December 9, 2011

Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales

~ Is your life harried and hassled? 

~ Is it difficult to find time to pray and reflect on your calling as a Christian?

~ These portions of a letter or sermon by St. Francis de Sales, reflect on how he lived what he taught in the concrete circumstances of his own life.

~ St. Francis de Sales lived some 400 years ago, and yet his message is still relevant for our world today.  His gentle manner toward everyone he met and his generous service of od and the Church can be an inspiration and example for 20th century Christians of every walk of life.

On December 9, while Francis de Sales was preaching the Advent sermons at Grenoble, he got word of the marvelous cure of Mother Chantal, who was very sick at the time.  He rejoiced about this in the Lord, and having finished his sermon he went on foot to the Reformed Franciscans to celebrate Holy Mass.  He did this with such sentiments of piety that these good religious believed that he was in ecstasy.  The same day, he wrote as follows to the holy convalescent: "I have thought, my dear daughter, that I could not find a better way of thanking the heavenly Physician than through the hands of our most holy mother, Mary conceived without sin, our sovereign and patroness . . . So, after my poor sermon, I came to hide myself in the church of the Franciscans to celebrate Holy Mass, during which our heavenly queen deigned to look upon me with such kindness that I hope to come back to her on other occasions to beg her, as the sovereign medicine, to preserve for a long time our dearest mother, for whom she has without doubt obtained the recovery."
(A. S. XII, p. 171)

Be at peace and let your soul feed upon the sweetness of heavenly love, without which our hearts are lifeless and our life joyless.

"It can be said that religious perfection is the real pearl of the Gospel; to acquire it one must be prepared to abandon everything in a vastly different manner from that which is required for common Christian perfection.  While this latter can be attained simply by observing the commandments of God, for religious perfection it is necessary to keep not only the precepts but also the evangelical counsels, by following secret inspirations and interior promptings.  This is done by entering the religious state and renouncing all the vanities of the world and one's own possessions.  Everything must be left, without exception, no matter how small that may be."
(Sermons 44; O.X, p. 23)

29th National Salesian Conference

DeSales Resources and Ministries, Inc.
invites you to the
29th NATIONAL SALESIAN CONFERENCE
presented locally by Visitation Monastery
(7 location live simulcast)

Consider God's love for you as you travel the
spiritual journey of the gospel with
St. Francis de Sales.

JOIN US on SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
8:00 a.m.-2:30p.m.

Visitation Academy & Monastery
3020 N. Ballas Rd.
Saint Louis, MO  63131

REGISTRATION: DeSales Resources at 1-800-782-2270 or http://www.desalesresource.org/
COST: Free will offering

FATHER EUNAN McDONNELL, SDB
Salesian of Don Bosco from Ireland
will present on "God Desires YOU" including:
- The Human Heart
- The Heart of God
- The Heart of Jesus
- Heart Speaking to Heart
- A Communion of Hearts





What will the day include?
... presentations
... Liturgy in the Visitation Chapel
... Shared opening and closing prayer among ALL sites
... Additional materials available on site including Salesian Marketplace
... Continental breakfast and lunch

Sister Marie Therese retreat musings

Last summer during our annual retreat I wrote about my delight in

watching mother and father mourning doves prepare for and take

care of their babies. The nest was in a tree whose limbs brush

against my window so I had a box seat.

To my wonderment this year a mother robin chose almost that

spot to build her much more carefully constructed nest, piece by

piece. Then she settled down to warm and protect her beautiful blue

eggs. In blazing St. Louis sun that sifted through the leaves or in the

heavy rains amid thunder and lightning, she spread out her

protecting wings and braved the storm.

After a week or two  of patient sitting, I noticed that she had to

perch on the edge of the nest for lack of room and that three pink

mouths vied frantically for the worms she and her mate deposited

in each one. Day by day the baby robins grew in feathers, size, and

rambunctiousness. Mother Robin was unfailingly patient first with

the babies and then with the “teenage” behavior of her brood. Again

when the heavy rains came, they all four seemed to hunker down

in the nest, and she was still able to spread her wings over the bulges

below and protect them.

