opheartprints

TODAY you will be with me in Paradise (Lk 23:43)

2012-02-29T15:55:00.000-08:00

St. Dismas in Paradise,
a Russian icon

Today! Jesus had not yet died and risen. The gates of heaven had not yet been opened by his Redemptive sacrifice. The souls of the just from the Old Testament times were still waiting in Limbo for release. How, then, could Jesus promise this thief that he would be in Paradise today?

This is a good example of the very different concept of what we call time. For us on earth it is a linear thing, one moment following another. But for God and those in eternity, it is one single moment - the eternal NOW.

But what about the past life of this sinner? Even if he had "absolution" from Jesus, Himself, did he not have an enormous debt of punishment due for his sinful deeds? Is that not what Purgatory is for?

Yes, Purgatory is a period of healing and cleansing from the remnants and wounds of our past sins which have been forgiven. But it need not wait until we are dead. This good thief (tradition calls him Dismas), acknowledged that he was suffering on the cross as a punishment for his crimes. He united them to those of Jesus when he said, "we are under the same sentence of condemnation; we justly, receiving the due reward of our deed, but this man had done nothing wrong". And so the sufferings Dismas endured and united to those of Jesus, were his Purgatory.

In a similar manner, I believe that we can embrace with a penitential heart, our daily sufferings – pain and illness, rejection by a loved one, financial crisis, anxiety, frustration, grief – and by uniting them to the sufferings of Jesus they can suffice for our Purgatory. Thus on the day of our death Jesus can say to each one of us, "Today you will be with me in Paradise".

"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Lk 23:34)

2012-02-23T14:20:00.000-08:00

Jesus says ‘them’ – not him, not Judas who betrayed Him, not Peter who denied Him, not Jacob who drove the nails into his hands, but ‘them’ - all of them including us, including me. At the very moment that each of us is turning against Him, He is forgiving us. Whether I am attacking Him directly, as in the Eucharist, or indirectly through my neighbor, He has prayed for my forgiveness even before I have sinned. What an experience! To be loved so much that I am forgiven before I have asked for forgiveness. This awakens much gratitude in me. If I am loved that much, I want to return that love, and therefore I will make every effort not to offend my Lover again.

Can I offer the same forgiveness to those who offend me? It is very hard to do, but the examples of many saints show that it is not impossible, but can be done with God’s grace. If we but ask our generous God, He will give us this precious grace. Lent is a special time of special graces. I want to use it well and will begin by asking for the grace of forgiving others as Christ has forgiven me.

Some Books Review...

2012-02-20T18:59:00.000-08:00

Some new and interesting books have come our way recently and we would like to share with you just a few highlights.

A favorite story for generations of young and young-of-heart readers, is "The Wizard of Oz". As we watched the movie over and over we learned to identify with each of the characters. Fr. Nathan Castle, OP has written a book which helps us learn from the spiritual and psychological situations encountered by one after another of the friends in the movie. Even Dorothy’s little dog, Toto, becomes an image of God and His faithful friendship with each of us. Be sure to look for "And Toto Too" and enjoy some hours of reliving this delightful story.

"Just A Minute" is a small new book with a one minute reflection on the Scripture Readings of the day. Fr. Vincent Serpa, OP, who ia currently working at Catholic Answer, gives us in this little volume the fruit of his own contemplation. Each day has a page which is so short that even a busy person can take just one minute to bring the Scripture of the day into his or her own life. What a beautiful way to focus on God’s word during Lent and afterward. Our gratitude to our Dominican Laity Corpus Christi Chapter who gave each signed copy for us to read.

From our Dominican Monastery of the Mother of God in West Springfield, comes a delightful account of watching humming birds approach the feeder in the monastery garden. Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart Sawicki, OP and her Sisters watched for many a long hour and gained the confidence of the tiny birds and they came to drink the sweet nectar provided for them. Contemplating these little creatures, Sister compares the birds to God, the great Hummer, who gradually draws near to each of us in prayer. Her book "The Hummer and the Hummed" will give you guidance and encouragement in your path to the Heart of God.

To The Divine Jeweler

2012-02-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

To the Divine Jeweler

Our Beloved Lord Jesus

To Him, whom at times it may seem to us

His blessed 'hand' comes crashing down upon us.

We wonder Lord, how can this be?

Are you not He

All gentleness and compassion?

Dear Children, My Love for you is so great

you could never fathom it.

What you now deem a great weight

is my Love which can hardly wait

to allow you to know what is that 'blow'.

Be patient dear ones

Stand by My side

Trust

And you will see,

like the tiny drops on the leaf

there will be, one day, relief

And it will all have been

My Heart's desire

to make of your soul

all beauty, afire

with such love

that you will one day come

to resemble Me.

~ From The Collection of Poems by Sr. Mary of the Holy Spirit, OP ~

Brothers and Teachers

2012-02-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

Recently our Dominican Brothers have been sharing with us the wisdom they are gradually acquiring in their years of study. This is continuing the tradition which began with St. Dominic, himself, that the brothers feed their sisters with spiritual nourishment through lectures and discussions. In turn the nuns return the favor by contributing the fruit of their contemplation. In this way both are enriched and encourage each other in their vocations.

Brother Dominic David, OP came to our monastery with the background of much study on the life of Edith Stein (Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross). In two lectures he gave an account of her background, her philosophy, her teaching and writing, her entrance into Carmel and her martyrdom at the hands of the Nazis. She died in the gas chambers at Auschwitz on August 9, 1942.

On another occasion Brother Peter Hannah, OP treated us to a lecture on the importance of the observance of the Sabbath rest in the lives of all Christians. As Catholics we observe Sunday, rather than Saturday, because that is the day of the Resurrection of Christ. It is not just a matter of refraining from manual labor, but it is making the day holy by resting in the Lord in contemplation, and caring for our neighbors in charity.

We look forward to more of our Dominican Brothers coming to share the insights which they have received in the classroom, in private study and in prayer. In return we pray for them to become holy Dominicans, working for the salvation of souls in parishes, schools, hospitals, and anywhere they can find those who hunger for truth.

Consecrated Life

2012-02-03T15:20:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when there are celebrations of the World Day For Consecrated Life. The Holy Father reminded us of this at Solemn Vespers on February 2nd, some dioceses observe this day on Sunday, February 5th.
As we consider the meaning of the celebrations we realize that God has given the Church and the world a great gift in the life of the Religious men and women. Each of them, in turn, has gratefully accepted this gift and has made a commitment to live faithfully until death. The prayer life of each one must be daily nurtured, and growth in holiness continues throughout life. The fruit of these daily prayers and struggles brings many graces to the world which depends spiritually on the prayer life of Religious.

The contemplative monasteries have been compared to the power plant outside the city, which produces no visible product, but supplies the electricity that keeps the city bright and productive. As contemplative religious, we celebrate this day by thanking God and recalling the beautiful day of our own Profession of Vows. At that time we gave ourselves totally to God through the hands of Our Blessed Mother. Mary is our model and guide bringing us to the Father as she brought her Son, Jesus, to the temple in Jerusalem. May she always be with us in our journey and teach us to follow closely her divine Son.

Our Brother and Teacher, St. Thomas Aquinas

2012-01-27T17:32:00.000-08:00

Thomas Aquinas is to all the world the eminent teacher of philosophy and theology. His writings have trained and inspired generations of young scholars to look deep into the truths they are seeking to understand. Although he originally wrote for beginners, his works have been studied by the most advanced thinkers of our time.

And yet he is our brother in so many ways. As a young student Thomas spent six years studying under St. Albert the Great who perceived his superior abilities and honed his skills at thinking through difficult topics. In the classroom, Thomas rarely offered answers or argued questions. He was quiet and reserved and even somewhat shy, giving his classmates the impression that he was not very bright. One even offered to tutor him each day after class, an offer which Thomas humbly and gratefully accepted. Because of this reticence to speak out and because of his rather large physical build, some of his classmates dubbed him "the dumb ox". Albert, his teacher and friend, knew better, and he prophesied that some day the bellowing of this ‘ox’ would be heard around the world.

When he became sufficiently prepared, St. Albert and the Dominican superiors, sent Thomas to teach. In the classroom leading the discussions, he excelled. His way of explaining abstract concepts made them understandable to the students in his day and to others down through the centuries.

His study of the Scriptures made Thomas aware that God passionately loves each one of us and has offered to become our ‘best friend’. Jesus said to his disciples, "I no longer call you servants but friends" (John 15:15). Friendship is something we can all relate to. It flows from frequent encounters to get to know each other in a deeply personal way, and sharing all of our thoughts, fears, hopes, pains and joys. It brings about complete trust in our friend, knowing that we can count on him for support, empathy, and help in whatever we are going through at the moment.

In spite of his busy schedule of teaching, study and writing, Thomas set aside designated times each day for prayer. By being faithful to this commitment he gradually came to know God in a deeply personal way, appreciating the magnificent beauty that God is, in himself and in his relations with his creatures. This knowledge brought about love, and the friendship developed into a life of contemplative prayer. Slowly Thomas learned to bring God into his whole day, sharing with his Best Friend, problems over his work, irritations with other people, struggles of all kinds. He rejoiced with God in seeing others come to know eternal truths and follow in the paths of holiness. And God, in his goodness, revealed more and more to Thomas about Divine Beauty, Compassion, Truth, and Love. Shortly before his death, Thomas had an experience in prayer which he shared with his friend, Brother Reginald. He said that after this encounter with Divine Love, all he had thus far written seemed like so much straw.

