posted on: Thursday, February 16, 2012 by: renaebauer
by Sister Renee Delvaux 
When Jesus saw their faith, He
said to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are
forgiven."
Talk about faith in action! In today's Gospel Jesus heals
the paralytic and forgives his sins because of his faith and that
of his companions. They could not get the paralytic through
the doorway because of the crowd, so they carried him up to the
roof, opened it and lowered him before Jesus. These men were
convinced that if they could just get the paralytic to Jesus, he
would be healed. What an example of ingenuity and
persistence, true faith in action!
Are we that determined and ingenious in putting our faith into
action? Every day we are called to this, to "go the extra
mile" to help someone in need, to publicly support an issue of
truth and justice even when everyone else is silent , to witness to
Christian values, even if shunned and ridiculed. This is
faith in action.
We have the option, daily, of responding to Jesus in faith or
lack thereof. Will we proclaim our faith like the crowds who
gave glory to God at seeing Jesus' divine power to heal and
forgive, or will we scorn Jesus in rejection and lack of faith.
We are capable of either response. What will it be? I
say: CHOOSE the FAITH response!
posted on: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 by: renaebauer
by
Renae Bauer
Communications Director
One of the gifts of growing older, in my opinion, has been my
appreciation of history. As a student I didn't have a strong
interest in the subject but that changed when my sister introduced
me to her genealogy work. I was hooked the moment a human
story replaced the memorization of dates.
On Monday night, the local PBS channel aired a story about William
Still, an African-American in Philadelphia who was instrumental in
helping nearly 800 slaves escape to freedom before the Civil
War. For 14 years, Still risked his freedom and life so that
strangers could have the dignity and freedom they had never known
but desperately wanted.
Today's Gospel shares Jesus' risky move, one that is connected to
eternal freedom. He touches a leper, a member of the
"untouchable" society, someone who, according to the First Reading,
"shall dwell apart" from the rest of the community in order to keep
the majority of people "clean." In that moment, Jesus erases the
division between the "unworthy" and the "worthy." He makes clear
that redemption and God's love is available to all.
So far, I haven't felt called by God to do something as bold or
dangerous as William Still did, so I am left with these
questions:
1. Who are today's "lepers"?
2. How can I -- in my ordinary, everyday
encounters -- demonstrate God's dignity and love toward others?
posted on: Thursday, February 02, 2012 by: rbauer
by Sister Laura Zelten
When I think of the line "for the sake of the Gospel" I think of
people who have given their lives to Christ -- Francis and Clare of
Assisi, Norbert, Francis Xavier, Our Blessed Mother, Mother Teresa,
Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero, Maria Goretti and the list goes on. The
Saints were people who heard the call to be on mission and were not
afraid to give their lives totally to God.
In today's New Testament Readings from Corinthians and Mark's
Gospel, we hear of two men who are "on a mission." For St.
Paul, his mission is to be a "slave to all" in order that he "might
win over as many people as possible" to the Gospel message.
Jesus' message was to accomplish what he was sent to do, mainly
"... to go on the villages that I may preach there also."
This mission gave both men a sense of meaning and purpose in what
they were about and an identity as to who they were in relationship
to those whose lives they touched. Jesus states clearly, "for
this purpose I have come ... to preach and drive out demons
throughout the whole of Galilee." For Paul, it was his
purpose in life to "become all things to all, to save at least
some."
This Sunday, the Church recognizes and expresses gratitude for
those who have consecrated their lives to God.
World Day for Consecrated Life is the occasion to promote this
life choice as one of the ways to live out our baptismal
commitment.
Consecrated life, rooted deeply in the example and teaching of
Christ the Lord, is a special gift of God. Some women and men
are called by God to live the evangelical counsels of poverty,
chastity and obedience. By devoting themselves to God with
undivided hearts, women and men embrace God's radical call, leaving
all things behind and daring to put themselves totally at the
service of God and God's people.
Reflection Questions:
- In my baptismal call how am I on mission?
