December 22, 2013

Dancing Down the Aisles of our Life

By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB

Last  Christmas, I asked my niece, Lisa, how the Christmas play went for the kindergarten children at St. Joseph School. Her 5-year-old son, Matthew, was to be a shepherd. Lisa laughed.

The packed church had been hushed as the tiny children started down the long aisle, solemn and pious, toward the Nativity. Suddenly Mary dropped the baby – a doll, of course! – on the floor to fix her hair. When finished, she scooped the infant up and skipped to catch up with Joseph (who had kept walking). The audience had laughed, as did Lisa and I at the retelling of the delightful scene. Continue Reading

December 17, 2013

When the Preparing, Waiting and Staying Awake are Over

By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB

Buzz words about Advent pop into our minds when we reflect on the season.  “Prepare, Wait,  Be Ready, Stay Awake.”

As Matthew asserts, “You must be prepared for at an hour you do not expect, the son of Man will come.”

My reflections this season have focused on this. My own Sister sister, my sister-in-law, Sisters dear to me here in the monastery have all faced God in ways that I have not (yet).

How do we stay alert and awake for the Lord’s undeniable coming? Continue Reading

December 10, 2013

Always preparing to meet the Lord

By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB

ADVENT 3rd Sunday, 2013: 1st reading Is 35:1-6a, 10; 2nd reading James 5:7-10; Gospel Mt 11:2-11

I was visiting my friend, a Benedictine Sister, who was being cared for on our Health Care Floor. Just the day before, she had tacked a note to our bulletin board telling us a Hospice nurse would be coming to the monastery to care for her.

While I had known she was seriously ill, she never indicated how bad it was and I did not ask.

The news caught me off guard.  Continue Reading

December 6, 2013

Why make the choice to be a Catholic Sister?

By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB

God looks down from heaven … to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Psalm 53

As we prayed this verse at Lauds recently, a question a friend had posed popped into my head. “Why have you made the choice to be a Catholic Sister when so few are doing so? Aren’t you afraid that your numbers are growing smaller?”

I’d be silly – and untruthful – to say it has never crossed my mind. But, then, there are a number of things I also think of. Continue Reading

December 3, 2013

Using time – however long you have – wisely

By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB

ADVENT 2nd Sunday, 2013: 1st reading Is 11:1-10; 2nd reading Rom 15:4-9; Gospel Mt 3:1-12

John the Baptist makes striking appearance wearing camel’s hair, a leather belt, and eating locusts and wild honey.

But his words are more than striking. They are shocking: Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Prepare the way of the Lord. He will gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire!

Again we hear what we heard last Sunday. BE PREPARED. Continue Reading

November 29, 2013

Emmanual: God is (personally) with us

By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB

ADVENT 1st Sunday, 2013: Ist Reading –Is. – 7:10-14; 2nd Reading – Rom 1:1-7; Gospel – Mt 1:18-24

Along with our wonderful health care nurses, I assist my younger sister, who has Alzheimer’s.

To me, Audrey is charming and precious and loving despite the ravishing diagnosis.

She is the personification of Emmanuel, “God with us.” Continue Reading

November 27, 2013

How to thank God for our gifts … humbly

By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB

“Humility is not a matter of putting oneself down or denying one’s gifts and achievements, such as they are. It is an enduring spirit of gratitude and praise to God ‘for that God has been pleased to manifest in God’s worker…by the action of the Holy Spirit.’ (RB 7.70)” (Michael Casey)

Oh boy, is that right. But humility in today’s world seems to be a dirty word. We have to promote ourselves! In job interviews we have to turn our weaknesses into our strengths!

Continue Reading

November 23, 2013

What kind of cup are you?

I was reading Joyce Rupp’s wonderful poem, The Perfect Cup, recently. It was the subject of a reflection in “Give Us This Day.” I’ve been thinking about it ever since!

Why?

Well we – whether you are discerning religious life or what to do later today – all are called to steward the cup of our lives. We are all called to examine the contents of it. How are we using it? How are we filling it? Are we more concerned with how it looks or how it works? Continue Reading

November 13, 2013

Answering God's Call Together

By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB

Recently someone told me that young people are looking for community but not a vowed life. Hmmm. While it’s clear not as many women are pursuing religious life today as there use to be, we are still out here. In our hearts, we are looking for something more … together.

As Pope Francis said in a General Audience on May 22, 2013, “… it is necessary to open ourselves once again to the horizon of God’s Spirit.” Continue Reading