Today we begin the season of Lent. This Lenten journey is
also a symbol of our Christian pilgrimage through life,
especially here in the monastery. We are called to
contemplation, prayer & penance, to leave all behind, to follow
Christ. In Lent, as well as our personal sacrifices, we leave behind some of the Liturgical rituals,
the Alleluias, the Gloria, the Te Deum, all our festive chants.
In some ways we become more grave - but with joy, & as
within our religious life,
we shall find that all we have given up will be returned to us a
hundredfold.
In several of his Lenten sermons, our Holy Founder, St. Francis
de Sales encourages us to fast from all that would lead us away
from God; many of the little things in our daily lives. To
embrace life in the desert so that 'He may speak to our hearts'.
The desert may be for us a sign of deprivation, but God is never
outdone in generosity & on our pathway through these weeks we
shall still meet Him in His beauty, His gentleness & His love. In
the story of Peter Pan, the children see Peter fly & they ask
him to tell them how they too can fly. His answer comes "Think
lovely thoughts." They do & they fly. As we fly through these
Lenten weeks may we too have the grace to 'think lovely
thoughts'.
click on picture to
'think lovely thoughts'
"These forty days symbolize the life of a Christian, of each one
of us. If we do not struggle we shall not be victorious. And let
us not entertain the vain hope of becoming saints in three
months!
Let us also shun spiritual avarice & the ambition which
occasions so much disorder in our hearts.
May God be blessed.
Amen."
St. Francis de Sales
18.2.12.
On this day in 1654 Michelangelo Buonarroti died. He was
one of the greatest artists, architects & sculptors that ever
lived.
Renowned for so many masterpieces he thought of himself primarily
as a sculptor, one of his most famous pieces being 'The Pieta'.
Michelangelo often saw potential in things that others could not
see, once he was studying a large block of marble so intently
that someone asked him what he was doing? He was looking at the
grain of the marble & its strengths, & he said "I can see an
angel imprisoned in the marble, & I must set it free."
How many things do we look at during our lives & some of us see
beauty & potential & others see nothing?
17.2.12.
Did you know that last week was 'Friendship week'? Did you hug
someone? The good things about hugs are:
There's no such thing as a bad hug - only good ones & great
ones. They're not fattening & they don't cause illness or tooth
decay. They're all - natural - with no preservatives, artificial
ingredients or pesticides. They're cholestral-free, naturally
sweet, 100% wholesome. And they're a completely renewable
natural source.
They don't require batteries & are energy efficient. They're
safe in all kinds of weather; in fact they're especially good
for cold or rainy days. They're exceptionally effective in
treating problems like bad dreams or the Monday blues.
The moral is - never wait until tomorrow to hug someone you
could hug today.
15.2.12.
Today we celebrate the feast of St Claude de la Columbiere. He
was the spiritual director of one of our sisters, Saint Margaret
Mary Alacoque & it was to him that she revealed her revelations of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Do you ever sign your letters 'yours sincerely'? Do you ever
talk about being 'sincere' about something? Over 2,000 years ago
wealthy people would have a statue or a bust carved of
themselves from marble or stone. It would take a long time & a
lot of effort to complete the carving, chipping at the marble or
stone, being very careful not to damage the work in progress, it
would only take a second for the chisel to slip. But this did
sometimes happen & rather than throw the damaged statue away
after so much hard work, some sculptors would melt wax & mould
it into where the damage was.
When buying the finished article the customer wouldn't be able
to see the wax without looking very closely & carefully. In the
warmth of their house, in the sunshine, sometimes the wax would
begin to melt! A genuine statue would be without wax. The latin
for 'without wax' is 'sine cera' - giving us the English word
'sincere'. A statue that was the real thing, genuine, would be
without wax, sincere.
Perhaps sometimes how we seem isn't really who we are, perhaps
sometimes we try to patch up bits of ourselves? Let's try to
live 'sincerely', one day at a time.
'You are the Potter
we are the clay . . .
11.2.12.
On this feast of Our Lady of Lourdes we have to look back &
see what's been happening over the past 2 weeks? On the
26th January we had the great joy of welcoming Lorraine & Eric
Stamp as affiliated members of our Order. They have been
friends of the community for many years, helping us in so
many different ways. At the end of Mass we had a little ceremony at
which they were presented with their crosses of Affiliation.
May God bless them always.
After the whole country was threatened by very bad weather,
blizzards & snow storms, we woke, last Sunday 5th February,
to find we had deep snow, everywhere was muted by this very
beautiful, white blanket. It's still on the ground as I
write but we are gradually thawing out. The sun is shining
making the snow glisten over the numerous animal tracks.
10.2.12.
The computer has been in intensive care for the past two
weeks, having undergone a brain transplant. ie. a new hard disc.
Some of the Data was irretrievable, so please be patient as we
try to sort the website out. Have you missed us? We have missed
you.
24.1.12.
In the preface to our Constitutions, Our Holy Founder, St.
Francis de Sales tells us " Be valiant, firm, constant,
unalterable, & so abide that nothing may separate you from the
Heavenly Spouse who has united you together, nor from that union
which can keep you united to Himself; so that having all but one
heart & one soul, He Himself may be your only soul & heart."