If we too, faithfully spend time with God each day, we will become more and more, ‘best friends’ with him. As we turn over in our minds our plans, uncertainties, fears, hopes, and joys, we can simply direct that internal conversation to God, and thus we are praying. In this way we can, as St. Paul suggests, "Pray always".

Unity in Christ

2012-01-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

Christians throughout the world are, by their very name, followers of Jesus Christ. We have many, very many, points of convergence in our belief system and our doctrines. But in spite of this common understanding of the faith, there are differences among us, and often these differences become a stumbling block to real spiritual growth. We sometimes concentrate on the differences and let them engender competition, criticism, arguing, and a lack of charity that denies in our actions, that the faith which we profess is our guide in following Christ. In reality we are like the spokes of a wheel with Christ as the center. The closer we come to Christ, the closer we are to each other. And the closer we come to each other, the closer we are to Christ.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, an Episcopalian priest, Paul Wattson, recognizing how detrimental this attitude is for the salvation of souls, began a movement to bring together in respect and charity, the many branches of Christianity. The main tool in this effort toward unity is prayer. Gradually many churches, including the Catholic Church, joined the movement to pray together for Christian unity and they agreed on a week or octave for this type of cooperative prayer. The octave begins on Jan. 18 and ends on the feast of St. Paul, Jan. 25. During this time we join our hearts and voices, raising to God a manifold plea that each of us will cooperate in changing our own hearts and encouraging others to look with love on those to whom they are bound by a common Baptism.

Eventually Father Paul and his community, Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, along with the women’s group,Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement, entered the Catholic Church - the first fruits of their prayer for unity.

Will you please join us in prayer? May the Lord of all unity answer our request.

O God, in your mercy you set aright those who have gone astray and you save those whom you have gathered together. We beseech you to pour down upon all Christian people the grace of union with you, so that putting aside disunion and attaching themselves to the true shepherd of your Church, they may be able to serve you humbly and lovingly. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Come, Follow Me!

2012-01-14T14:13:00.000-08:00

In today's gospel, St. Matthew was sitting at his desk, counting his money, attending to his business, not thinking about God or what might be this new teaching of the man from Nazareth. The business he was in was not one in which a good upright Jew would be involved. It would be called a 'shady' business today. But Jesus did not wait for him to be converted and shape up. The call came to him in the midst of the messiness of his normal way of life. Even today the God of surprises calls young people to follow him even when they are in the midst of ordinary life. Often it does not happen in church or at times of serious reflection but in the usual setting of routine activities.

In his homily today, our Chaplain, Fr. Eugene mentioned that ordinarily God does not call a person without first preparing him or her at least in a remote way by gifts of nature and grace. Matthew probably had heard of Jesus and may even have listened to him teach. He must have had some strength of character as a tax collector to endure patiently the derision and disdain of the "good" Jews. This same quality would prepare him for the contempt and scorn sometimes heaped on the apostolic band when they preached the message of Jesus in the hearing of the Pharisees.

In this generation those called by God may not realize at first that they have already been gifted by the God of surprises, with natural and supernatural qualities which fit them for religious life. They might look at their natural talents, abilities and preferences to indicate a path to the consecrated life. Let each one of us reflect on our own life story and notice where God has been leading us.

Is God calling you?

The Glorious Feast of Epiphany

2012-01-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest feasts in the liturgical year, celebrated by both East and West with great ceremony, is the Epiphany. On this day we commemorate the arrival of the three Kings at the crib of the newborn Savior. This is what most people recall when they think of Epiphany, however in reality we are actually celebrating three mysteries: the adoration of Christ by the Magi, the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, and the changing of water into wine by Jesus at the wedding feast of Cana. All three of these mysteries manifest both the divinity and the humanity of Christ, and all three are mentioned in the Magnificat antiphon at Vespers of the Feast of the Epiphany.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Mt 2:11)

Considering the poverty of the Holy Family, St. Joseph must have been very grateful to these Wise Men for providing gifts which, besides their symbolic value, sustained the Holy Family during the difficult days to come. These gifts may even have made possible the purchase of the doves required for the sacrifice at the Presentation of Jesus and the Purification of Mary.

This gratitude of St. Joseph is something which resonates in our hearts as we consider the generous gifts which our beloved benefactors have bestowed on us this Christmas Season. We pray that the Infant Jesus will, in turn, grant each of them many graces and blessings.

Patron Saints

2012-01-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Our New Year tradition features the drawing of patron saints for the coming year. Holy cards with the names of Dominican saints are placed in the crib in our recreation room. After singing a hymn, each of us approaches the crib and takes a card which has a saint's name on the back. The one we draw is the one we will look to in the coming year for inspiration, encouragement and support.

Besides an invidual patron saint, we have one designated for our monastery, and one for the novitiate. For 2012, St Rose of Lima will be praying for our community and the Holy Family will watch over the Novitiate.

All you holy angels and saints, pray for us!

I am a Link In a Chain -- A New Year Meditation

2011-12-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

" A Meditation" by Blessed Cardinal Newman --- A New Year's Thought

God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission -- I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.

I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good. I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while not intending it -- if I do but keep His Commandments.

Therefore I trust him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; In perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.

He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirit sink, hide my future from me -- still He knows what He is about.

May He support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done! Then in His mercy may He give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and a peace at the last!

Christmas Blessings!

2011-12-24T13:45:00.000-08:00

We pray that each of you

will have a happy and holy Christmas

with many blessings and graces

from our Infant Savior.

O Emmanuel

2011-12-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

During these final days of Advent, each evening at Vespers we sing the beautiful "O" Antiphons. They are a group of ancient texts, each containing a title of our Messiah with a prayer that he come to save us. They begin on December 17 with "O Wisdom", and continue with "O Lord", "O Root of Jesse", "O Key of David", "O Rising Sun", "O King of the Nations", "O Emmanuel". The Latin text for these antiphons are: O Sapientia, O Adonai, O Radix, O Clavis, O Oriens, O Rex, O Emmanuel. The first letter of each one, beginning at the last, spells the Latin "ERO CRAS", which means, "Tomorrow I will be with you".

On December 23^rd the words are "O Emmanuel": God-With-Us. How comforting and encouraging to be reminded at this sometimes hectic season, that God is right there with us in all our joys and sorrows, all our hopes and fears. No matter how mundane or seemingly worldly, or simply practical the activity of the present moment might be, he is with us right in the midst of it. Just recalling this fact and being grateful for it, is a prayer. In this way, as we more and more often become momentarily aware of His presence, we begin to follow St. Paul’s recommendation to "pray always".

The melody, based on Gregorian Chant, is a hauntingly beautiful one that you can almost taste as you sing the words of the prayer. If you would like to hear this chant, our Brothers in England sing it here:

Requiscat in Pace

2011-12-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Dominican Nuns of

Corpus Christi Monastery, Menlo Park, California

recommend to your prayers the soul of

our beloved Prioress

Sister Mary Assumpta of the Precious Blood O.P.

(Paula Ann Rufo)

who entered into Eternal Life

on Friday, December 16, 2011

in the 67th year of her age

and the 20th year of her Religious Profession

Viewing in our chapel

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 from 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Mass of Christian Burial

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

at 10:30 a.m.

May she rest in peace.

Prayer Request

2011-12-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

We ask the prayers of all our friends and followers for our dear Prioress, Sr. Mary Assumpta OP, whose leukemia has returned. She has taken all the chemo that was recommended and now the doctors say they can do nothing more for her. She is in good spirits and not afraid to die, and the Hospice nurses are helping us take good care of her, as she lives her last few weeks in peace and abandonment to the loving wisdom of God.

But we are still praying for a miraculous cure through the intercession of Mother Mary Alphonsa OP (Rose Hawthorne) if it be for the glory of God and the good of her soul. Mother Alphonsa, the daughter of the famous author, Nathanael Hawthorne, was the foundress of the congregation of Dominican Sisters who are dedicated to the care of incurable cancer patients. Please join us in prayer.

Prayer for the Canonization of

Rose Hawthorne

Lord God, in your special love for the sick, the poor and the lonely,

you raised up Rose Hawthorne (Mother Alphonsa)

to be the servant of those afflicted with incurable cancer

and with no one to care for them.

In serving the outcast and the abandoned,

she strove to see in them the face of your Son.

In her eyes, those in need were always "Christ’s Poor."

Grant that her example of selfless charity

and her courage in the face of great obstacles

will inspire us to be generous in our service of neighbor.

We humbly ask that you glorify your servant, Rose Hawthorne, on earth

according to the designs of your holy will.

Through her intercession, grant the favor that I now present

(here make your request).

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on us! (3 times).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

Mary Immaculate

2011-12-08T10:04:00.000-08:00

How blessed we are to be celebrating the glorious Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception! Mary, "full of grace" and " the highly favored one," was immaculately conceived in the womb of St. Anne, free from original sin from the moment of her conception, and each year we are reminded of this singular grace bestowed upon her. Because of this, Mary did not suffer the consequences of the first sin of Adam and Eve. She was free from any inclination to sin. It is only fitting that the mother of Our Lord and Savor be preserved from original sin. She is the glorious, radiant and pure vessel in whose womb Jesus was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We all turn to Mary Immaculate because she is the holy and perfect one. She is our Mother and intercessor before the throne of God. She enjoys the privilege of being in heaven body and soul. At the foot of the cross Mary was given to us when Jesus utter the words, "Woman, behold thy son." John, the beloved disciple, represents all of us.

