The Big Freeze

This the view from my bedroom window looking northwest across the Hudson River. Yes, what you see beyond the tree tops is the river, frozen solid. These days, a Coast Guard vessel ploughs through the ice to keep the shipping channel open. Yes, again! The shipping channel is used by tankers hauling oil to depots in Albany. The Hudson River, celebrating the 400th anniversary of its discovery by Henry Hudson in 1609 is navigable well beyond Albany, the state capital (150 miles north of New York City). It is a tidal river, an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, so we have high tide and low tide and the water contains salt up to Poughkeepsie, just south of us. When the ice thaws in the spring I will be able to tell just by looking at the way the ice is moving whether the tide is coming in or going out.

Needless to say, the frozen river is both beautiful and treacherous. Ice was harvested from this river well into the 20th century. Ice, stored in huge barn like wooden buildings at river's side, was shipped throughout the year to New York city hotels and businesses via the river, super highway of its time. My Dad tells of Sunday afternoon rides aboard the Hudson River Line's huge passenger vessels during the 1930s.

Our monastery was built in 2001. Its large picture windows afford breath-taking views of the river and countryside. When we cannot stand the cold outdoors we can still commune with God in the wonder of all creation, a mystery of life and love.

The path down to the river's edge, an easy walk one way and not so easy on the way back up, has not been ploughed so getting there is out of the question for me. But when things begin to thaw (a welcome prospect since yesterday's 6am temperature was minus 3 degrees) and the sun is doing its bright early springtime thing, it is worth the walk to see the ice fighting its way down the river, bumping and crunching as example of the force of nature.

Stay warm and cozy.

Feast of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr

Sacramentals:

Teachers

and

Reminders

Today's feast, accompanied as it is by the traditional blessing of throats, always brings me back to the Church of my youth. Vatican II or no Vatican II, this tradition clings. Why should that be? Why do we persist in the use of material things in our liturgies and rites? Why the incense, the water, the ashes, the palm, the oil, the rosaries, the scapulars and medals? For many I am more modern than most. But if it is possible to have modern and traditional side by side informing each other, that is my vision. Perhaps this is a reflection of the particular historical span of my own lifetime - one foot in the pre-Vatican II Church (for about 20 years) and the other foot firmly planted in the post-Vatican II era. I have the great blessing to know both.

However, as a former educator, it is easy for me to see the Church in her teaching capacity. And as a teacher, I can admire her appreciation, perhaps unconscious, of varied learning styles. In the Middle Ages, when few could learn through the written word, elaborate stained glass windows became the picture books teaching the mysteries, presenting role models, inspiring faith.

So today the Church persists in this teaching style, recognizing that while liturgy and rites offer praise, petition and thanksgiving to God, they must also teach, inspire and leave a lasting image. With this in mind, we can even enter into the theatrical. There is nothing which cannot be used to communicate God and God's love to all people.

So today, tactile and visual learners got a boost. A blessing was pronounced begging protection from diseases of the throat and all other illnesses invoking the intercession of good St. Blaise, 4th century bishop and martyr in present day Armenia. Crossed candles lightly embrace throats, one person at a time. No part of us escapes God's attention; each of us are known as individuals; our loving God is intimately aware of our needs. We were told today that in the past the candles would have been lit for the blessing and many a veil singed or worse. Fortunately, that visual effect has been rejected. But the use of the sacramental, a tool to encouragement faith and stimulate devotion continues.

We are beings possessing five senses and good teachers capitalize on all of them. We can use anything to make the light bulb go on, to stoke the fire of faith. In continuing to use the 'smells and the bells' we acknowledge our humanity, our frail and weak natures and humbly utilize all that will help us on the journey to God.

Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

Anna, a New Testament Image of Contemplative Life

Presentation of Jesus - Fresco by Giotto

Today began with the blessing of all the candles will will use during this year. This used to be called Candlemas Day. It couldn't be more convenient because tomorrow is the Feast of St. Blaise with its traditional blessing of throats. Coming in the dead of winter as it does, this blessing seems a great idea. So far we have been very fortunate in not having some awful cold or flu bug invade our community.

For those who pray Night Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours the prayer of thanksgiving uttered by Simeon is embedded in our psyches. "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared insight of all the peoples, a a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel."

But that is only half of the story because another figure lingers in the temple, waiting in constant prayer. This is Anna, well portrayed in Giotto's fresco; not half-hidden in the background but fully formed and present, bearing the scroll of God's promise to the people of Israel. "She never left the temple, but worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Israel." Happily, Fr. Ronald Bonneau, CSsR, the celebrant of our Mass this morning, chose to read the long form of the Gospel which includes the bit about Anna. She is a model for the life of unceasing prayer; the life of witnessing by virtue of presence and her very being to the Redemption brought by the person of Jesus; the life of any contemplative nun or monk.