Today we celebrate, with our sisters all over the world, the
feast of St. Francis de Sales. Together, we give thanks for our
vocation within the Church, we ask Our Holy Founder to bless our
communities that we may each 'Live Jesus' where He has called us
to be, & to enfold within that calling all those who journey
with us in love & faith.
and turn up sound
click on picture
to join in saying the Litany
with us
19.1.12.
I'm sure each one of us knows someone, a member of our
community, a close friend, a family member, a work colleague who
is suffering from cancer. When someone we love suffers, we
suffer too. We bring them before the Lord in our prayer, we
think of them throughout the day. Sometimes we ask that their
pain be taken away, that we share in their discomfort, that they
be given strength & courage to face each new day with whatever
it brings.
We are making a Novena to St Francis de Sales - as we do every
year - in these days preceding his feastday. We place specially
into his loving Fatherly care all those we hold in our hearts &
who, at this time have great need of healing.
14.1.12.
'Community is always poised between two poles: solitude &
togetherness. Without togetherness community disperses; without
solitude community collapses into a mass, a crowd. But solitude
& togetherness are not mutually antagonistic; on the contrary,
they make each other possible.
Solitude without togetherness deteriorates into loneliness. One
needs strong roots in togetherness to be solitary rather than
lonely when one is alone. Aloneness is neutral; loneliness is
aloneness which is cut off from togetherness; solitude is
aloneness supported by togetherness, blessed solitude.' Bro. David Steindl-Rast O.S.B.
12.1.12.
The birds are singing as though it's Spring because the weather
is so mild, & we had a go at singing yesterday when our good friends from the village, the 'Waldron
Handbell Players' came to give us a Christmas recital, we
enjoyed a lovely afternoon. It's a real art playing the
handbells, but because of the pitch of the bells it's almost
impossible to sing in tune with them! Still we had a go, click
below to hear the results.
The lace is off the altar, the Christmas decorations are down & packed away for another
year, & we're back into 'ordinary' time. Ordinary time for the
Churches year, children have returned to school & people have
gone back to work. Here too in the monastery we have returned
to the ordinary everyday tasks which each day brings. But in our
hearts we try to retain some of the 'glow' which our visit to
the crib brought us. Some of the wonder & awe of the
Incarnation. We follow our star, praying that as well as guiding
us throughout this coming year, it may shine brightly to guide
others who walk with us our journey of faith & love.
8.1.12. Feast of the Epiphany
Today we are celebrating the feast of the Epiphany. In his
letter to the Ephesians St Ignatius (who died about 117)
wrote:"A star shone forth in Heaven more brightly than words can tell, & it's strange appearance caused perplexity. And all
the other stars formed themselves into a band about the star.
But the star itself surpassed them all in it's brightness."
The first scientist to study this constellation was the German
astronomer Johannes Kepler, 1571-1630.
We may become complacent about our faith & not think of the real
challenges that becoming a disciple will demand of us. The wise
men came to see Jesus & they 'returned home by another way.'
Their lives had been changed & the old ways no longer worked for
them. We don't know what those changes were but they must have
been life-transforming. For us too the events of Christmas
should be life-transforming. Once we've said our 'Yes' to Jesus,
& affirmed our belief in Him, following Him, our lives also will be turned around, sometimes even turned upside down! We
will need to travel our daily life's journey by a different
route, as we learn to be witnesses to the Gospel
message.
2.1.12.
As the sun sets on 2011 we realize that the New Year will be a
challenging time for many peope in many different ways,
financially, health wise, in our homes, in family life & in the
work place. Most of us make at least one New Year's resolution,
whether we manage to keep it or not is another matter! But
that's life isn't it - failing, falling, getting up & starting
again. It's not the succeeding, it's the trying. Some may
succeed: the majority remain 'tryers', and God loves 'tryers'.
We recognise our weaknesses but don't give up.
In this New Year we wish you many things - all of them good -
click on the picture opposite to see these New Year's wishes for
you.
I asked the New Year for some motto sweet
some rule of life with which to guide my feet;
I asked & paused, He answered soft & low:
"God's will to know."
"Will knowledge then suffice, New Year?" I cried,
and ere the question into silence died
the answer came, "Nay but remember too,
God's will to do."
Once more I asked: "Is there no more to tell?"
and once again the answer softly fell:
"Yes this one thing
all other things above
God's will to love."
"The greatest title
that can be
given
to
the
Virgin Mary
is to name her
Mother of God." St Francis de Sales
On January 1st 1612
- 400 years ago -
St Francis de Sales wrote
to St Jane de Chantal:
"May we live this year
that it may serve
as a foundation for eternity."
We wish you, your families
& all those you
hold in your hearts
many blessings
for the New Year.
28.12.11 Feast of The Holy Innocents
During this Octave of Christmas the Church celebrates the memory of the small children, two years &
under, that were put to death by Herod around the neighbourhood
of Bethlehem. Our world of today is unsafe for millions of
children in many different ways. May we truly value all human
life as God's gift, upholding its dignity in love & respect.
click picture to read
Fr. Jim's sermon at Mass today
26.12.11.
Click opposite to share part
of our Christmas with us.
May your Christmas be blessed
with Joy, Peace & Love.
VENITE ADORAMUS
"This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard
& angels sing:
come greet the Infant Lord,
the Babe, the Son of Mary."
23.12.11.
