me.  This year my prayer is that God will bless me with a heart that desires Him alone.  May He hear my prayer!