Enjoying Easter Traditions

On Holy Thursday morning, Regina, Sister Leslie, Sister Regina Rose, and I were on a mission: we got to decorate Easter Eggs for the Motherhouse! That is a lot of eggs!

We had a great time and even learned some new techniques along the way.

For instance, if you look closely at the picture on the right, you will find a rubber-band in the lower left corner. Also, look at the the carton of eggs, and there is a blue-violet one with white stripes in various directions, as well as a green one with one stripe. The rubber-band is what makes that effect. Just wrap a rubber-band with a wide-width around an egg and put it in the dye. After you get the desire color(s), let it dry a little before removing the rubber-band; it doesn't need to be totally dry.

Another thing that Sr. Regina Rose (above) started doing was drizzling dye(s) over the eggs. It made for some really cool effects. It helped when there was some extra food coloring added to the dye-kit, too, to make the colors more vibrant.

It was a fun start to an enjoyable Easter Triduum. One of my favorite traditions at the convent is the quiet of these high holy days. The liturgies were wonderful, and we had extra time available for more personal prayer and contemplation.

Yesterday, Sr. Thelma (our sacristan), Sr. Regina Rose, and I prepared St. Mary's Chapel for the Easter Vigil. We arranged mums, hydrangeas, and Easter Lilies, and I learned something new when I did that, too. (Besides learning which ones were the mums and which ones were the hydrangeas.) Did you know that it is more pleasing to the eye when flowers are placed together odd numbers? For instance 3 pots together look better than 2 or 4 pots together. At the end, we removed the yellow pollen from the Easter Lilies. Doing this makes it more tolerable for those with allergies.

It's time for me to go set up for the Easter Sunday mass. (I'm the sacristan for it.) I pray that you have a holy and blessed Easter Season!

Can You Believe It's Been 800 Years Already?

In the preceding entry, I provided my favorite (at this point in my life) examination of conscience. Then this past Friday we had our Lenten Reconciliation Service at the Motherhouse. Fr. Jadin read the introduction and I loved it, so I thought I'd share it with all of you:

As we pray with Scripture, we become more and more convinced of God's overwhelming love. Even if our motives are self-centered, God says, "I love you." In spite of our sinfulness, God still says, "I love you no matter what you've done.

Regardless of our failures, God continues to love us with an everlasting love. We must grow in knowing Him as a kind, loving and forgiving Father who welcomes us with open arms. 

When we are convinced that we are loved, only then can we be honest and unafraid in looking within ourselves. When we know we are accepted, we need not be anything less than our own selves. We can live in freedom and sincerity.

Today, we had a special evening prayer commemorating a response to this love of God. The Franciscans of the Green Bay diocese gathered for the 800th anniversary (octocentenary) of St. Clare of Assisi's initiation into the religious life.

The story began at Palm Sunday mass. Everyone else grabbed a palm branch. Not Clare. The bishop noticed and walked over to hand her a palm. The Mass continued like nothing had happened. One of our Sisters told us that this may have been the Bishop's secret signal to her: that everyone was ready for her and tonight would be the night of her escape and her consecration to the Lord.

Regina (our postulant) played the role of Clare, and did an impressive pantomine of the daring escape from her home. Some OFM Friars played the role of the lesser brothers. Sisters from different Congregations took part in the procession and prayer. There were also Secular Franciscans and Associates present.

Since no Poor Clares could be present for the evening prayer, I found a nice video so they could represent, too. (I am sure they are having an enjoyable evening in the cloister!)



I have heard it said that if it wasn't for St. Clare, the Franciscan order would not have been able to survive. I am so grateful for this strong, brave, and deeply spiritual woman!

A Unique Examination of Conscience

Last fall I was given a different kind of Examination of Conscience: it is an Examination of Attitudes. It was written by one of our Sisters. I love it, and I have been given permission to reprint it on this blog! I hope that this becomes a useful tool for you as you prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Examples of Brief Confessions of Sinfulness

Note: the following examples are made up to show one aspect of confession- that is, the confessing of sinfulness as an attitude. The examples also show characteristic attitudes, different in each person. Any one of the following could be a complete confession supposing there is no (other) mortal sinfulness.

1. I have been angry at all my troubles and I let myself be very sarcastic to people I work with and live with...
2. I am so concerned with getting material things and keeping up my status in the eyes of those I associate with that I have too little time for noticing the needs of others.
3. I take delight in and I take pleasure in learning of and broadcasting the faults of those whose ideas...I do not like.
4. I cause great inconvenience to others by a sloppy and unplanned way of doing things, making them wait, spoiling their plans, ignoring their needs.
5. I realize I am taking a roundabout revenge on others by my remarks about them, even in joking...
6. I let my depression and my temper, and my moods affect others by giving into my feelings and...
7. I am causing trouble in my group by trying to dominate, by making all the decisions, by not listening to anyone, thinking I am always right...
8. I refuse to take responsibility for my mistakes; I always find someone to blame other than myself.
9. I allow a spirit of bitterness, complaining, self-pity to possess me and thus I don't do others any good...
10. I am very stubborn and domineering. If I am blocked by anyone for any reason, I immediately lose my temper and retaliate.
11. I continually make myself the hero and center of every conversation.
12. I am present at Mass physically, but my participation is half-hearted and spiritless...
13. I almost never pray...
14. I cause unnecessary pain to those in authority by being closed, secretive, and underhanded...
15. I show little forgiveness or compassion toward others when they have need for sympathy.
16. I show little consideration for others by being late for meals, prayers, meetings, etc.
17. I demand perfection from everyone and tolerate weakness from nobody.