This is the season of giving, of exchanging gifts with those we
love. As we spend time wrapping up presents perhaps we could also
spare some time to think about the gift we'll be bringing to Jesus
in the manger. We all have something to offer, it doesn't have to be
large. As we prepare to celebrate this great mystery of the
Incarnation let's search our hearts to find that 'special
something'. Many of us find it easier to give than to receive. Let
us think of all we have received from God & how much more He
still wants to give us - if we allow Him. We're in retreat for these
three days before Christmas, it's a busy retreat, with so many to
think of & pray for in our world.
'What can I give Him
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part,
yet what I can I give Him
give my heart.'
"What we are
is God's gift to us
what we become
is our gift to God." Eleanor Powell
21.12.11.
'God's finger touched her & she slept.' Alfred Lord Tennyson
Today we said our goodbyes to our dear Sr. Francis de Sales. We
had a beautiful concelebrated funeral Mass & afterwards as Sisters &
friends met for refreshments it was a time for shared memories &
moments, still fresh in our hearts & in our minds about her.
Opposite is Fr. Jim's sermon, the beautiful words given by our Mother during the
Mass & an article written in 1982 by the Daily Express newspaper
which gives you an insight into who our Sister was. Serious, wise,
humerous & witty, holy, earthy & open, with a twinkle in very blue
eyes. A true Daughter of St. Francis de Sales, under whose patronage
she placed herself & her life so long ago.
During these 'almost Christmas' days some of us are in a mad frantic
bustle. Things to do, things to buy, people to visit, presents to
wrap. Some are planning 'get away holidays', others storing up for a
few 'stay at home days'. It is a busy time - even in a monastery,
but these days are precious, the Liturgy we sing five times each day
is so very beautiful; it tells a story of expectancy, of hope & of
promise. It declares that we are getting ready, we are preparing, &
we beg the Lord not to delay, "Come Lord Jesus come! Maranatha." We
too are busy in the kitchen making mince-pies, Christmas cakes & all
the extra 'goodies' for the festive season. But we too need to claim
some extra 'gentle time', to wait with Mary in faith & in love.
'Touch us gently, Time!
We've not proud
nor soaring wings:
Our ambition, our content,
Lies in simple things.
Humble voyagers are We,
O'er life's dim unsounded sea,
Seeking only some calm clime;
Touch us gently gentle time!' Barry Cornwall
aka B.W. Procter
18.12.11.
See how the Virgin waits for Him;
Mary in wonder waits for Him.
Shake off your slumber; come all full of wonder.
Jesus is coming as the Prince of Peace.
Gently she hears the distant breeze
swaying the silver olive trees.
What is she thinking as the sun is sinking,
waiting the birthday of her first-born son?
Now a new pattern on the loom;
now a new presence in the room.
Waking or sleeping, all her love she's keeping,
waiting the coming of the Son of God.
14.12.11.
On Sunday December 11th, at 5.40.pm our dear Sister Francis de Sales
slipped into the embrace of God's eternal love. The sisters had
prayed the Rosary, Litany & prayers for the dying around her bed &
she peacefully slipped away.
Born in Adelaide, Australia, sister went, after the war, to work in
the displacement camps in Germany coming over to England to work as a
Social Worker in London, having previously trained as a nurse in
Australia. She entered the Waldron Visitation aged 49yrs & was for
many years Novice Mistress, Superior & Infirmarian. She loved
working in the kitchen garden & especially cutting the grass on the
sit-on mower.
Our dear Sister was very wise especially in her old age & was very
much loved. She will be greatly missed. May she rest in peace.
Her funeral in on December 21st at 11am.
"When someone you love
becomes a memory,
the memory becomes
a treasure."
Cardinal Basil Hume once wrote "Everyone I meet tells me a little
more about God - because everyone is made in His image."
This is what community is like, my sisters show me the face of God.
Everyday I meet Him in them; what a marvellous gift that is for each
one of us. On this 3rd Sunday of Advent our dear Sister Francis de
Sales is very poorly, at 97 she is very frail, needing constant care
& love. She calls forth in each one of us our 'God-given' gifts. We
have been blessed over many years with her presence in our
community, as she begins this last journey will you join us in
saying a little prayer for her?
" Love knows nothing about judgement,
is beyond reason
and is
incapable of moderation."
St. Peter Chrysologus
6.12.11.
We can all make a difference. When we choose to change
ourselves, we never stand alone; all around us becomes changed
too. In this season of preparation we are invited to change, to
repent, to stand awake & alert; to make a difference & to create
a space within ourselves & around ourselves so that there may be
room to welcome Jesus into our daily lives. When we make a
difference our world is changed, for the present & for the
future. Click on the picture to read how one person made a
difference.
3.12.11.
"People of Sion,
the Lord will come to save all nations,
& your hearts will exult
to hear His Majestic voice.
The people of God will sing songs of joy,
like songs in the night,
they will have gladness of heart.
On every high mountain, streams will flow
& there will be light,
for you are healed by the Lord.
Yes, on every high mountain
streams will flow & there will be joy,
for you are loved by the Lord." Carmel Brett
To be comforted
is to be filled
with God's strength
& to be consoled
is to be filled
with God's light.
"Take comfort my people,
& cast aside all fear.
