Merry Christmas.....

Merry Christmas? You say....it's not Christmas...yes it is.  Perhaps not in our society....which stops all Christmas music the day after Christmas and takes down the Christmas tree and all symbols of the Big Feast...but the Church celebrates Christmas until after the feast of the Three Wise Men...so I do wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

And I want to share with you a poem I wrote a few years back.

  INCOMPREHENSIBLE

God....unconditional LOVE.
       Incomprehensible!

God....unconditional MERCY.
       Incomprehensible!

God...incomprehensible COMPASSION.
        Incomprehensible!

God...Tender.  Forgiving.  Caring.
      
The God I am called to birth.

Our anticipation is over....

This is December 24, 7:40....the holy night is here.  In a couple hours I will be on my way to midnight Mass....yes, midnight Mass...an almost extinct phenomenon!

I love midnight Mass.  It brings back such wonderful memories of my childhood.  Being awakened in the middle of the night.  Dressed in Christmas best. My long braids tied with red ribbons.  And up the hill we went to join the townsfolk.  Walking amid the luminarios. 

A packed church.  A night of Spanish and English carols.  Back home to eat tamales and do more singing and finally to bed.

This is the night of memories.  Of remembering a tiny babe's birth.  A teenage mother in a strange country, in a stable, yet, what joy!

This is the night when "the eternal Word will leap from heaven to make his home among us. (Wisdom 18:14-15).  Let's allow the Lord to continue to build his home, his dwelling in our hearts.
Emmanuel....God with us.  Not only with us, but within us!  What a Christmas gift!

I wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS...may you be blessed with all the special blessings of this holy season!

International Immigrants' Day

Today, Dec 18 we commemorate INTERNATIONAL IMMIGRANTS' DAY.

Join me in remembering and praying for the MANY immigrants who come to our country seeking a better, safer, happier life.

Join me in WELCOMING THE STRANGER.  Living the works of mercy!

Perhaps today we too seek a safer and happier life!

We remember the Holy Family, the immigrants....strangers in another culture...and, perhaps our own ancestors.

Mary, Mother of Sorrows

We are all bathed in sadness and a spirit of compassion, of tears as we share the pain of the people in Newtown.  Father added them to our prayers of the faithful yesterday and I was so touched, I was embarrassed.  My tears just flowed.  I am sure I have lots of company.

Mary, Mother of Sorrows, or the Sorrowful Mother, truly knows what this pain is like for all those mothers and fathers.  She knows what it's like to lose a Son to senseless violence.  Mary is there for them all to comfort, console and give them hope.

Recently our readings were:  COMFORT MY PEOPLE...for this we pray.

December 28, Feast of the Holy Innocents, we commemorate all the baby boys who were slaughtered at the time of Jesus' birth...in hopes of killing that new-born King of the Jews. We have our own holy innocents to whom we can bring our hopes, our needs.  They have God's ear!

That first Christmas Jesus brought LIGHT and HOPE to a world in darkness.  Christmas 2012 Jesus again brings LIGHT and HOPE to our country where the "culture of death" with its many hues has such a dark hold.  

Let us be people of the LIGHT.  People of HOPE. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast: 12/12

Decenber 12th!  Great memories from my childhood where we celebrated our parish patron and special Lady of the Hispanic people.  Sung vespers on the 11th (little did I know that Vespers would one day become my daily prayer as an SSM), processions, luminarios, dinners, and a dance!  Now is that not CELEBRATING our special Lady!

Sad to say I no longer celebrate Guadalupe in this high fashion, in fact this year I did not go to one of our Hispanic parishes to take in the specialness of this day. 

"Give Us This Day" reflection for today notes that the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is truly an Advent feast as O.L of Guadalupe was HOPE to a people who had no hope because of their suffering at the hands of the Spaniards.  THis feast is about the"Incarnation of the Gospel, the good news of God's salvtion among us, here in this land...about who we are and who we are to become as Church in the world, a mestizo, multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and mutli-cultural Church."

THis feast truly is an Advent feast "for the simple reason that her Son seeks always to be born anew in us...inviting us to give him a home in which to be born again among us this year and every year."

What an invitation!  To birth Jesus anew...right here in our homes and hearts, our neighborhoods and our places of work, our Church and among our friends!  How will you respond to this invitation?  Are you willing to respond as Mary did:  be it done in me?

Advent.....

Advent is my favorite liturgical season....time of waiting, quiet, promise, hope.

