In Both Death and Life

Visitation Sisters - Inside the doors

2012-05-16T00:55:00.002-05:00

I thought this was a very interesting presentation of the life of Visitation Sisters (of which there are perhaps 7 communities that I know of in the US). It has a part 2, you can see on YouTube if you are interested. I believe these are the ones at Mont Deux Coeurs in Massachusetts. At least, I hope so, because that is where I placed both videos elsewhere. This is the order I recommend to people who are rejected for reasons of health from other communities.
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Widgets and more Widgets

2012-04-30T21:00:00.001-05:00

Traditional Women's Religious Orders U.S.A.great free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

I have figured out how to put a widget in a post (which is obvious, now that I've read that explanation) - we'll see if this text shows up. So I might actually get my blog on nun blogs (which is different from my blog on nuns) off the ground. Hip-hip-hurray! Should you feel inclined to follow my progress on making widgets the better part of a blog, it is called (creatively) Blogs by Catholic Sisters and Nuns. How to set up a navigation system (tabs or ???) is my next task.

First Communion

2012-04-28T18:03:00.001-05:00

"I understood that Jesus had entered my heart, He had actually visited me." -- Pope Benedict XVI on his First Communion

Miss Lily:

You have your dress...

Your veil...

Your gloves...

And no doubt, some very pretty shoes.

May Sunday be a day you long remember, and a source of spiritual strength and life-long faith. God bless and keep you.

Credits:
Dress
Veil
Gloves

Catholicism and Lord of the Rings

2012-04-23T11:22:00.001-05:00

Image from Catholic Garden Graphics, original art by C Therese and others.

I have avoided (avoidance: see Occupy post below) looking at "Decent Film Guides", for I had an intuition that I might not watch any of the films they recommend - and consequently, am enthralled by all the ones they do not. My fears were groundless*, and here is a short article on Lord of the Rings, and its Catholic nature.

Faith and Fantasy: Tolkien the Catholic, The Lord of the Rings, and Peter Jackson’s Film Trilogy

"J. R. R. Tolkien once described his epic masterpiece The Lord of the Rings as "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work." Yet nowhere in its pages is there any mention of religion, let alone of the Catholic Church, Christ, or even God." ...

On another note, a song from "Lord of the Rings" on the distant shore-
For a friend:

Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
Night is falling
You have come to journey's end

Sleep now
Dream -- of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across a distant shore

Dawn will turn to silver glass
A light on the water
All souls pass

Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come
To carry you home

(Lord of the Rings)
From Arwen Undomiel

*I have an exceptional number of fears, so it is psychologically healthy (so I say) to state frequently that they are ephemeral, whether this is true or not.

Occupy, Catholic Style

2012-03-28T03:52:00.000-05:00

I have done my best not to read any articles explaining the Occupy movement, but saw this on St. Michael's Parish fb pictures. Sounds, um, I don't know how it sounds. For you to decide.

Ah - new follower!

2012-03-25T05:41:00.002-05:00

Hello and welcome, Begawan. Very pleased to have you among my followers - the first from any of my blogs from your country, as far as I can tell. I post very little these days (at least here). In any case, may God bless you.

The Angels and Their Mission

2012-03-05T13:22:00.000-06:00

The Angels and Their Mission by Jean Danielou

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Angels EVERYWHERE. Not a fluffy one among them. If you want to read fluffy, go elsewhere. If you want to read quickly (unless you're way more intelligent than I), go elsewhere. This is the lowdown on angels throughout early history, in 114 pages (by way of the Fathers of the Church). Fascinating, and I don't think I'll ever hear the phrase "with the angels and the saints" again without feeling a chill down my spine. Not because of some supernatural hocus-pocus nonsense, but a heartening thrill, remembering the close complicity of angels in every work of God, then and now. No new age nonsense in this book. When I read a book about the Church, Saints, etc., if I end up thinking "He is Lord forevermore", then I've read anointed words, those that assist in worshiping God rightly. "The Angels and Their Mission" fits there. Highly recommended.

View all my reviews

Good Thoughts

2012-02-18T19:20:00.000-06:00

We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him.

- Pope Benedict XVI

-Taken from Desert Nun News (a blog) -

Yet another Religious Order that has a dog (Percy). Again, this influences me in no way.

Dominican Sisters in Catonsville, Maryland - Information Please

2011-09-19T17:16:00.000-05:00

Received the following email -

Seeking information about the now closed, cloistered, Dominican Sisters of the Perpetual Rosary who resided on Maiden Choice Lane in the Catonsville, Maryland area. I am doing some work recording the 26 burials in the grave yard. If you can point me to any information source on this order I'd appreciate it. Thank You.