Rejoice amidst your waiting
for the Prince of Peace is near.
Bring a word of light resplendant
let our faith increase.
Take comfort my people
& sing a song of peace."
26.11.11.
This evening we welcomed in the beautiful season of Advent. As with
every year, before 1st Vespers, we had a short liturgy with music,
readings & a poem before lighting the first candle
of our Advent wreath. We listened to the words of an inspiring poem, written by Sr. Peronne Marie Thibert from our
monastery of St. Paul, Minnesota. (click opposite to read it).
Somebody once said "To be a Christian is not to know all the answers
but to begin to live in the part of the self where the question was
born..." This is what Mary did, she certainly didn't have all the
answers but she immersed herself in the moment. Her 'fiat' became for
us the beginning of hope. Perhaps we can bring a little hope into
someone's life today, tomorrow & during these special weeks ahead.
I remember when I was only four,
Mother would bring me 'round to the store
and just outside of the church she'd stand,
"Come in", she'd say, reaching down for my hand.
And then when I started going to school,
she'd bring me down everyday as a rule,
but first the steps of the church we'd climb,
and she'd say "We'll go in, you've always got time".
Then I got real big, I mean seven years old
and I went by myself, but was always told,
when you're passing the church, don't forget to call
and tell Our Lord about lessons and all.
Sometimes I ran most of the way,
or met some guys & we'd stop to play,
but I managed to squeeze out time enough
to make the church, where I'd pant & puff.
And now it's sort of a habit I've got,
in the evening coming from Casey's lot,
though it takes me out of my way a bit
to slip into church with my bat & mitt.
But sometimes I see the other fellows
standing around, & I go yellow,
I pass by the door, but a voice within
seems to say, real sad "So you wouldn't come in?"
There are things inside of me, bad & good,
that nobody knows & nobody could,
excepting Our Lord & I like Him to know
and He helps me when for a visit I go.
He finds it lonesome when nobody comes
(there are hours upon hours when nobody comes)
and He's pleased when anybody passing by
stops in (though it's only a little guy).
I know what happens when people die,
but I won't be scared, & I'll tell you why,
when Our Lord is judging my soul, I feel
He'll remember the times I went to kneel.
Fr. Patrick O'Connor
21.11.11
Each year, on this day, we unite ourselves
with our Sisters all over the world, when, after three days of
retreat & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament we each renew our
vows publicly during Mass.
God be praised!
In his sermon for the
feast of the Presentation, Nov 21st 1620, St Francis de Sales
said “We ourselves have two tabernacles: one, exterior, which is
the body & the other interior, which is the soul by which we
live.On this feast
Mary came to offer & consecrate herself to the service of the
temple. She was inspired to leave her parents house, to go to
the temple, there to serve God more perfectly. This is indeed a
great feast that we celebrate today. It is not so new; the
Greeks mentioned it & Pope Sixtus V re-established it. It is for
you, my dear Sisters, a very solemn day, inasmuch as on it you
come to offer yourselves to the Divine Majesty in imitation of
the glorious Virgin Mary, or rather to renew your offering that
you have already made.
By the renewal of vows, my dear daughters,
you are going to gain strength & bind yourselves again to the
service & good pleasure of Our Lord. For certainly for as long
as we live we shall have need of renewing ourselves & of
beginning over.
Make your renewal then, with a great fervour of spirit, a
profound humility, & an ardent charity. Accompany this glorious
Virgin; place your hearts & your vows between her hands, & she
will present them to her Son, who will receive them & offer them
to His Eternal Father, who with Him & the Holy Sprit will bless
you.”
16.11.11.
As the surrounding countryside surrenders itself
to the changing face of the year & the trees change their clothes,
so it is with some of us, in the
autumn days of our lives. With long years we may have grown a little
less upright, our branches become a little more bent & our leaves
may have changed colour & become a little drier. We may be sad that
the first green suppleness has passed, but there is such a deep
beauty to autumn. Look around where you live & see the
landscape, aglow with golds, bronzes & red hues. Such richness
ablaze before our eyes. And so it is with our autumn years; we have
a crispness in our lives, we have a wisdom of ‘being,’ of experience
& of knowledge not found in books but in life itself. As we approach
Advent it is a good time to belong to the ‘autumn years brigade,’ to
wait with Mary in patience for the weeks ahead. To know that our
God will still surprise us, will continue to paint His colour in our
lives that we may become part of the glorious landscape of life.
'Autumn is the second Spring
when every leaf is a flower.'
12.11.11.
'Do not be afraid about what might
happen tomorrow, the same loving Father who takes care of you today
will take care of you tomorrow & everyday. Either He will shield you
from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be
at peace then & put aside all anxious thoughts & imaginations.'
St. Francis de Sales
9.11.11.
We often get asked "What do you do all day, what
is your work?" Of course our first work is PRAYER, this is our
'raison d'être'. But we also do the same work as do millions of
other people in our world. Ordinary everyday work; cooking, washing
up, cleaning, washing, ironing, sewing, gardening, office work etc.
In fact anything we are asked to do. It's all part of community
life, it encompasses our vows. We also enjoy a creative side to our
work ethos, for some that may be sitting in front of a computer, for
others, music, liturgy, writing, soap-making, baking, card-making or
knitting. We offer our work as a living prayer.