The bond between mother and child is unlike any other earthly bond.As we go to our mother in time of need, we look to Mary, placing our trust in her. So many saints, when their earthy mother was taken from them took Mary to be their mother. We do not have to wait for that moment. Let us take Mary as our confidant and guide now by consecrating ourselves to her Immaculate Heart. Mary points the way to Jesus. St. Louis de Montfort said, "The surest and quickest way to Jesus is through Mary."

As we wait for the coming of our Savior, may Mary smile tenderly upon us bestowing her maternal blessing that we may open our hearts to receive all the blessings of this Advent season.

Advent Wreath

2011-12-04T17:40:00.000-08:00

Part of our traditional decorations at this time of year is the beautiful Advent wreath. This lovely ornamentation has much symbolism and is worthy of contemplation.

The fact that we arrange our candles in a circle rather than a square is significant because, having no beginning and no end, it suggests the eternity of God and the immortality of the soul.

The evergreens used as a base again signify undying life, and each type has its own meaning: laurel leaves stand for victory over persecution and suffering; pine, holly, and yew symbolyze immortality; and cedar branches mean strength and healing. Holly also has a special Christian symbolism: The prickly leaves remind us of the crown of thorns, and one English legend tells of how the cross was made of wood from the holly tree. Any pine cones, nuts, or seedpods used to decorate the wreath also symbolize life and resurrection which was won for us through Jesus who comes into the world at this season.

The candles used are usually four in number, and according to one legend, signify the 4000 years after Adam and Eve during which the world waited for the birth of our Redeemer. In some families a fifth candle is added in the center which is always white and signifies Christ Himself. This candle is not lighted until the day of His coming, Christmas day.

The color of the candles is also important. We use purple which is the color of prayer, penance and sacrifice with which we prepare for the coming of Christ. But why should we use purple in this season of joy? Because we rejoice that we have been given the gift of repentance. Each of us can look within and see that we have fallen short of what we could be in the life of grace. But now is when we have been given the time to turn back to our loving God and ask for the forgiveness which He so eagerly offers us. The one rose candle is used on the week of Gaudete Sunday and reminds us again of the joy of repenting and accepting this grace.

The flame of the candle is a light in the darkness of winter and the darkness of our life. Hopefully it is not a sputtering wick or a weak glow as if from a pocket flashlight, but a bright jumping flame that speaks of life and enthusiastic joyfulness.

Our candles begin as tall, stately tapers, and one by one they begin to burn down. Slowly, each night as we light them again, they are consumed, drip by drip. They can’t go back and burn tomorrow what was already depleted last night. This is a wonderful reminder to us that our life, too, is made up of passing years, days, moments. From the day we came into this world we began to spend, consume, our number of days, and our life on this earth is getting shorter, just as is the candle. Whether we are 20, or 40 or 80 years old, each day is precious and irretrievable. It helps us to use each day to the best of our ability and not put off until tomorrow what should be done today, especially in our journey toward God.

In the Lord's eyes, one day is as a thousand years

and a thousand years are as one day.

The Lord does not delay in keeping his promise -- though some consider it "delay."

Rather, he shows you generous patience,

since he wants none to perish but all to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3: 8-9

Our Prayers Continue...

2011-11-26T14:05:00.000-08:00

Although the universal Church focuses on November as the time to pray for the dead, the Dominican Order has many suffrages throughout the year to pray for the holy souls in purgatory.

We THANK YOU for sharing with us the names of your beloved family and friends who have begun their eternal life with the Lord. It is a great privilege to be able to place their names in our chapel before our altar where throughout the month of November the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered each day.

November 2^nd marks the day when we at Corpus Christi Monastery take on a new appearance by wearing our black cappas at all major liturgical functions. The cappa, which is part of the habit, signifies penance and reminds us of our obligation to pray for all the holy souls. On "All Souls Day" we not only remember the dead, but offer our prayers and sacrifices to aid in their release from Purgatory.

As part of our daily prayers together in community, we pray the De Profundis for our deceased. Printed below are the words and we ask you to continue to spiritually join us from your homes in remembering the souls of our faithful departed.

De Profundis
Psalm 129

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,
Lord, hear my voice.
    O let your ears be attentive,
    to my voice of supplication.
If you, O Lord, mark our iniquities,
Lord who can stand?
    But with You is forgiveness,
    that You may be revered.
I trust in the Lord;
my soul trusts in His word.
    My soul waits for the Lord;
    more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn
let Israel wait for the Lord.
    For with the Lord is kindness
    and with Him is plenteous redemption;
And He will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
From the gates of hell deliver their souls, O Lord.
Lord, listen to my prayer and let my cry for help reach you.

Let us pray: O God, creator and redeemer of all the faithful,
grant to the souls and of all your servants and handmaids
the remission of all their sins, that they may obtain by our
loving prayers the forgiveness which they have always desired.
Who live and reign forever, AMEN.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

We are grateful

for the gift of You,

Jesus,

in the

Blessed Sacrament

We thank You
for blessing

our Community with many graces.

Sweet Jesus, our Divine Victim

looking down from

the Sacred Host in the Monstrance,

as you looked down from the Cross,

may You always see

Your chosen brides

faithfully standing by Your Cross

in sacrificial love

and total surrender to Your Holy Will.

Partnering in Prayer

2011-11-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

Each year as the new class of brother novices enters the novitiate of our Province, we have a tradition of visiting with them in our parlor and drawing names for prayer partners who will accompany each young friar on their journey in the footsteps of St. Dominic.

This year we have eight new friars, three from St Martin de Porres Province and five from The Most Holy Name of Jesus Province. During our visit each of the Brothers relates his personal vocation story and it is very inspiring to learn how the Holy Spirit has worked in their lives to bring them to the point where they have decided to dedicate their lives to God in the Order.

We pray that they will all persevere and become holy Dominicans!

A Family Celebration

2011-11-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

Detail of a painting by Sr. Mary of the Compassion, OP, Union City, NJ

Just one week after the glorious feast of All Saints, on November 7 each year, the Dominican Order celebrates the feast of All Saints of the Dominican Order. On this occassion we look into our Family history and recognizes the many holy souls that have followed in the footsteps of St. Dominic. The big ones, like St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Albert the Great, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Martin de Porres, have their own day on the calendar of the universal Church. But there are many others whose information has not been processed by the necessary channels to be declared Saints or even Blesseds. And this is the day when we notice these hidden ones and glory in their attainment of the heavenly mansions.

Many of these are people that we have lived with in our convents and monasteries. Even those who were difficult to live with may have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb and joined the Saints in glory. As the old saying goes:

To read about the Saints

It’s all bliss and glory.

To live with them

Is a different story.

One of these lesser known saints is St. Agnes of Montepulciano (1268-1317). In 1306 she was called upon to found a Dominican monastery in her home town. She gained a reputation for holiness even outside the monastery and at one time raised to life a child who had been drowned. At her death the children of the town awoke and cried out, " Holy Sister Agnes is dead". Her tomb became a place of pilgrimage. It is noted that when St. Catherine of Siena went to venerate the body of her sister in the Order, Agnes raised her foot so Catherine would not have to stoop so far. Agnes was canonized in 1796. Her feast is celebrated on April 20.

All Saints' Celebration

2011-10-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

Halloween is a little different in the monastery than it is in the secular world. Here we see it as the vigil of one of the great feast days in the Church, the beginning of the celebration of All Saints' Day. In the evening we pray the Office of Readings and add the Litany of the Saints. This ceremony starts our rejoicing with our brothers and sisters of all ages who have completed their mission on this earth and have joined the heavenly choirs in eternity. And the celebration continues throughout the day on November 1.

Besides the commemoration of our canonized saints and those who have been declared ‘Blessed’, we look on this as the feast of those hidden ones who have finished their course and quietly slipped into beatitude. They have been faithful or repentant and made their peace with God. Many of them are members of our own families, or the grocer down the street, or the receptionist in the dentist’s office, or the lady at church who always said a prayer for our intention, or the bus driver who had a cheerful word for weary passengers.

In the early days of the church all the Christians were called ‘saints’, meaning, not that they were unusual or outstanding in virtue or devotion, but that they were those whom God had endowed with the gift of Faith in His Son, Jesus. As we go through our ordinary days, doing the little things we do for love of God and neighbor, we too, can think of ourselves as part of that beautiful company of those who love God.

All Souls Masses

2011-10-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

The Church sets aside the month of November to remember in prayer our beloved dead.

Beginning on November 2nd

and again on each Sunday in November

Mass will be celebrated in our chapel

for your departed ones

Please join us by sending the names of your loved ones to

Corpus Christi Monastery

215 Oak Grove Avenue

Menlo Park, CA 94025-3272

nunsmenlo@gmail.com

May our heavenly Mother

who held her crucified Son in her loving arms

pray for our beloved dead.

Prayer for the Holy Souls

O Mary, Mother of Sorrows,

your heart was broken

as you followed your Son

to his death on the Cross.

What deep sorrow you must have felt

when you received his body

into your loving arms.

We commend to you, dear Mother,

our loved ones.

