MARCH ~ THE SAINTS AND FLOWERS OF LENT

 

On March 7 we celebrate the feast of Perpetua, a Third Century North African noblewoman and her slave Felicity.  Together, with their shared faith in Christ, they courageously stepped into the arena to be attacked by wild animals and then felled by a gladiator.  Most sorrowing to them, was that both women were nursing mothers while anticipating their death. Yet, on the day of their martyrdom, they, with calm and rejoicing hearts, shone forth the glory of God in word and example by their love of Christ and their persecutors.   On their day of victory, their blood watered the seeds of the new faith sprouting throughout the Roman Empire. 

PERPETUA is like seeing the silvery little paws of the PUSSY WILLOW sprouting on a bush as a sure sign of faith: out of dry twigs the pussy willow suddenly bursts forth to life.  And FELICITY is like the FORSYTHIA, that blooms around the same time, as its yellow glow brings rejoicing to all hearts. Pussy willows and forsythia represent anticipation.  

This Polish legend encourages us to believe life will bloom again when all appears dead.

Jesus visited the forest of the Mount of Olives early one morning.  He found it to be barren, lifeless.  Winter had taken its toll: there were no buds, flowers or ground cover sprigs. The whole forest was gloomy and grey; the animals wistful and motionless; the birds, silent.  Jesus began to gather branches of pussy willows and forsythia.  At His touch the branches of pussy willows and forsythia began to bud.  In the warm morning sunlight, the forest was rejoicing to welcome Jesus, the Lord of all creation, as the earth began to shake off its Winter sleepiness and release its secret liveliness back up into the grasses, bushes and trees.  Little critters peeked out of their holes and birds began to chirp. Jesus smiled upon the awakening world. 

His followers arrived with the colt Jesus and festooned the docile donkey with the budding branches which Jesus had picked. And then he sat on the colt and began the journey into Jerusalem.  The crowds, upon seeing him and filled with anticipation, cut their own branches of palm and sang out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

The Brazilian PASSION FLOWER grows on a vine and looks like something out of Carnival with its colors and frills but the Portuguese missionaries, just like St Patrick and the shamrock before, used the Passion Flower to help the native understand Christ’s Crucifixion.  The frilly filaments symbolize the Crown of Thorns, the top stigma is the Three Nails used to crucify the Lord and the five lower anthers are the wounds in Christ’s hands and feet and side. The blood of Christ is the red stain from the plant.  The fragrance of the flower represents the spices prepared by the Holy Women at the tomb.  Tea made from the dried Passion Flower induces sleep symbolizing the three days in the tomb and the sweet fruit symbolizes the resurrection and salvation of all peoples.

Brazilian SAINT DULCE died March 13, 1992. 
At the time of her death she was the most well-known women in Brazil.  Coming from an upper-class family, Dulce, her name means ‘sweet,’ entered the Franciscan sisters and began giving beggars haircuts and treating their wounds outside the convent door.  She found housing for them in abandoned houses in an area called Rat Island.  Evicted from there, she housed the sick in an abandoned fish market.  Evicted again, she convinced the mother superior to let her use the chicken coop to shelter her patients.  The Superior permitted it, as long as Dulce took care of the chickens – she did – by feeding them to the sick and poor!  That chicken coop later became San Antonio Hospital. Eighteen years after Dulce’s death her body, and clothing, were found to be incorrupt.  Canonized in 2019, St. Dulce’s passion for the salvation of souls flowered in her sweet deeds as she became known as the patron saint of the poor.   

March 15 is the feast of a humble and courageous Redemptorist, ST CLEMENT HOFBAUER. St Clement is known for bringing the Redemptorists from Italy across the Alps to Austria and into Poland.   His generosity is legendary:

In his younger years, Clement was a baker of bread who worked day and night to feed the poor.   Once, while collecting money for orphans he stopped to beg at a bar.  There he was ridiculed, spat upon and generally mistreated.  In response he said, “All Right.  That was for me.  But what can you give for my boys?”  The men were so astounded by his humility they generously opened their pockets and gave all they could. 