Jerry Harlowe / Catonsville, Md. / Historian for St. Paul's Catholic Church, Ellicott City, Md.

If you can help Jerry out, reply at
pleiku1168@yahoo.com

Dyads: God is God

2011-06-22T00:42:00.001-05:00

Or, I am that I am.

Infinite Space, Infinite God II has been out for a while (you can get it in paper or digital), and the last story in this collection, "Dyads", is wonderfully put together by Ken Pick and Alan Loewen. Their best work (well, I've read a limited number). I was a little blown away with the quality of the writing; they create another and entirely believable (and what seemed to me appropriate) religious expression for a group of aliens whom we recognize from the first volume of this work. Happily, Fr. Heidler appears again, pragmatic, and given the opportunity, perhaps with a potential for ruthlessness; and then again he is selfless. Can that be? Yes! His spirituality blends and informs his actions very realistically, with a good deal of help from the author's considerable talents - I have a new respect for their abilities with this long short story (almost novelette?).

To throw a few things out without taking away from the pleasure of reading it, the plot circles around a decluded Christian, Fr. Heidler's task of bringing peace and enduring a sort of justice that is well understandable from our own Christian heritage. His respect for God's revelations to the alien race do not in the least denigrate or downplay his own beliefs.

One heck of a good missionary.

So nicely put together - I found it hopeful, intense, and very creative. Have a look -

Infinite Space, Infinite God II
Edited by Karina and Robert Fabian

Yes, there are lots of other short stories, and you will enjoy many of them. You don't even have to be a Catholic.

Father and Daughters

2011-06-19T16:34:00.000-05:00

One of the sweetest videos I've ever seen, and very appropriate for Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-17T17:44:00.001-05:00

The mutual love of a man and a woman is "good, very good in the Creator's eyes."

Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: "It is not good that the man should be alone." The woman, "flesh of his flesh," i.e., his counterpart, his equal, his nearest in all things, is given to him by God as a "helpmate"; she thus represents God from whom comes our help. "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh." The Lord himself shows that this signifies an unbreakable union of their two lives by recalling what the plan of the Creator had been "in the beginning": "So they are no longer two, but one flesh." CCC 1604 and 1605

To all my readers who are fathers, blessings to you.

Prayers for Animals

2011-05-08T18:37:00.001-05:00

A good many pet blessings to be found at the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart site. Happened to be writing a post about them elsewhere; also includes a dream John Paul II had about stray cats! Yes, really. Or so it says.

Image is from their church (I assume) - it was on the icons page. Had to cut and paste it, but it came out well.

Devotion to Our Lady

2011-05-08T01:15:00.008-05:00

I received an excellent newsletter from the Daughters of Mary this month, with a most inspiring and informative message about devotion to Our Lady in the month of May (and every other month).

Mother Mary Bosco: "Another easy way to express our devotion to Our Lady is the praying of ejaculations to her. Ejaculations are short prayers, often in the form of petitions or acts of love. St. Francis de Sales writes of ejaculatory prayer, 'There is no difficulty in this exercise, as it may be interspersed among all our tasks and duties with any inconvenience...' a simple yet powerful way of honoring her and obtaining her assistance."

The following were taken from Our Lady Book, by Fr. F. X. Lasance, perhaps recently re-printed, original copyright 1924 with Imprimatur. I have looked around, and this is available at several sites on the Internet (don't pay $80.00 for one - that was one I saw on eBay or Amazon). I'll be getting a copy. $25 to $35 is around the average price, but you might find it for less.

You can order a copy from this congregation online, but it is SSPX. If that bothers you, order it elsewhere. I fully expect they will not be sundered from us forever. One thing they do for the rest of us is find and re-print (and sell) quality Catholic material from the past.

Okay, I'm going to try to copy the May ejaculations to our Lady without any typos.

May 1 - O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

May 2 - Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!

May 3 - Thou art my Mother, O Virgin Mary; keep me safe lest I ever offend thy dear Son, and get me the grace to please Him always and in all things.

May 4 - O Mary, our hope, have pity on us.

May 5 - Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, by the Lord God most high, above all women upon the earth.

May 6 - Queen of the Apostles, pray for us.

May 7 - O Mary, thou didst enter the world without stain; do thou obtain for me from God, that I may leave it without sin.

May 8 - By the Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure and my spirit holy.

May 9 - O Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.

May 10 - To thee, O Virgin Mother, who wast never touched by any spot of original or actual sin, I commend and entrust the purity of my heart.

May 11 - Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind, bless us now and in death's agony.

May 12 - Let us adore, thank, pray to and console, in the company of Mary Immaculate, the most sacred and well-beloved Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist!

May 13 - Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.

May 14 - O Mary, Mother of grace and Mother of mercy, do thou protect us from our enemy, and receive us at the hour of our death.