May they experience the joy

that was later yours

at the resurrection of your Son,

and with your motherly intervention

come into the presence of Jesus

their Redeemer

in the eternal abode of Heaven. Amen

Singer, Artist, Poet, Intercessor

2011-10-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

At the time of her death, Sister Mary of the Holy Spirit was in the 94^th year of her life and the 66^th year of her religious profession. She was well known as singer, artist, and poet, but especially as an intercessor. Her outstanding characteristic was compassion. Sister loved to pray for all who are in pain, either physically, mentally, or spiritually. When anyone was suffering, she would suffer along with them in their time of trial. This extraordinary empathy was the charism given to her by God for His people. In heaven she will continue her ministry of intercession and will obtain strength and comfort for all who ask her prayers.

For those who would like to know her better we offer her vocation story.

My Vocation Story

by Sr. Mary of the Holy Spirit, OP

How long did it take me to decide to become a Religious? ONE WEEK! Dancing, singing were the very loves of my earthly life. However, there were yet greater loves not of earth - but by faith and His Grace - Jesus and Mary, my constant ‘companions’.

I had studied voice for some years and performing was part and parcel of what I loved to do. Religious life and a nunnery were the farthest thoughts from my mind. Besides, there was Joe - who had proposed and we were to be engaged when he returned from Germany after his tour of duty in World War II.

A confession turned my whole life around. During confession one evening, a priest I did not know posed the question, "Have you ever thought of being a Nun?" "No, Father, I am going to be married." "Then, come to me next week and I’ll give you instructions on the Sacrament of Matrimony."

That was THE WEEK that changed my life. On the way home, I said to my sister who was with me, "I wonder what it’s like to be a Nun."

On my trip to confession the following week, instead of asking about the Sacrament of Matrimony, I asked what it was like to be a Nun. "How long can you kneel?" asked he. And so, after some words of explanation, none of which I now recall, he asked me to visit the Monastery in the Bronx - Corpus Christi.

That visit led to a love affair that overpowered any idea of Joe. I wrote to him and told him that I’d found a Greater Love. And great person that he was, he accepted my explanation. That was a love affair that started over 60 years ago, and has been a joy throughout my life. Never a moment’s doubt. His grace has been there supporting that decision to enter His House and even now, I can hardly believe my good fortune.

Oh yes! The singing and dancing have not departed from me. Happily and gratefully, I have sung His praise now for 60 years and more.

And the Lord has a sense of humor. After 59 years in the Religious life, at 84 years of age, a young man, a musician friend, decided he wanted to make a CD of me. They brought all the equipment here. With the Prioress’ permission and presence at the first recording session, it was begun - "A Song in My Heart for God". And perhaps that can be the title of my story:

A Song in my Heart for my Beloved

and for which I can never be grateful enough.

Thank you, Lord!

Rest in Peace Our Beloved Sister

2011-10-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

Sister Mary of the Holy Spirit, OP

June 25, 1918 - October 14, 2011

Viewing:

In the monastery chapel:

Monday, October 17, 1:30 p.m. - 5: 30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 18, 7:00 a.m - 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 19. 7:00 a.m - 11:00 a.m

Funeral Mass:

Wednesday, October 19, at 11:00 a.m.

Corpus Christi Monastery

215 Oak Grove Avenue

Menlo Park, CA 94025

Liturgical Workshop

2011-10-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

In early October we had a wonderful workshop with Sister Kathleen Harmon, S.N.D.deN. who is an expert in both the field of music and that of liturgy. Sister gave us good theological explanations of the changes in the translation of the Mass in the New Roman Missal which will go into effect on the first Sunday of Advent.

At the same time, Sister Kathleen was able to coach our chantresses, organists, choir, and lectors, to improve our voice production and delivery, which is so important in our mission of preaching through the liturgy. The improvements in our choices and the quality of our reading and singing are already evident.

Tribute to our beloved former chaplain Fr Sam Parsons, OP

2011-10-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

We recently had the privilege of hosting the Vigil service for the funeral of our dear former chaplain, Fr. Sam Parsons, OP. Great Scripture scholar that he was, Father taught for many years at the Angelicum in Rome during the school year and in various schools in this area during the summer. During the years that Father Sam was with us when he was semi-retired, he treated us to weekly lectures on Scripture which opened our minds to the beauties of the holy writings, especially the Letters of St. Paul. As he aged and had to retire from all active ministry, he kept in touch and demonstrated as great a love for our community as ours for him.

May He Rest in Peace

1931-2011

The Wonder of The Immaculata

2010-12-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

Painting by Sr. Joseph Marie, O.P.

Who then are you, O Immaculate Conception?

Not Adam, formed out of the dust of the earth (Gen. 2,7). Not Eve molded from Adam’s rib (Gen. 2,21). Not the Incarnate Word, who exists before all ages, and of whom we should use the word “conceived” rather than “conception”. Humans do not exist before their conception, so we might call them created “conceptions.” But you, O Mary, are different from all other children of Eve. They are conceptions stained by original sin; whereas you are the unique, Immaculate Conception.

(St. Maximilian Kolbe. Sketch: Feb. 17, 1941, as found in Manteau-Bonamy, O.P. Immaculate Conception and the Holy Spirit)

During the last five days, our community was on our annual Advent silence retreat so as to spend more time in solitude, prayer, and meditation. During this time, I thought of our Blessed Mother and how she would be the perfect companion, especially during this time of waiting for the Light of the world to come, for she once lived in this period of joyful waiting and hopeful expectation centuries ago. I became so fascinated by the Marian teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Maximilian Kolbe and I spent my retreat diving more deeply into this wondrous transcendent love and mercy of God, our Creator, who has given us so many unmerited blessings and graces through our Blessed Mother.

In the Mass today we heard the recounting of the story of the Annunciation where the Angel Gabriel greeted Mary as the Virgin who is “full of grace,” and Mary was greatly troubled and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. And when the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive and bear a son who will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, Mary questioned as to how can this be? The Angel assured Mary that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. (Lk. 1:28 - 32)

Wall painting by our deceased Sister,
Sr. Mary Agnes, O.P.

Centuries after the Annunciation, we heard from the same Virgin’s lips at Lourdes as she revealed her identity to the whole world by telling Bernadette: “Que soy era Immaculada Councepciou…I am the Immaculate Conception.” Based on the teachings of the Church, God preserved Mary from original sin at the time when she was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne and filled her with sanctifying grace that normally comes with baptism. But one might wonder as to the how…why…and what is the profound meaning behind Mary’s exceptional identity…the Immaculata or the Immaculate One.

Let us turn to our Brother Thomas Aquinas who teaches that Mary was not only sanctified in the womb but also had always been preserved from every sin, mortal and venial. St. Thomas teaches that God prepares and endows the ones he chooses for some particular job so that they are able to fulfill it; and since God entrusted Mary with the office of the Mother of God, she received the full intensity of grace as she would bear within her womb the author of grace. This is the meaning of the Angel’s greeting, "Hail Mary full of grace! The Lord is with you." Mary was filled with the Holy Spirit from the very moment of her conception. This profound loving union is a reflection of life and love of the Holy Trinity.

Drawn from the fact that the Father begets the Son known as "generation", and the Holy Spirit is the love between the Father and the Son known as "spiration," St. Maximilian Kolbe further teaches us that the Spirit is the divine “conception” that springs from their love. Among human beings the wife takes her husband’s name because she belongs to him and is one with him…the source of new life, “with how much greater reason should the name of the Holy Spirit, who is the divine Immaculate Conception, be the title of her in whom God lives as uncreated Love, the principle of life in the whole supernatural order of grace?” In other words, The Saint is saying that this "eternal" Immaculate Conception, which is the Holy Spirit, created divine life in Mary's womb and made her the "human" Immaculate Conception!

So for all the love and mercy the Father has for us, let us give joyful thanks and praises this day as we honor the Immaculate Conception, and in unity with our Holy Mother Church we pray:

Father,

the image of the Virgin is found in the Church.

Mary had a faith that your Spirit prepared

and a love that never knew sin,

for you kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception.

Trace in our actions the lines of her love,

in our hearts her readiness of faith.

Prepare once again a world for your Son

who lives and reigns with you the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(Alternate Opening Prayer from the Office of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

The Extravagance of Divine Love

2010-12-04T21:04:00.000-08:00

The term Advent comes from the Latin word Aventus and can be translated as coming, arrival or presence. It is then very fitting that our holy Mother Church designated Advent as the first season of the new Liturgical Year. In understanding that God is very near, we feel strengthened to continue facing the challenges of life on our journey of faith throughout the year.

Yet, it is only in stillness, silence and attentiveness that we are able to sense the presence of God manifested in many different ways and circumstances of our life. And how does God come to us? “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn. 1:14) This is the wonderful and unfathomable mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God that should make our heart burn with profound gratitude each time we contemplate the love of God.

St. John tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish, but might have eternal life." (Jn 3:16). In his commentary on the Gospel of St. John, our Brother Thomas Aquinas teaches us that the cause of all our good is the Lord and divine love. For to love is to will good to someone. And it is because of his great love that God gives us the good of glory, and this love of God is the greatest for the following reasons:

First, God’s love is the greatest because of the person loving...it is God who loves, and infinitely. Thus he says, God so loved.

Secondly, God’s love is the greatest because of the condition of the one who is loved; that is, man, who is of the world and living in sin. St. Paul writes: God shows his love for us, because while we were still his enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.” (Rom 5:8) Hence he says, the world.