Because Clement was a baker of bread and harvester of souls, we could associate him with WINTER WHEAT. It symbolizes hardiness, abundance and generosity. Winter Wheat is planted in in the Autumn so it is ready to harvest late Spring.

In the 5^th century, it is said that SAINT PATRICK used a SHAMROCK as a metaphor to convert the Irish to Christianity.   But the Celtic ancients already believed in the triune nature of everything such as the three stages of womanhood: maid, mother, crone; the three elements: earth, water and fire.  The shamrock is not the only sign of the Trinity:  the Celtic knot also symbolizes the Trinity and that God is intertwined in everything. Legend has it that Patrick Christianized the pagan Sun Wheel - the symbol of the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth when he overlay the Cross of Christ’s life, death and resurrection.  In seeing the Celtic Cross, our faith leads us to union with the risen Christ, and our hope in the life to come.  

The most common flower associated with ST JOSEPH on March 19^th and the ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD, on March 25^th , is the LILY.  It is a symbol of innocence, purity and beauty, peace.  

Joseph is depicted as holding the infant Jesus and a lily signifying his purity,

righteousness and joy. Likewise, in paintings of the Annunciation, Gabriel is featured offering a lily to Mary symbolizing the hope to be fulfilled in the new life she will carry: the Promised One, the Messiah.

When Mary visits Elizabeth, she sings her Magnificat. 
Perhaps she also sang the song from the prophet Sirach, “Listen to me, faithful ones: open up your petals; Send up the sweet odor like incense; break forth in blossoms like the lily.  Raise your voices in a chorus of praise; bless the Lord for all God’s works!” Sirach 39:13-14

Lilies represent purity of heart, love, rebirth and hope.  At funerals they symbolize restored innocence to the soul of the one who died.   By Jesus’ death and resurrection, our souls become innocent like Joseph and Mary’s, who were righteous and pure from the beginning, and gives us hope in the life to come. 

SAINT OSCAR ROMERO was just canonized in 2018. He is remembered for his humanitarian efforts in El Salvador.  

Hear how Jesus’ compassion overflows toward his people as he weeps:  “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling!  I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”      Matthew 23:37, 39

BLEEDING HEART FLOWER,
with its heart shaped flowersborne on arching stems, beautifully describes the arc of Romero’s life rise from being a scrupulous priest to becoming an outspoken critic of the government and champion of the poor and oppressed.  This led to his martyrdom while celebrating Mass on March 24, 1980.    

BUSY START

The month of February has a busy start.  February 1 is St. Brigid’s Day. Traditionally, it marks the half way point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. In Ireland, it is the beginning of Spring.   Brigid is often depicted carrying an everlasting flame. It is said that in her monastery the kitchen fire perpetually burned brightly as did the love of Christ burn in her heart.  The Irish are known to plait St. Brigid crosses, just as Brigid did herself out of rushes while bringing a dying man back to the faith.  People hang these crosses in their homes petitioning her protection.    

February 2 is known by many names: Groundhog’s Day is a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of prediction of six more weeks on a cloudy day or sunny guesses of spring is on its way.

Also, on the 2^ND marks the end of the Christmas/Epiphany season.  (You can take down your decorations now.)  The day is known as the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple:  This marks the forty days after Jesus’ birth when the Light of Christ was revealed to the world as declared by the two prophets, Simeon and Anne, who longed for, welcomed and rejoiced in proclaiming the presence of the Savior of the world. This day also celebrates the Purification of Mary; a ritual of thanksgiving for the newborn and her recovery from childbirth.  

This day is also called Candlemas day because of the faithful carrying lit candles into the church to welcome Christ the Light.  At Mass, church and monasteries have their candles blessed for the coming year.  In Germany, and other countries, at the end of Evening Prayer on Candlemas Day and in anticipation of the feast of St. Blaise, they bless the faithful’s throats with lit candles.  I can only imagine the blaze that could cause if the priest were not of steady hand!   

