Caryll Houselander
1901 - 1954

A Prayer for Our Time

British author so stunning with spiritual insight Caryll Houselander is best known for her book "The Reed of God", a meditation on Mary the mother of Jesus. The title is metaphor for Mary's willingness to allow God to work Divine Will in and through her being.

 

Less well known in the United States other works are rooted in her experience of the horrors of the London Blitz during World War II. Our monastic library (no longer with us to my great dismay) held some of these gems. Among them I found her little book "The Comforting of Christ". In just the title we are invited to consider such a strange notion; the idea that we human beings can comfort the suffering Christ. Think about that one.

 

At the end of this precious book Houselander placed a lengthy prayer entitled " A Meditation on the Mass of Reparation". Beautiful in its poetic phrasing the prayer never fails to open my heart. Over  and over again I have been drawn to the section that speaks of the moment when the priest adds a drop of water to the chalice of wine. I share this section here because while its content was born in the mist of Britain's darkest hour its appropriateness in our time is so poignant. After reading of the horrors reported in the New York Times on a daily basis, I am present at Mass with this prayer before me.

 

"Receive the tears of the world, in the drop of water in the Chalice; receive the tears of the old mothers who weep in the ruins of their homes, rifled nests of the little birds that were once their sons; receive the tears of frightened children, of homesick children. Receive the privileged tears of those who can weep for contrition; receive the tears that are not shed, that are hard as salt-water frozen in hearts that can weep no more; that ache in the throats of those who have no more tears to shed. Receive, O God, from my hands, who am not worthy to breathe the air He breathes, the tears of Christ in the Chalice of our salvation, the tears of the Infant in Bethlehem, the tears of the little foreign Child in Egypt, the tears shed over Jerusalem, the tears shed over Lazarus...O God, we offer Thee the tears of Christ in the tears of the world: "We offer Thee the Chalice of Salvation, humbly begging Thy mercy that it may ascend to Thee for our salvation and for that of the whole world."  

Christmas Novena Begins Today

 

 

 

Novena Prayer

 

Adore, O my soul,

in the bosom of Mary

the only begotten

Son of God

who was made man

for love of you.

 



Prepare the Way of the Lord

Jesse Tree
Frater Max Schmalzl, CSsR
1850 - 1930

Second Sunday of Advent

A voice cries out in the wilderness,

"Prepare the way of the Lord." In what direction do our preparations move forward? Do they keep us on the surface, just floating on a choppy sea pushing us from one chore after another, from item to another on an ever growing list of 'to dos'? Here is a prayer from Henri Nouwen which may add a couple of stabilizing pontoons to your  fragile vessel bobbing its way through the season.

Lord Jesus,

     Master of both the light and the darkness,

       send your Holy Spirit upon our preaprations

       for Christmas.

We who have so much to do

      seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.

We who are anxious over many things

      look forward to your coming among us.

We who are blessed in so many ways

      long for the complete joy of your kingsdom.

We whose hearts are heavy

      seek the joy of your presence.

We are your people, walking in darkness,

      yet seeking the light.

To you we say, "Come, Lord Jesus!"

      Amen.

                Henri J.M. Nouwen 1932-1996

Advent Season Begins

Feast of St. Andrew
Start of a Christmas Novena

Now that we are well into tripping our way through Mass with the Roman Missal, Third Edition, we can move on. But before we do, why don't yopu take a bit of time to post a comment about how the adjustment to the New Roman Missal is going in your parish or how it feels to you. Just click on the word "comments" below and go for it.

We can now look toward orienting ourselves to the Advent journey. This is the mystery of Mary's "Yes" to the angel Gabriel and Jesus' "Yes" to the desire of the Father that the second person of the Blessed Trinity should become incarnate in human flesh, should enter into our human condition.

Today is the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle and the tradition day to start a Christmas prayer practice. I weas introduced to this as a high school student be the good sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, NY at Fontbonne Hall Academy. A little card I have saved through the years bears the 1897 imprimatur of Michael Augustine, Archbishop  of New York.

Hail and blessed be the hour and the moment

in which the Son of God was born

of the most pure Virgin Mary,

at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.

In that hour vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer

and grant my petition

through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ,

and of His Blessed Mother.

Amen.

This prayer is to be said 15 times a day beginning today and ending on Christmas day. Perfect for the intention dearest to your heart at this time.

A Lenten Prayer

A Daily Prayer

Our Byzantine rite brothers and sisters will use this prayer every day during Lent. It is attributed to an early Church Father, Saint Ephrem of Syria.