Gradually the three little birds spent their time flapping their wings,

pushing each other aside, and even teetering to a near-by branch,

only to hop right back into the nest.

I had hoped to see their departure. They were all still there one

morning, but when I came back after lunch, the nest was completely

empty. Neither the mother or babies returned.

Throughout this drama, I was ever aware of the parallel of God’s

nurturing, faithful care for us in sunshine and storm. I thought often

of Paul Claudel’s observation: “Jesus did not come to explain away

suffering or remove it. He came to fill it with his presence.”

Please click on the link below and watch this video of a mother

robin feeding her chicks.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9479342&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_
portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

Feast of the Sacred Heart

On June 6, 1610, 401 years ago, the Visitation Order began
in Annecy, France.

St. Francis de Sales wrote to St. Jane de Chantal:

"Truly our little congregation is a work

of the heart of Jesus and Mary.

The dying Savior gave birth to us

through the wound of his Sacred Heart."

The Sisters of the Visitation invite you to celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Friday, July 1, 2011

7:30 p.m. Eucharistic Liturgy

Rev. Tom Landgraff, OSFS

Visitation Chapel

3020 North Ballas Road

Saint Louis, Missouri  63131

Please enter at Monastery door.  Reception follows. 

If you plan to attend, please respond to 314-625-9235.



Sister Lucy's Reflection at the Mothers' Club Lenten Day of Recollection

Sister Lucy

Lent is upon us - a time to reflect on what Jesus Christ, in His great love, has done for us and how we have responded to this great love.

Christ in His passion did not have the support of His friends (apostles).  They slept as He agonized.  He even asked God His Father to relieve Him: "Father let this chalice pass from me, but not my will but Thy will be done."  When we are distressed and feel no support - and this does happen whether in great things or small things - can we respond as He did?  If not, we can turn to One who knows how it feels to be bereft.  We can also be a support to others in their distress.

Christ was beaten so badly with whips that His flesh was ripped open.   He suffered that for me and for you.  Have we ever thought that we may be the cause of some of those lashes when we lash out in anger or gossip about another?  It is well to think of our tongues as whips.  For a positive Lenten practice, perhaps we can curb our tongues when we speak out of impatience, anger or lack of charity.  It might also be well to examine and ask, "Why am I impatient?  Why am I angry?  Why am I feeling uncharitable?"  We need to be honest with ourselves and admit that the fault is with ourselves.

Christ was crowned with a circle of thorns; they were not small thorns and they were beaten onto His head, not gently placed.  Can you imagine the pain!  There are times when we may feel like we have a crown of thorns because of tensions we are under at home, at work or other circumstances.  Christ suffered that for us without complaint; can we offer our suffering up to Him, ask His help, calmly and peacefully ease the situation if possible?

Mothers' Club Lenten Retreat
Visitation Academy Chapel

Christ was forced to carry the heavy cross beam on badly bruised back and shoulders - again no complaint.  We have many crosses in our lives - heavy, medium and small ones - how do we carry them?  Sometimes we think we are the only ones who have crosses, but if we look around near us and far away from us, we will see that there are others carrying crosses.  Christ is always there to help us for He knows our capacity for suffering.  Remember in Scripture He said: "Take up your cross daily and follow me."

Christ is stripped and utters no complaint but suffers this indignity for love of us.  There are times when we are "stripped" of our job/income, ourhealth, our families, our reputation.  I am sure that you can think of other strippings.  Do we turn to God and ask His help?

Now we come to Christ being nailed to the cross.  The hammering of the nails - spikes! into His hands and feet.  Can you imagine the pain!  I believe we all have pains, some worse than others.  Can we offer our suffering in union with Christ's suffering?   There is so much in us, in our families in the world that needs explanation.