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This is the statue of St. Francis
that I look at as I am waiting
in line to receive the Sacrament
of Reconciliation at the
Motherhouse.

"Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves by healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful" (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1458).

Links:

"The Spiritual and Psychological Value of Frequent Confession" by Fr. John Hardon, S.J.

"Frequent Confession" by Barbara Kralis

"Rediscovering Frequent Confession" by Fr. Ronald Lawler, O.F.M. Cap

As Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least every two weeks. I noticed a change in myself for the better when I began this practice as a postulant.

On Marian Apparitions

While I was growing up, I would watch The Day the Sun Danced with my cousins at my maternal grandma's house. I loved it! In fact, I still love this movie. I even showed it to the sixth grade religious education class that I taught at my home parish when I was teaching about sacramentals. I told them, this might look like a children's movie because it is animated, but it's actually one of my favorites. My students loved it too and even were inspired by it enough to ask if we could pray the Rosary together as a class. 

As a fan of the miracle at Fatima, I was pleased to find out that there was a a new movie about the story. Last year, we watched it as a novitiate community and tonight I got to see it again in the cafeteria with more of our Sisters. It is called The 13th Day and I thought it was excellent both times I saw it! According to Catholic.net, it is not appropriate for young children because of the images of hell and the way the children are treated in the movie (http://catholic.net/index.php?option=dedestaca&id=4184&grupo=News%20%20Media&canal=Entertainment).

The visions at Fatima occurred in 1917 and were approved by the Church in 1930. 

Here in the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Marian Apparitions were approved by Bishop David Ricken on December 8, 2010. He said, "I declare with moral certainty and in accord with the norms of the Church that the events, apparitions and locutions given to Adele Brise in October of 1859 do exhibit the substance of supernatural character, and I do hereby approve these apparitions as worth of belief (although not obligatory) by the Christian faithful" (http://www.gbdioc.org/newsevents/news/857-worthy-of-belief.html). This made the apparition the first one approved in the United States. 

Yesterday, Sr. Anne Marie (a Sister who is staying with our Community for her sabbatical), Sr. Natalie, Sr. Regina Rose, and I went on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help (where the apparitions were). We were greeted with something new at the site: a Vatican flag! The statues of the angels blowing their horns in front of the flag completed the scene. They seemed to be proclaiming the good news! 

We had a wonderful time there. It has such a peaceful atmosphere! If you are traveling to Wisconsin, I recommend stopping by.


Some words on apparitions and other private revelations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Throughout the ages, there have been so-called 'private' revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church. Christian faith cannot accept "revelations" that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfilment, as is the case in certain nonChristian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such 'revelations' (CCC #67).

I took the liberty of looking up a couple of the phrases for you:
 deposit of faith = The teachings of the Church through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition (http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/apparitions.htm)
sensus fidelium =sense of the faith 
-sensus fidei: the Christian's possession of the fundamental truth of his faith". 
-sensus fidelium: [the Christian's] role in actively defending and elaborating that faith" 
"Writers since [Vatican Council II] have generally preferred the more active-subjective term, that is, sensus fidelium (http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-3407710236/sensus-fidelium.html) 

Collin B. Donovan, STL, quotes St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica: God continues to reveal Himself to individuals "not indeed for the declaration of any new doctrine of faith, but for the direction of human acts" (http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/apparitions.htm).

The "direction of human acts" given to Adele was to catechize. In many ways, it is a message we still need today.

A Chance to Ice Skate

We have had an unusually warm winter in Wisconsin so we haven't had a chance to do wintry activities like sledding. However, this past Sunday Regina asked me and the other novices if we wanted to try out ice skating. We were happy to oblige! It was 50 degrees fahrenheit, but there were a lot of ice fishermen on the lake and none of them were falling through. We found a good area without any fishing holes, and then we had a great time skating around! 

I also used the opportunity to take pictures for my digital photography class. I edited my favorite one today in the "digital darkroom" via GIMP. I didn't have to do much editing, just sharpening in some areas, blurring in others, a tiny bit of burning, and some work with the histogram. GIMP is can do anything that Photoshop can do, only it is free. I actually prefer it.  Here's the picture- I think it's cute: 

Left to right: Sr. Leslie, Sr. Regina Rose, and Regina.

Tonight is a quiet night, so I am going to eat dinner and after that I'll lay low and pray. I hope that you are having a wonderful start to your Lenten practices!

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P.S. We also had a great discernment retreat last weekend! To the young women who came, know you are in my thoughts and prayers!

Slavery Has Not Ended. It Just Has a Different Name.

This post is in honor of a very brave woman. Thanks for your nice message and you are in my prayers.

