Tet 2014

It\’s that time of year again–the Lunar New Year, or Tet as our Vietnamese sisters call it! We have come full circle this year–we began our community celebrations of Tet in 2002 (which was also the Year of the Horse) and now we are starting (so to speak) another 12-year cycle! Over the years our celebrations have varied but some things remain constant, like our traditional dance choreographed by Sr. Mary Christine. We\’ll let the pictures of the dance speak for themselves!
 After the dance the sisters enjoyed delicious Vietnamese treats and lucky money envelopes.
It was all so good! Many thanks to those who provided us with these treats!
Some of the sisters in our community who were born in the Year of the Horse: Sr. Mary Rose, Sr. Maria Guadalupe, and Sr. Mary Veronica
We played some fun games and in the end everyone received a little gift. It was truly a wonderful celebration and a great opportunity to learn more of our sisters\’ varied cultural traditions and grow in our mutual love in Christ. We look forward to next year! 
Sr. Bernadette Marie and Sr. Irma display their New Year gifts.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2014

In our first reading from Isaiah we have the actual text from the prophet, which is not exactly as Matthew gives it to us in the Gospel. The prophecy ends on a very positive note: 
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;…
[God has] brought them abundant joy..
For the yoke that burdened them,…
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. (Isaiah 9:1-3)
What is this \”day of Midian\”? Midian was a great and powerful nation southeast of Israel. For many years it had periodically plundered and raided the Israelites. This was the moment when Gideon was made a judge to protect and defend God\’s people. Gideon raised an army of 10,000 warriors, but God thought that was too many and sent all but 300 home. Besides that, he did not allow those left to use any weapons. The Israelites would defeat their enemy with horns, empty clay jars and torches. 
God did not need 10,000 soldiers to destroy Midian. He didn\’t even need 300. They were only an example of how much their faith enabled God to act through them to overcome danger. The same holds true for each of us. In the many battles and struggles of life, often all we can really do is pray to God for his help. Pray for guidance–to know God\’s will–and strength, to do it and carry it to the end.
Nothing in this world is secure and lasting–no nation, no continent, not even the mighty stars. Only God and what he wills is lasting. One of the things God wills to last forever is us–and our immortal souls. What are we doing to make ourselves ready for eternity? Each of our daily choices goes into the \”mix\” of our eternity. May our sins and tendencies toward evil \”be smashed as on the day of Midian\”.

Snow on Lotus Lane

As we finished Compline last night, it started snowing…and this morning we awoke to a rare (for Lufkin) winter wonderland! We haven\’t had a snow like this since…2010?? And this was heavier snow than we had back then!

Snow on the magnolia tree–and on Our Lady!
 In the woods
Another shot of the woods. You can see the novitiate building at the left.
The snow-covered angel at our flagpole.
By noon, the snow was beginning to melt, although it was still pretty cold outside–for Lufkin. We realize for many parts of the United States and some parts of the world snow is no big deal because it happens every winter, or at least more often than not. But for us it was an opportunity to wonder anew at God\’s marvelous works. And maybe to throw a snowball or two! \”Bless the Lord, ice and snow, praise and glorify him forever!\” (Daniel 3:70)

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2014

Last week we celebrated the feast of the Lord\’s baptism. Today God\’s word invites us to understand Jesus better through the preaching of John the Baptist, \”Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world…\” (John 1:29). Why did John the Baptist call Christ a lamb? Let\’s examine two reasons. 
First of all, in the old law, there are several animals which can be offered to make reparation for sin: the heifer, the goat, the sheep (which might be a ram or a lamb), the turtle dove, and the pigeon. All of these prefigured the true sacrifice, which is Christ, who takes on himself the sins of the people and offers himself as a \”lamb of expiation\” (cf. Leviticus 14). 
Secondly, in the new and eternal covenant, Christ is sacrificed and offers himself. The Passover feast has a deep meaning in Israel\’s history. In Exodus 12 we read, \”Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household…it must be a lamb without blemish.\” It must be \”without blemish\” because it is an offering to God. This prefigures Christ who was pure, innocent, and slain. In Exodus 12:11, the meal is a necessary part of the ritual. When the Israelites came to the promised land, they continued to celebrate the Passover meal. It was seen as part of a sacrifice ritual, a covenant-making ritual. Our Lord chose the context of the Passover supper to institute the Eucharist. He says, \”This is my body…this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many.\” (Mark 14:23-24)
In today\’s Gospel we are invited to participate in the offering of Christ which makes possible the living of the covenant. With God\’s help we come back to Christ in the Mass to renew the links that bind us to God and to receive grace and virtue from Christ\’s sacrifice in the Mass. As we read in Matthew, this \”blood of the covenant\” is \”poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.\” (Matthew 26:28)

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, 2014

 
In addition to 9 Days for Life, today is also the starting date for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. There\’s a lot to pray for this week! 
We will have a Holy Hour from 7 PM – 8 PM on Wednesday, January 22. This will include some time for silent prayer and also Compline and Benediction. If you are in the Lufkin area, you are welcome to come and join us! This Holy Hour is actually for the cause of pro-life, but we will probably offer some prayers for Christian unity as well, because all Christians (and really all people of good faith) have to work together in order to help the most vulnerable members of our society. We can accomplish so much more when we have unity in heart and mind. Let\’s be united in prayer this week and always!

9 Days for Life 2014

Tomorrow, the 9 Days for Life novena begins! You can see the novena and reflections for each day here. The prayers are really excellent and offer good options for sacrifices that probably anyone can do, regardless of your state of life. We encourage you to participate in these nine days of prayer and sacrifice for the protection of human life called for by the USCCB. If you go to the link we\’ve provided, you can see how to sign up and receive the novena prayers as an app, email, or text messages as well! There\’s a lot to pray for in the week coming up (as you will see tomorrow). So let\’s get going and pray!

Baptism of the Lord, 2014

As we are about to return to Ordinary Time, the Church celebrates the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. As we do so, we recall our own baptism. Blessed Pope John Paul II wrote in Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way: \”I thank the Lord for the first anointing with sacred chrism that I received in my hometown…It took place during my baptism. We are all justified and clothed in Christ by this sacramental cleansing with water. We also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the first time. This anointing with chrism is a sign of the outpouring of the Spirit, who gives new life in Christ and enables us to live in the righteousness of God…\” There are three fruits of the baptismal grace we would like to share with you today.

First, believers become children of God. When we were baptized, a priest poured water on our heads and said, \”I baptize you in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.\” In the Old Testament, we read of Noah and his family, who survived the flood, a foreshadowing of baptism. The people of God crossed the river Jordan before they reached the land of Canaan, the image of eternal life and the everlasting covenant God promised. Similarly, we become part of God\’s family when we are baptized.

Second, \”[The believers] come to share in the divine nature\” (2 Peter 1:4), the new life in Christ. Paul writes, \”Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?…Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in  newness of life.\” (Romans 6:3-4) St. Paul clearly teaches that baptized believers enter into a mystical communion with Christ.

Finally, the believers become temples of the Holy Spirit, who sets their hearts ablaze with his fire so that they become holy. The call to holiness is the universal call for all vocations in Christ.

What a blessing baptism is! May all Christians give thanks to the loving Father for this gift, which grafts our lives like branches into the vine which is Christ. He makes us new members of his mystical Body which generously carries out his mission. \”Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.\” (Mark 16:15)