Dominican Nuns - Elmira, NY

The Solemnity of the Epiphany

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:05:00 +0000

God is at home, observed thirteenth-century mystic Meister Eckhart. We are in the far country.

The Magi set out because of a deep desire which promoted them to leave everything and begin a journey. It was as though they had always been waiting for that star . . . Pope Benedict XVI

Click to READ the Holy Father's Epiphany Homily

Click to WATCH the live video of the Solemnity of the Epiphany celebrated in the Vatican. (click on audio and choose audio_eng)

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:44:00 +0000

Mary, Mother of the New Creation

Homily by fr. Brian J. Pierce, OP promoter of the Dominican Nuns

The Bible begins with the words, “In the beginning.” Today, January 1^st, we also find ourselves “in the beginning.” Life is full of beginnings. Maybe we remember beginning our first day of school, or our first job or our first kiss! Last week, on Christmas Eve, I helped my mother prepare a turkey to be baked in the oven. And then I assisted her as she combined many ingredients together to make a pecan pie – from scratch, from the beginning. Each time Mom began by gathering all the ingredients together, and one by one she created something that was beautiful and delicious. When God made the heavens and the earth “in the beginning,” God was also making something beautiful and delicious.

When a composer sits down to compose music he or she begins with a blank sheet of paper, a pencil, and musical notes that are collected, joined together and ordered to form music – beautiful music. An author or a poet does the same with words, just like a potter or a painter works with clay or different colors of paint. “In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth… In the beginning God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”

Each year, in the springtime, farmers and gardeners till the earth in order to plant seeds to bring forth new life that will nourish us. Every spring is “a new beginning.” The cycle of planting, germination, flowering, harvest and eating is the cycle of life and death and new life. Every year we begin a new, and in this way we participate in God’s eternal cycle of life.

Every time we hear the words, “I forgive you” or “I am sorry, or “I absolve you of all your sins,” we celebrate a new beginning. In the past months we have seen a number of Arab countries struggling to know what it means to begin anew.

Today we celebrate the beginning of a New Year, but we do this by looking back and remembering another beginning – a beginning that took place in the virgin womb of a woman, named Mary. We know this story. It is an ancient story, and yet every year we come back to this story that reminds us of the beginning. When God chose Mary to be the mother of God, the mother of Jesus, God was planting the seeds of a new creation in her and in our universe. This is what our Gospel of Luke reminds of us today.

Advent and Christmas and New Year always bring us back to the Gospel of Luke, where we find so many of the stories that we have heard time and time again since our childhood. It is Luke’s Gospel that tells the story of Mary saying “yes” to God’s invitation to be the Mother of the Savior.
It is Luke who shows the pregnant Mary running hastily to visit her cousin Elizabeth after her visit from the Angel Gabriel. It is Luke’s Gospel that tells the story of Joseph and Mary on their journey from Nazareth “to the city of David called Bethlehem” (Lk 2:4). We are told that there was no room in the local inn for them, so they were left with no other option than to look for shelter in a nearby cave. It was there that Jesus was born, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a feeding trough.

Luke then pulls the camera back and allows us to see the hillsides surrounding Bethlehem, where “there were shepherds living in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them… and said, ‘Do not be afraid – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord’...” The shepherds quickly organize a pilgrimage to Bethlehem, saying, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us” (2:15). When they arrived and saw the child, wrapped in swaddling clothes, they knew that the world had been born anew.

Luke’s gospel invites us to open ourselves to the surprises of God’s Word. Tradition tells us that Luke was an artist, and today he invites us to be like a large, blank canvas, waiting for the painter’s colors to bring us to new life. For God, every moment, every day is a new beginning. God wants to sow the seeds of the new creation in us, inviting us to be part of the unfolding story of God’s creating and saving love. This is what we celebrate today. We celebrate Mary, who allowed her womb and her heart to be the place for the new creation to germinate and bear fruit.

“In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters” (Gen 1:1-2). For Luke, Mary’s womb is the new dark, virgin nothingness where God’s Holy Spirit sweeps over the waters and speaks the eternal Word. “In the beginning, God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” For those of us in the northern hemisphere, December and January are the months of darkness and cold. The dark, barren trees of a winter forest stand erect, waiting for the birth of the light that comes from the east. They lean gently in the direction of the new day, the new year, waiting for the morning sun to dress them in warmth and light. In Luke’s masterpiece, Mary is the Mother of “the Light of the world.” She is the Mother of the new creation that is being born. She is the Mater Dei, the Mother of God-made-flesh.

And today we, like the shepherds, have been invited by the angels to witness this great birth of the new creation. The shepherds were poor outcasts in the Biblical times, gypsie-like laborers forced to live in the hills and on the outskirts of town, rejected by society for their impure contact with the animals, and frequently accused of stealing the very sheep they were entrusted to take care of. They were not exactly the kind of people you’d invite to a baby shower! But Luke’s angels not only invite the shepherds to the baby shower, they anoint them as evangelizers, messengers of the gospel. In this story of the new creation, it is the poor, the little ones, who are called to be God’s chosen people, for – as we heard in Mary’s Annunciation – “nothing is impossible with God” (Lk 1:37).

