Posts tagged ‘sisters/nuns’
Joining Worthy Women – Reaching out their Hands to the Hungry
The first reading today, on the Thirty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time talks about a worthy wife. Obviously sisters and nuns are not wives. And in the days that the Book of Proverbs there weren’t nuns or sisters, so our lives could not be imagined. So I’ve taken a little liberty here and changed a few of the words so that it relates to women, whether married or not.
Proverbs 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31
When one finds a worthy [woman], her value is far beyond pearls.
[Those who] entrust their heart to her, have an unfailing prize.
She brings good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
She obtains wool and flax and works with loving hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
- While this is a Christmas setting, Sister Anne Bertain, definitely a “Worthy Woman” reaches out her hand to the hungry every day at St. Dominic’s.
And if you happen to be a single woman, maybe you might think about joining us as we “reach out our hands to the poor, and extend our arms to the needy. Sister Anne Bertain, a Dominican Sister of San Rafael, does this every day in San Francisco at St. Dominic Catholic Church. To learn more about us, please go to our website. If you would like to pray with us, we invite you to San Rafael for an Advent Vespers service on December 1st. Please feel free to contact me to find out more.
All Souls Day
Is there not a beautiful thought connected with prayer for the dead? Were it not sad to feel that when our loved ones pass away, they are wholly separated from us? Through prayer we may still hold communion with them; by the spirit of prayer we may gather the inspiration and clothe ourselves with the mantle they were clothed with. In blessing them we receive their blessing….
- Andrew Barrett, The Shakers
Mother Justin Barry visits the grave of Sister Dominica Arguello, remembered in California history as Dominica Arguello, who is often mentioned in the early history of California. Photo taken, circa 1955.
Mother Justin was the Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters of Sister of San Rafael from 1953 to 1965. Sister Dominica was the first woman to enter a convent in California.
5th Graders Visiting the Convent
Teachers always love field trips! Especially field trips when the children and parents (chaperones) enjoy what they learn. Every year the Diocese of Oakland invites schools of the diocese to send their 5th grade students on a special field trip. The boys go to St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park and the girls go to a sisters’ motherhouse in the diocese.
Today students came from two diocesan schools to the motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of San Jose. Three of us sisters, Sister Liz Schille, RGS (a Good Shepherd Sister), Sister
Sister Beth talking to the 5th graders
Beth Quire, OP (a Dominican Sister of Mission San Jose), and I (a Dominican Sister of San Rafael), taught them a little bit about what it’s like to be a sister, and the importance of answering God’s call in their life. It was a fun day, and the girls and their parents really enjoyed themselves.
Truly, all of us are called . . . from the time we are baptized, or even from the time we are born. God calls us to, as the apostle Luke wrote: “. . . to preach good news to the poor. . . to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19) God calls us to do this whether we marry or not, whether we become a nun or a sister or not.
Today we talked about our way, as sisters, of living out this call. I always like talking about that, because I love being a sister!
An Awesome Workshop
A group of over 20 nuns ( well, sisters actually) and priests – vocation directors – gathered in San Rafael yesterday to
Sister Julie's presentation
attend a workshop entitled, “Two Practical Strategies for Engaging Young People Online about Vocations.” Our presenter was Sister Julie Vieira, IHM, who is well known among nun bloggers through her blog anunslife.org. She gave all of us a better understanding about how young adults and youth are using the internet. Sister Julie also helped most of us to gain a better understanding of blogging and Facebook. Some who didn’t already have a Facebook page, signed up then and there!
I think that one of the best things that Sister Julie offered us was her enthusiasm and encouragement, not only about ways to reach young adults through good use of technology, but through her genuine love of religious life. She is grounded in theology and love of the Lord.
I am glad to call her my sister and friend!