- In what ways have I been inspired by the lives of men and women
religious?
posted on: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 by: rbauer
by Sister Francis Bangert
In Mark's Gospel today, Jesus enters the synagogue to
teach. He knows who He is (One rooted in the love of the
Trinity) and what His mission is ("I have come that you may have
life and have it in abundance"). Clear identity and focused mission
empower Him to teach with authority, to attract aching hearts with
a new vision of life. To give credence to the power of His
words, Jesus then acts: "Come out of him" and the unclean spirit,
now powerless in the face of Jesus, comes out of him. Mark gives no
further details about this man, except that Jesus healed him.
When have you or I personally experienced or know someone "being
held powerless" by an addiction: perfectionism, alcoholism,
workaholism, drugs, sex, gambling, food, or others. This "unclean
spirit" controls us to such a degree that we are paralyzed and
unable on our own to become free. It is only in turning to Jesus
and reaching out to others (family, friends, recovery groups,
counselor, spiritual director, confessor) that the power of love
and compassionate listening can help us re-think, re-direct,
re-cover and know the "abundant life" Jesus offers.
Through our Baptism, you and I -- the church -- are called in
our daily lives and in ordinary ways to either reach out to others
for help in our need, or be a life-giving instrument to those who
are hurting. In this New Year, may we humbly receive the abundant
life Jesus offers us and live in true freedom.
"If today you hear His
voice, harden not your hearts."
posted on: Friday, January 20, 2012 by: rbauer
by Sister Lynne Marie Simonich
Many commercials we hear tell us to "Hurry - it's the biggest
sale of the season!" Remember the news reports before
Christmas of shoppers nearly breaking down the doors of stores to
get those last-minute deals? What about the mobs of people
stepping over each other to get that great bargain? They were
in a hurry -- they wanted the best for less.
Our three Scripture readings for this Third Sunday in Ordinary
Time have a sense of urgency. Jonah tells the people of
Nineveh that God has told him, "Forty days more and Nineveh shall
be destroyed." St. Paul reminds the people of Corinth and us
that "the world in its present form is passing away." In
Mark's Gospel, Jesus calls his first disciples telling them, "The
kingdom of God is at hand." There is no time to waste. Jonah,
Paul and Jesus want us to "hurry" -- not for low prices or big
sales -- but to answer God's call inviting us to change our hearts
and bring God's love into the world by our actions of compassion
and joy. The cost for us? Placing our minds, hearts and
souls into the hands of our God.
There's no "money back guaranteed" but there is the promise of
our God's continual love and grace that is with us as we answer
God's call each day.
Will you hurry to answer God's call?
posted on: Friday, January 13, 2012 by: rbauer
by Sister Mary Kabat
We have come to the close of National Vocation Awareness Week
(Jan. 9 to 14), but our Scripture readings continue the spirit of
the week. We see the young Samuel peacefully asleep when God
calls to him. We watch him leap up and run eagerly to Eli,
"Here I am." Here I am, ready and willing to do whatever you
ask of me.
We have "Samuel" times in life when we feel eager to give
ourselves fully to someone or something and anticipate the good
that will come to our lives …college, a job, marriage, a child… In
all the experiences of life God is calling us to grow, mature and
speak our "Here I am" more fully, truly and deeply.
But our God knows that we also become "more" by becoming
"less." In the Gospel John the Baptist reveals Jesus as
the Lamb of God to his disciples and then lets them go to follow
him. That day John's "Here I am" was to embrace his
diminishment.
We have "John" times in life when we are called to say "Here I
am" to an illness, a job loss, the death of a loved one, and other
challenges human life brings us. In those moments God is
calling us to embrace those experiences with trust and belief that
they also are opportunities for us to become more fully the person
God is ever calling us to be.
Sister Laura Zelten, our Vocation Director, closed her National
Vocation Awareness letter to us with these words: "Let us
pray that each of us, in our full response to God's call may, like
Jesus, (like Samuel, like John) hear God say, 'You are my beloved
with whom I am well pleased.'"
posted on: Thursday, January 05, 2012 by: rbauer
 |
| Our Motherhouse Chapel doors lead to the baptismal font
where we renew our belief in the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. |
"You are my Beloved with whom I am well pleased." --
Mark 1:11
by Sister Laura Zelten
January 9-14 is National Vocation Awareness Week, which begins
with the feast of the Baptism of Jesus. This feast is the
bridge between Christmas and Ordinary Time in the Church. I
always find this time difficult. We no longer see the glitter
of the Christmas decorations, the Christmas cookies and candy are
almost gone and the seasonal music has stopped. There seems
to be a let down feeling in the air. Anticipation is gone and
everything is packed away.