So, with the shepherds we come to Bethlehem to see this miracle of new life, this miracle of a new day, a new year. In Bethlehem we see and touch and hear the Word that was spoken by God in the beginning – Jesus, the Savior. Our hearts – like theirs – are burning so ardently that we have no other option but to announce this gospel of joy to the world. For the shepherds, gathered on that dark hillside, watching their sheep, it is like experiencing a miraculous rising of the midnight sun. They who are nobodies are suddenly, thanks to God’s favor, anointed as prophets of the new-born Messiah.

This new birth can happen in any place, in fact, in every place. Every moment, every day can be a “new beginning.” We can say “yes” like Mary did, and let God sow in us the new creation.

Today we honor Mary, because she teaches us how to embrace our dark, barren emptiness, and wait for God’s life-giving Word, God’s light, to awaken in us the new creation. Like Mary, we too are called to give birth to the Word-made-flesh, and in this way, we also become mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters of the light. Today we are invited, along with the shepherds, to come to Bethlehem – the House of Bread. In this house we find both Bread and Word. We are part of a cosmic liturgy that feeds us and nourishes us to share God’s Good News with the world.

It is a new day, a new year, a “new beginning.” Today Mary gives birth to God-made-flesh, and today – God gives birth to the new heavens and the new earth. “Come, let us adore him. Venite, adoremus.”

Happy New Year! Auguri!! Buon Anno! Nouvel An heureux! Feliz Año Nuevo!

The Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:42:00 +0000

Detail of the apse mosaic in the St Joseph's chapel of Westminster Cathedral. It was installed in 2003, and the designer is Christopher Hobbs who worked with mosaic artist, Tessa Hunkin.

"When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him." - Luke 2:40.

Today, as the church celebrates this great feast of the Holy Family, we are reminded that the family, my family and your family is the fundamental project and pursuit of the human person. It is the place in which human life begins, is nurtured, and is cherished. In the family, the human person learns to love by being loved, and learns that each person has an incalculable dignity that must be respected and affirmed in small or great ways each day.

In the family, man and woman, husband and wife, mother and father, live a gift of self to each other, and, as an expression of this gift, welcome new life that is entrusted to them. When we were children, we were supposed to experience from our mother and father, the full range of complimentary human experiences and emotions, learning naturally that the human person is a being that comes from love, that must live in and longs for an experience of love, and for which the pursuit of an eternal, transcendent love is the ultimate desire.

In this experience of the human person as male and female, and as coming from and going to love, the family finds its role as the cradle and school of humanity.

Through the eyes of faith, the family mirrors the great mystery of the of love which is the Trinity. God is an eternal communion of love, a communion of three divine persons. The family is a unique institution, Civic and Religious life rely on the family to develop future citizens and saints. These citizens and saints, nurtured within the family, are in turn, called upon to assist and defend the family in its great task, which is the generation and formation of LIFE!

A Blessed Christmas to all!

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 20:14:00 +0000

Painting by Sr. Mary Grace Thul, OP

Dear Friends,

May peace and joy be yours this Christmas!

St. Luke describes the birth of Jesus announced to the shepherds in this way:

“Do not be afraid; I have good news for you of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you who is Christ the Lord …

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his

favor rests” (Luke 2:10, 14). Peace and joy are the gifts Jesus brings to us

by his incarnation to the extent we are open to receive them and pass them on to others.

In the world today there is an absence of that joy and peace.

There is exploitation, greed, fear, and turmoil leading to senseless hatred and war.

These are often the result of gross material inequality, but also fear of the other who is different.

In our own individual, small way we can learn to reach out to others in trust and

self-giving love and so receive within ourselves an increase of God’s gifts of peace and joy.

We, your Dominican sisters, pray each day that these precious gifts may grow

in our own hearts, in the hearts of all our devoted friends, and in all humankind

that the world may come to know God’s great gift of its Savior Jesus Christ.

A novena of Masses will be celebrated for your intentions in St. Thomas University

in Rome during this season.

Montesinos 500th Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:27:00 +0000

To commemorate the 500th Anniversary of Dominican Preaching in the Americas, the brothers (friars) of the whole Dominican Order were petitioned to preach or read in all the churches connected with the Order the sermon preached by Antonio de Montesinos on Española on the 4th Sunday of advent 1511, so that it might be a collective commemoration of this act, which defended human dignity in the name of the Church.

Bro. Bruno Cadoré, OP, the master of the Order shares with us a reflection on this event in our Dominican history.

