Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia 801 Dominican Drive Nashville, TN 37228 www.nashvilledominican.org vocation@op-tn.org
“God surprises us. It is precisely in poverty, in weakness and in humility that he reveals himself and grants us his love, which saves us, heals us and gives us strength. He asks us only to obey his word and to trust in him. This was the experience of the Virgin Mary.
October 2013 Dear Friends, During this month dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, we seek to foster devotion to this powerful prayer and to join the universal Church in asking Mary’s intercession for peace in the world. In Christ, The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia In conjunction with the Vigil for the Marian Day celebrated by Pope Francis in Rome the evening of Saturday, October 12, many of the sisters spent time in prayer and song. ,
At the message of the angel,
she does not hide her surprise. It is the astonishment of realizing that God, to become man, had chosen her, a simple maid of Nazareth…” Pope Francis Marian Day, October 13, 2013
Sisters led a prayer service that included the Litany of Loreto, the reading of Pope Francis’ homily from the Marian Vigil, and Taize music.
Recommended Reading
A Young Professed Sister’s Reflection One of my most vivid memories from childhood is learning to pray the rosary. My first rosary was a first Communion gift and made of pearly white, heart-shaped beads. I remember many sleepless or troubled nights, gripping my pearly rosary until my little hands bore their imprint. I grasped tightly because I knew, even as a small child, that it brought me close to Mary and Jesus and they heard my prayers. When I held my Rosary, I felt their nearness, and peace always came.
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33 Days to Morning Glory by Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC With insights from their writings and examples from their lives, Fr. Gaitley leads the reader through the Marian spirituality of four great saints and blesseds: St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Blessed Pope John Paul II.
“Mary, I give you my heart. Please set it on fire with love for Jesus. Make it always attentive to his burning thirst for love and for souls. Keep my heart in your most pure Heart that I may love Jesus and the members of his Body with your own perfect love.” --from the Morning Glory Consecration Prayer
From praying the rosary, I came to know the Fatima prayer. That was my favorite prayer because it reminded me of why I was praying—to bring my soul and all the souls in the world to heaven. However, it was not until I was much older that I read about the 1917 Marian apparition to three little shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. I was captivated by the fact that Mary appeared to illiterate mountain children in the middle of a relatively insignificant village and gave them the preeminent mission to pray the rosary and to offer up their sufferings in reparation for the sins of the world. These children were so simple and pure that when Our Lady asked them to pray for the conversion of Russia, they thought Russia was a lady! Yet these littlest ones, like lambs among wolves, were the ones asked to tell the world to pray fervently and to offer up their sufferings courageously for peace in the world. How relevant that message is today! There seems to be no end to violence, confusion, and conflict. But Jesus and Mary have already given us a way out of the chaos, a way that for me began in the form of pearly white, heartshaped beads. Our Lady told little Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta, “You must recite the Rosary every day in honor of the Blessed Virgin, to obtain the end of the war through her intercession, for only she can help you.”
“I knew, even as a small child, that [the Rosary] brought me close to Mary and to Jesus.”
As Dominicans, we have a special love for and connection with the Rosary. According to tradition, Mary appeared to St. Dominic and bestowed upon his Order the mission to spread devotion to her and her Son through the rosary. The rosary is a powerful devotion. Its recitation carries the cries of her little ones to her ears. We can all take up this prayer confident that Mary hears those cries and will lead and conform us to her Son, the Prince of Peace.
Holiness Highlight
The Miraculous Image of the Madonna of San Sisto
SAINT LUKE
“The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.” (Luke 1:49-50) Born: beginning of the first century in Antioch, Syria Died: 84 AD, Greece Feast Day: October 18 Title: “The Beloved Physician” (Colossians 4:14) Known for: his theme of salvation to the Gentiles; his account of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth and childhood; his emphasis on God’s mercy to the poor and lowly; and according to tradition, his painting of ancient images of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
How to imitate the saint: Read and meditate on the Gospel of St. Luke and the Acts of the Apostles; pray for an increase of faith and trust in God’s love and mercy; be a steadfast friend during times of trial, as Luke was to Saint Paul; cultivate a deeper devotion to Our Lady; pray for the virtue of humility; perform charitable acts for the poor and underprivileged.
This icon of Our Lady was thought during the Middle Ages to have been designed by Saint Luke the Evangelist and to have been painted by angels. Legend held that a holy man from the East brought it to Rome. The image was placed in the Church of Santa Agata in Turn outside the Appian Way, which, in honor of the icon, became known as Santa Maria in Tempulo. When Saint Dominic was charged by Pope Honorius III to establish a reformed community of nuns at San Sisto in Rome, one of the communities from which nuns were voluntarily drawn was the monastery at Santa Maria in Tempulo. St. Dominic lavished his attention upon the nuns of Santa Maria, preaching to them and giving them spiritual direction. At that same time, he received the promise of the nuns that they would enter the new community of San Sisto. However, the nuns placed one caveat on their promise: that the miraculous image of the Madonna in Santa Maria in Tempulo should also come with them. The miraculous Madonna remained at San Sisto until 1575, when it was transferred to San Dominico and Sisto on the Quirinal where the nuns had relocated upon the urging of Pope Saint Pius V. In 1931, the image was placed in Santa Maria del Rosario e della Febbre a Monte Mario where the nuns had moved into a new monastery. Adapted from www.mtthabornunsop.com. For a fuller history of the icon, click the picture above.
On
On August 22, the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, Frassati Catholic High School opened its doors for the first freshman class.
Bishop George A. Sheltz, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, celebrated the opening school Mass, assisted by seven priests and two deacons.
Students presented Sr. Mary Albert, Sr. John Paul, and Sr. Anna Laura with a book commemorating the many events they shared during the past two years of preparation for the school opening.
The girls’ volleyball team gathered for a group photo after the first game on August 26. Parents help students move into their lockers before the first day of school.
For more information, visit the Frassati Catholic High School website.
The Frassati spirit was tangible with many students as well as many friends and supporters of Frassati Catholic attending the first volleyball game.
The Sisters enjoyed all the opportunities offered by the camp staff and grounds: admiring beautiful sunsets, praying the Divine Office on the dock, canoeing on the lake, and climbing the Alpine Tower.
Clark Baker and the YMCA staff welcomed the Novitiate Sisters to Camp Widjiwagan over Labor Day weekend. The day of fun and relaxation concluded with an evening of songs.