On St. Blaise Day, Feb 3, in the monastery we celebrate this ritual, with unlit candles, thank you, for our own good health against diseases of the throat and other ailments, and for all the sick recommended to our prayer.

St. Blaise died in 317 and was a physician, bishop and martyr. The most famous legend about him was while he was in prison for refusing to renounce his faith, he miraculously cured a little boy who was choking to death on a fish bone.

Through these early days of February, may the intercession of St. Brigid, keep the fire of faith burning in our hearts; may the Light of Christ create in us a pure heart like His Mother Mary, and by the prayers of St. Blaise may we be cured of our illnesses as we joyfully sing full-throated in praise to the God who hears and answers our prayers.  Go, have your throats blessed.  And as an extra precaution, get your flu shot!

Three Hundred Sixty-Five Days

 January~ Little Christmas

Christmas was just a month ago.  All our the lights and decorations are still up.  They will come down February 2, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Holiday remnants can still be found here and there in the monastery. 

Are there remnants of the Christmas spirit still to be found in our hearts?  

In the classic movie A Christmas Carol, the Spirit of Christmas Present says, ‘We Spirits of Christmas do not live only one day of our year. We live the whole three-hundred and sixty-five. So is it true of the Child born in Bethlehem.  He does not live in hearts one day of the year, but in all days of the year.’

The Three Spirits of Christmas held up to Scrooge, as it were, mirrors of his life and he came to believe there was a better way to live his life.   By the end of the classic story, Scrooge is overflowing with Christmas joy and gave his word to be ‘…as good a man as the good old city knew…’

What keeps us from living that Christmas spirit three-hundred and sixty-five days a year?

On every 25th of the month, as is our tradition, we celebrate the Incarnation.   Why is that central to our charism?  We turn to our foundress to hold up the mirror to give us the answer.

When Celeste was a novice the Design of the Father was revealed to her.   She wrote down the Father’s words, “Stamp on your spirit the features of his life and the resemblance of him that comes from imitation.   Be on earth living and inspired portraits of my beloved Son.  Carry him about as the life of your heart and as the goal of your existence and as the Master of your spirit.”   

In her Autobiography she wrote,  “This instruction was for her soul like a polished mirror into which she remained gazing continually as at the dazzling light of the sun (the Son) and found herself at once drawn into the divine splendor of her Well-Beloved.”   Celeste was called from the beginning to be for the world a Mirror of God’s Love. 

That is our call also. We are to fix our gaze on the Son and, as if gazing in a mirror, see not only the splendor of His Being, but in our own being a living reflection of God’s eternal love.   “It is in this that the Redeemer is able today to accomplish His work of salvation in us and through us.” Const. 5    For, “The more we strive to live the love of Christ, the more the thoughts and feelings of Christ will fill our spirit and our heart, the more we will become His faithful images.” Const.6

Celeste describes Jesus, the only Begotten Son of the Father as the mirror of the Father.   She invites us to look into this mirror of the Son saying, “Those who are pure of heart know My Father because they look upon Him fixedly with a gaze of love.” and adds: “They are children of the light because with the vision of right intention, they gaze into the mirror of the divine perfections of their God.”   ‘The Mystic Who Remembered’ by Joseph Opptiz, CSsR

Jesus continued to instruct Celeste with these words, “In my wisdom, goodness, and infinity I call you, dear soul, because I want you to be clothed with all the virtues that make me beautiful, thus you will be the image of me and I shall live a life of love in the world by dwelling in your heart.”   Florilegium 4. Colloquies, III, 18 (28)

Celeste responded, “I no longer saw myself, but I saw You in my very self and myself transformed into You, my Most Pure Love.”

Like a double exposure of a photograph, one superimposed on the other, we endeavor to be Christ to one another:  “To be a living copy and faithful portrait of Jesus so that he might find himself in you, and you recognize yourself in him, your God through faith.”  Florilegium 6. Spiritual Exercises for December, med. 3 paraphrased

This is our call to transformation:  the call to be mirrors of God’s love and to live the Spirit of Christmas the whole three-hundred and sixty-five days of the year being as good a nun as the good old monastery knew!