Posts tagged ‘dominican sisters’
Proclaim God’s Marvelous Deeds
Today’s Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 96.
Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all you lands.
Sing to the Lord;
bless God’s name.Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Dominican Sisters of Tacoma Choir
The Dominican Sisters in Tacoma live in the land of Chihuly, so I have framed their picture with a detail from the ceiling in the permanent exhibit in Tacoma, Washington.
I Love Being a Nun!
While this post is entitled, “I Love Being a Nun!”, actually I am a sister. Nuns are those who are cloistered and primarily involved in the ministry of prayer. Those of us who are sisters are involved in apostolic ministry – and that’s a big umbrella (teaching, hospital ministry, parish ministry, social work, working for social justice, etc.). So, it would be more correct for me to say, “I love being a sister”, which I do often. But since people often call sisters nuns . . .
Well, you see what I mean.
Anyway, nineteen years ago today I entered the convent and started the process of becoming a Dominican Sister of San Rafael. I made my first profession of vows in 1996 and my perpetual vows in 1999. And while nineteen is not one of those special numbers like 20, 25, or 50, it still seems pretty significant to me. I was 40 years old when I entered (I guess you can do the math). And I still love being a sister. My family tells me that they have never known me to be happier. Living in community – doing work that is satisfying and of benefit to others – praying together with a community of sisters on a daily and regular basis – being encouraged to continue to study . . . to be all we can be (for the sake of others) . . . What can I say but that I am grateful!
And Meister Eckhart, the Dominican mystic from the 13th century tells us, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”
I highly recommend this life to others!
Here I am with John and Don, a couple of friends, at a party prior to my entering the convent.
Here I am playing the guitar at a ceremony for Sister Alexa, our newest novice, just a couple of weeks ago.
The Feast of Saint Dominic
This statue of St. Dominic stands in the square of Caleruega, Spain, the place of Dominic’s birth.
We celebrate the Feast of Saint Dominic on August 8th.
Saint Dominic founded the Dominican Order 800 years ago:
the nuns in 1206, the friars in 1216. This allows us to celebrate our special anniversary for ten years.
You can find a brief biography of St. Dominic on our website at
http://www.sanrafaelop.org/who-we-are/dominican-heritage/
.
God’s Radiance in Creation
Hildegard of Bingen tells us:
There is nothing in creation that does not have some radiance – either greenness or seeds or flowers, or beauty – otherwise it would not be part of creation. The Holy Spirit pours out this fresh greenness of life into the hearts of women and men so that they might bear good fruit.
This quote is from the monthly reflection of our Dominican Sister Patricia Bruno which can be found on our website in Stories Seldom Heard. Her reflections for the month of August tell us about some of the Dominican mystics.
How to Choose the Way We Live Our Lives
As the Vocation Minister for our congregation of Dominican Sisters, I am often asked about how to choose from among the many wonderful possibilities of vocations. It is easy for us to choose when Choice A is clearly good, and Choice B is clearly bad. But it usually doesn’t work that we. We most often make choices from among things that are good. And if they are good, we also know that God is in them. So we are also not making a choice between God and Not-God.
Now much as I would like to tell many gifted, generous, and committed women that the best choice is to become a Dominican Sister of San Rafael, alas, I cannot do that. We only know our own hearts. And, as much as this has been a wonderful and life-giving vocation for me, others have other fulfilling vocations to live.
So how to choose? Perhaps the Sufi poet Rumi can help us. I don’t think I could say it any better!
Let yourself be silently drawn
by the strange pull of what you really love.
It will not lead you astray.
~ Rumi ~
Holy Spirit, draw us.
We Have Family in Iraq
Grapes from the Dominican convent garden in Pisa, Italy
As I read Wednesday’s Gospel reading (John 15:1-8), I remembered taking a picture of grapes in the convent garden of Iraqi Dominican Sisters in Pisa, Italy. The sisters there were taking safe refuge. Some of our U.S. Dominican congregations have also received young Dominican sisters from Iraq so that they could safely study in this country before returning to Iraq to do ministry.
These sisters truly are bearing fruit courageously, and have learned how to rely resting in Christ and on the blessings of the larger Dominican family. In return, they have blessed us, even those of us who have not been privileged to share their lives. I am reminded that, through through these sisters, I have family in Iraq. I am reminded that, through the ministry of Dominicans anywhere in the world, our ministry is extended . . . and that I am there too.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
Only Child
Only child
Yes. It’s the fawns that continue to be the object of my affection. We are besotted with them here.
Our campus is a Wildlife Habitat, as can be seen in this picture. And we are vigilant now that there are babies, because sometimes neighbors bring their dogs, in spite of our signs. And sometimes they are even off leash, though one of the sisters was quite happy to report that she saw a dog with a mother doe in hot pursuit.