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Our Community (the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity) is a member of the Franciscan Federation. At their annual conference last July, the representatives made a resolution that we would work to eliminate human trafficking, for the rescue and safety of the victims, and prosecution of perpetrators (2011 Resolution).

Fact: There are more slaves now than at any other time in history. It just has a different name: human trafficking. It is illegal under both US and International Laws.


There is something that we can do about it.

http://www.worldchristianministries.org/news.asp?newsid=8056

According to the Polaris Project,

• "Human trafficking is a crime that often goes underreported due to its covert nature, various misconceptions about its definition, and a lack of awareness about its indicators on the local level
• "Human trafficking is a market-based economy that exists on principles of supply and demand. It thrives due to conditions which allow for high profits to be generated at low risk.
• "Human trafficking is prevalent in many countries around the world
• "Cases of human trafficking have been reported in all fifty states of the United States
• "Victims are trafficked for a wide variety of purposes, such as commercial sex, agricultural work, or housekeeping, yet they all share the loss of one of our world’s most cherished rights—freedom.
• "There is no one consistent face of a trafficking victim. Trafficked persons can be rich or poor, men or women, adults or children, and foreign nationals or US citizens.
• "There is no one consistent face of a trafficker. Traffickers include a wide range of criminal operators, including individual pimps, small families or businesses, loose-knit decentralized criminal networks, and international organized criminal syndicates." ((http://www.polarisproject.org/).

There are misconceptions about trafficking. Here's the truth:

• It does not only happen to immigrants.
• It does not always involve physical force.
• Consent of the victim is not important to perpetrators. Neither is payment.(http://www.polarisproject.org/). 

Click here to view online or download a PDF of how to identify human trafficking victims.
To understand the mindsets of trafficking victims, click here to view online/download a PDF.
Click here to view online/download a PDF of key numbers to call in the United States if you suspect that someone is being trafficked.

One final thing. I believe in the power of prayer, and I want to provide some prayer resources for you:

http://www.franfed.org/PeaceJusticePrayerServiceHT.html
http://www.ipjc.org/links/2012TraffickingPrayer.pdf
http://www.ipjc.org/links/TraffickingPrayer.pdf

We can also pray for the intercession of St. Josephine Bakhita. A group in Oregon, USA, is seeking Vatican approval for her to be patron saint of slavery and human trafficking victims. Click here to read about the cause.

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/qc/pub/traite-trafficking/traite-trafficking-eng.htm

First, Do No Harm

Disclaimer: Habitually Speaking, the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, and the Roman Catholic Church do not support any particular political party. The following entry is about a human rights violation that happens to be undertaken by the current administration of the United States. The political party is irrelevant,  because this issue is beyond party lines. Both Republicans and Democrats are upset about what has happened.

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One of my favorite things about our Community is our commitment to social justice.

• We stay informed on the status of human trafficking, and on January 11th, we had a special evening prayer for all human trafficking victims.
• Some of the Sisters at our Motherhouse and surrounding convents volunteer regularly at Hope House, which provides housing and services to help homeless people get back on their feet.
• Our Community also provides our lay employees, no matter what their jobs are, with a living wage and health benefits.

These are some of the issues that we are committed to. Very recently, we found another thing to be concerned about: one that affects us in a significant way, because we sponsor some Catholic hospitals.

Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan explains:

"all but a few employers will be forced to purchase coverage for contraception, abortion drugs and sterilization services even when they seriously object to them. All who share the cost of health plans that include such services will be forced to pay for them as well. Surely it violates freedom of religion to force religious ministries and citizens to buy health coverage to which they object as a matter of conscience and religious principle.
The rule forces insurance companies to provide these services without a co-pay, suggesting they are "free"—but it is naïve to believe that. There is no free lunch, and you can be sure there's no free abortion, sterilization or contraception. There will be a source of funding: you.

Coercing religious ministries and citizens to pay directly for actions that violate their teaching is an unprecedented incursion into freedom of conscience. Organizations fear that this unjust rule will force them to take one horn or the other of an unacceptable dilemma: Stop serving people of all faiths in their ministries—so that they will fall under the narrow exemption—or stop providing health-care coverage to their own employees.

The Catholic Church defends religious liberty, including freedom of conscience, for everyone. The Amish do not carry health insurance. The government respects their principles. Christian Scientists want to heal by prayer alone, and the new health-care reform law respects that. Quakers and others object to killing even in wartime, and the government respects that principle for conscientious objectors. By its decision, the Obama administration has failed to show the same respect for the consciences of Catholics and others who object to treating pregnancy as a disease." (http://usccb.org/about/media-relations/resources/wall-street-journal-op-ed-on-religious-freedom.cfm)

In order to be exempted from this new law, Catholic hospitals can only treat Catholic patients, and can only hire Catholic employees. Really, is that possible? Even if it was, would we want to be so exclusive? Never.

Doctors should be able to live out the Hippocratic Oath according to their consciences.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said,

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

The Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity are not backing down. We are joining the efforts of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Health Association of the United States to stop this law from taking effect. Our administration has asked us to participate through our prayers.

Please also pray for the protection of the freedom of conscience.