Thirdly, God’s love is the greatest because of the greatness of his gifts, for love is shown by a gift; as Gregory says: “The proof of love is given by action.” But God gave us the greatest of gifts, his only begotten Son; his natural Son, consubstantial, not adopted, to prove the enormity of his love. St. Paul again writes that "God did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for all of us.” (Rom 8:32) Therefore he says, that he gave his only begotten Son.

Fourthly, God’s love is the greatest because of the greatness of its fruit, which is eternal life. Accordingly he says, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish, but might have eternal life. This he obtained for us through his death on the Cross.

But did God give us his Son with the intention that he should die on the Cross? Indeed says St. Thomas, that God gave Him to us for this purpose. The Son of God freely willed from eternity to assume flesh and to suffer for us. He has a divine will (along with a human will) that is totally in union with the Father's.

Truly, our God is an awesome God!

So next time when we experience a personal Advent, a visit from God, whether it be a happy occasion or an afflicted situation, let us continually give thanks to God for He is a "mad Lover" as our Sister Catherine of Siena tells us. He wants to come to us, live with us, share our life with us and desires that we share our life with him in whatever state of life we found ourselves in.

Let us conclude this meditation with a verse from the Stanbrook Abbey's hymn that we've been singing each night at Compline:

With all who wait with longing

give thanks that never cease

For Him whom God is sending

to visit us in peace.

A Blessed and Holy Advent to All!

Nunsmenlo Went On A Pilgrimage!

2010-11-23T21:15:00.000-08:00

We recently went on a pilgrimage to the lands of our founder St. Dominic. The best part of the trip was that we didn’t have to leave the monastery to do so! It was totally a virtual and spiritual journey with one of our most charismatic and warm-hearted Dominican Sisters, Sister Ann Willits, O.P.

Sister Ann is an active member of the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters of the Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary in Wisconsin. She has served as a General Council and Vicaress General for her congregation, and as a high school principal and teacher for many years. Sister has gone many times to St. Dominic's birthplace, Caleruega, Spain. She traveled to Palencia where he studied, and to the lands where he travelled and preached. She also went to the spot where he had the vision of the "signadou" or the sign of God indicating where he should establish the first monastery for the nuns of the Order.

Even though we know well the history of our Order, Sr. Ann made the history alive through her storytelling, accompanied by a slide show. After four days of listening to Sister Ann and engaging in discussions and conversations, our hearts were once again enkindled with the love for truth and the missionary zeal of our holy father Saint Dominic. Sister challenged us to think about the apostolicity of our lives as enclosed nuns and ways in which we could strengthen the family bonds with all the members of our Dominican family, the active Sisters, the Dominican Laity and the Dominican volunteers.

We were reminded of our former Master General Carlos' hope and conviction that the renewal of the Order will come through the strengthening of the contemplative element of our Dominican life, along with the preaching of the whole family centered on the fraternal bond between the friars and nuns sharing the fruits of their contemplation. Prayer, study, the vows, and the liturgy are at the center of our life; and by reason of profession, authority is at the heart of Dominican government where each professed member has a share of responsibility in the governmental structure. This style of governance is very unique to our Dominican Order. We were encouraged to live the charisms of our holy father Dominic, his charity, obedience, trust in Divine Providence and his love for souls.

We all look forward to our next encounter with Sister Ann, who is truly an enlightened and joyful Dominican after the heart of our holy father Dominic. We wish Sister Ann abundant blessings on her many journeys as an itinerant preacher.

A Visit from a Wise Friar of the East!

2010-11-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday we enjoyed a brief visit from our Dominican Father, Father Nicanor Austriaco, O.P. of the Eastern Dominican Province, the Province of St. Joseph. Father came to the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT) in Berkeley to discuss the insights that Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas can offer to scientists today concerning the nature of interactions in biological systems.

Father Nicanor is a brilliant young friar who has an undergraduate degree in engineering (Bioengineering) from the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in microbiology from MIT. He has been a Scientific Advisor to the National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly since 2001 and currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Biology at Providence College, RI.

Living in this chaotic world of today, many people, young and old, easily get lost in the pursuit of Truth. Father Nicanor possesses a wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit, the source of all truth. May the Holy Spirit continue to shower upon Father Nicanor all the graces and wisdom he needs to guide his students to see things from God's perspective. Only when one lives and acts according to God's eternal law will one possess true happiness and taste the goodness of the Lord.

What Good Must We Do To Gain Eternal Life?

2010-11-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

He has loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. (Rev. 1:5)

Scriptures tell us that through Christ's passion and death, we have been delivered from the debt of punishment due to sin. We have been "purchased and at a price," the price is the Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb unspotted and undefiled. (1 Peter 1:18) The apostle Peter also tells us that through Christ's passion, we receive the spirit of adoption of sons and become heirs of the immortal glory. That is truly the Good News of salvation!

Still, in order to secure the effect of Christ's passion, it is not surprising that most of us found ourselves asking the same question that the young man once asked of Jesus. Jesus' answer was very simple: "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." (Mt. 19:17) Then Jesus further emphasizes: "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

As religious striving for perfection, we're following our Lord's command in doing just that. However as wayfarers, clothed in the weaknesses of the flesh and traveling on the path of life that is filled with dangers, we need help for left to ourselves we cannot do it. This is where the communion of Saints is so efficacious: the Saints intercede for us before thethrone of God; the holy souls that are being sanctified pray for us; we can pray for one another and for the holy souls who can intercede for us but cannot help themselves. This month of November is a wonderful month that reminds us that as Christians, we are not alone on our pilgrimage of life.

Our Cloister of the Dead

Our Chaplain, Fr. Eugene Sousa, O.P. likes to remind us once in a while that if one is to die, the best Order to die in is the Dominican Order. This is because after a person's death, she or he will be remembered daily in prayers by all the members of the Order. This advantage does not apply only to Dominicans but also to all their relatives, friends, and benefactors.

Each year, a Mass is to be celebrated for the deadon February 7th for the anniversary of fathers and mothers, on September 5th for the anniversary of relatives, friends and benefactors of the Order, and on November 8th for the anniversary of brothers and sisters. The souls of our dear ones are being remembered at the beginning of each meeting, and at least once a day before meal the De Profundis (a Lament of the Penitential Psalm 130) is recited for the deceased brothers, sisters and benefactors of the Order.

Our Constitutions also requires that once a week the community participates in the conventual Mass as a suffrage for the deceased and we are to recite the seven penitential psalms or a third of the rosary for the dead. Besides these suffrages for the dead, on the death of each Sister, our Monastery arranges that a set of Gregorian Masses be celebrated for her soul.

Praying for our deceased sisters

This year we remembered our deceased brothers and sisters in a special way. Our community planned to have a procession to the Vault where our sisters are buried. However, due to the change of weather and the darkness which accompanies the daylight saving change, we had to process into the Chapter Hall where we sang, prayed and recalled the name of each of our deceased sisters along with the year they entered Eternal Life.

The Vault where our Sisters are buried
...located inside the enclosure, beneath the Altar

So as we unite with you in praying for all the faithful departed who have gone before us and especially during this special month for the holy souls, we recommend to you our beloved sisters who had dedicated their lives to God's service and His people. As we pray for them, may they remember us in their prayers!

O God, by whose tender mercy the souls of the faithful find rest, may all your servants and handmaids who are sleeping in Christ here and everywhere be reconciled to You through the forgiveness of their sins so that once freed from all guilt they may rejoice with you forever. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fraternal Visits

2010-11-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

A little history of the Dominican Nuns and our connection to our Friars...

The Nuns of the Order of Preachers came into being when our holy father St. Dominic gathered women converts from the Albigensian to the Catholic faith in the monastery of Blessed Mary of Prouille in 1206. These women, free for God alone, he associated with his "holy preaching" by their prayer and penance.

Our holy Father drew up a rule to be followed and constantly showed a father's love and care for these nuns for "they had no other master to instruct them about the Order." He entrusted the nuns as part of the same Order to the fraternal care of his sons.

The fraternal charity shown by our Brothers is a well kept tradition since the beginning of the Order's foundation. Over the years, we've enjoyed many fraternal visits from the different Masters of the Order and our Dominican Friars who passed through the town. More recently, Fr. Viktor Hofstetter, O.P., the first Promoter of the nuns in the 1980's visited us and enlightened us with many of his teachings and stories from all over the world.

Fr. Viktor

Geographically, we're very blessed living in Menlo Park because of the short distance from the headquarters of the Friar's Western Dominican Province in Oakland. They have given us strong spiritual support, and for this, we are very grateful. Each year when a new class of novices arrives at the Novitiate House in San Francisco, Father Novice Master takes them to Menlo Park for a visit. This year two Brothers from the Southern Dominican Province also joined our Western Province Brothers for their formation.

Meet our Brother Novices from the Class of 2010

Sharing of our vocation stories and journeys

Drawing of Prayer Partners

From left: Fr. Anthony Rosevear, O.P. Novice Master, Br. Juan de la Caridad (Southern Province), Br. Bradley Thomas, Br. Kevin, Br. Dennis, Br. Thomas More (Southern Province)

The Brother Novices also have their own website and a blog to share with us their lives and experiences as Dominican Novices. You may visit them at: http://novices.opwest.org/Class2010/Novitiate_2010/Novices.html

Our Brothers would certainly appreciate some prayers to the "Come and See" weekend at St. Albert Priory starting this Friday November 5th! May many young men who heard God's call respond generously to this blessed life of preaching and contemplation.