As I walked across the campus a few minutes ago, I saw a jackrabbit, but I find they are much too quick to be caught on camera. Ah well, the deer are so much fun to watch, especially from the kitchen window when preparing dinner.
Go Tell My Brothers
I’m playing catch up today after being on a Holy Week retreat, and don’t want to miss posting this wonderful reflection by Sister Sally Brady. Fortunately we have a number
Sister Sally Brady, OP
of weeks to continue to proclaim the joyous message of Easter.
Easter Sunday
April 8, 2012
Acts 10: 34a, 37-43; Colossians 3: 1-4; John 20: 1-9
She (Mary Magdalene) saw that the stone had been moved away, so she ran off to Simon Peter and the other disciple . . . And told them.
- John 20:1-2
As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to see k a ne w beginning . . . this r equire s a change of mind and heart . . . for we have much to learn from the ongoing collaborative search for truth and wisdom.
- “The Way Forward” Preamble to the Earth Charter
We have come to our 500th Anniversary of Dominican preaching in the Western Hemisphere! How perfect is our Dominican 800th jubilee theme of “Women and Preaching,
in 2012, with the words Jesus spoke to Mary Magdalene: “Go, tell my brothers.” The Order’s “Patroness of Preachers” was the first messenger of Easter joy, and she did not hesitate to bring the message. She ran! If only our feet would be as swift to “go quickly” and make know this Jesus who is waiting to offer forgiveness to the world. It was after the seeing and believing that Peter, Mary and all Jesus’ followers realized that they were being “ordered to proclaim the resurrection, and to invite all people to repentance.”
As a world Order of Pr ach rs, it becomes our responsibility to continue proclaiming the deeper meaning of the resurrectionof Jesus, and not only experience a conversion of our own, but to call others to conversion, so that Gods light of truth can better be seen in our world, searching for the way.
Why does God desire that all people be invited to conversion? It brings us back to John the Baptist, the voice of God warning the people of an impending disaster and calling for a change of heart. We are all called to make an about-face and take a new path. A conversion of heart helps us begin to see and understand “The Way Forward” as those actions we take, or have taken, for others:
- Advocating on behalf of immigrant rights
- Speaking the truth in order to heal and support victims of trafficking
- Respecting all life, rejecting all that is death
- Calling our government to lead the way for global abolition of all weapons of mass destruction
- Protecting the Earth’s vitality, diversity, and beauty “as sacred trust”
She Announced the Good News
Sister Anna Louise
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. Our Lenten reflection has been prepared by Sister Cathy Murray, OP., and she recalls the lovely presence and passing of Sister Anna Louise LaVoy, often remembered as Sister Ignatius (and lovingly as gracious Ignatius).
In the first reading today, we see that Ahaz responded to God’s great offer of giving any sign – NO MATTER HOW GREAT OR HOW MOMENTOUS – by spiritualizing his decision not to follow God’s advice. “Oh, I would never want to tempt God by asking for a sign.” God’s will for Ahaz was very clear, but the path of God’s will for Ahaz required great courage and great risk. God was asking him to neither surrender to Israel nor to align with the Assyrians for protection.
We contrast Ahaz with Mary, a young woman born in an obscure village. She experienced God’s intervention in her life through an encounter with an angel. There was no guile with Mary. She had the presence of mind in the midst of this divine experience to dialogue with the angel.
As I write this Lenten reflection, I am sitting alongside our sister Anna Louise as she is dying. Anna Louise is one who answered many annunciations in her life. She lived without guile and was genuine and wholehearted in her response to God. Anna Louise loved so many sisters in our congregation and so deeply. She saw and celebrated the good and the best in others. She delighted in God and the wonders of creation. She lived the presence of Christ within her and her Christ-bearing joy was contagious. At 93 years old, she faced many changes in religious life and church; yet she had the presence of mind and freedom with God to dialogue about those changes and trust where God was leading religious life and church. The Good News was announced to her and she lived it lovingly, beautifully and justly.
She announced the Good News, in her very being, that God is with us.
This reflection can also be found on the website of the Dominican Preachers for the Western Region.
Going Gratitudinal
Going Gratitudinal. That’s the theme of this week’s Busy Person’s Retreat at Dominican University in San Rafael. Our sisters meet with students, faculty, and staff members this week, to pray and share reflections on a selection of readings. We thought that focusing on gratitude would be helpful during this latter part of the Lenten season.
Please feel free to join us online at our Dominican Sisters’ website. And over the next few days I will post a “gratitudinal” thought for the readers of this blog. After all, the Dominican mystic Meister Eckart said, “If the only prayer you say is thank you, that is enough.” I’m sure the same thing goes for preaching as for praying.
I am grateful for city lights by the bay at dawn.
Please share something for which you are grateful.