Fr. Bonneau inspired us further by reminding us that Jesus was brought to the temple in the totally ordinary fashion of his time, culture and religion. He was revealed in the ordinary. Jesus was recognized in the ordinary by both Simeon and Anna. We too will find Jesus in the ordinary if we only take the time to look, to be present, to be available. To what? Whatever, or whoever, comes across our path. And where? Anywhere - family, home work, club, soccer field, church, garden, etc. but also in the agonies of our time, of our world. Trick is to be present and accounted for like Simeon and Anna.

May the candles blessed today be light for the way, piercing the darkness that limits our vision.

New Council for Our Monastery

Mother of

Perpetual Help

Monastery

Elects Prioress

and Council

Sr. Paula Schmidt was re-elected prioress for a second three-year term on January 27. On January 28, Sr. Moira Quinn was re-elected as vicar or sub-prioress for a second term. Sr. Hildegard Pleva was elected secretary, her first opportunity to serve the community in this way.

Since monasteries of contemplative religious orders within the Church are autonomous and do not have general governments (mother generals, etc.), the prioress or abbess has great responsibility and authority as a superior. Sr. Paula will soon celebrate the 57th anniversary of her profession as a Redemptoristine nun. She has given generous service to our community in a variety of offices and has served as prioress many times. Sr. Moira, professed for eighteen years has also served as prioress in the past. In comparison, Sr. Hildegard is, in spite of her gray hair, the baby of the team having only six years in vowed religious life. Since Sr. Paula was one of nuns who came to Esopus in 1957 to found this monastery and Sr. Hildegard is newest in the community, this leadership team represents the entire history of this house. It is, in miniature, our history, our development and our view to the future. It is also, in combination and representation, testimony to many years of faithful witness by sisters past and present to the Redemptoristine charism, to their commitment to the search for God, and to personal and communal transformation into the "living memory" of Jesus Christ. Ours is a life of "union of hearts and mutual charity" lived within the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

In myriad ways these are challenging times in the world, in the Church, within our Order, for our friends and families, and for our benefactors and our Redemptorist brothers. We are well aware of all that is before us and the 'love' Jesus asks us to be in each circumstance and for each person. For us, this awareness underscores time and time again the necessity of our unceasing prayer. In these days, our community of contemplative nuns, women of the Church, spouses of Christ, has renewed our commitment to that apostolic work, the call to unceasing prayer.

Time for Another Book Recommendation

Memorial of

Saints Timothy, Titus

and Paula Too!

Seems entirely fitting that on the day following our remembrance of the Conversion of St. Paul and the close of the Year of St. Paul, we should be remembering two of his loyal disciples, Timothy and Titus. Isn't it amazing to think that within so few years after the death of Jesus Paul should be able to exercise so much influence? To think of the loyalty to his person he was able to engender and, even more, the absolute attachment to the person of Jesus Christ in his followers. This is even more breath taking. He had the Madison Avenue advertizing executive's power to persuade without modern trappings, media or dreadful jingles! It seems he was chosen by God expressly for the message. What exciting times those must have been!

But in my breviary, appears a small, simple penciled note next to the names of Timothy and Titus. It just says, "St. Paula." This was noted because one of our sisters bears her name. Now Sr. Paula's names and feasts are rather convoluted because her name in religion was Sr. Mary Peter and she returned to using her baptismal name, Paula, many years ago. The feast of Sts. Peter and Paul seems to suit her these days. But it is good to remember St. Paula too.

What I have learned about Paula comes chiefly from a marvelous book by Patricia Ranft. The following comes from Macmillan Publisher's website.

Patricia Ranft, Professor of History, emerita, at Central Michigan University, is the author of numerous studies on religious, intellectual and women’s history. Her books include Women and the Religious Life in Premodern Europe (1996), a History Book Club selection; Women and Spiritual Equality in Christian Tradition (1998); A Woman’s Way: The Forgotten History of Women Spiritual Directors (2000); and Women in Western Intellectual Culture, 600-1500 (2002), all published by Palgrave Macmillan. With this current study she returns to her earlier interest in the medieval religious renewal movement, about which she published some dozen articles.

In writing about Paula, Ranft quotes extensively from St. Jerome. Now Jerome has a reputation for being somewhat of a curmedgeon, to say the least. But, it turns out that some of his best friends, supporters and intelectual partners were women. One third of his surviving letters were written to women. He met Paula and her circle of influential and holy women friends in Rome. She and her daughter followed him to the Holy Land. Later she founded monasteries, mastered Hebrew and continued to assist Jerome. He wrote, "If all the members of my body were to be converted into tongues, and if each of my limbs were to be gifted with a human voice, I could still do not justice to the virtues of the holy and venerable Paula." He praise her as a mother, scholar of Holy Scripture, linguist, and advisor. The great variety of her roles is particularly attractive to this contemplative nun who has her own checkered past as wife, mother, scholar and now nun. What a model she provides.

It is no wonder that Professor Ranft includes Paula in the ranks of female spiritual directors of note. Her book is a fascinating and informative corrective to many erroneous notions about the influence and contribution of women through the ages of both secular and religious history.

More about spiritual directors will come on another day.

HAPPY FEAST DAY to all named Paula loving and serving God as wives, mothers, teachers, scholars, advisors AND spiritual directors.