If you or someone you know are wondering about what it's like to be a Dominican Friar, this event would be extremely helpful. You may also contact the Friars' Vocation Director, Fr. Steven Maekawa, O.P. at www.opwest.org

Angels Among Us

2010-10-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

I know what you’re thinking…the Feasts of the Holy Angels are over so what else is there to be said? Am I late in writing this little tribute to the angels?

For me, Angel is such a fascinating topic that it deserves more than just a day of reflection and expression of gratitude. Through Scripture, we learn but briefly about the angels, whether they are archangels or our own guardian angels; and though we do not see these wonderful celestial spirits, we believe that God commands them to assist and guard us in all our ways ever since the moment of our birth. The psalmist says…with their hands they shall support us, lest we strike our foot against a stone. (Ps. 119)

The word “angel” comes from the Greek angelos, meaning messenger. While celebrating the Feast of the Holy Angels recently, I thought also of a different specie of angels or messengers that are sent by God to us in many different ways, shapes and forms. They’re the kind that are very much visible to our human eyes if only we look more closely into the events in our daily life.

As I see it, angels are all around us. As Dominicans, our mission is to praise, to bless, to preach, and to share with others the fruits of our contemplation. For us as Dominican nuns, a good amount of our time is spent in contemplation and prayer to accompany our Brothers in their preaching for the salvation of the world. Though our altar bread business is our main source of income, we depend heavily on the generosity and kindness of others to help maintain our contemplative life and we thank God that he has sent us many wonderful and generous ‘Angels’ who help us along our journey.

As a new librarian for our monastery with not much experience in the field, I had a special opportunity to spend an intense amount of time working and learning the field of Library Science the past six weeks with one of God’s special messengers to our monastery, and I would like you to meet her…

Earlene...in her favorite librarian t-shirt

Earlene V. Billing came to Corpus Christi Monastery one day in 1986 for an enrollment into our Venite Adoremus Society. By God’s providence, Earlene came back shortly after and volunteered to work in the infirmary taking care of our infirm and elderly sisters. Earlene was raised by the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose and at the young age of 10 helped the sisters in the infirmary there. She was an experienced and a natural caregiver and was most welcomed and loved by our sisters.

In knowing that Earlene has a degree in Master of Library Science with many years of experience working as a Librarian and Consultant, overseeing some of the public school libraries in the Bay Area, our head Librarian, Sister Maura, was eager to have her help organize and catalogue the books in our library. Consequently, after her retirement Earlene has devoted many hours teaching, organizing and cataloging the growing number of 7000 books in our library.

From left: Earlene, Sr. Maura, Earlene's son Larry
(picture was taken at about the time
Earlene started to work at the monastery)

Sister Maura was very hopeful that since Earlene knew many librarians, she could ask them to come and put our library in order. She thought that working together perhaps they could do it in ONE day! Understandably, there was not one retired librarian who would be so out of her mind as Earlene to spend the hours it would take for our library to be properly ordered. Earlene has spent endless hours and days with tremendous patience teaching and working in our library...all out of her deep love for God and our Dominican family. (Earlene is also a member of the laity of our Dominican Order.) Truly, God’s message of love and providence has come to our life through Earlene who has acted in an “angelic” way.

Earlene has presently moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas, where she will be helping her son Larry Billing with his blooming business as owner of the Shadrachs Coffee and Roasting Company, and with her daughter-in-law, Risa in taking care of their two little boys and her expected granddaughter due on the Feast of St. Luke.

A little belated but wonderful surprise gift
for Sr. Maura's Diamond Jubilee on July 22nd

Since study is one of the important charisms of our Dominican Order, providing us with a well-organized and a professionally established library, Earlene left us a legacy that will be remembered and treasured for years to come. Not satisfied with her precious time donated to us for many years, before the last farewell, Earlene opened her loving heart once again and gave the community a workshop to help the sisters, and an expensive library truck as a Diamond Jubilee gift to our Sister Maura. Sister had dreamed of having one for years but we could not afford it.

From left: Sr. Maura (a very contented retired librarian),
Earlene, Sr. Joseph Marie
(the new librarian who was very delighted with the gift),
Sr. Mary of the Sacred Heart (who helped many years
with cataloging the books in her spare moments)

Naturally, after weeks of working closely with Earlene and Sister Maura and learning the "ropes" from them, I’ve come to appreciate librarians! They must attend carefully to detail, getting spellings and dates and punctuation exactly right. They must often deal with large backlogs of materials needing processing so it is important for them to communicate with people in different areas to assess the priority. They also must stay abreast of rapid changes in the field of information access as I’ve experienced recently. So as we change librarians, it is also a sign of a new era…an era of high speed of changing technology, but still an epic of service to those who come seeking to advance in their learning and knowledge of God. My heart has been overwhelmed with so much gratitude to God and to all of our benefactors or Angels who have kindly and lovingly dedicated their time and resources to help us since the foundation of our monastery.

Earlene giving the community a library workshop

Sr. Maura presenting Earlene
with a Certificate of Honor
from the Nuns

A note of appreciation is also given to our Dominican Friar, Father Patrick Labelle, O.P. who donated his library of approximately 600 fine books to our collection before he left his position as director of the Vallombrosa Center for his new assignment as Prior of St. Dominic Priory in San Francisco.

This brings me to the teaching from the Letter to the Hebrews…

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (Hebrews 13:2)

As you can see I will have a giant task ahead of me to continue organizing the library so that our sisters will continue to have sufficient and up-to-date resources for their study and contemplation. Earlene and I have developed a system to catalog the non-book materials such as audio tapes, CDs, DVDs, etc. thanks to the help of the head librarian at St. Patrick's Seminary - Dr. Cecil White and his staff who graciously spent their time to assist us; and to Nicolas Szegada, a librarian at the Menlo Park Library who optimistically and happily passed on to us a few good tricks of the trade and free on-line resources for librarians!

At the same time we desperately need to build more shelves in our library to accommodate all the books that we are currently cataloging. Also, if you or someone you know, is so 'out of their mind' and is a mad lover of God and nuns as our Earlene was and would like to help us in any way, please contact us at op.nunsmenlo@yahoo.com

We pray that God will continue to bless our dear friend Earlene and her family, and all those who do us good as we offer prayers for them each day before the Eucharistic Lord who alone can repay them with all that is His to give.

Deo Gratias!

Our Dominican Friars share the fruits of their contemplation...

2010-10-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

Fr. Eugene Sousa, O.P.

We're blessed to have Father Eugene Sousa, O.P. as our monastery chaplain, who nourishes our souls daily with the Bread of Life and the Word of God. Father lives next door to us in a small Dominican community of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Fr. Nathan Castle, O.P.

Other members of the community are Father Nathan Castle, O.P., director and pastor of the Catholic Community at Stanford; Father George Matanic, O.P., director of the Vallombrosa Center which is right accross from our monastery; Father Isaiah Mary Molano, O.P. Associate Director, Parochial Vicar of the Catholic Community at Stanford. Each Wednesday, when Father Eugene has a day off, we look for a surprise Friar replacement who gives us a different taste of the fruits of his contemplation in his homily.

Fr. Isaiah Mary Molano, O.P.

The Friars have put their Sunday homilies on podcast and you can listen to them at: http://catholic.stanford.edu/media/podcast

This morning at Mass, we enjoyed Father Isaiah Mary's homily that we would like to share with you. Thank you dear Father, for your very well written and thought out homily. May God continue to bless you all with much wisdom and strength to preach the Good News, to praise and to bless! His homily follows:

A married couple of 45 years were at an expensive restaurant. It was their wedding anniversary. He was dressed in a very expensive black suit and deep blood red shirt, she in a purple gown with a lot of sequins. After they had their second or third glass of wine, he experienced a heart attack and collapsed in front of her.

They were brought into the hospital at 12:30 in the morning. I was the chaplain on call. The doctors told me that that he would not make it past the night. I was called in to console the wife and be present when her husband of 45 years died. …lucky me.

We kept on praying, over and over again, the Lucan version of the Lord’s Prayer. For some reason, Presbyterians pray this version of the Lord’s Prayer, and not the Matthaen. But it was this prayer, the Lucan version of the Lord’s Prayer that we recited over and over again. We read a little from scripture, we talked about her husband and their family, about what they had for dinner, about what songs they danced to that evening. But it was this prayer, over and over again that we came back to.

Around 4 o’clock that morning, we told the wife to go home. The head of the emergency told me to go home too, after I think about it. As we were leaving, the wife said to me, “We ask the Lord to feed us, we ask him to forgive us and everyone else, we ask God to keep us from the final test. We do not ask God to change our lives.” With that, she got into her car, and drove off into the night.

When the Council of Jerusalem met, the Apostles found themselves at a terrible quandary. They saw that Paul was exposing the Gentiles to the Jewish way of life. They saw that Paul was allowing Gentiles into the Jewish inner-circle. The Gentiles were being taught that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob wanted a relationship with them just as much as the progeny of Abraham himself. Paul was making vast changes to the Jesus Movement, and the Apostles had no idea what to do with themselves.

Yet, we know that these changes were indeed from the Holy Spirit. We know that opening up the New Covenant to all of humanity was God’s Gift. Jesus Christ was not only for the progeny of Abraham, but for the entire human race. And this was the work of the Holy Spirit.