The indignation and popular uprisings have been in recent months and are still news in several countries. In some cases, the determination to get rid of authoritarian regimes that claimed. In others, certain logical groups that question, especially economic ones, that seem to want to rule the world despite the differences themselves accrue between men and engender serious concerns, particularly for the young. In either case, are too often forgotten voices that are heard, remembering that human beings want to be protagonists of their own history and aspires to freedom and justice. This opens new horizons of hope for a livable and sustainable world for all (click on the link to read more). http://curia.op.org/en/index.php/eng/component/content/article/726-five-hundred-years-ago
Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, Dominican Republic, stressed the role of the Catholic Church in defense of human rights, justice and care for the poor, since the first missionaries settled in the island of Santo Domingo, makes more than five centuries. During a conference entitled "500 years of the sermon of Montesinos and its relevance ', which issued in the living room of La Mancha Barceló Lina, Lopez Rodriguez gave a brief account of the life and works of Fray Antonio (Anton) of Montesinos, the priest Dominican who reproached the Spanish authorities then its "grave sin against God and the Church" by mistreating and enslaving to the extermination of the aborigines of the island. On the defense of indigenous peoples and the social doctrine of Montesinos, said it was the same doctrine of the church, which has always been practiced since the beginning, as the doctrine of Jesus Christ. "It was the same Jesus Christ who began to preach justice, defend and love the poor, to give his life for them," said Lopez Rodriguez. The cardinal noted the presence of the Congregation of the Dominicans at the time of national history, recalling that the first men who came were well formed, with a high sense of justice, theology and Christian life, as were Peter Cordova, Domingo Velasquez, Bernardo de Santo Domingo and Montesinos himself. The conference focused on the so-called Advent Sermon of Father Montesinos, where he was proclaimed as a "voice crying in the wilderness", referring to the alleged mistreatment of Aborigines. www.celam.org

video by the Sinsinawa Dominicans

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:15:00 +0000

Patronal Feastday of the United States of America

9th Century Stature of the Immaculate Conception in the Basilica in Porto Alegre, Brazil

The doctrine of the Immaculata reflects ultimately faith's certitude that there really is a holy Church - as a person and in a person. In this sense it expresses the Church's certitude of salvation. Included therein is the knowledge that God's covenant in Israel did not fail but produced a shoot out of which emerged the blossom, the Savior.

The doctrine of the Immaculata testifies accordingly that God's grace was powerful enough to awaken a response, that grace and freedom, grace and being oneself, renunciation and fulfillment are only apparent contradictories; in reality one conditions the other and grants it its very existence.

The Holy Father talks about the meaning of the Immaculate Conception during General Audience
2011-12-07 16:39:24

During Wednesday's general audience, the pope talked about the significance behind the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, which we celebrate today. “The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated tomorrow, reminds us of Mary's acceptance of a single plan of salvation.”The pope highlighted the virtue of humility and explained what it's important to have a pure heart. “It is the purity of heart that allows us to recognize the face of God in Jesus Christ. It's having a heart that's as simple as a child's, without the presumption of one who thinks we do not need anyone, not even God.”The general audience was held at the Vatican's Paul VI Hall. Among those in attendance was a group of four musicians from Austria, who dressed in traditional clothing, dedicated a song for the pope.

Second Sunday in Advent.

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:59:00 +0000

The Gospel for the Second Sunday of Advent, Mark 1:1-8

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God]" (1: 1). "Gospel" here could refer to either the beginning of the Gospel book or the beginning of the Good News which is the life, preaching, and saving ministry of Jesus Christ. (Notice that there is no infancy narrative in Mark). "Gospel" signifies first an event - Jesus Christ acting in our midst - and then the message by which that event is transmitted (and continues to save us). The word "Gospel" is found only on the lips of Jesus (except in MK 1: 1, 14-15). "The Church draws life not from herself but from the Gospel, and from the Gospel she discovers ever anew the direction for her journey" (Pope Benedict XVI).

What is the the beginning of the Gospel in your own life experience?

A principal theme of the Gospel of Mark is is the revelation of the Person of Jesus, the Son of God. The Gospel of Mark has been called an extension Passion narrative with an introduction and conclusion. We are meant to read everything in the Gospel in the light of Christ's cross.

"As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:/ Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;/ and he will prepare your way./ A voice of one crying out in the desert:/ 'Prepare the way of the Lord,/ make straight his paths"' (1: 2-3). It was said of John that he was more that a prophet because to him was given both to foretell Christ in his absence and to behold him in his presence, so that it should be found that to him was made manifest what the others had desired" (Saint Augustine). "The way" is proposed, not in a geographical sense, but rather in a new manner of being and acting (see John 14: 6; Heb 10: 20; Acts 9: 2; 19; 9, 23).

"John [the] Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (1: 4). When John lived in the desert: "Seeking Christ with his eyes, he refused to look at anything else" (Saint Jerome).

Why is a "desert experience" an integral part of Advent? Repentance is always to a person - someone who looks at us with love that awakens vital truth and meaning we had neglected. Repentance is a change in what we had set our hearts on. It is giving ourselves over to a personal transformation that God both desires for us and personally brings in us.

How has this been verified in your own life?

The Feast of St. Albert the Great.

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:26:00 +0000

This statue of saint Albert the Great can be found in the Angelicum, the Dominican University in Rome.

Today, as we celebrate the feast of our Dominican brother and Doctor of the Church, Albertus Magnus (d.1280), we join our Dominican family and the church in prayer to God our Father, who endowed Saint Albert with the talent of combing human wisdom with divine faith and ask that we keep true to his teachings that the advance of human knowledge may deepen our knowledge of God in service to our brothers and sisters in humility and love.