Christ did all this for love of us and He sees and knows our splendor, each and every one of us.  He said to St. Margaret Mary: "Behold this heart so full of love for men and have received so little love in return." 

l-Sister Lucy, r-Sister Margaret Mary

Can we be those who return love?

Sisters Adopt L'Arche St. Louis as a Prayer Partner

This past Wednesday Franciscan Sister Janet Ryan and Visitation associate Helen Rissi came to update the Sisters on the progress of the L’Arche project in St. Louis. As found on their website, “L’Arche enables people with and without disabilities to share their lives in communities of faith and friendship. Community members are transformed through relationships of mutuality, respect, and companionship as they live, work, pray, and play together.” Author Henri Nouwen popularized this ministry by living in a L’Arche community and writing about his experiences.

In St. Louis, core members—developmentally disabled adults—are being identified to live in community in the tradition of founder Jean Vanier and associate members—those who dedicate themselves to living with them-- are being recruited. The renovation of the former Immaculate Conception convent in Maplewood is only a week away from being complete.

This project has been in the process of planning by Helen and a small group of inspired people whose dream it is to see marginalized persons live in a small loving community rather than an institution. Sr. Janet is leading and coordinating the foundation and alumna Margaret Tucker ’77 is a member of the Board.  This project is dear to the Visitation Community as the Sisters are the official prayer partners for the L’Arche community in St. Louis.

The essence of L’Arche is shared life between persons with visible developmental disabilities and those who carry their handicaps less visibly. What an inspiring example for our workplaces, families, parish and religious communities.

Learn more about L’Arche USA here.

The Mount of Temptation

During my Holy Land pilgrimage in November, I had the privilege of going to the Mount of Temptation. In this sun-baked barren place in Jericho Jesus lived for 40 days and 40 nights, fasting and praying. Here in the desert he withstood the wiles of Satan.

                                                                The Mount of Temptation



The whole scene came back vividly to me as I listened to the Gospel of the First Sunday of Lent. Against this backdrop, the reflection on Scripture of Fr. Carroll Stuhlmueller, C.P. in his Biblical Meditations for Lent opened new vistas:

We are not usually tempted by what is obviously bad. Rather, temptations emerge out of goodness which we desire selfishly for ourselves alone. Temptations change at once to invitations to greater goodness, once we recognize the possibility to share properly and happily with others….

Strange as it sounds, goodness provides the occasion for temptation, goodness around us in other people, places and events, goodness within us in our talents and values….Jesus was tempted while fasting and praying in the desert. Here he was led by the Spirit; here he realized the incomparable gifts which he, a human being, possessed because of being Son of God with a messianic mission. In the desert the devil suggested:”Because you are so saintly and so powerful, work those extravagant miracles quickly, at once, and the messianic triumph all over the world will be accomplished! Why wait?”

Jesus, however, waited and concentrated upon his public ministry. This way of God was long, at times tedious and in the end seemingly a failure. The work had to be handed over to apostles and disciples, and as it continues into our own day, it is still unfinished. Maybe we are tempted to think that Jesus should have followed the devil’s advice and carried out the world’s salvation as quickly as turning stones into bread. Then all the kingdoms of the world would be his, enthusiastically acclaiming this wonder-worker who can even throw himself from the highest and most conspicuous spot of the temple and remain unharmed. Jesus waited; for only by a slow process of thought, prayer and dedication can salvation be achieved according to God’s holy will. This salvation must be shared with everyone before individual persons can consider themselves fully saved.

Fr. Stuhlmueller ends his reflections by contrasting the responses of Adam in the garden and Jesus in the desert. In Adam we are selfish and apt to misuse goodness; in Jesus we are strong enough to share without losing. It is an interesting insight that not evil but goodness provides the opportunity for temptation.