Though we may live within the heart of the monolith that is the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of the Roman Rite, loyal of the Supreme Pontiff, the world around us is in perpetual flux. Yes, Jesus Christ, the same now and forever, yet the world he created, is changing moment by moment. The life we lead as members of the Order of Preachers is beautiful and wonderful for those who are strong enough. However, simultaneously, how willing are we to expose ourselves to the ever changing world, showing the world how relevant and necessary our lives of contemplation, prayer and study really are? …or would we rather disappear into the pages of history? Are we willing to meet and confront the new demands of mass media and the internet, preaching a word of never-ending contemplation and prayer to the millions of young people around the world, begging for some sort of Truth, Oneness and stability? …or are we hiding our pearl of great price?

Change is terribly a scary thing. I deal with it all the time at the University. Most of the things I deal with when talking to my students have to do with transition and adaptation. Change scares just about everyone.

Our friend from the hospital said to me, “We ask the Lord to feed us, we ask him to forgive us and everyone else, we ask God to keep us from the final test. We do not ask God to change our lives.” …actually, he does. The Holy Spirit constantly asks us to stretch, change, and adapt throughout our lives. The question, though, is whether we want to.

EWTN Visited NunsMenlo!

2010-09-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

This past week, we had a surprise visit from our dear friends and benefactors, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Soeherman, who came from Alabama for a family visit. With them was their son, Fr. Miguel Marie of our Lady, Mediatrix of all grace, MFVA.
Mr. Soeherman graciously volunteered a countless number of hours to help in our library some time ago. Their son, Fr. Miguel Marie, a member of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, found his vocation to the priesthood while working as a System Engineer for Electronic Data Systems.

We fondly remembered Fr. Miguel Marie’s vocation story and one could say that it was through his parents’ prayerful witness and fidelity to God that helped to nurture his vocation. One year when his parents went on a trip abroad, they asked him to pray for them. So each day he would stop by a Church on his lunch hour to pray for them during Mass. Little did he know, the Holy Spirit took these opportunities to speak to his heart and made known the lofty vocation to which God was calling him. It took much discernment, as he wanted to have a big family, but yielding to the Spirit's lead, he finally entered the

Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word (MFVA.)

Your priestly blessing please Father...

Father Miguel Marie was ordained to the priesthood on June 5, 2004 and currently serves as the Community Vicar, MFVA Council member, Local Servant at Ephesus House in Hanceville, Alabama and Novice Master. Many of his homilies can be viewed online and heard through the Youtube.

We’re grateful to God for Fr. Miguel Marie’s talents and generosity in giving himself totally to serving God and his people, after the example of his parents. May our Blessed Mother continue to show Father Miguel Marie her motherly love and bless him with abundant graces and strength, that he may guide others in the way of truth and salvation.

* Our Sister Mary Isabel is an Indonesian-the same nationality as the Soehermans-so this was quite a happy visit and reunion for all of us. Even Sister Joseph Marie was quite happy and impressed when Fr. Miguel Marie prayed with her the Hail Mary in Vietnamese! Father has promised to learn more prayers in Vietnamese so as to pray with her on his future visit to our Monastery. Deo Gratias!

This is how we know what love is:

Christ gave up his life for us;

and we too must give up our lives for our brothers.

(1Jn 3:16)

Go and Preach to All Nations...

2010-09-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

...baptize them and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you, says the Lord. (Mt 28:19-20)

Today we joyfully celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist as we remember and pray for all the apostles of today: our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, all Bishops, Priests and Missionaries who faithfully follow the footsteps and the commandment of the Lord.

We know very little of St. Matthew except that he was a tax collector as recorded in St. Matthew’s Gospel. He was also known as Levi, a Jewish name, by Sts. Luke and Mark. His profession as a tax collector was despised by many people for it was easy for such a person at that time to line his own pockets with more than the taxes legally due. This line of work fell under the religious ban and the Jews of strict observance considered him to be unclean and would have nothing to do with him. Therefore, St. Matthew’s vocation is one of the greatest experiences recounted in the Gospel where Jesus plainly teaches that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. Jesus saw in Matthew the true person he could become and not the person that he was at the time.

St. Bede the Venerable also teaches in his homily that Jesus saw Matthew, not merely in the usual sense, but more significantly with his merciful understanding of men. St. Bede went on to tell us that no sooner was he converted, Matthew drew after him a whole crowd of sinners along the same road to salvation. How can we, as children of our heavenly Father, become one of mercy, compassion and understanding toward those we live with? To those we meet each day? And to those we have not met but recognized that they need our mercy?

As was told in the Gospel, upon hearing the call of Jesus, Matthew left all that he had and immediately followed Him. His response was one of generosity and without measure or counting the cost. The quick response of St. Matthew reminded me of the story of one of our aspirants, Tara Clement.

Tara came to us through the referral of one of our Dominican Friars of the Western Province ministering at the Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage, Alaska. She was a convert to Catholicism only a few years ago but her love for the Lord has led her to the strong desire of abandoning all earthly goods upon finding the one treasure…Jesus Christ Himself.

Tara's conversion began when a co-worker friend of hers invited her to Mass. Although she didn't understand the Mass, she couldn't find anything that was contrary to the teaching of the Bible. So Tara started to look more closely into the Catholic Church so that she could better "evangelize" her friend about the "Christian" truth. Tara turned to Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and discovered the truth lay in the Catholic Church through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The rest is history.

Even though Tara has been a very active Catholic in her own parish, she still finds something missing in her life and for the last few years, rigorously discerned the call to religious life. Tara found herself drawn gradually to giving herself entirely to Christ as a Dominican contemplative. She has investigated different orders and congregations and spent a month within the enclosure of our monastery to further discern her vocation. In Tara’s own words: My heart’s desire is to offer myself, my gifts and talents to Christ in the cloister of a Dominican monastery, in contemplation and prayer, for the salvation of souls. Tara has tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord and like St. Matthew, has found the incorruptible treasure of heaven.

Despite the fact that her educational debt is huge, Tara does not lose hope or faith in God. Entrusting herself entirely to the Divine Providence, Tara is currently working very hard as a self-employed attorney and with the Laboure Society to eliminate her debt so as to be free for God alone. Tara has also created a blog to record her journey to becoming a contemplative Dominican nun at supporttarsvocation.wordpress.com. She would appreciate your support, prayer or just a word of encouragement. Tara may also be reached at amataveritas@gmail.com.

Like St. Matthew, Tara wishes to leave everything and follow Christ. How soon she could do that depends greatly on her brothers and sisters in Christ who will help her achieving her dream. We admire Tara for her determination and keep her in our daily prayers as well as her generous benefactors. We wish her well on this long yet faith-filled journey for she has truly fallen in love with God; and nothing is greater than this realization as we contemplate the words of St. Augustine:

To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances;

To seek Him, the greatest adventure;

To find Him, the greatest human achievement.

Many people often wonder why the nuns chose to live an enclosed life and what do nuns do all day? And you yourself might wonder why our friend Tara, is considering leaving all things behind to join a monastery. In our future bloggings, we will give you, our readers, a peek into the life of the contemplative nuns, our history and the love that urges us to do what we do.

But for now, let us be content with the final words from our St. Bede the Venerable…Our Savior attests to this: Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. On hearing Christ’s voice, we open the door to receive him, as it were, when we freely assent to his promptings and when we give ourselves over to doing what must be done. Christ, since he dwells in the hearts of his chosen ones through the grace of his love, enters so that he might eat with us and we with him. He ever refreshes us by the light of his presence insofar as we progress in our devotion to and longing for the things of heaven. He himself is delighted by such a pleasing banquet.

St. Matthew, pray for us!

How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place, Lord, God of Hosts!!

2010-09-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

This is God's holy temple.
He lavished care on it; He built it stone by stone.

Today we had the joy and privilege of celebrating the Solemnity of the Consecration of our Chapel.

Each year, on this day before dawn and the start of our Morning Prayer, Sister Maria Christine, our Extern Sister who takes care of the outside Chapel, lights the twelve candles that are placed before the twelve crosses, one at each Station along the two sides of our Chapel. These crosses were impressed on twelve pillars of the Chapel on the day of Consecration. These lighted candles burn throughout the day from dawn until dusk.

Sr. Maria Christine lighting the candles at 5:30 a.m.

In addition to the delight of the celebration, this morning at Mass, our Chaplain, Father Eugene Sousa, O.P. recalled the joy and unforgettable memories of that great day on Saturday, September 12, 1953 when our Chapel was consecrated. Father Sousa was a Novice at the time and enjoyed greatly the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a Dominican Novice with his other seventeen classmates.

The confirmation that a Church or Chapel is consecrated

Fr. Eugene Sousa, O.P. giving the homily

As Father Sousa explained to us in his homily, the definition of a consecration is to dedicate in a special way, a place or a person, to the service of God. A house is made holy through the presence of Jesus. We’re made holy through the presence of Jesus in each one of us for we’ve been consecrated by our baptism. In the early days of the Church, the Eucharist was celebrated in the homes. How was Jesus present there? Jesus said, where two or three gather in my name, there I am. So what makes a home holy? Jesus' presence. When Jesus is present with the people gathered together to pray, the dwelling is made holy.

We still have five Sisters living in our monastery who were present at the Consecration ceremony; and we always take delight in hearing the story retold over and over again each year. Let us now take a peek into the Chronicle of our Monastery to relive this most magnificent moment in the history of our Monastery, of the Order, and that of the Church.

