Lent Lent 2017
PRAYER, FASTING AND ALMSGIVING
In this issue: Reflection on Lenten Practices, Fatima Saints, Travels, Special Guests, and more
Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia ~ 801 Dominican Drive, Nashville, Tennessee ~ vocation@op-tn.org
THE HOLY SEASON OF
Growth in LOVE
Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Cor 13:4-7
Lent is a great time for spiritual growth. St. Paul's exposition on love in his First Letter to the Corinthians can serve as a good examination of conscience: Do I love like that? What are the ways I can grow in love? The Church teaches us three ways to remove obstacles of selfishness and open us to greater love: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Prayer turns our gaze off ourselves and towards God, who is love. It gives time for an intimate relationship with Him to grow, and, as knowledge of this Other grows, so does love. When my love for God grows, I find yourself also able to love others more.
Prayers of petition prayed during Lent also turn our minds and hearts from being turned in on ourselves to consider the needs and sufferings of others. Prayed with simple faith and trust, they are sure to be answeredand joined to the prayer of Christ Himself as He offered Himself on the Cross. Time in prayer can be a fasting from time spent on self-entertainment or subtle forms of addiction, such as over-use of technology. The most effective fasting can be from things that tend to absorb our attention more than God. "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also," Our Lord said (Lk 12:34). Fasting can help us to feel our hunger for God; to treasure God, who is the true source of our happiness, by putting aside things we think will make us happy, but which really don't. Finally, an obvious way to grow in love is by doing something for someone else. The Church
recommends doing some kind of almsgiving during Lent. Giving to a parish outreach (St. Vincent de Paul Society, Food Pantry, etc.) program money that would have been spent on a self-serving indulgence draws me to go out of myself to others. As a community, we rise ten minutes earlier than usual during lent in order to pray the Seven Penitential Psalms together. Divine Office is prayed in a more stark and sober atmosphere during Lent: We wear our black mantles during the Divine Office as a visible sign of this liturgical season of penance; much is sung a cappella and, as in the Mass, the many alleluias sung throughout the Office are absent. After the Gloria of the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, the organ and all bells in the house are silent until the celebration of Christ's Resurrection at the Easter Vigil. There are few feast days to celebrate during lent, so the forty days are marked by silence and reflection. This silence climaxes with a profound silence from noon to 3:00 p.m. on Good Friday, creating an atmosphere conducive to pondering the passion and death of our Lord. As Holy Week draws near, let us strive through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to enter more deeply into the love that moved our Savior to make such a complete sacrifice of Himself.
Francisco and Jacinta
For the Salvation of Souls . . .
This year, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Our Lady’s appearances in Fatima, Portugal, we have the example of three shepherd children to teach us the way of simplicity and self-giving in prayer and sacrifice. The Blessed Virgin appeared six times to Lucia, 9, and her cousins Francisco, 8, and his sister Jacinta, 6, between May 13, 1917 and October 13, 1917. She asked them asked them to pray and do penance for the conversion of sinners. The three children took very seriously the message they received from the Mother of God. In their simple faith they took her words to heart, carefully praying the rosary every day, giving their lunches to poor children, and often denying themselves water when they were thirsty on hot days as they tended the sheep. Looking at the ordinary circumstances of their daily lives, they found ways to respond to Our Lady’s request that they offer sacrifices for sinners and pray for peace in the world. As they responded to the message of our Lady, their example drew others to faith and conversion of heart. The two youngest of three, Francisco and Jacinta, died while still children, bearing their illnesses with love and patience and offering their sufferings for sinners, for peace in the world and for the Holy Father. Their older cousin, Lucia, lived to the age of 98, dying in 2005. Francisco and Jacinta were beatified on May 13, 2000.
Recommended Reading In this work she [Mother Mary Francis] presents beautiful meditations on the liturgical season of Lent, revealing the treasures of the liturgy to Christians in all walks of life. Her insight into Holy Scripture and her poet's heart engendered reflections that illuminate the daily Mass readings in a fresh and attractive way. These meditations enlighten the reader to see conversion as positive and enriching, and help us to understand that the generous embrace of Lenten penance has a purpose and brings a wondrous reward: deeper union with God. She was a true daughter of Saint Francis of Assisi, who found perfect joy by turning away from self to God. Available through Ignatius Press www.ignatius.comÂ
Travels Lumen Christi and Holy Rosary High Schools, in Anchorage, Alaska, invited our sisters to help lead their yearly retreat. They had a beautiful time at St. Theresa's Camp, where the young people had the opportunity to encounter Christ in prayer.
