Blessed be God!

We received a much-needed rain, which put an end to the fire danger in our area (for now). Praise God! We are so thankful! The rain came close to the solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, which is kind of appropriate since in many countries this feast is celebrated by throwing water on people (to remind them of their baptism). 
You can check out our 2010 post on this great solemnity here. 
Meanwhile, this weekend we\’ll be celebrating Sr. Mary John\’s feast day. Her real feast day falls on December 27 (St. John the Evangelist) but that\’s right in the middle of Christmas celebrations so we generally pick another day to do it when she is prioress. So keep checking back (or consider following to make checking easier) because we hope to have pictures of this happy day sometime next week!

Where There\’s Smoke…

There is a fire burning out of control not far from Lufkin, basically in Trinity, Polk and Jasper counties. So far, it has not reached us–and we pray it will not–but some of our neighboring communities have had to evacuate.
The sun had a reddish aura because of all the smoke in the air.
What appear to be pine straw ashes were blown into our monastery from the fires!
It looked like black snow coming down. 
We pray for all people affected by the fires and extreme heat during this unusual season. 102 degree temperatures in Lufkin and it\’s not even summer yet! Please keep us in your prayers, too.

On a more cheerful note, we would like to announce that Sarah Murray (who visited our monastery back in April–see here) won the election and will represent our area on the Lufkin City Council! We are praying for you always, Sarah!

Trinity Sunday

The Trinity. One God, three divine Persons. It\’s easy to think of the Trinity as simply a New Testament idea, but it\’s possible to look through the Old Testament and find hidden glimpses of the Trinity as well–the example that immediately comes to mind is in the book of Genesis, where Abraham offered hospitality to three mysterious guests. This event was immortalized in Rublev\’s famous icon of the Trinity:
 
But there are other passages, as well. The Trinity has always existed, but had to be revealed gradually in order that people could learn to understand it. And even today we cannot truly comprehend this great mystery! We can only praise and adore the Trinity, and give thanks to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for their provident care and guidance and love.
Special thanks to all our fathers on Father\’s Day–our natural fathers, spiritual fathers, all the men who have been like fathers to us, living and deceased–we\’re praying for you! 

Pentecost

\”When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance….\” (Acts 2:1-4) 
Pentecost has become, for Christians, the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church. The \”tongues of fire\” symbolize the action of the Holy Spirit, enlightening the minds of the disciples and helping them to understand what Jesus had taught them–and enabling them to go out and proclaim that teaching to the world. Dominicans even speak of a \”Dominican Pentecost\” (when St. Dominic sent his first followers out to begin their preaching mission throughout Europe).Today, the Holy Spirit is sending you on a mission as well! It may involve leaving what is familiar to go to the place God is leading you by the Spirit; it may involve staying in the same place but allowing the Spirit to transform your environment and your own point of view. As St. Paul tells us, \”There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each is individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.\” (1 Cor. 12:4-7) Pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for the gifts He longs to give you–and thank Him for the gifts He has already bestowed. Then go out on mission and spread the Spirit to the world!

Calendar Fundraiser

You\’ve seen the picture in the upper right hand corner of this blog. Maybe you\’ve clicked on the link to see what it\’s all about. But maybe you\’re still wondering…
We\’ve created a beautiful 2012 calendar as a fundraiser for our monastery! For a small donation ($7.00 per calendar, which includes shipping and handling) you can receive one of these calendars AND help support our monastery at the same time. This calendar features photographs from the monastery grounds taken by the sisters and captioned with suitable quotes from the Bible. It\’s a unique view \”inside\” the monastery cloister! It makes a great gift–for yourself or someone you love. Please go here to get more information.
Sr. Mary Margaret presents Fr. Dominic Izzo, O.P. with one of our calendars.Thanks for your support, Father!

The Ascension of Our Lord

The first reading at Mass, from the Acts of the Apostles, seems particularly appropriate this year, when some awaited the end of the world on May 21 (now moved to October) and others worry that the end will come in 2012, according to the old Mayan calendar. Jesus makes it clear to us here: we don\’t know, and we won\’t know, until it actually happens. But the Ascension of Our Lord into heaven is something we can hold on to with hope. The \”two men dressed in white garments\” told the apostles that Jesus would return, and this promise is meant for us as well. Pope Benedict XVI tells us that it would be wrong to think that the Ascension means \”the temporary absence of Christ from the world.\” Instead, he says, \”we go to heaven to the extent that we go to Jesus Christ and enter into him.\” He has not left us orphans; he is present with us every moment. Alleluia!

One Year Anniversary!

\”Dominican Life on Lotus Lane\” has been on the web for one year today!
 
We thank God first and foremost for all the blessings we have received from Him over this past year, and we give special thanks to the many people who have helped us get started on this blog and continue with it–whether with technical expertise, creative advice, or encouragement! Thanks also to all of you who read this blog and especially to those who follow us! You\’re all in our daily prayers!
Since we started this blog on June 4, we find ourselves under the patronage of St. Peter of Verona, the first canonized Dominican martyr. He was raised a Cathar but converted to Catholicism, joined the Dominican Order, and worked hard to stamp out the Cathar heresy. He was martyred as a result.  
He\’s commonly depicted with the assassin\’s blade protruding from his head. As he lay dying, he wrote the word \”Credo\” in his own blood. He\’s a powerful intercessor for the Church in general and the Dominican Order in particular. Pray for us, St. Peter of Verona!