"The sisters value every task
whether it be working
with hands or minds, that
is done for the needs
of the community or to
provide it with resources.
So they share the condition
of so many men & women
who bear the weight of labour
that is often monotonous
& heavy but is necessry
for the life of humanity.
Constitutions.
6.11.11.
In our daily lives how fortunate we are if we have
someone who thinks of us, remembers us, and prays for us. Do we then
realize the richness of this blessing if it happens after we have died, after
we have journeyed into the eternity of God’slove?
Prayer is so powerful & it is what willget
us all to Heaven. Empathy is your painin
my heart. We can empathize with all thosewho
need our prayers to help them reach theirHeavenly
home. How simple it is throughoutthe
day to whisper a little prayer for those whohave
died & have no-one to pray for them. Howeasy
to have compassion and to walk with themon
their journey to God. Join us today in sayinga
little prayer for the Holy Souls.
‘Life is eternal, love is immortal, & death is only a
horizon … & a horizon is nothing but the limit of our earthly sight.'
3.11.11.
Last Saturday 6 of us went to Worth Abbey, a large
Benedictine monastery & prestigious boy's school in
West Sussex, where we attended a day for the Religious
of our Diocese with our Bishop. This usually happens twice a year, &
the theme this time was 'What our lives say'. The speaker was Angela
Graham, a journalist, television producer & university lecturer on
journalism & documentary-making among other things. It was well
attended, & it was good to see 'old' friends from many different
religious congregations. Angela's talk was wonderful; inspired &
prayerful. Click opposite to see a mini-précis.
Life has become so fast, our days have become so full. We rush here
& there, try to pack so much into each day. Here are some
words of wisdom Sr. Mary Joseph has remembered from when she was
young!
'I have only just a minute,
only 60 seconds in it.
Forced upon me, can't refuse it,
didn't want it, didn't choose it,
but it's up to me to use it.
give account if I abuse it.
Just a tiny little minute
but Eternity is in it!'
22.10.11.
Yesterday we had a full house. Fr. Lou Fiorelli, an Oblate father of
St. Francis de Sales flew in from America on his way with Mike
Moran, a Son of St. Francis de Sales, to give a workshop in Rome to
the S.M.M.I. sisters. They stayed overnight & yesterday 10 of our
Daughters of St. Francis de Sales joined us for the day. Father gave
us a talk in the afternoon & Fr. Jim & Lorraine joined us for that.
It was a wonderful & inspiring 24 hours. Renewing friendships of
many years & sharing the richness of our Salesian spirituality.
God be praised!
Isn't the Providence of God wonderful? Each day we have proof of His
presence in our lives in so many small ways. Often it's easier
to see this in retrospect, to look back over the years & recognise
His loving care. Last week we welcomed Fr. Jim Hurley as our Chaplain,
& for us he is a gift from God. A priest of the Archdiocese of
Southwark, we've known
Father Jim over many years & so it is a great joy for us
to welcome him to Waldron. He has also been appointed as Vicar for
Religious for the Southwark diocese.
4.10.11.
Today our dear Sr Josephine Margaret celebrated her 80th
birthday. Sister is our gardener & spends many happy hours among the
weeds, vegetables & flowers. With her green fingers she is always busy & likes nothing
better than to don her long waterproof trousers, wellies & gardening
gloves & set to work. Paulette knitted her a hat for the garden!
30.9.11.
Tomorrow Fr. Antonino leaves us to return to his native Italy, where
he is studying for a Ph.D. He has been with us for a month,
celebrating Mass each day.
It has been a joy to meet him & our prayers go with him for his
studies & future apostolates.
Also tomorrow evening Sr. Mary Blog-arina begin her annual retreat, so
please keep her in prayer & - watch this space!
25.9.11.
It's very much the fashion nowadays to be 'into' Genealogy. It seems
as though everyone is looking for their roots, searching their past,
finding their links. There is a great thirst in our world to
'belong', to be part of something larger than ourselves. We have
family trees, where we can see at a glance in which direction our
family expands. In religious life, we too, have a family tree where
we can see the grace of God working throughout the branches,
spreading the charism of our Order into the lives of others, & they
in turn do the same. There were many Congregations originating from
the 19th Century that were founded on the the Spirit of St Francis
de Sales. Click opposite to see.
20.9.11.
Our Holy Founder, St. Francis de Sales, gave our Order the name 'The
Visitation of Holy Mary' & so the mystery that is ours is that of
Our Lady, forgetful of self, hurrying to visit her cousin, bringing
Jesus to St Elizabeth. We are all called to do this, to bring Jesus
to those whom we meet each day, whether we know them or not. It is
our apostolate to be ministers of these 'Eucharistic' moments.
Because of these 'Eucharistic encounters' lives can be changed, we
can become channels of God's love & benediction in so many small
ways.
click on picture
14.9.11.
How big is your heart? I remember being told in nursing school that
if you put your two fists together that's the size of your own
heart. The Sacred Heart of Jesus encompasses the whole of creation.
Are you willing to let your heart grow? Click on the puppy opposite
to read about a little girls dilemma with size.
11.9.11.
Today we light a candle in our hearts for all those who suffered &
died in the terrorist attack on America on September 11th 2001.
We light a candle & remember those who still live & suffer & whose
lives are changed forever because of the events of that day.