May 15 - O Queen, who art the beauty of Carmel, pray for us.

May 16 - My Mother, my hope.

May 17 - Holy Mary, deliver us from the pains of hell.

May 18 - Mother of love, of sorrow, and of mercy, pray for us.

May 19 - O Mary, Mother of God and Mother of mercy, pray for us and for all who have died in the embrace of the Lord.

May 20 - Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O sacred Virgin. Give me strength against thine enemies.

May 21 - Holy Mary, our Lady of Deliverance, pray for us and for the holy souls in purgatory.

May 22 - Our Lady of Salette, Reconciler of sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to thee.

May 23 - O Mary, make me to live in God, with God, and for God.

May 24 - Mary most sorrowful, Mother of Christians, pray for us.

May 25 - Mary!

May 26 - Blessed be the holy and Immaculate conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

May 27 - Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for us.

May 28 - Bless us, Mary Maiden mild, bless us too her tender Child.

May 29 - O Heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

May 30 - Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

May 31 - O Mary, bless this house where thy Name is always blessed. Praise forever be to Mary Immaculate, the ever-Virgin Mother, blessed amongst women, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Queen of Paradise.

I think these are wonderful. The May 25th entry makes me laugh with surprise. It's my favorite!

Not that anybody does, but don't give me any flack about something useful I learned from these ladies. I've reviewed books from Baptists and Anglicans that were helpful to me. I think you should take the gifts God has waiting for you, wherever they may be found.

The image is from another congregation (this one Kosher!!!), also the Daughters of Mary (of the Immaculate Conception).

I thought I had included this - sorry. The original has probably already been picked up by feedburner. But anyway. Blurb for Our Lady Book:

Contains reflections on the events in Our Lady's life, maxims for each day of the month, methods of attending Mass with Mary, stories and more!

Hello!

2011-05-07T16:38:00.001-05:00

A welcome to Kelly, who has just joined my little group of followers.

No Peace without Justice; No Justice without Forgiveness

2011-05-02T16:58:00.000-05:00

I'm re-posting this from Sept. of 2009, on this strange anniversary. Osama ben Laden is reported dead, and John Paul II is beatified.

True peace therefore is the fruit of justice, that moral virtue and legal guarantee which ensures full respect for rights and responsibilities, and the just distribution of benefits and burdens. But because human justice is always fragile and imperfect, subject as it is to the limitations and egoism of individuals and groups, it must include and, as it were, be completed by the forgiveness which heals and rebuilds troubled human relations from their foundations.

No peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness: this is what in this Message I wish to say to believers and non-believers alike, to all men and women of good will who are concerned for the good of the human family and for its future.

No peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness: this is what I wish to say to those responsible for the future of the human community, entreating them to be guided in their weighty and difficult decisions by the light of man's true good, always with a view to the common good.

No peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness: I shall not tire of repeating this warning to those who, for one reason or another, nourish feelings of hatred, a desire for revenge or the will to destroy.

Servant of God John Paul II
World Day of Peace, Jan. 1, 2002

I thought about including a video on this post (I was at home, and saw it live on that day), but on reviewing them, I find it so horrific that I simply cannot.

It is official ...

2011-05-01T14:07:00.000-05:00

From Rome Reports:

Sister Marie Simon Pierre, the French nun cured of Parkinson's through his intercession and Sister Tobiana, the Polish nun who cared for John Paul II until his death, presented a relic with the blood of John Paul II to the Holy Father.

Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

2011-04-29T21:42:00.000-05:00

If any one saith, that matrimony is not truly and properly one of the seven sacraments of the evangelic law, (a sacrament) instituted by Christ the Lord; but that it has been invented by men in the Church; and that it does not confer grace; let him be anathema.- 24th Council of Trent *

I'm not married, so I don't sit around pondering marriage that often - maybe when I attend a wedding, or as today, seeing some highlights of the royal wedding. Oh no, I did not stay up all night as I did for Charles and Diana's wedding. Didn't have to, not with the internet.

Catholics know that marriage is a sacrament (whether both parties are Catholic or not) - I am not disparaging how others view marriage - obviously, many people hold it to be a holy state. I don't think the human race could survive without it. We all know we can have babies galore without any ceremony whatsoever. But marriage, as we understand it, is something far beyond pheromonic attraction and reproduction. It is both a natural and supernatural state, and some of the most astounding, touching, and solemn statements made in Scripture are about marriage.

What I liked most about all the royal to-do was the beautifully read passages from Romans (read by the bride's brother).

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. (Romans, ESV)

However degraded our senses may become, the vows solemnly made between a man and woman, before God, are still full of hope and mystery and goodness - the Sacraments are like that.