St. Albert was the mentor of St Thomas Aquinas, and is the patron of scientists. His biography, and list of astonishing accomplishments can be found here

Promoter of the Dominican Nuns gives talk

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 13:38:00 +0000

"500 Years Later - The Gospel of Peace Today"

On November 5, 2011, the Dominican Sisters of Peace invited fr. Brian Pierce to give a talk about the 500th Anniversary of the Arrival of the first Dominicans to the Americas (1510). It was done as a webcast -- so that their communities from around the country and world could participate. This was the group of Dominicans that Bartolomé de las Casas joined a few years later. He then became the leading voice in defense of the indigenous, and later African, peoples of the Americas. listen to his talk in the Webcast below.

Fr. Brian Pierce, OP

fr. Brian, is a Dominican Friar of the Southern Province of St. Martin de Porres, USA. In the 1990's he was part of a team of Dominican friars sent to found a new community in Honduras, focused on forming lay preachers of the Word, as well as working in campus ministry and with people living with HIV-AIDS. In the late 1990's fr. Brian lived for a year and a half in a contemplative Christian ashram in Oklahoma, and later as part of a preaching team based in Raleigh, NC. Later he was asked to move to Peru, where he served as the Promoter of the Dominican Family in Latin America and the Caribbean. Presently he is stationed in Santa Sabina Rome, serving the contemplative Dominican nuns worldwide as their promoter. He has written two books in English: Martin de Porres: A Saint of the Americas (Liguori Publications, 2004) and We Walk the Path Together: Learning from Thich Nhat Hanh and Meister Eckhart (Orbis Books, 2005).

Today, we celebrate the Feastday of our Dominican brother St. Martin de Porres.

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:40:00 +0000

A statue of St. Martin de Porres.

The Lord led St. Martin de Porres by a life of humility to eternal glory, today as we celebrate his feast throughout the church and especially by the members of our International Dominican family, let us be moved to imitate his great witness to us.

This video of the life of Fray Martin de Porres filmed in 1961 and directed by Ramón Torrado, is in Spanish with no English sub-titles. Its message about the life of the saint it portrays, however, is very moving and can be understood by all languages. "We hear them speaking in our own tongue of the mighty acts of God" (Acts 2:11).

The Solemnity of All Saints

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:57:00 +0000

Their Light, coming from God, enables us to know better the interior richness of God's great light - Pope Benedict XVI

"All- Saints," a painting by Fra Angelico, 15th Century.

On the 1st of November each year with great joy, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints followed by the memorial of All Souls. We are reminded during this time to look at the shining witness of the Saints to reawaken within us the great longing to be like them; happy to live near God, in his light, in the great family of God’s friends. Being a Saint means living close to God and living in his family. This is the vocation of us all, vigorously reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council and Solemnly proposed for our attention.

The example of the Saints encourages us to follow in their footsteps and to experience the joy of those who trust in God, for the one true cause of sorrow and unhappiness for men and women is to live far from him. Holiness demands a constant effort, but it is possible for everyone because, rather than a human effort, it is first and foremost a gift of God. On this day let us revive in ourselves an attraction toward Heaven that calls us to carry on in our earthly pilgrimage. Let us lift in our hearts the desire to always unite ourselves to the family of the saints, of which we already have the grace to be a part. In the words of a celebrated song, "When the saints go marching in, oh how I'd want, Lord, to be in their number!"

An Interview with the Master General of the Dominican Order

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:42:00 +0000

fr. Bruno Cadore, OP

The Master of the Dominican Order fr. Bruno Cadore, OP and fr. Emil Blaser, OP on Radio Veritas. In this interview fr. Bruno gives a profile of himself and what he did in France before he became a Dominican and subsequently his life as a Dominican brother, Provincial and his new role as the master of the Order.

fr. Emil Blaser, OP

fr. Emil is a former provincial of the Dominicans in SA, he was also associate secretary general of the SACBC and while there conceived Radio Veritas.

Click the play button in the box below to listen to the interview.

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:58:00 +0000

In today's readings, the prophet warns the priests of Israel; Jesus warns the Scribes and Pharisees because these venerable religious leaders have turned away from God and God's way and relied on their own lights instead. If they could do so, how much more easily can we! The warning and call to turn back to the Lord are for all of us.

Christ the Teacher

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted".

Jesus’ constant conflict with the Scribes and the Pharisees was not a battle against the Scribes skills in interpreting scripture, nor with the Pharisees theoretical doctrines about love and about the resurrection from the dead. Rather he fought with these religious enthusiasts because their claim to virtue, a claim which they used to oppress ordinary folk, was in large part hypocritical. Because they were deeply religious persons, they assumed that they had the right to run other people’s lives.

It was against this tyranny that Jesus contended. Obviously the temptation to be a Scribe or a Pharisee did not end when Jesus went back to the Father in heaven. It is an inevitable part of religion, and must be resisted today even as it was in Jesus’ time. As always we must look at the context and then look below the surface. The context is Jesus’ teaching about practicing what you preach. He points out that the Pharisees do not practice what they preach and he is instructing his disciples to be sure that they do not follow this example.