It is unfortunate that for the majority of us Advent is a time of rushing, shopping, baking...and all the other "ing's" that destroy the true meaning and sense of Advent.

From a reflection I received from the Franciscan Spirituality Center:  God speaks to us in whispers, through silence.  We need to set aside the dramas, our busyness, so we can hear and feel the divine whispers.  By clearing our minds of the clutter of our lives, we can connect with the Divine. Surprise! There is a spiritual self within us.

I invite you, I challenge you, especially this wonderful season of Advent, to be still for a time every day.  Surrender into the mystery of stillness.

I wish you the gift of quiet.

Thanksgiving

I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with people, events, things for which to give THANKS.  Don't you find it strange that we set aside a DAY on which to give thanks?  We are something else!  Yet, I am sure that we all make each day GIVING THANKS DAY.  I cannot imagine it not being so.
We say THANK YOU to one another many times a day...why not include the Giver of all Good.

I make it a point to begin my day with my list of GRACIAS.  So for me every day is THANKSGIVING DAY.  I invite you to join me in making each day a day of gratitude.  Ane let's not forget our thanks to one another for ever so little things.  It makes such a difference in the other person's day.  Did you ever notice?

So, in this spirit of THANKSGIVING I thank you for taking the time to read my blog!

GOD BLESS YOU! 

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig....

Back home from Rome!  Great experience, but there is no place like home.  I give thanks to the good Lord, not only for our wonderful Chapter experience, our sister delegates and their hard work, for the super hospitality of our sisters at our Motherhouse in Rome, at our Borgo bed and breakfast place, at Sant Elia, and our Assisi places, for our inspiring prayer experiences, for the safety of all our travels...I could go on and on with my gratitudes!

Now back to work!  I even had to relearn how to work my office phone!  And back to the more common way of praying....in only one language!  Simplifies things.

This past week we celebrated the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basislica in Rome. We comemorate this church because it is the official church of the pope as Bishop of Rome, like our arch/diocesan cathedrals.

I loved the reflection from page 103 of "Give us This Day" for that day.  "...we do more than honor a building.  We celebrate an incredible spiritual truth: God dwells within us....we ourselves are sacred places!"

This belief "impacts our entire lives.  It means we show respect for our bodies by the food we eat, the rest we take, the healthy pace by which we live. Second, it reminds us that we find God not only by turning outward, but also by turning inward.  This means we take time to probe our thoughts and feelings, knowing we can find God's guidance in our hears.  And third, since we believe God dwells in others as well as ourselves, we also respect them by the way we talk to them, talk about them, interact with them."   (Credit Sr Melannie Svoboda)

I thought this was sooooo good, I wanted to share it with you.

Pace e bene....Italian for Peace and (all) Good 

Greetings from the Holy CIty!

Have been here in Rome for a week and a half.  Am participating in our SSM congregational General Assembly, also known as General Chaper.  We are delegates from Italy, Austria, Germany, Africa, the Dominican Republic, Bazil, the Caribbean, and the U.S.  Hope I got us all!

We began with a beautiful liturgy, followed by a day of prayer/reflection.  We have been busy discussing, discerning, planning our direction and electing leadeship for the next five years.  Daily Eucharist, of course, adoration and prayer are integral to our days.  All in the different languages!

Being an international congregation is quite exciting with our various cultures and languages...very time-consuming, but very necessary.  It is most amazing how simple translating is not simple!

Today we had an "audience" with Pope Benedict.  For me it was not really an audience as we were part of the thousands, yet we had "front pews"!

Being Franciscan, it is always important for us to visit Assisi and walk with Francis and Clare.  We spent time in our two houses in Assisi, ending with pizza at our Novitiate house.

It was also a very moving experience for me to spend time where our Mother Foundress, Frances Streitel, lived, ministered, prayed, died, and where we have her remains.

I am so fortunate and so grateful for all of the above....and more to come!

PACE e BENE..... 

Rome! Here I am!

A hearty GRACIAS to the Lord for a safe flight JFK to Rome, Italy!  Am here for our congregational General Chapter, a meeting to plan for the next five years and to elect our leadership for the next five years.  Holy Spirit, come!

We are so fortunate; our Motherhouse is a skip and a jump from the Vatican, a fifteen minute walk.  I can almost reach out my window and touch the dome!