So how are we to celebrate the Baptism of our Lord? It is
a day to remember Jesus' call to mission but also a day for us to
remember our call as baptized Catholic Christians. We are
called to proclaim the Good News with our lives.
During National Vocation Awareness week we are asked to pray for
vocations: that all people will open their hearts to God's
call and respond freely and fully. Let's do that.
During this next week, let each of us promise to pray that people
will live their lives as God calls them. In particular, let
us ask God to open the hearts of many men and women so they may
hear the happiness to which they are called through service to the
Church as vowed religious, deacons and priests. Let us pray
that each of us, in our full response to God's call may, like
Jesus, hear God say: "You are my Beloved with whom I am well
pleased."
posted on: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 by: rbauer
for the Feast of Mary, Mother
of God
by Sister Agnes Fischer
"Mary pondered all these things in her heart." (Luke 2:19)
... God had chosen her for His Mother.
... The Son of God had become human for love of us.
... The first to whom Jesus would manifest himself were the simple
people of little value in the eyes of the world.
Mary, help us to ponder all this so that we begin this New Year
with a new spirit:
... Remember that Jesus came to give us an example of how to
live.
... Consider the poverty of Mary and her Son and disregard the
desire to possess more than we need.
... We are brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and of each other
because of what occurred that first Christmas.
... Share the love and peace of this season all during the year
with those whom the world values little.
Our Lady of Good Memories, help us to return to our work places,
as the shepherds did to theirs, praising God with our lips and also
by our daily lives.
posted on: Thursday, December 15, 2011 by: rbauer
by Sister Laura Zelten
I love receiving Christmas cards and seeing all the ways in
which artists depict the manger scene. My favorite card this
year shows Mary holding the baby Jesus close to her heart, like a
mother holds her newborn infant. St. Francis teaches us that
the Christmas scene is love pure and simple. It is about
seeing the Christ child with our own heart.
Thomas of Celano, a 13th century Italian friar of the
Franciscans and author of several texts for church leaders, wrote
how St. Francis proclaimed the birth of our Savior in the village
of Greccio:
"Finally, the day of joy has drawn near; the time of
exultation has come. From many different places the Brothers have
been called. As they could, the men and women of the neighborhood
with exultant hearts prepared candles and torches to light up that
night whose shining star has enlightened every day and year.
Finally, the holy man of God (Francis) comes and, finding all
things prepared, he saw them and was glad. Indeed, the manger is
prepared, the hay is carried in, and the ox and the [mule] are led
to the spot. There, simplicity is given a place of honor, poverty
is exalted, and humility is commended, and out of Greccio is made a
new Bethlehem."
The story of Christmas at Greccio is one of the most popular
known stories about Francis. Francis wanted to celebrate
Christmas in way that would speak to the hearts of his brothers and
peasant people of his time so he brought real animals to set the
simple scene. He showed the birth of Jesus, the Incarnation,
as love pure and simple. Our God came as a child, small and
vulnerable; let us rejoice in the simplicity and humbleness
of the Christmas scene. May the birth of Jesus be at the center of
your Christmas celebrations.
posted on: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 by: rbauer
by Sister Lynne Marie Simonich
Were you ever given a gift but were told first to "Close your
eyes and open your hands?" You probably did that, trusting the
person would put something special in your hands. In our gospel for
the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Mary opens her heart and soul, saying
"yes" to God with total trust and a leap of faith. Her "yes"
brought God's greatest gift to her and to our world -- the gift of
Jesus!
Mary believed that "nothing was impossible with God" and she was
willing to do what God asked even if it seemed difficult or hard to
understand. She was open to possibilities and ready to take a
journey she hadn't planned on taking.
During this last week of Advent, as the world is filled with
busyness, may we find the space and time to close our eyes and open
our hearts to welcome the Lord in a new way ... to say "yes" to
whatever God asks of us ... to trust in God's grace and promise of
everlasting love.