The Pharisees insist that the people call them Father or Rabbi or Master; but these are titles to be earned and not claimed as a right. Anyone who insists on being called Rabbi, that is teacher, must fully live up to the title. They must have something to teach, something worth communicating to others, something people want to hear. All the more so if they claim to be preaching the message of God to the world. These are not new things to us in the Church; they are deeply rooted in our Christian faith. It is this basic attitude that Jesus is surely speaking about. He is concerned that we should have a right relationship with God and especially when it comes to those with leadership in the Christian community that they should not interpose themselves between God and the people. When we on earth are given these titles it should not swell our heads, it should do the exact opposite. We acknowledge from whom these titles originate, and we ought to walk in his way with great trepidation and in all humility.

In Memory of Our Lady of the Rosary!

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:22:00 +0000

Those who pray the rosary with all their heart know from experience that the rosary is an outpouring of love.

Today, as we celebrate the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary let us remember as Blessed John Paul II stated, ". . . to pray the rosary is to hand over our burdens to the merciful hearts of Christ and his Mother. The rosary does indeed 'mark the rhythm of human life,' bringing it into harmony with the 'rhythm' of God's own life, in the joyful communion of the Holy Trinity, our life's destiny and deepest longing. Through the rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer."
During this month of Our Lady of the Rosary may we discover in our contemplative silence the mysteries of life and love, the mysteries of Jesus' paschal self-giving and the tender compassion of Mary, his Mother.

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us.

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 14:45:00 +0000

In the midst of troubles, St. Paul tells us to have no anxiety at all.

Icon of St Paul

This Icon of St. Paul was written around eight years ago by a monk residing at Mount Athos, Greece.

I have to admit that I love today's readings. They speak about trouble, but also about hope. In the first reading, Isaiah prophesies the imminent destruction of the vineyard, that is, "the house of Israel." Jesus also tells about a vineyard under terrible mismanagement. Rather than caring for the vineyard, the tenants get involved in greed, betrayal - and finally, murder. The Old Testament reading and the Gospel describe a world filled with trouble. Between those two readings, however, we hear a different note from St. Paul: In the midst of troubles, he say, "Have no anxiety at all."

To some people this might seem like Pollyanna. But St. Paul is no naive optimist. He had plenty of troubles. A partial list includes public whippings, shipwrecks, snake bites, imprisonment and bodily ailments, particularly, afflictions of the eye. His life was always threatened; once he had to escape by being lowered over the side of building in a basket! Yet in today's letter, written from prison he says, "Have no anxiety at all."

How did St. Paul overcome anxiety? He tells us: "in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God." His prescription against anxiety has two parts: First, prayer - putting our troubles in God's hand - making our requests known to him. Doesn't God already know what we need? He does, but he wants us to entrust our lives and our problems to him. I knew someone who has a prayer corner. It has a cross, a candle and small basket. The man writes his concerns on small slips of paper and places them in the basket, handing them over to God. When he practices this prayer, he experiences a wonderful peace. The first part of overcoming anxiety is prayer, trust in God.

The second part of the prescription is thanksgiving. We are here because of God's will and, even when bad things happen to us or because of us, God will bring them to a greater purpose. So in every circumstance, we need to give thanks. A grateful heart is a peaceful heart.

Trusting God and giving thanks to him is not escapism. On the contrary, trust and gratitude enable a person to tackle problems. Let me illustrate with the example of a famous American. He managed a few retails stores and was doing well - but then the market crashed. Deep in debt, he experienced terrible anguish because he would have to start laying off workers. He knew the men personally and that their families depended on him. The stress caused him to develop a case of shingles. As you may know, the condition is so painful a person can hardly think of anything else. One night he felt that he would die and he began writing farewells to his wife, his son and his friends. He didn't sleep a wink. As the sun rose, he heard singing from a hospital chapel. The words of the hymn were, "No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you..." The man sat up in bed and said to himself: "It is real! God loves and cares for me." He felt like he had been let out of dungeon into the sunlight. He went to work and eventually turned his business into one of the most successful retail chains in our country. You have probably heard of him. He had a somewhat funny name: James Cash Penney - but he was better known as J.C. Penney.

Now, J.C. Penney was no great saint. He was an American businessman who lived at a time when faith formed a major part of our culture. From that faith he drew strength to face what seemed like overwhelming troubles. He found an internal peace that enabled him to focus on one thing at a time. Instead of being overwhelmed, instead of seeing himself as a victim, he realized he could take ownership for his life. It was not a matter of being hyperactive or driven. It was a matter of trusting God.

St. Paul says, "Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God." Yes, we have many troubles. Our world is not so different from the world described by Isaiah and Jesus: full of greed, selfishness, betrayal, even violence. In our families we have troubles. On a personal level, we experience many disappointments. Yet we know that St. Paul's command is not only possible, it is the only way forward.

Our Elevator up-grade is underway!