Anchorage, Alaska High School Retreat Feb. 17-19
February 19-21
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York
Sister Peter Marie and Sister Mary Esther received a warm friendly welcome at Colgate University. Deacon Mark Shiner, the campus minister, invited them to come speak at the campus ministry's Tuesday Lunch.
The sisters also provided a women's mini-retreat one evening, in which young women enjoyed tea together, discussion of life discernment in the context of self-giving love, and finally spending time with the Lord in adoration and praying Vespers with the sisters.
February 21-22
Bishop Gorman High School Las Vegas, Nevada
Bishop Gorman Catholic High School invited our sisters to come speak to their students about the call to religious life. Sister Margaret Joseph and Sister Paulina gladly traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to share their vocation stories with the students there.
February 26-28 Christendom College invited Sister Mary Michael, a former Christendom student, and Sister Peter Marie to give a series of talks on women's formation.
The talks were entitled "Becoming a Woman of Purpose, Prayer, Passion and Poise!"
It was a blessing to speak with young women who are seeking to live as faithful Catholics in a secular world.
"The Maker was made man ... that the Bread might be hungered; the Fountain, thirst; ... the Way be wearied by the journey; the Truth, be accused by false witnesses; the Judge of the living and the dead, be judged by a mortal judge; ... the Vine, be crowned with thorns; ... Strength, be made weak; Health be wounded; life, die"
~St. Augustine
Formative Opportunities and Treasured Guests Father Vivian Boland, O.P., an Irish Dominican, visited St. Cecilia Motherhouse and Bethany Retreat House in February. Father currently serves as Vicar to the Master of the Order and resides at Santa Sabina in Rome. He spoke to the Sisters on Dominican philosophy of education, helping us to grow as educators of the Faith. It was a great honor to welcome Father to Nashville.
Bethany Retreat House
Fellowship
Formators Workshop February 22-24
Formation
Prayer
The CMSWR organized a workshop for sisters involved in the formation of new members. Held at the Malvern Retreat House in Philadelphia, it was a beautiful time of being with sisters of other communities, sharing ideas and wisdom gained from varied experiences.
Mount de Sales Academy Visit February 17-19, 2017
Above: singing at a nursing home Below: exiting the Motherhouse chapel after prayers
The Mount de Sales's Sodality in Baltimore sponsored a trip to our Motherhouse in Nashville. Founded by the Visitation Nuns from Georgetown in 1852, Mt. de Sales Academy has been staffed by our community since 1985. A visit to St. Cecilia Motherhouse gives the students an opportunity to learn something of the history and spirit of the Dominican Sisters whose lives touch theirs each day, and who seek to build on the beautiful heritage left by the Visitation Nuns. The girls joined the sisters for prayers each day, sang for the residents of a nursing home in Nashville, had lunch with some of the sisters once stationed at Mount de Sales in past years, and put on a talent show with the Novitiate Sisters. We loved having our "Sailors" with us!
Jesu Caritas Retreat March 10-12, 2017
Our Motherhouse saw the blessing of 82 young, Catholic women, who came to make the weekend retreat offered each March. Father James Brent, OP led the retreat with talks on grace: the transformative power of grace, the grace of indwelling of the Trinity, and graces of healing. It was a beautiful weekend of prayer and fellowship, giving space for the Lord to give many graces at the beginning of the lenten season. Our prayers are with these women that the retreat continues to bear fruit in their daily lives. The Lord surprised us Saturday morning with a beautiful snow. It had been prayed for by the retreatants from Louisiana.
"The Immeasurable Riches of His Grace."
Join the Nashville Dominicans and EWTN in a new television series as we visit with families just like yours who have made Christ the center of their lives. Share in their struggles and sorrows, their joy and laughter, and the faith that makes all things possible. Be inspired. Be strengthened as a family.
Click the photo above to view the official trailer of this new series.
Upcoming Travels April 19-21 - University of Dallas, Irving, TX April 22 -"Shepherd's Cafe"--Young Adult event in Dallas, TX