I just need to share a wonderful reflection I read this week on the Gospel of the fellow who asked Jesus "And who is my neighbor?"  It's from Catherine de Hueck Doherty who notes that "we pass by one another without noticing, without stopping, without the slightest sign of recognition."  She advises that "it is time that Christians began to take notice of each person they meet. Each...is a brother or sister...each...needs to be recognized, to be given a token of friendship and love, be it only a smile, a nod of the head...Such love and recognition must always be given with deep reverence, irrespecive of the status...there is something in each of us that has dignity...Let us treat people with integrity and let us listen, listen and pray. ..Let us treat each person with deep integrity and respect and let us console, for through us flows the love of God the Father, the grace of the Son , and the illumination of the holy Spirit."

I was really touched by this reflection and felt I am on the right road.  When I attended Loyola University in Chicago, I lived off campus and walked a few blocks to classes.  I decided I would greet every person I met.  Needless to say, that was quite the experience!

I have continued my practice, not as faithfully, I must admit, and this reflection has served as a reminder of the importance of "noticing", "stopping", "recognizing" and acknowledging the other.  I think the Lord is nudging me!

Let him nudge you too....what difference YOU will make!

From Rome, with love...PACE e BENE!  

Happy Fall.....the season, I mean!

The colors are starting.  A new nature's beauty.  It's always so breath-taking, even after the myriad of times I've marvelled.  Such gift from our colorful God!

Just have to share the new insight or new idea I read.  This past week we had the familiar Corinthian reading about love: love is... all the definitions of love that Paul gives. 

The reflection book I use, "the WORD among us" had an interesting, and novel take. The writer suggested that for the word LOVE, we substitute the name of our parish....and how telling...OUR name.  I found that quite a new examination of conscience!

Try it!

What's new?

I truly believe the expression:  How time flies!  I cannot believe how long it's been since I was here.  That's a sign that I have been BUSY.   And indeed I have been.  And I thank God for this. I like to be busy as I get easily bored.  I love to make "TO DO" lists....it's such an accomplishment to check them off.

Busy, as I FINALLY am employed.  This is quite an accomplishment.  After I returned from the Domincan Republic, my time was taken up by sitting at the computer and checking diocese after diocese for ministry openings.  Nothing.  This was not a time for jobs to be available, but even afterwards, I seemed to be
over-educated, over-experienced....and I added "over-the-hill".  But as I figured, God had a plan...and I finally caught up with it.

I am now employed at St. Anthony the Hermit Parish in Menomonee Falls, WI as coordinator of RCIA and Adult Faith Formation...and loving it so far.  We have a wonderful pastor, prayerful, open, and a happy priest...all important qualities in my book.  I thank God for bringing me here.

This weekend I am speaking at all the Masses introducing myself and my ministry.  I hope the parishioners see a sister happy in her life of prayer, community, and service, a sister who is friendly, open, and inviting in her ministry.

I hope your Labor Day weekend is relaxing and renewing.

BLESSINGS.....

Jubilees

Just returned from celebrating our sisters' jubilees....70, 60, 50 years of being SISTERS OF THE SORROWFUL MOTHER....of ministry to God's people as teachers and nurses. What gift to the Church! We are blessed! It was a beautiful Eucharistic celebration, a wonderful luncheon, and an opportunity to catch up with what's going on in each other's lives. Also a wonderful surprise...a number of our former members came from Kansas and Oklahoma to celebrate with us. It was absolutely a joy to see them and hear what's been happening in their lives. I came away with such feelings of pride and joy...and gratitude.

Sixty years................

Yes, sixty years ago August 3rd I left my little ol' town of Villanueva, NM. And sixty years ago August 5th I set foot at 6618 North Teutonia Avenue, Milwaukee, WI. the Motherhouse of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, which would be my new home. I actually cannot believe it is 60 years. I have relived that leaving and that arriving these days and it has been bitter-sweet. My good-bye that Sunday morning was tough; kneeling for the family blessing always began the tears. Then my two-day train trip, never been away from home, and all the strangeness of that humongous Motherhouse....and to top it off it was retreat week..SILENCE! Followed by the grand celebrations of investiture and profession. Yet to me it was still bitter-sweet...I was homesick as could be... And now I sing "How Great Thou Art"...how great and gracious my God has been to me these 60 years...always there, always with me through thick and thin...and con- tinues to walk with me in my dailyness. Truly, my God, how great you have been, how great you continue to be for me. Gracias....thank you!