Lord Jesus, help me to fast from selfishness this Lent and unselfishly share goodness.

Lent is the Time for Loving

Again we are entering the joyous season of Lent. Does that adjective surprise you? We have long associated Lent with penance and sharing in the sufferings and death of Jesus by fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. Of course that is correct, but it is only half the truth. It is incomplete because we know the end of the passion story which is not death but resurrection: Christ has died; Christ is risen. So why do Catholic Christians journey through the 40 days of Lent?

I’d like to suggest that Lent is the time for loving—not the hearts and flowers infatuation that is a prelude to real love but the unheroic, unsung, “ordinary” ways that are easily within our reach. In his Treatise on the Love of God St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of Divine Love, teaches:

There are people who imagine doing great things for God, things that would involve great suffering and heroic actions. Yet there is no opportunity to perform such deeds—and perhaps there never will be. They believe that just by imagining these deeds, they have shown great love, but they are often deceived. For while they desire to embrace great future crosses, they anxiously avoid the much lighter burdens that are presented to them now. Isn’t it a big temptation to be heroic in imagination but cowardly in carrying it out?...Great deeds do not always come our way, but in every moment, we may do little ones with a great love.

Francis’ insight that by doing little acts, we practice loving more often, more humbly, and more usefully can give us a clue to making our Lent a time for love. He continues with an ordinary -extraordinary agenda of “Little Virtues” we can practice in union with the suffering love of Jesus:

1. Putting up with other people’s moods and troublesome behavior,

2. Gaining victory over our own moods and passions,

3. Renouncing our petty preferences, coming against our own revulsions,

4. Honestly acknowledging our faults,

5. Keeping our souls in peace,

6. Gently and graciously welcoming scorn or criticism.



Perhaps you would like to join me in choosing one of these practices for each of the six weeks of Lent? Like St. Francis de Sales and St. Therese of Lisieux we will experience in little ways that "Lent is a time for loving."

Sr. Marie Therese's Journey to the Holy Land: The Real Story of Where Jesus Was Born

As the time after Christmas disappears, so do the many nativity scenes that have decorated every corner of our monastery.   No matter what country each represented—and there were many--- after I came home from the Holy Land I had a whole new perspective on our visualizations of the scene on Christmas night in Bethlehem.

From our large nativity scene in the Chapel

To a smaller one outside the Sacristy

Traditionally, we have been told that St. Joseph could not find a place for his young wife, soon to be in labor, to give birth to her baby son. As the story goes, the inns were too full and only at the last minute were they offered a manger in a stable.  I have spent many Advents lamenting the lack of hospitality of the inhabitants of Bethlehem.  Our manger scenes depict all kinds of structures out in the back of an inn that I imagined similar to the innyards of Shakespeare’s time or as the first century equivalent of a Motel 6.

The explanation of Husan, our Arab-Christian guide, offered a whole new light on the situation. In those days in Nazareth and Bethlehem, any kind of place offering shelter would have been a cave. I was privileged to see restorations of what these cave homes looked like. There was an entry into a space roughly equivalent to a modern family room. The difference was that that area was where the family lived during the day and also where they slept at night. On one side in the wall was an oven for baking and cooking.  This room opened immediately on a second space where the animals were kept. They were a necessity because they kept the house warm, especially at night.

Now think back on the parable Jesus told about the head of a household who had an unexpected guest come during the night. Because he had no bread, he went to a neighbor’s cave, knocked on the door and asked that family to lend him some food. The father replies that he cannot do that because “the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.” ( Lk 11:7)                         

The explanation Husan gave was that in all probability when Mary and Joseph sought lodging, the places were already full of family and traveling friends.  The only space would have been in the adjoining room of the cave where the cattle and the manger were.  This description takes the people of Bethlehem off the hook, so to speak. They were not inhospitable. They gave the Holy Family the room and warmth for Mary to deliver the Christ Child with some privacy.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.

            Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light.

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.