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:25:00 +0000

Most of our benefactors and friends will remember our fund-raising efforts that began in 2007 for the recommended mandatory upgrade of our elevator. Last Tuesday, we finally began the required update. We would like to express our gratitude to all who have pitched in to made this reality possible for us. Our present hydraulic elevator of a single-bottom design cylinder is being replaced with a double-bottom cylinder as result of a code revision after the production of single-bottom cylinders ended in 1970.

We still cannot believe that this massive operation is being undertaken by a crew of two!

Meet our hard working crew.

Adam the mechanic is flanked by Louis the apprentice on his left.

Louis is hard at it!!

Adam takes a moment to smile for our photographer!

OK guys, no more interruptions to slow you down!

We are learning to share our basement corridor during this month with Adam and Louis.

Mechanical room.

ICN representative for the USA/North America region attend meeting in Rome!!

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:43:00 +0000

Sr. Anna Marie Pierre, OP

Bon Voyage dear Sister!

Sr. Anna Marie has left her monastery of Mary the Queen, Elmira, NY this morning to join ten other representatives from Italy; Arigon-Spain; Betica-Spain; Sto Domingo-Spain; Europe-Utriusque; Asian-Pacific; Africa; France; Mexico and South America for a meeting of the International Commission of (Dominican) Nuns of the Order of Preachers (ICNOP) being held on September 6 - 14, 2011 at Santa Sabina Rome, Italy. The meeting will be chaired by the General promoter for the Dominican Nuns, Fr. Brian Pierce, O. P.

Sister was delegated as the representative for the region of USA/North America for a six-year term by the Master of the Order of Preacher Fr. Bruno Cadore in November 2010 .

We all wish Sr. Anna Marie and all the other nuns God's blessing and we pray for the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit on Fr. Brian as he leads the group in their discussions as preachers of the Word.

The Solemnity of the Queenship of Mary!

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:05:00 +0000

fra Plippo Lippi 1406-1469

August 22 is the Solemnity of The Queenship of Mary. It was established on October 11, 1954, by Pope Pius XII to be celebrated throughout the world, and commanded that on that day each year, the world should renew its consecration to her. Later the feast came to be celebrated on 22nd of August. "The purpose of the Feast is that all may recognize more clearly and venerate more devoutly the merciful and motherly sovereignty of her who bore God in her womb" (Ven. Pius XII, Ad. Coeli Reginam).

Our monastery of Mary the Queen is also celebrating 67 years since its foundation in Elmira, NY. What a blessing! We give thanks to God for his many gifts to our community and for family, friends, benefactors, Dominican brothers and sisters who have been so good to us throughout the past years and all those who continue to lovingly support us with their time and talent. Our Mass intentions were for you today.

Celebrating with us today is our brother fr. Hugh Burns, OP who has been with us for most of the month of August as a replacement for fr. Tony Breen, OP our Chaplain who returns tomorrow.

fr. Hugh Burns, OP

Father Hugh Burns, O.P. is a Dominican priest who has preached widely throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. He is fluent in Spanish. His renewals and retreats have attracted large numbers of people seeking to deepen their faith. His programs have proven effective for Catholics seeking to return to the Church. His commentaries are also heard on National Public Radio and New York public stations. He has won several national awards for commentaries including first place for "Best Radio Commentary" in June 2011, from the Public Radio New Directors (PRNOI).

Father Hugh was born on June 27, 1953, in Derby Connecticut. He graduated magna cum laude from Boston College in 1975. At the Dominican House of Studies, he earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1981. Then after his ordination to the priesthood in 1982, he earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology in 1984. Father Hugh was the master of students and director of formation for the Dominican friars in Puerto Rico from 1987-89. At the same time, he served on the Board of Trustees of Universidad Central de Bayamon. Then from 1983-87, he was an associate pastor of the Hispanic community in Our Lady of Sorrows in Takoma Park, Maryland. During that period, he was a special assistant to the Office of Hispanic Affairs for the Archdiocese of Washington, as well as the coordinator of prematrimonial catechesis for the Hispanics of the Archdiocese. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Northeast Pastoral Center for Hispanics in New York from 1984-87.

He was a professor throughout the 1986-87 academic year in the permanent diaconate training program, and a member of the Archbishop's Pro-Life Task Force in Washington, DC. Father Hugh meanwhile was the founder and director of the Saint Catherine of Siena Colloquium for Spirituality from 1980-87, and of the Washington Institute for Spirituality and Ethics at the Dominican House of Studies from 1984-87. He was the speaker for personal development at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, and the commencement speaker at Saint John Vianney Seminary in Miami in 1994. He was the director of continuing education and workshops in preaching in Grenada in 1994 and in Jamaica in 1995. He is now an itinerant preacher, evangelist and writer.
We pray that God will continue his good work in and through our dear brother.

The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:33:00 +0000

Mary's assumption into heaven is the abiding sign to all generations of God's favor not just for Mary but for every woman and man of faith. When we celebrate the assumption we in fact celebrate the whole story of Emmanuel, God-with-us, and from a very human perspective. Mary assumed into heaven is not a disembodied spirit. She remains the real woman of flesh and blood. She is the mother whose life is centered always on her son. She is both the girl who carried Jesus in her womb and the older woman who stood at the foot of the cross.