*I think the entirety of the Councils are interesting to read, against the backdrop of the reformation.

The image is of a wedding in Spain.

He wants to be a priest

2011-04-27T16:10:00.000-05:00

I am a 44 year old, paraplegic (wheelchair-bound), male Secular Franciscan who is finishing my Bachelor of Arts in Theology (2013) at St. Joseph's Jesuit University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and my Master of Arts in Systematic Theology (Sacramental/Liturgical 2013) at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I have been actively discerning my call to religious life as a priest for some 20 years now after an automobile accident in 1991 left me paraplegic with no hope of recovery. God works out his mystery of salvation by conquering evil with good. I know I have a call to the priesthood, it is just that I can not find an order who will accept me. After my accident I studied from 1992-2000 at St. Charles, Religious Studies Division.

I will be completing my degrees by 2013. I write to you now to see if after my studies you might be able to consider accepting me into your community with my present disability and have been searching for twenty years but was told that the diocesan priesthood is not practical considering my disability and that an order might accept me though. I have yet to find an order who is willing to try to help me with my priestly vocation even though I have searched these past 20 years.

I must finish my studies before entering any novitiate. I am a Secular Franciscan now, but am called to ordered priesthood and am willing to leave my vocation in the Secular Franciscans for priesthood in another order if not the Franciscan Order. I was told to stay in the Franciscan Order if I can, but I have found little hope there. I hope your community is willing to foster my vocation. I am positive that you would be pleased with me in your community.

I have a keen interest in Church unity especially in and with the Catholic and Orthodox (Eastern) Churches especially with regards to John 17, John Paul II's encyclical letter Ut Unum Sint and I am involved in contemplative prayer and life. I have an affinity to and with monasticism and Franciscanism. Any help you may provide in prayerful support is welcomed.

Sincerely in the peace and goodness of God,

Mark Luke Denslow, SFO

danslow@live.com

Angels

2011-03-04T15:09:00.000-06:00

I've had this on my desktop for awhile. Think it was from Olivetan Sisters website. Angels (at bottom) spelled angeks - ?

Seems like a good name for an alien race, should I ever write any SF.

Left-Handed Blues

2011-03-04T10:51:00.000-06:00

My right wrist is resting nicely in its wrappings and sling.

My left is free, but is not very useful.

In ? weeks my two-handed typing ability will return. Unfortunately, then my left will be operated on.

Am doing well despite minor inconveniences -

Have tons of free time. Who knows, I might even post something. That would be a change!

Not everything is on the Net, not yet

2010-12-10T16:31:00.000-06:00

This was on CNN online, though I can't find the page now (it may click through). I noticed some months ago that they asked for reader's entries on various topics, and one was on strange or interesting church signs.

This is my favorite.

Public Domain Images

2010-12-02T22:03:00.001-06:00

An artist, and the owner of Karen's Whimsy, has graciously made a number of public domain images she has scanned from old books, magazines, and postcards available to you. If you use one, linking to her would be the polite thing to do. Many are suitable for Catholic blogs.

Here is an image of the crusades - a little violent, but that's the truth of the matter, as far as I can tell. I mean, they weren't out distributing food baskets.

Her newest site, Christian Image Source, is another great place to look - high resolution images can be had for a very low cost, but to click/download and use for off-line educational or creative purposes, this may be what you're looking for. Just off-hand, I think this would be a good resource for those who hand-make their Christmas cards each year. Contact her for other allowable uses.

Click the blog link at this sight to see gorgeous angel drawings, paintings, so on.

I Was Accused of Being a Spy for the Vatican

2010-11-30T22:54:00.009-06:00

Sounds like a bad joke. It was one of many reasons Religious Sisters were exiled, jailed, put in forced labor camps, beaten, (and on and on) during the Soviet era. From Interrupted Lives: Catholic Sisters Under European Communism. Released in 2009, I heard about for the first time today.

The DVD is available from the USCCB.

I'm not entirely sure this is Kosher to have these episodes on YouTube. I'll take them down if it is irregular. I could not find the trailer on YouTube, or how to embed the trailer from the official site.

A really interesting project. I've just looked at a few minutes of each, so I will be viewing them in their entirety along with you.

Scapular in Blue

2010-11-29T17:59:00.001-06:00

We might erroneously conclude that the scapular has lost some of its significance since it is now worn under the devotee’s clothing. We need to remember, though, that it is God and Mary — not the people — who see it and rejoice in it. Wearing the scapular under one’s clothing is a practice in the spirit of Jesus’ command: “But when you pray, go to your room and shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Mt 6:6).

Fr. Adam Boniecki, Marians of the Immaculate Conception

They are for sale, here.

Thanks to Gemma again for helping me to learn about yet another Catholic devotion. There are surely many of them.