We light a candle & remember all those who selflessly risked their
lives for others on that day.
We light a candle for all those who wake today with violence in
their hearts, that they may have a conversion.
click candle
9.9.11.
Yesterday evening we had a Rosary service in honour of Our Lady.
Then very early this morning our dear Sister Anne Jacqueline left us
to return to her monastery of Boulogne. It has been a joy having her
with us & her English is very much improved. We hope she will visit
again next year.
8.9.11.
Today is the feast of the Birthday of Our Lady. Celebrated since the
6th century, it was formally declared by Pope Pius IXth in 1854 that
Mary was conceived without sin as a special grace because she was
chosen to be the Mother of God. Every human birth brings new hope to
our world, every child can be a channel of love & peace, a source of
great joy. Our Blessed Lady has many titles, lovingly given to her,
click the icon opposite to read some of them.
turn sound up
"A privilege which Mary
had above all
creatures
is that no one else ever
gave himself so perfectly
or so absolutely to the
Divine Majesty as she did.
She was
more perfectly
obedient to the word of
God than any other
creature."
St. Francis de Sales
2.9.11.
A quiet, gentle flame, flickering in the darkness. Sometimes close
to going out but then it gives a little leap & the flame becomes
strong again. Put it on the windowsill & it will give light to
passersby. It gives witness of presence, just a very small, simple
thing, a flickering flame. Is this what our prayer is like within
the Church, flickering, sometimes stronger than others, but always
there, continuous? Allowing us & others to touch the divine, to know
the presence of Jesus? Because our prayer is a response to Jesus'
invitation to us, it becomes blessing, this small spark becomes
divine.
click on
candle
1.9.11.
The first day of September & last night at recreation we were in the kitchen preparing beans
while Sr Ann Jacqueline entertained us with an African religious
song, in french. Click opposite to see it
29.8.11.
Did you ever play marbles when you were young? Even if you didn't
perhaps you had some, swopped some, admired the way the light
reflected through the glass? At one time they used to be a little
boys prized possession. The 'red marbles' story opposite is full of
goodness & kindness , goodness expressed during hard times &
something for us to think about.
Click on the marbles to read.
25.8.11.
"Prayer .... is a simple conversation in which the soul lovingly
speaks with God concerning His most loving goodness so as to be
united & joined to that goodness."
St Francis de Sales
"Prayer is a hidden manna, neither known nor valued save by those to
whom it is given, & the more we taste it the more does our appetite
for it grow." St. Jane Frances de Chantal
By vocation we are called to contemplative prayer, it is the centre
of our existance here in the monastery. We are fortunate to have
places of beauty, hidden places within our garden where we can make
our prayer surrounded by the awesomeness of Gods creation; we can
unite ourselves to Him in an endless song of praise & thanksgiving.
Would you like to join us for a few hours, for a day, for a week
or for life?
click on picture &
turn sound up
15.8.11.
Each day we open our newspapers & find headlines which disturb &
distress. Good news seldom makes the front pages, it is perhaps more
often found tucked away, a small column towards the back of the
paper. But the more we search for it the more likely we will find
it, & sometimes in the most unlikely places. It's the same with
beauty, it's there before our eyes if we just look. Everything in life can be a
beatitude. Our minds & hearts just have to be 'tuned in' to receive
these blessings, to recognise them & to enable the beauty of them to
nourish our souls.
click on picture
12.8.11.
United with our Sisters all over the world, today we we celebrate
the feast of Our Holy Mother, St. Jane Frances de Chantal. Together
with St Francis de Sales she founded our Order of the Visitation in
1610. Before her death in 1641, she had founded 74 monasteries.
Wife, mother, widow & religious, she is a role model for so many
today.
"We have no other tomorrow
than that of
Divine Providence."
St Jane Frances de Chantal
'... she became a true servant
of the
covenant.
And so Jeanne took the road
that led to these
mountains,
in the same spirit as
the Virgin of the Annunciation
who went
to Elizabeth:
submissive to the Word,
wrapped in adoration
of the Incarnate Word.'
Blessed John Paul
II
6.8.11.
Today we spent over 6 hours in America!
We joined with our sisters, friends & Associates in the United
States, via video-link, for the 29th Salesian Conference on the
spirituality of Sts. Francis de Sales & Jane de Chantal. A
wonderful simulcast Presentation
given in Wilmington Delaware, by Fr. Eunan McDonnell, a Salesian of
Dom Bosco, & good friend of our community. We shared the day with
them, via the internet & our projector.
Father's Presentation was headed - 'Goddesires you' with sub headings of
-
'The Human Heart',
'Heart speaking to heart',
'The Heart of God',
'The Heart of Jesus',
& 'A Communion of hearts'.
The simulcast
was linked live to 8 other locations in the U.S.A.
1.8.11.
Last night at recreation we went for a walk around the grounds, we
ended up in the kitchen garden where some of us did some work & some
of us just had fun!
Today we heard that in the early hours of this morning our dear
Monsignor Terry Stonehill died. For many years the Vicar for
Religious in our Diocese of Arundel & Brighton, he was a very good
friend to our community & to so many. He had a tremendous love of
Our Lady, & over the years led many pilgrimages to Marian shrines,
he also had a great devotion to St. Therese of Liseux & led a
special pilgramage to Liseux each year. May Our Lady & all the
Saints & Angels welcome him to his Heavenly home. May he rest in
peace.
