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!