O Lord of my life, take away from me the  spirit of laziness, faintheartedness, ambition and idle talk. But grant me rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love. Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own sins and faults and not to judge my neighbor, for you are truly blessed forever. Amen.

'Tis the Season of Preparation

 A Christmas Novena  

Adore, oh my soul,

in the bosom of Mary,

the only-begotten Son of God

who was made man

for love of you.

Our Redemptoristine community of contemplative nuns will begin offering this novena Christmas prayer on December 16th. We say it at the close of the Office of Vespers (evening prayer). There will be no lights in chapel except those of the Advent wreath. Each sister will say the prayer out loud in turn, leaving a little meditative pause between each one. At the end we will all sing the Salve Regina. For each of us, offering this novena, in this way, is a very moving experience. In addition, it serves to focus our preparations for the feast of Christmas on our prayers for the needs of our world, the sick and suffering, the unemployed, those affected by wars and a myriad of other intentions as well as the individual prayer requests we receive regularly.

I was introduced to novenas as a little girl. Our parish church was almost directly across the street from my Brooklyn home. My aunt went to novena there every Tuesday evening and I would often accompany her. Many would gather in the Church summer or winter. Each person had a collection of little novena booklets ready for the prayers to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Our Mother of Perpetual Help and the Infant Jesus of Prague, one right after the other. Prayers ended with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, incense and all! I still have all of my little booklets.

The practice of saying special prayers for nine days before a special feast of the Liturgical Year has been part of Catholic culture for hundreds of years. The word 'novena' comes from the Latin for number nine.

There are many prayer practices in addition to the novena that are connected with Advent and Christmas in the Catholic tradition. More to come on that topic.

Many people, not only Catholics, use this prayer practice before the feast of their favorite saints. I like to privately pray a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, before her feast in October each year. In some cultures a novena of prayers is said in preparation for the anniversary of a special event or the death of a loved one.

Consider adding our simple Christmas Novena to your Advent Wreath Prayers with your family. If you haven't set up a wreath, why not begin your Christmas preparation on the 16th with these few words of adoration at the beginning or end of your dinner each night. In may make a big difference in the way you meet the great feast of the Incarnation when it comes.

               

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Mother of Perpetual Help Monastery
Redemptoristine Nuns
Esopus, New York

Mother Mary
Calls to Me

In times of trouble Mother Mary calls to me. She reminds me of her presence, of her motherhood, of her human experience, of her presence at the foot of the cross and in the upper room. These days we have been asked by our Redemptorist brothers to join them in a novena to Mother Mary under her title of Mother of Perpetual Help. This is a special appeal to our Mother for the ravaged people and land of Haiti. Or Redemptorists and our Redemptoristine nuns report the devastation, disease and great hardship. Please join us in our appeal to Mother Mary on this her great feast.

Prayer for Haiti

O Mother of Perpetual Help.

your name inspires confidence.

We come to you in our need and ask your help.

You are the Patroness of the people of Haiti.

In this moment of affliction,

in solidarity with our brothers and sisters,

we pray for an end to the cholera epidemic

ravaging your children.

Bring them healing, comfort and peace.

Sustain them in this hour of darkness.

Help them to know the presence of

God-with-us, Emmanuel,

your Son and our Redeemer.





Redemptoristine International Meeting

General Assembly 2011

Unlike congregations of apostolic (active) religious sisters which have general governments presiding over all their missions and regulations, contemplative nuns belong to orders consisting of autonomous (independent) monasteries where the prioess and her council have authority in accordance with a rule (constitution and statutes) observed by the entire order. Knowing that this is more legal trivia than most want to know about, I will only add that in addition to the differences above sisters take simple vows, whereas nuns take solemn vows. 

This is to explain the nature of our  Order's General Assemblies. Representatives of the monasteries of the Order around the world come together, usually in Rome with the assistance of our Redemptorist brothers, every seven to ten years. It is only in such assemblies that our rule can be amended by vote. But these meetings are also a vehicle for communication and part of the unifying cement that holds us together as an Order in spite of the lack of a governing superstructure. We come together in the spirit of our charism - to a be a living memory of Christ the Redeemer - knowing that to the extent that we cultivate unity in a spirit of mutual charity we can mirror the 'peaceable Kingdom' in this time and place.

We are currently planning for a General Assemble, hoping that it will take place in 2011. Therefore we have begun to pray for the planning process and for the fruit of the Assembly. This prayer card was designed by our Sr. Moria. It incorporates a photo of a statue of Jesus on the grounds of our monastery in Foggia, Italy near the Adriatic coast  and a logo designed by the prioress of the Dublin monastery, Sr. Gabrielle Fox. Perhaps you will join us in praying for this intention.  