She is the one to whom he said of the beloved disciple (and of us), "Woman, behold your son!" God's grace is seen in each of us as well, in our particular stories. Everything we have and are comes from God's goodness. Mary knew God's grace is seen in each of us as well, in our particular stories. Everything we have and are comes from God's goodness. Mary knew in a unique way, and became the place where God's grace could abide in full. Mary's assumption into heaven is also a sign for us, not just of God's future for us, but of how we should respond to that call to us today.

The Solemnity of our holy Father St. Dominic, founder of the order of preachers.

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:30:00 +0000

"A new and heavenly herald in these latter times, Dominic, a poor man, shone forth, foreshadowed in the likeness of a hound" - Antiphon at Vespers for St Dominic.

Detail of a relief roundel of St Dominic, in the Cloister of the Kings in the Dominican priory of San Esteban in Salamanca.

Jordan of Saxony, St. Dominic's successor as master-general of the order, wrote of him: "Nothing disturbed the even temper of his soul except his quick sympathy with every sort of suffering. And as a man's face shows whether he is happy or not, it was easy to see from his friendly and joyous countenance that he was at peace inwardly." When in 1234 Pope Gregory IX, formerly Cardinal Ugolino, signed the decree of canonization, he remarked that he no more doubted the sanctity of Dominic than he doubted that of St. Peter or St. Paul.

Today, as we celebrate the feast of our founder St. Dominic, we are reminded that in 1206 he gathered some young women he had converted and rescued from the Cathars into a community at the church of St. Mary of Prouilhe. This original foundation of Dominican contemplative nuns together with monasteries all over the world, still attracts women today to live as Jordan of Saxony describes in the thirteenth century: “These servants of God continue to offer worship acceptable to their Creator, in holiness of life and in the purity of innocence – a life which is conducive to salvation for themselves, an example to others, a joy to the angels, and pleasing to God.

Our vocation as nuns places us at the heart of our Dominican order. Such was the desire of St. Dominic in order to emphasize in a radical way the grace of contemplation, which is the very source of the itinerant apostolic.”

Notre Dame Professor gives Patristic Lectures to the Nuns

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:51:00 +0000

Prof. John C. Cavadini

Associate Professor of Theology, Director of the Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame.

(B.A., 1975, Wesleyan University; M.A., 1979, Marquette University; M.A., 1981, M.Phil., 1983 and Ph.D., 1988, Yale University)

On Wednesday, Professor Cavadini began a series of lectures with the nuns on the use of Scripture by four of the Church Fathers. He covered the life of Anthony by St. Athanasius; the life of Moses by St.Gregory of Nyssa; Origen's homily XXVII and his commentary on the Song of Songs and St. Augustine's Exposition 2 of psalm 30.
These lectures form part of a series of Patristic lectures given by various scholars to our Dominican monasteries through the On-going Formation Program organized by the Association of the Monasteries of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers in the USA/and the Americas.
We feel blessed by the experience of having such a gifted, humble and dedicated man share with us the theology of the Christian life. May God bless him and continue his good work in and through him.

Professor John C. Cavadini is a member of the Department of Theology, having served as Chair of the Department from 1997-2010 and led the Department to a top-10 ranking in the recently released NRC rankings of doctoral programs. He is also the McGrath-Cavadini Director of the Institute for Church Life. His main areas of research and teaching are in patristics, that is, the theology of the early church, with a special focus on the theology of St. Augustine, and on the biblical spirituality of the Fathers of the Church. He has published extensively in these areas, as well as in the theology of miracles, the life and work of Gregory the Great, catechetical theology, the theology of marriage, etc.

As Director of the Institute for Church Life, he inaugurated the Echo program in catechetical leadership, the ND Vision program for high school students, the seminar "What We Hold in Trust" for trustees and presidents of Catholic colleges and universities, the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program and the Initiative in Spirituality and the Professions, among others. In November, 2009, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to a five-year term on the International Theological Commission and was also created a member of the Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great, classis civilis, by Pope Benedict. He has served as a consultant to the USCCB Committee on Doctrine since 2006.

The Feast of St. Martha.

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:34:00 +0000

Memorial.

Saint Martha was a sister of Mary and Lazarus. When she received the Lord as a guest in Bethany, she looked after him with devoted attention. She begged the Lord to raise her brother, Lazarus, from the dead.

Title: 'Christ in the House of Mary and Martha' Painter: Tintoretto (1518-1594)

Round about 1300, Meister Eckhart, mystic and Dominican friar, preached on St. Luke's story of Mary and Martha; he praised the mature Martha . . . In so doing he stood traditional interpretation on its head. Up to that point, in traditional commentaries Martha was the negative, the weaker, image compared with the perfect symbol of Mary. For him Martha embodied the supreme human ideal and became the shining vision of perfect humanity. Martha is alive and creative. The old idea of the introvert, receptive woman fades into the background, and Martha emerges from the shadows.

