Day for Travelers' Blessing

Pleasures of Being

Together and

Making Something

Beautiful

In all of our prayers times together during these eight days we have made a beautiful joyful noise for the Lord. In addition, during one of the days that all eighteen of us Redemptoristines nuns from around the world spent together, we handcrafted some beautiful things for the Lord. These were reflections of of our own lives of prayer and spiritual journeys with God. Here is Sr. Maria Celeste sculpting her own piece.

This statuette is Sr. Maria Linda's image of the Samaritan Woman at the Well. This woman meets Jesus who offers her "living water."

Our own Sr. Moira, always so creative, sculpted this perfect rose.

Sr. Weena's creation captures all the action of an elephant rider in her native Thailand.

Today four of the sisters will return to Liguori, MO after receiving a travelers' blessing. It is always hard to say "Goodbye."

Redemptoristine Round Up Continues

Contemplative nuns from five different countries gather at our monastery for renewal, formation, and lots of fun just in being together.

Sister Katherine Hanley, CSJ offers her wisdom concerning the Samaritan woman at the well and her encounter with Jesus. Sr. Kitty invited us to go into the depths of the living water Jesus offers.

We enjoyed a great post-Easter party in which it wasn't so easy to pass around even plastic eggs. The prizes inside made it worthwhile and so did the laughter.

Sisters diligently take notes during a presentation by Brother Donald Bisson, FMS. His topic for the day was, "Community Life as Spiritual Practice."

Today was a pilgrimage day for a trip to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. We visited the Norman Rockwell Museum in the morning. Later all twelve of us enjoyed lunch in a small sandwich shop that withstood our invasion with good humor.


Then we were off to the Shrine of the Divine Mercy were a dear Brother gave some sisters a tour of the grounds in his motorized cart.

This is a statue of Pope John Paul II on the grounds of the Shrine. Many of the huge tents erected for Divine Mercy Sunday remain up and provided welcome shade on this gloriously sunny and warm day. They tell us the temperature hit 95 degrees at home!

Before the drive back home we delighted in the opportunity to participate in the Divine Mercy Novena said daily at 3pm in accord with the inspiration given to St. Maria Faustina. These prayers were followed by Benediction and special blessing with and veneration of a relic of the saint.

Region Formation Meeting at Esopus

Redemptoristine
'Roundup'

Redemptoristine contemplative nuns from around the world are meeting at our monastery this week. We are thrilled to have sisters with us whose native lands include Thailand, the Philippines, Ireland, Slovakia and the good ole U.S.A. The topic is formation. In the language of religious communities formation means in-service education for those just entering the Order or in-service education at another level for those who have more experience but are eager for information and spiritual renewal.

We've had the benefit of great speakers (more to come on that score), enjoyed terrific meals and conversation, shared recreation (if pass the Easter egg is recreation) and, of course, prayed the Liturgy of the Hours together and been united around the table of the Lord at Holy Eucharist. All has been a tremendous blessing.

AND the weather has been the most beautiful with all the signs of spring and new life filling our eyes wherever we look.

More to come.

The Lords is Risen, Alleluia

Special Note: Scroll Down for Easter 2009 Slide Show

The photo above, a precious image of new life emerging from last fall's dead leaves; this shock of audacious color and strength reaching toward the sun, speaks so much of the Easter message. It bespeaks resilience, courage, commitment, beauty, renewal and the bounty of nature - all gifts of God. And how we need to be reminded of them, in each of our days and the midst of these times. It says,"The Lord is truly Risen."

Through an accidental meeting on Facebook with my first cousin once removed, the much accomplished Anne L. Galante, I discovered her stunning photography and received permission to use her images here. This was one of the great gifts of this Easter season. Anne has a history that makes me breathless - nurse, doctor, wife, mother of two, practicing gynecologist and, now, photographer of note. Anne also volunteers her medical skills each year for a period of time in service to native Americans on a government reservation in the west. Thank you Anne, for all that you do and share.

Below this post appears a slide show of Easter celebration in our contemplative monastery assisted by the presence of Redemptorist priest and students, and many friends and guests. For us, the liturgies were glorious and tremendous blessing. Some first time visitors spoke of the intimacy and drama of the Paschal story especially in the dramatic moments and readings of the Easter Vigil. The Exultet was sung by a Redemptorist brother, his baritone melody molded by deep faith and the musical tradition of his African heritage, touched us all. The readings moved us thorough the Passover story in all of its mystery and awe.

Now we proceed through the Easter Octave, eight days of the Easter Sunday Office for Morning and Evening Prayer. All to remind, to underscore the message, to communicate, like the crocuses pushing a fist of color up through dead leaves, that we have been given life anew in Christ Jesus risen from the dead because "God so loved the world..."