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!