Apostle to the Apostles

Who do you think that is....Apostle to the Apostles? Wonderful if you guessed, of all people, Mary Magdalene! She is one of my most favorite women in scripture. I love her genuiness, her passion. She is for real...no pretense...what an example! As we all know, she has been treated very unfairly. Seems like this mistreatment of women is nothing new! Why is is that some are so afraid of us, women? We just celebrated the feast of St. Mary Madgdalene on July 22. She was "one of the original Galilean disciples of Jesus and the most eminent among the man women who followed in his itinerant ministry." We really know little about Mary Magdalene. She is sometimes referred to as the "wo-man fromw hom seven demons had gone out." And, did you know that there is NO scriptural basis for her being depicted as the repentant prostitute? I forget which pope started that rumor. "The Gospels name her among the women who followed Jesus to Golgotha and there witnessed his passion and death. While all the male disciples fled it was these women who rmained faithful to the end. It was also they who went to his tomb on the third day hoping to anoint his body." It was also Mary Magdalene to whom Jesus appeared, first, and asked her to take the news of his rising to the apostles. So, "It was Mary Magdalene, the faithful disciple, who first proclaimed the good news to the Twelve." So...THE APOSTLE TO THE APOSTLES! How are you a "proclaimer of good news"? (My quotes are from page 254 of the July issue of "This Day")

New Beginnings...

"New Beginnings" for me are usually exciting, novel, scarey, exhilarating, filled with enthusiasm. And this is what I experienced this past week as I began my new ministry. Since I retruned from the Dominican Republic I have been searching out and discerning where it is God leads me. Very interesting...the first position I looked it...and did not think I would consider because it was part-time...and I was stuck on full-time, is the one that I finally chose. I was quite impressed with the pastor who was really intent on having sister-presence in his parish. I was further impressed with how he told me he would hold the position for me until the end of June...even when he knew I preferred full-time. God writing straight with crooked lines! (I think that's the way it goes!) So this past Monday I began my ministry at St. Anthony the Hermit Parish, Menomonee Falls, WI. My responsbilities are adult faith formation and RCIA. Totally new for me! Lots of studying and learning on my part. I have very good feelings about the parish, very friendly and welcoming people, for which I thank the Lord. What did I do all week? Well, I am big on ambience, so spent two days decorating my office and my workroom. Then I set about the boring, but necessary job of setting up the files. I am very grateful to the Lord for my ministry and feel that this is where I have been called. I pray, and ask you to pray, that I fulfill my responsibilities and my role with joy, generosity, and fidelity. God bless you........

Returned.....

I have been away since June 24th. Out West...visiting family in Colorado and giving a retreat in Abiquiu, NM. One of my seminary students (now an ordained priest) from Sacred Heart School of Theology requested I do a retreat for his SEVEN parishes....imagine being a pastor of SEVEN parishes! Abiquiu,NM! Never heard of it. So WHERE is Abiquiu? My brother "found" it and WHAT BEAUTY! The surrounding tree mountains, red rock mountains, Abiuiu Lake, the Chama River. I was absolutely in AWE. I took a few personal prayer days at the Chirst in the Desert Monastery near by and my drive there was absolutely wonderful....cannot even find an adjective to describe it. Surrounded by COLORFUL red rock mountains...the rock formations! At one point I just stopped, breathless and cried outloud: GOD,HOW COULD YOU CREATE SUCH MAJESTY, SUCH BEAUTY! My days at the monastery were like stepping back to my formation days in terms of the silence, the type of prayer (chanting the Hours...Matins, Lauds, Prime Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline). Our rooms had no electricity, the bed was a cement block protruding from the wall....we even had rattle snakes! Praise God, I never heard a rattle! My time there was an accident, not planned...rather it was a Godcident! A real blessing for which I am MOST grateful. If you ever are planning a vacation....I strongly encourage you to think Abiquiu!

I hope your day is as beautiful a gift as mine. I wanted to share what our pastor shared in the bulletin which I thought was a great message. Dr. John Yzaguirre had presented the idea of the "House of Self" which has seven rooms: family, job, soul, friends, health, on-going education,and community/service. Each day we need to spend time in each room for balance in our life. PROBLEM: We tend to spend too much time in one or two rooms and so neglect the others. WE get unbalanced! In which rooms do you spend most of your time? Which rooms are you thus neglecting? Do you, like me, need to get more BALANCE in your life? Let's see what we can do about getting more "balanced". Best of luck....BLESSINGS....would love to hear about your rooms!