Solemnity of the Sacred heart of Jesus

Consecration to the Sacred Heart This is the prayer of consecration used by our community. You may want to adapt it for use in your family or parish or as a personal dedication to the Heart of Jesus.    

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, behold us here today to proclaim your absolute dominion over our Community. We desire to live your life of love, so that among us may flourish those virtues for which you promised peace on earth.

Reign over our understanding by the integrity of our faith; reign over our hearts by our love for you. May this love be ever nourished by fervent prayer and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

Be pleased, O Divine Heart, to preside over our meetings, to bless our undertakings, to banish all care, to be present in our joys and sorrows. If any of us should ever grieve your Sacred Heart, remind us of your goodness and mercy toward the repentant sinner.

And when death enters our family circle, help us to bow humbly before this mystery of life, remembering that the day will come when our entire Community, once more united in heaven, will sing with joy of your mercy and goodness forever. Amen.

Advent Time

On this day of the liturgical year, every first Friday of Advent, the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours offers a selection from St. Anselm's Proslogion. This is a favorite of mine. It begins:

Insignificant mortal, escape from your everyday business for a short while, hide for a moment from your restless thoughts. Break off from your cares and troubles and be less concerned about your tasks and labors. Make a little time for God and rest a while in him.

The passage ends:

Teach me to seek you, and when I seek you show yourself to me, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, nor can I find you unless you show yourself to me. Let me seek you in desiring you and desire you in seeking you, find you in loving you and love you in finding you.

Today, however, the sister giving the second reading at the Office chose, as is an option, another reading. Her choice was taken from a very fine book written by a friend of ours Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette. Cooks may recognize Twleve Months of Monastery Soups as one of his recipe books. Todays reading was taken from his Blessings of the Daily - A Monastic Book of Days. It is a wonderful collection of daily readings. Todays' was titled "Fostering the Spirit of Advent" which offered some hint for keeping the season. Here is a summary.

1. Cultivate an attitude of stillness, silence and peace within you that will, in turn, foster prayer and recollection.

2. Place an icon of the Annunciation in a relevant spot at home to remind of Mary's presence.

3. Make time for Bible reading (Lectio Divina).

4. Listen to inspired music - Bach Advent Cantatas, Handel's Messiah.

5. Participate in the Liturgies of the Church.

6. Don't rush the season with a tree. Use and Advent wreath and pray with it. lighting candles at meal time.

7. Place a small creche in your dining area. Leave the crib empty and light a candle beside it when you eat your meals.

8. Be faithful to the daily Angelus - the great prayer of the mystery of the Incarnation.

Thank you, Brother Victor

**********************************

Angelus

Leader: The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:

Response: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Leader: Behold the handmaid of the Lord:

Response: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary

Leader: And the Word was made Flesh:

Response: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary

Leader: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,

Response: that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Redemptoristine Contemplative Nuns Christmas Novena

Adore,

oh my soul,

in the bosom

of Mary,

the only

Begotten

Son of God

who was made man

for love of you. Print by Max Schmalzl, CSsR 1850-1930

We Honor the Brave Dead and Pray for Peace in Iraq

(Excerpt from Midday Prayer before our Memorial Day Picnic)

Lord of hope and compassion, Friend of Abraham who called our father in faith to journey to a new future, we remember before you the country of Iraq from which he was summoned, the ancient land of the Middle East, realm of the two rivers, birthplace of great cities and of civilization. May we who name ourselves children of Abraham, call to mind all the peoples of the Middle East who honor him as father; those who guard and celebrate the Torah; those for whom the Word has walked on earth and lived among us; those who follow their prophet, who listened for the word in the desert and shaped a community after what he heard.

Lord of reconciliation, God of the painful sacrifice uniting humankind, we long for the day when you will provide for all nations of the earth your blessing of peace. But now when strife and war are at hand, help us to see in each other a family likeness, our inheritance from our one father Abraham. Keep hatred from the threshold of our hearts, and preserve within us a generous spirit which recognizes in

both foe and friend a common humanity.

(Alan and Clare Amos -Iona Community – www.iona.org.uk )

We praise and thank you, our loving God, for all those down through the ages and into our own time whose sacrifices made it possible for us to utter this prayer. For our peace and freedom and the feast laid before us make us truly grateful. This we ask in the name of the one who came to offer us the costly gift of abundant life, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.