30.7.11.
Today dawned warm & sunny, as we kept our summer recreation day
which we have each year around the feast of Our Lady of Mount
Carmel, July 16th. Because normally we have all our meals in the
refectory in silence, on days like this we eat 'al fresco'. And to
save any of the sisters having to cook, this year we had a
MacDonalds day!
It was great fun, made even more so because the staff at McDonalds,
on hearing we were having a fun day gave us balloons, which we
launched into the sky as you can see opposite.
St Francis de Sales says " Never think that distance of place can
ever separate souls which God has united by the ties of His love.
The children of the world are all separated one from another because
their hearts are in different places; but the children of God,
having their heart where their treasure is, & all having only one
treasure which is the same God are consequently always joined &
united together. O how good it is to love on earth as they love in
Heaven, & to learn to cherish one another in this world as we shall
do eternally in the next." St Francis de Sales
Last night we watched a wonderful DVD 'Of Gods & Men' by Xavier
Beauvois. It was based on the true story of the lives & maryrdom of
8 Cistercian monks of Tibhirine, Algeria in 1996. It was very
moving.
Afterwards as we closed the windows the night sky was magnificant -
& in it we really could 'behold the splendour of God'.
Click opposite
24.7.11.
Our Mother gave us a beautiful talk on 'The Sacrament of the Present
Moment'. To share it click opposite.
22.7.11.
Do you remember last September's picture of a heart-shaped potato
that Sister Josephine Margaret dug up in the kitchen garden? Two
days ago she dug up a 'hugging carrot'! Or perhaps you think it
looks more like a mother with her child. I wonder what else is going
on under the soil in our kitchen garden? Watch this space!
17.7.11.
Do you know the beautiful piece of light, classical music 'In a
Monastery Garden'? Composed by Albert Ketelbey in 1915, after a
visit to a real monastery garden.
Click opposite to find out what happens in our monastery garden &
grounds.
It's been a busy few days. On Sunday we welcomed back Sr. Ann
Jacqueline from our monastery of Boulogne, for a 2 month stay to
improve her English. Sister visited last year so it didn't take long
for her to feel at home again. Then on Monday we welcomed Sr. Mary
Aniela from our monastery of Marclaz in France. She has come for 10
days to celebrate her Ruby Jubilee today, with us & with her family.
The sun shone & it was a day full of blessings & great joy for
Sister, her family & for our community.
It is said that a weed is just a flower in the wrong place. Tisha,
one of our retreatants, worked very hard last week during her stay,
to clear some of the brambles away from the borders around the front
lawn. They have large thorns, go deep & have many runners so it's a challenging job.
After Tisha left we found she had composed this 'Prayer for the
Diligent Bramble'.
Click on picture .
5.7.11.
"We learn to welcome in depth those moments of grace which
come through daily events & encounters."
Mission & Spirit of the Order
There's always work to be done, both in the garden & in the
monastery. The vegetables & fruit are pouring in, we have abundant
crops this year, despite a water shortage. Our retreatants sometimes
like to join us in helping, & it's always a joy to include them in our
daily life in so many little ways.
1.7.11. Feast of the Sacred Heart
"Truly our little Congregation in the work of
the
Hearts of Jesus & Mary." St Francis de Sales
Our dear Mother Jane Margaret & Sr. Mary Joseph have just returned from
a visit to the United States. They joined with over 50 of our
sisters, representing each of our American monasteries, at our
Monastery in St. Louis, for a 400th Anniversary Gathering. It was a
great reunion & each day Sisters gave talks on various subjects.
Our Mother opened the Gathering with her talk on our 'Early
Mothers', & Sr. Mary Joseph followed her that same afternoon with
her talk on our Visitation Museum at Moulin.
A great sense of love, friendship & unity enveloped the days & it
was a time of grace & blessing.
We are made in the image & likeness of God. Do you ever look at the
faces of strangers, those who you may never meet again? Sometimes
within those faces we may catch a glimpse of another dimension, we
may really meet the 'face of God.'
Click on picture opposite
21.6.11.
"When my mother is up on the roof frantically telling me to beware of
humans with cameras, & at the same time I can see she has a tasty
titbit in her beak for me, what's a chap to do except hide behind a
dustbin! She's been trying to get me to fly for days, my brothers &
sisters have flown the nest, but I haven't got that much courage yet. So I'll
just sit here for a bit longer & then . . . . . "
19.6.11.
Trinity Sunday.
It was on Trinity Sunday 1610 that we were founded. Two of
the shortest prayers we say everyday are in honour of the Blessed
Trinity. We make the sign of the cross & say:
In the name of the Father & the Son
& the Holy Spirit
Glory be to the Father
& to the Son
& to the Holy Spirit
We often say them at the beginning & the end of our prayers. But
they are each
a prayer in themselves, & invoking the Blessed Trinity makes them
powerful prayers. So simple to remember, so easy to say as a mantra.
In thinking what we are doing either as we make the sign of the
cross or as we bow at the Glory be we are able to unite ourselves with the Holy Trinity.