HAPPY CORPUS CHRISTI FEAST! Sunday we celebrate the feast of the "body of Christ"--one of my favorites. In our community when we were invested with the habit and received a new name, we also received a "predicate"...Sister NN "of ...." The "of" was the predicate. I chose "of the Sacred Host". Since childhood I have a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament...so Corpus Christi, Sunday is my feast day too. All parishes in our archdiocese of Milwaukee, I believe, have one day of the week where they have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. People come in and spend time in adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition before the Blessed Sacrament. Our parish, St. Eugene's, has adoration on Tuesdays. Since I am between ministries, I take time in the morning to visit and chat with the Lord, exposed in the monstrance on the altar. I am very awed by the number of people who come spend time with the Lord. I love the peace and serenity of my time spent there. Renews my faith and hope. Strengthens me to live more generously and lovingly....a challenge at times. I hope you have this marvelous opportunity: exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. I promise you serenity and peace.

Happy Pentecost....I wish you the Holy Spirit! I love Pentecost! I love the prayers to the Holy Spirit. I use "The WORD among us" for reflection and I really liked today's reflection. I would like to share it with you. "How can we tell if this breath of God is actie ion our lives? we will feel energized by the Spirit, and we will want to set our sights on being like Jesus. We will feel moved to go to work for the kingdom, relying on the Spirit's power and guidance. we will try to be more loving, more kind, and more patient. Right now, stop and take a few deep breaths. In your minnd, imagine yourself breathibg in the Spirit and breathing out your sin. Picture yourself accepting the Lord and his plans, and letting go of you own plans and visions. Know that what you are breathing in is pure, holy, and intoxicating. Jesus has great plans for every member of his church. And that includes you!" So....I do wish you the Holy Spirit in all fullness!

Buenos dias...decidi escribir hoy en espanol. No se si habra quien me lo lea. Estaba pensando en la fiesta de hoy: la Asencion...(tambien debo admitir que no soy tan magnifica con mi espanol....de modo que me perdonan mis erores!) Estaba pensando, resando, really, en la asencion del Senor. Y pense, que tal seria la experiencia de los apostoles al ver al Senor subiendo, subiendo, envuelto en una nube. Luego me dije: you lo voy a hacer. Me voy a poner en esa situacion. Yo voy a ser una de las personas que estaban alli. Y lo hice...que experincia! Ahora tu....has eso tambien para ver que te pasa....

I have been out of circulation for quite a while....so I welcome myself back!!!!!! Interesting how indispensable we are! Blogging has progressed without me. It is wonderful to know that we are not the "end all, be all". Lots has happened while I was "gone"...I will not bore you with that. Here in Glendale, WI, Spring, or really now, Summer, is gifting us with such bright greens....simply grand! We are now beautifying the space around the house with yellow and red flowers...hopefully we will not be visited by four-legged "friends". I am just "shocked" at the variety of bright greens...love it! Admire it as I drive around and never tire of its beauty....what a gift! One more thing for which to say: GRACIAS!

Hop along...

Are you old enough to remember Hop Along Cassidy? Well, I am the latest "hop-along." February 25, I fell to the tune of a severe ankle sprain. I am modelling the newest SSM footwear! It's quite the boot! You are able to inflate and deflate it as needed. What a specialty!

This "hop-along" experience (to last 4-6 weeks) has been my Lenten gift from the Lord. An experience in humility and dependence. I am a very independent peson. A "can do this fine, thank you." And since this is usually true, am quite engrained in this "can do" attitude.

My challenge to humility and dependence was really tried this last week. We, SSM's, had a five-day community meeting. I depended on some sister's kindness to "get me to the place on time," to get my food, to get me to the ladies' room, to keep the ice chest full (for the bandages). Name it, somebody had to do it for me.

I was blessed with my many generous and thoughtful sisters who were always there for me, ready to do what was needed. I will not soon run out of people for whom to pray!

COMMUNITY...that is our life....being there for the other. And I certainly experienced it in full measure! A wonderful example for me.

Thank you, dear sisters. You truly were sister to me. God will reward you GREATLY!

Truly inspiring....

It's amazing how sometimes the "same old-same old" strikes you as so new! This happened to me during my morning reflection time.

I use "the WORD among us" and today's reflection was so inspirng for me that I must share it with you.

"We are all temples of the Holy Spirit, and that means that we have something extremely valuable to give out. We have the mercy, compassion, wisdom, and strength that come from the heart of God, living in us. That "cup" of grace we have received is so full that it can't help but overflow out of us.

