Monday Night at the Movies
Luis Bunuel, Simon of the Desert, 1965
SAINT MOTHER THEODORE GUERIN
Hebrews,
Chapter 12, Verse 21
Indeed, so FEARFUL was the spectacle that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”
Moses was the heir apparent to the throne of Egypt in his youth. As a member of the Egyptian court, he would have seen many fearful spectacles yet imagine what it must have been like to have been a witness of God descending on Mount Sinai to give the law. He was terrified and trembling. Again, now imagine if Moses was somehow resurrected and was able to walk into an ordinary catholic church that has a very modest Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Do you think his reaction would be any different than the first time he encountered the living God?
Be Still and Know that I am God[1]
On the evening of October 1995, John Paul II was scheduled to greet the seminarians at Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. It had been a very full day that began with a Mass at Oriole Park in Camden Yards, a parade through downtown streets, a visit to the Basilica of the Assumption, the first cathedral in the country, lunch at a local soup kitchen run by Catholic Charities; a prayer service at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in North Baltimore; and finally a quick stop at Saint Mary’s Seminary. The schedule was tight, so the plan was simply to greet the seminarians while they stood outside on the steps. But the Pope made his way through their ranks and into the building. His plan was to first make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. When his wishes were made known, security flew into action. They swept the building paying close attention to the chapel where the Pope would be praying. For this purpose, highly, trained dogs were used to detect any person who might be present. The dogs are trained to locate survivors in collapsed buildings after earthquakes and other disasters. These highly intelligent and eager dogs quickly went through the halls, offices and classrooms and were then sent to the chapel. They went up and down the aisle, past the pews and finally into the side chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. Upon reaching the tabernacle, the dogs sniffed, whined, pointed, and refused to leave, their attention riveted on the tabernacle, until called by their handlers. They were convinced that they discovered someone there. We Catholics know they were right — they found a real, living Person in the tabernacle!
He has
mercy on those who fear him in every generation.
Mother Guerin--A journey is an
unshakeable trust in God[2]
“If you lean with all your weight
upon Providence, you will find yourselves well supported”
When we think about saints,
we often have this image of a perfect person without the struggles or flaws of
an ordinary human being – a person not of this world who spent most of their
time praying and worshiping God. We forget that they are people who often had
to cope with the same issues that people face today. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
had her ups and downs. Through her own words, which have been published in Journals and
Letters of Mother Theodore Guerin,
we are able to see the woman behind the saint and why she continues to lead and
inspire people worldwide.
·
She
… and five companion sisters were homeless
when they arrived in a dense Indiana forest on a dark October evening in 1840.
They lived with a generous local family until a new building was completed.
·
She
… experienced tragedies in her early life. Two brothers died in fires and her
father, a soldier, was murdered by thieves while returning from war. She put
her own dreams on hold to
care for her family when her mother could not cope emotionally with her
father’s death.
·
She
… and her small band of sisters arrived as immigrants in a new country. They didn’t speak the
language and were unfamiliar with the customs. She depended on others to help
her learn and adjust.
·
She
… learned survival
skills and endured poverty.
She and her companion sisters planted and cared for gardens to supplement their
food supply. They helped care for livestock. Their cabin was so cold that their
bread froze. Still, they endured.
·
She
… suffered from chronic health problems. Treatment for a disease early in her
life caused severe damage to her digestive system. She could eat only broth and
soft foods for nearly 30 years. This left her weak and frequently ill.
·
She
… stood up to injustice. As a woman and a leader in the
church, she endured bullying, even excommunication. She met all with grace,
determination, strong leadership and compassion. And she didn’t back down. She
also addressed social injustices in her day.
·
She
… was a strong woman leader. Within a year of arriving in
Indiana, she established the Academy, now known as
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
She inspired women to follow her and founded the Sisters
of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, a group of vowed women who still today live out her
legacy to create a more just and hope-filled world.
·
She
… experienced prejudice. Many people weren’t accepting of
Catholics in the 1840s, especially Catholic women who tried to do business in a
“man’s world.”
·
She
… knew how to turn to prayer to cope with the many challenges that confronted
her. She placed complete trust in God for survival and asked
for God’s support in establishing schools throughout Indiana, in leading the
young Congregation and in all she did.
·
She
was a teacher, a founder, a healer, a pioneer. She was a person of deep faith
who led others toward God.
·
She
is a very real woman. She is a role model. She is a saint.
Daily Acceptance of Death[3]
Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus, I accept from your hands, whatever kind of death it may please you to
send me today (tonight), with all its pains, penalties and sorrows, in
reparation for my sins, for the souls in purgatory, for the conversion of
sinners, for all those who will die today (tonight), and for your greater
glory. Amen.
Pray twice
daily. By Father John A. Hardon, SJ
Today is the birthday of my former wife
Diane T. Havermale who succumbed to pancreatic cancer in February 2015; She is
loved and remembered by her seven children: Claire, Christopher, Candace, Dara,
Rachel, Nicole and Vincent. Please pray for her intentions.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER ONE THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
Article 2-OUR VOCATION TO BEATITUDE
I. The Beatitudes
1716 The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus'
preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham.
the Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the
possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven:
·
Blessed are the poor
in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
·
Blessed are those who
mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
·
Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
·
Blessed are the
merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
·
Blessed are the pure
in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
·
Blessed are those who
are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
·
Blessed are you when
men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you
falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
1717 The
Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity. They
express the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of his Passion
and Resurrection; they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic
of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in
the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already
secured, however dimly, for Christ's disciples; they have begun in the lives of
the Virgin Mary and all the saints.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: An increase of the Faithful.
· Eat waffles
and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: October
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Monday: Litany of
Humility
·
Rosary
[2]https://spsmw.org/saint-mother-theodore/about-saint-mother-theodore-guerin/what-kind-of-woman-was-saint-mother-theodore/
[3]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1108
No comments:
Post a Comment