In a few days Fr. Martin will be leaving us, he arrived from Poland
for his first visit to England 4 weeks ago. Ordained in 2005 Father
is studying for his Ph.D & will have his final exams a couple of days
after he returns home to Lublin. In the Autumn he goes to the Holy
Land to study for 3 years. We have been grateful for his prayerful
presence, celebrating Mass for us each day & we'll miss his smiling
face.
The Easter season is almost over, the many
Alleluias have been sung. But in our lives we need to still be
'Easter people', to spread the fire of the Holy Spirit, to proclaim
His Good News to all whom we meet & to be witnesses in our world to
the fact that Jesus is risen & here among us now.
We have been in retreat for 3 days preparing for
this great feast of Pentecost. Asking God to send us the Holy
Spirit, that with Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude,
Knowledge, Piety & Fear of the Lord we may be able to live our
Consecrated lives better. We ask these gifts for all of you who are
reading this, our 'Blog community.' We are happy to welcome our group of Daughters of St
Francis de Sales for the day, to join us in Adoration, Liturgy, recreation & dinner. It's also another day for Billets. See opposite
for a few words from Fr. Michael
Murray, Oblate of St. Francis de Sales.
Today has been a special day for us. In joy & with grateful hearts
we have been celebrating the anniversary of our first three sisters
who made their Consecration in 'La Gallerie', Annecy, 400 years ago,
6.6.1611. Srs. Jane Frances de Chantal, Marie Jacqueline Favre &
Jeanne Charlotte de Brechard were the 'first fruits' of our Order,
after which so very many were to follow. We thank God for their
faithfullness, courage & holiness which enabled the Visitation to
flourish throughout the world.
We had a beautiful sung Mass, an exhibition at the back of the Choir
& Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament all day.
Click opposite to read an account by Elizabeth Stopp of that special
day so long ago.
Today our whole Order celebrates the feast of the Visitation. We
unite ourselves with our sisters all over the world as we thank God
for our vocation, continuing to say our 'Yes - Fiat' daily, & place
our world under the maternal care of Mary our Mother. The
mystery of the Visitation takes place for all of us every day as we
encounter each other, as we bring the Jesus within us to our neighbour, by our
words & actions. So we too, can say with Mary, the words of the
Magnificat, praising God for all He does in our lives. Click opposite
to read an extract taken from Caryll Houselander
"My soul glorifies the Lord
& my spirit exalts
in God my Saviour.
He has looked
on the lowliness
of His handmaid,
from this day forward
all generations
will call me
blessed".
Today we had a gardening day. The sun shone, & there was a breeze in
a cloudless blue sky. Just the weather for being outdoors. Some
weeding, path clearing, & watering got done, also a bonfire. It's a
long time since we had a good shower of rain so the soil is very
hard. But we all enjoyed it & had a Barb-b-q dinner in the kitchen
garden. It was a good day to praise the Lord for many things, for
laughter, community, & the beauty of all His creation.
In the last 24 hours the ducklings in the kitchen garden have
hatched. We have 7 beautiful ducklings & 1 proud mother.
19.5.11.
On the 13th April you met some of our French sisters. Here are the
rest. Click on the picture opposite & turn the sound up.
18.5.11
"When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts, the
circle of creation is completed inside us, the doors of our souls
fly open, and love steps forth to heal everything in sight." Michael
Bridge
Click on picture
17.5.11.
Click opposite to meet
our Spanish sisters.
Turn sound up.
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. It doesn't seem a whole year since I
last wrote that as one of the first blogs on this website. We
always celebrate this Sunday, which gives us the Gospel of the Good
Shepherd, as a special day when we say 'Thank you' to Our Mother for
her care of our community. We garland a shepherds crook with flowers
from the garden, we sing & we draw billets. Billets are small
slips of paper
on which are short sayings. We have them for various feasts
throughout the year. The ones for today were painted many years ago
by one of our sisters & are beautifully done. On the front
are different lambs & on the back a saying relevant to the lamb.
13.5.11
In 1610 Our Holy Founder, St. Francis de Sales gave us the name of
'Daughters of Holy Mary'. Three times each day we recite an Anthem
to Our Lady. As it's Eastertide now we say the Regina Coeli.
At 6.30am. 12.30. & 6.30pm Sister rings the gong & wherever we are,
whatever we are doing, we stop & unite ourselves for those few
seconds with Mary.
Today is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, when we remember, in
Portugal, Our Lady appearing to three small shepherd children in
1917. Today we ask her to be specially with all those who have need
of a mother, who awake this day in distress & worry, in sorrow &
despair. We ask Mary of the Visitation to be a Mother to all who
call on her today.
Regina Coeli
O Queen of Heaven rejoice,
Alleluia!
Because He whom you
were chosen to bear,
Alleluia!
Has risen as He said,
Alleluia!
Pray for us to God,
Alleluia!
For the Lord has truly risen,
Alleluia.
10.5.11.
When you begin to knit something do you always know what it's going
to turn out to be - hopefully? Sr. Clare Chantal is knitting a
'mystery'. Last night at recreation she told us she knew what it
wasn't - it wasn't a hat or a tea cosy, but what it is?
Any suggestions please?
Then it began raining & we went rainbow-hunting & found a truly
beautiful bow bathed in evening light which faded just as we went to
Compline.
9.5.11.
To meet some of our sisters of northern Italy click opposite. Turn
sound up.