Loving others as Jesus loves us goes beyond the Golden Rule. God wants us to be his light in the world. Consider the words of St Teresa of Avila: "Christ hs no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours." Every day, in every moment, God has a purpose for you that extends into eternity. That purpose includes everyone you come in contact with."

Talk about POWERFUL! As I said, "nothing new", yet I heard it in a new way. Must have been the Spirit speaking JUST TO ME!

I pray the same for you!

Renew season....

We have the hunting season, the this season and the that season....and now we're in the PERSONAL RENEWAL season....LENT!

I must admit that Lent was NOT my favorite season. For me Lent was always the PENANCE, MORTIFICATION, SACRIFICE season....the GIVING UP season. And so I really did not look forward to Lent.

Praise the Lord I have had an awakening! A renewed understanding of this HOLY season. My renewed approached is not centered on what am I NOT going
to do, but what am I going to DO?

What will I do to renew? Renew my relationship with the Lord. Renew my relationship with my sisters, my friends, my....

"Be holy as I your God am holy."

"Be my holiness for others."

WONDERFUL LENTEN RENEWAL SEASON!

Valentine's Day....

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope your day is filled with lots of loving people, loving experiences, loving things....just plain LOVE!   And of course we know God's love ALWAYS surrounds us...not just on February 14! 

Actually every day is heart day, every day is love day..."by this will all know you are my followers...if you LOVE each other".

Consecrated Life Day

Today is a special day for us who live the CONSECRATED LIFE.  Some years ago Pope John the XXIII declared the first Sunday in February CONSECRATED LIFE DAY. 

So today we honor all sisters, brothers, priests in religious communities.  We all are familiar with the basic orders:  FRANCISCAN, BENEDICTINE, DOMINICAN, AUGUSTINIAN.  All orders follow one of these rules.  We, the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, follow the rule of St. Francis.

Through our vows of obedience, poverty, and celibate chastity we consecrate, we surrender our lives to God to be about continuing the mission of Jesus. Full-time!  To be available to respond wherever, however, to whatever God asks. 

Our vow of obedience calls us to listen, to discern together what God may be asking.  Our vow of poverty calls us to live simply, to live not by what I want, but by what I need. To live with a conscious awareness and commitment to the poor.  Our vow of celibate chastity calls us to a deep respect for every person, no exceptions, calls us to be loving persons, to love in an inclusive way.

In the "olden days" we were in education and health care.  Today we are there plus in a variety of ministries.  You find us in the front lines as executives, directors, presidents, as well as behind the scenes in the areas of social justice, working for, and also advocating, for the underserved, the un-served, the shunned, the forgotten, those who fall through the cracks in society and in our Church.
We are doctors, lawyers, spiritual directors, retreat directors.  At home and abroad.   

When I'm asked why I am still a Sister, I say: because I LOVE being a Sister. I have the opportunity to deepen my intimacy with the Lord, to use all my gifts to make a difference.  I am more available to respond to God.

This is truly a WONDERFUL life!  It does have its challenges, as any other vocation.  It takes courgage and generosity.  It also brings much joy and satisfaction.

Is God calling you to consecrate your life as a sister, brother, or religious order/diocesan priest?  Do you sometimes see yourself in this life?  Why not?  Pray about it. Seek information.  Talk to a priest or sister who can answer your questions.

In our families are our future sisters, brothers, priests.  Do not only pray for more of us.  Encouraage.  Invite.  Pop the question:  DID YOU EVER THINK OF BEING A SISTER?  A PRIEST?  A BROTHER?  I dare you to ask that question.  If you do, let me know how it was for you.


 

Update

I cannot believe I am actually here, on this page.  It has been so long, actually since last year!  Would you believe?

So much has happened since I was here last.  The biggest news is that I am back in the good ol' USA, back from the Dominican Republic. Back to good ol' cold Wisconsin!  Although this winter so far has been wonderfully pleasant...not sure what that means for Mother Earth and her family.

I have been a real pilgrim. In October I returned to Milwaukee.  In December I changed residences.  We have been moving in, setting up, and adjusting to our new home and to our neighborhood.  And for me searching out a ministry...searching out what await me from the hand of the Boss....God.

For a workaholic like me, it has not been easy, this not knowing.  Yet I know that there is a Divine Plan which will be made known to me in God's time, not my time.  And I must be grateful for the peace and serenity that I am enjoying in this "in-between time".  Faith and Trust: two necessary life ingredients!