Our Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart was a three-week old postulant when the Consecration took place, and her meditations and comments to the event are given in italics.

The Glorious Celebration of the Consecration of our Chapel

September 12, 1953

About 9 a.m. the ceremony of the Consecration of the Chapel began. Bishop Guilfoyle, attended by Father Bowe and Father Cahil started the august ceremony. Bishop Guilfoyle had prepared for it by a day of fasting, as he was to represent the Eternal Pontiff who opened heaven to us by fasting and suffering.

The sacred relics that were to be placed in the sepulcher had been retained in the sacristy overnight, and were so placed in the little grille opening into our Chapel hall, that we were privileged to venerate them there during the night hours. Two candles burned before them constantly and flowers adorned the aperture.

The ceremony began promptly in the morning. The Bishop, wearing a white cope, and accompanied by the clergy, remaining outside the Chapel, approaches the relics, to implore near them the mercy of God. For this purpose he recites the seven Penitential Psalms. Meanwhile the door of the Chapel is closed. There was no one inside except the Deacon, who was our Chaplain, Father Clark, wearing an alb, girdle and white stole.
(The Chapel had been prepared before the day by removing every movable thing – chairs, tables, flowers, vases, etc. No persons may be inside the Chapel during the first part of the ceremony. All, even the clergy, are outside the door. This is a vivid symbol of how we must empty our hearts of EVERYTHING to consecrate them to the exclusive use of God.)

The Bishop, struck by the greatness of the undertaking, cries out, “O Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, be in the midst of us.” To implore this help, the Litany of the Saints is recited.
(Here we learn how important it is to entreat the Saints to be with us and help us as we consecrate ourselves to God.)

After this, the Bishop blesses salt and water, with the usual exorcisms and prayers. Having made an aspersion on himself and clergy, he goes around the Monastery walls, sprinkling the exterior with holy water, and saying continually, “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy ghost.” During this time, the antiphon is intoned, “The House of the Lord is built upon a mountain, etc.”

Having returned to the front of the monastery, the Bishop recites a prayer, asking God to bless this dwelling and make it a house of holiness and prayer.
(And we ask God to make of our very person a dwelling place for Himself and one that is a house of holiness and prayer.)

Then with his pastoral staff, he strikes the door once, saying, “O princes open your gates; and the King of Glory shall enter in.”

The Deacon, who is inside, asks, “Who is the King of Glory?” The Bishop answers, “He is the strong and mighty God.” During all this time, the outer door of the Chapel has remained closed. There is no one inside, except the Deacon. (He was Father Clark, our Chaplain.)

The Deacon does not open the door. The Bishop now goes around the Monastery a second time, saying the same words.
(We see from this that it is not easy to prepare our hearts for consecration. It takes persevering effort and repeated pleading to be made worthy to be His own.)

Having returned to the front of the Chapel and asking God’s blessing on all who were assembled, he strikes the door a second time, saying the same prayers as was said the first time. The door of the Chapel is not opened yet. The Bishop goes around the building the third time, sprinkling the walls and blessing them. Meanwhile, the anthem, “O Master of the universe” is intoned.

Returning to the front of the Chapel, the Bishop offers a prayer and strikes the door the third time, making the same invocation. The deacon responds and then opens the door.

“Peace to this house” the Bishop says, as he enters the Chapel. All kneel down in the middle of the Chapel, and the Bishop intones the “Veni Creator.” The Litany of the Saints is again said. Whereupon the Bishop traces, on the floor, with his crosier, on two lines of ashes, the Greek and Latin alphabet.
(The evening before the ceremony, Msgr. Kennedy had come to see that all was in order. But he found that the wax on the Chapel floor did not permit the laying down of the ashes. So he rolled up his sleeves and scrubbed all the wax off the floor and laid down the ashes in the form of an X from one corner of the Chapel to the other.)

After blessing the walls on the inside, he mixes new water putting into it salt, ashes and wine. This is called Gregorian Water.
(And is used for the consecration of the Altar.)

And now, after more prayers, the Bishop goes around the Altar seven times, wearing cope and mitre, sprinkling the Altar and reciting the Miserere.

The moment has now come to place the sacred relics in the sepulcher.
(This is a rectangular hole which has been hollowed out of the center of the Altar which is made of one large slab of stone.)

The Bishop recites a prayer, after which he consecrates the sepulcher with holy chrism and immediately lays the holy relics in it, together with three grains of incense. The relics were as follows: one of St. Fortunatus, one of St. Felicitus, and that of our holy father St. Dominic in which the last one was allowed at the community’s request.
(The relics placed in an Altar must be those of a martyr of the early Church. You request them from the Vatican and take whatever ones they send you. We asked that a relic of St. Dominic also be included and our request was granted.)

Our Altar with the sepulcher containing the relics inside

The Bishop now consecrates the stone that is to close the sepulcher which now contains the relics. He fixes it on the sepulcher with the cement he has made and blessed. Then anointing it again with the holy chrism, he says, “Let this Altar be sealed and sanctified in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and let peace always surround it.”

(Similarly we hope that peace will be sensed when we are present.)

After this, the Bishop incenses the Altar and its pillars; while all this time, a Dominican student continued, without ceasing, to swing the thurible, perfuming the Altar with its fragrant incense.
(We want our prayer to rise before the Lord as sweet incense in His sight.)

Twelve crosses had been impressed on twelve pillars of the Chapel, one at each Station. From the beginning of this great ceremony, lighted candles burned before these crosses.
(It is good that the Bishop was young and athletic because he had to go up a stepladder at each station to anoint the cross.)

While the candles and incense are burning on the Altar, the Bishop and clergy prostrate and sing the anthem, “God be praised,” etc.

During the progress of this long ceremony, besides the Seven Penitential Psalms, seven various Psalms were recited outside the Chapel and sixteen on the inside.

Archbishop Guilfoyle was assisted, throughout, by Father Raymond Cahil and Father Thomas Bowe. Father Meyer and Father Quinn were Masters of Ceremonies.

After further prayers and ceremonies, the Altar was furnished with flowers and candles were lighted, and the august ceremony concluded with Solemn High Mass at the newly consecrated Altar, at which our Provincial, Very Reverend Father Fulton, O.P. was Celebrant, Reverend Father Kelly, O.P. was Deacon, and Reverend Father Ward, O.P. was Subdeacon.

This great ceremony was a foretaste of the joys that await us in the blessed city of Heaven!

This is God’s dwelling place and He has made it holy; it will stand for ever firm.
Deo Gratias!

As we give grateful praise and glory to God this day, we remember all of our dear Sisters who have died offering their lives of sacrifice and prayer in this holy dwelling.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Queen of Heaven and Earth

2010-09-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

Today the Virgin is born, tended and formed, and prepared for her role as Mother of God, who is the universal King of the ages…

Therefore, let all creation sing and dance and unite to make worthy contribution to the celebration of this day. Let there be one common festival for saints in heaven and people on earth. Let everything, mundane things and those above, join in festive celebration. Today this created world is raised to the dignity of a holy place for him who made all things. The creature is newly prepared to be a divine dwelling place for the Creator.

( St. Andrew of Crete, Bishop)

On this joyful day, as we commemorate the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose splendid life has illumined the Church with her personal sanctity and vocation as the Mother of God, we ask that by the help of her prayers, we too may come to share the fullness of God's grace and the joy of his peace.

We also remember in our prayers Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, O.P. on the 55th anniversary of her religious profession and Sister Maura of the Holy Spirit, O.P. on the 62nd anniversary of her entrance to our monastery. We give grateful praise to our Almighty God for their witnesses of fidelity and service to the Church and to our community.

Sister Maura

Our Novice Mistress, Sr. Mary of the Sacred Heart, O.P. (center) and our Novices

With one mind and heart, we join our Dominican family throughout the world in giving praise and thanksgiving to God for our new Master of the Order, Father Bruno Cadoré, O.P., the 86th successor of our holy father St. Dominic. Especially on this day, we pray that our Blessed Mother, who has tenderly protected and guided the Order since the beginning of its foundation, will continue to keep Father Cadoré under the mantle of her grace and love as he begins his arduous task as leader of our family.

Father Bruno Cadoré was the Prior Provincial of the Province of France. He was trained as a physician and has taught especially in the area of bio-medical ethics.

Heartprints

2010-09-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

People often wonder what nuns are like. To understand nuns or for that matter, any person, one must be invited to look at their heart. For it is in this dwelling place of the Trinity that the truth, integrity and uniqueness of each individual abides.

The human heart is formed by the Creator in an act of love and openness between two people. Its story develops in the wondrous exchange between mother and child, person and community, friend with friend. As time, silence and solitude slowly exert their influence, the formative value of inwardness is established. As the person grows, the joys and challenges of interdependence, the relevance of openness becomes clear.

Each one, as she responds to the call of God and others contributes her own unique "heartprint", the sum total of the experiences that have shaped and formed her, receiving in turn the heartprint of others in hope-filled expectation that this sharing will lead to communion.

As Dominican Nuns we have joyfully sought out and made our own the heartprints of Saint Dominic de Guzman, humble contemplative, itinerant preacher and fervent intercessor on behalf of sinners. He who called his children to fraternal charity, voluntary poverty and a contemplation that was to bear fruit for others, continues to call women to share with us their hopes and dreams --- their heartprints.