With her Meister Eckhart paints a new picture of woman: the picture of the woman who acts responsibly, who is concerned for the world and her duties. Martha - mature - active and sovereign - arouses utter astonishment in Meister Eckhart; "What a wonderous involvement both outwardly and inwardly: understanding and being understood; seeing and being seen; holding and being held; that is the last stage where the spirit perseveres in rest, united to beloved eternity".

For the first time Martha, who had become discredited since the days of the early church, again began to gain respect. It is impossible to say how widely Meister Eckhart's vivid sermon about Martha was known. At all events, it was in keeping with the spirit of the age, and became the model for late mediaeval tradition which attached an increased value to women.

In Solidarity with the people and nation of Oslo at this time.

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:53:00 +0000

The Presence of the Spirit

When a single sustaining hope enables us to face courageously both the enthusiastic highs and the depressing lows of our daily earthly existence; when a responsibility freely accepted continues to be carried out, though it no longer bears any visible promise of success or usefulness; when a human being not only experiences but willingly accepts the last free choice of his death; when the moment of death is recognized as a fulfillment of the promise of life; when we no longer have any proof of the total value of our life's actions, and yet have the strength to view them as positive in God's eyes; when the fragmentary experiences of love, beauty and joy can quite simply be experienced as a continued promise of love, beauty and joy; when the bitter and disappointing and trying events of every day are endured serenely and patiently even to the last day, sustained by a strength whose source is forever elusive; when one dares to pray in silence and darkness and knows that he is heard, without thereafter being able to discuss or dispute his answer; when one deliberately embarks upon total retreat and can experience this as true victory; when falling truly can be called standing; when lack of hope can be seen as a mysterious kind of consolation (without any indulgence in cheap comfort); when one has reached the pint of entrusting all his certainty and all his doubts to the silent and encompassing mystery that he now loves above his personal achievements; ... ... this is where we truly find God and His liberating grace, where we experience what we Christians call the Holy Spirit, where the difficult and unavoidable experiences of life are welcomed with joy as challenges to our freedom and not as fearful specters against which we try to barricade ourselves in a hell of false freedom to which we are then damned ..... The Christian knows that this Spirit, poured out over the world and all flesh and operative everywhere, this Spirit who cannot be ousted from the world by the despairing No of the individual human being, is the Spirit of the Father of Jesus, the Spirit of Jesus, a Spirit in whose efficacy and victory we trust, in that we reverently look upon Jesus and His victory in death and in this: look no longer dare to disregard the rule of the Spirit in our own. life.

Karl Rahner

THE CHURCH IN A SECULAR AGE

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 02:32:00 +0000

Bro. Reginald M. Lynch, OP.

Bro. Reginald who is giving a summer lecture series to the Dominican Laity around the country, arrived yesterday at the monastery for a one-night stay over and met with the nuns in the parlor for recreation. His three lectures on Saturday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm to the Elmira Chapter of Mary Queen of Apostles (one of several Chapters in region III of the St. Joseph Province), will focus on Catholic identity and apologetics in light of contemporary challenges inside and outside the Church.

Let your light shine!

Br. Reginald was born in Hanover, NH and attended St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY. He entered the Dominican Order in 2007 made his Simple vows in August 2008 and has spent the last three years studying for the priesthood at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. He will be making his Solemn profession on August 13, 2011 and he hopes to be ordained to the Deaconate next January. At present he is studying for his STL degree.

Br. Reginald joins the prioress and community in a group photo at Friday evening's recreation. Our photographer, Sr. Anna Marie is missing in photo.

Please keep our Brother in your prayers for the success of his summer apostolate and for many graces and blessings as he continues to respond to God's call to become his priest forever in the Order of Preachers.

In Memory of our Patron Saint!

noreply@blogger.com (Dominican Contemplative Nuns) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:59:00 +0000

St Mary Magdalene by Guido Reni, 1633

St. Mary Magdalene, having been the first to bear the distinctive Christian proclamation that Christ is risen from the dead, is seen as the first Christian preacher, and accordingly she is the patroness of the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans. She is one of Christ’s most devoted followers. This is based entirely on the Gospels, which portray her as a disciple of Jesus and as one of the women who followed and ministered to Him in Galilee (Luke 8:1-2). She was from Magdala, a small town on the northern edge of the Sea of Galilee.

({{Creator:Antonio Canova}} Title: Maddalena Penitente (english: The Repentant Mary Magdalene) Location: Hermitage, St. Petersburg Notes: Compare to Caravaggio's pose of the repentant Magdalene. Also compare to differing treatment with Donatello's Repe)

After her conversion, Mary Magdalene became a devoted follower of Christ. It is believed that she was the woman who anointed the Lord’s feet with costly perfume prior to His passion and death (John 12:1-8), and was present at His crucifixion. On Easter Sunday morning Mary Magdalene and two others discovered the Lord’s tomb to be empty. St. Mark’s Gospel states that it was to her that the risen Christ appeared (16:9), and St. John adds that she was given a message to deliver to the Apostles (20:11-18). Mary was not believed at first, but her persistence prompted Peter and another disciple to investigate for themselves, thus discovering the truth of the Resurrection.