ALL THAT IS HIDDEN

  Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.   Col 3:1-5

Our life is a paradox: we are called to be ‘visible witnesses,’ ‘living memories.’ We have lived in the Hudson Valley almost 56 years and people hardly knew we were here.  Yet, in these past two years we have been ‘visible’ in that just about everyone knew of our plight: our search for a new home.  And while often, we were like Martha, ‘busy with many things,’ our friends, associates, religious from other congregations and total strangers have been ‘living memories’ to us by the prayer, love and support they have given us.    And we are grateful for their witness.

When we felt we were not always visible witnesses, even with our continuance of our life of prayer, our Constitutions & Statutes reassures us when it states, “Although hidden in Christ and scarcely visible to the eyes of the world, our life of adoration, praise and intercession is of itself fully apostolic.    Radiating the spirit of love it contributes to the support of those who consecrate themselves to the work of evangelization. At the service of the missionary Church our life is an offering for the salvation of our sisters and brothers in Christ.”

Our life is a mystery: so many times in the last two years we tried to find a patch of ground to plant ourselves in but it wasn’t until we felt like we were dying when new ground was offered:  grounds that are an already well maintained garden, both in Carmel and Meadowview, with room for us to plant ourselves to bring forth a glory which is yet to be revealed. 

The last line of the hymn ‘All That is Hidden’ made me think of tomorrow’s feast of the Most Holy Trinity. It said, ‘I have planted your life deep within mine,’ which reminded me of something the Lord said to Celeste, ‘Become transformed into the Blessed Trinity where God unites you in a way that God’s own life is lived in you.’

This is our call to participate in the Incarnation.  Because the Word is planted deep in our hearts we can and do reveal God’s life, God’s loving plan of redemption.  And as time goes on we wonder what glory will be revealed to us and for us to proclaim. 

INSPIRATION OF THE SPIRIT



Moira '13

On this feast of Pentecost may you be filled with all the Gifts of the Spirit!

 

Your Redemptoristine Sisters come to you this day with news.  A month ago, the Carmel of the Incarnation in Beacon, New York extended an invitation to us to share space in their monastery when they realized their building was being under-utilized. We all feel this was the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.   

The Redemptoristines and the Carmelites have been linked by prayer, friendship, and support for over 45 years as founding members of the Metropolitan Association of Contemplative Communities.  

Thank you for your prayers and support since we began our search for a new monastery.  We vetted over 100 convents and properties in an effort to find a place that would support our life of prayer and found nothing that would enable us to maintain our monastic lifestyle.  Therefore, we have decided to accept their generous offer that we may continue our Redemptoristine charism for the church and the world in a shared monastic setting. 

As nine members of the Redemptoristine community, we had made a commitment to one another that we would remain together as community but within the last year it has become evident that we could no longer support our sisters who require daily support for their special needs.  Thus, we made the difficult decision that three of our sisters, as much as we love and cherish them, must go into assisted living.  They will be moving to Meadowview for Assisted Living at Wartburg in Mount Vernon, New York, June 11, 2013.

We have had many discussions in the past few weeks with our Carmelite sisters and find we have much in common regarding our monastic contemplative lifestyle.  Did you know our foundress Ven. Maria Celeste Crostarosa began her religious life as a Carmelite?   We firmly believe that being mature religious firmly rooted in our unique charisms, our sharing of space within the Beacon monastery will be one of enrichment and support for both communities rather than diminishment of our particular gifts to the people of God.

And so, Carmel of the Incarnation will welcome six Redemptoristine followers of the Wayfarer into their monastery on June 25, 2013.   We are pleased that we have finally found a place to call home just forty minutes from where we now reside and are able to remain here in the Hudson Valley in a peaceful monastic setting in Beacon close to our friends, associates and doctors, and feel blessed to continue to be a visible witness and Viva Memoria of the Paschal Mystery of Redemption of the Father’s plan of love through Christ and in the Spirit by our Redemptoristine life of prayer.

 

ST. JOSEPH NOVENA

St Joseph, lead the way!

 

God of our heavenly home, you remember us always and in time reveal your blessings.

Help us trust in you, as St. Joseph faithfully trusted, and never let us lose faith in the wonderful gifts you promise us. 

Through the intercession of St. Joseph, Mary, our Mother of Perpetual Help, and Jesus, our Redeemer, we ask you to bless our endeavor to find a new home.  Amen.

THE PRODIGAL SON: A NEW CREATION

A New Creation                                                      Moira '13

What would their mother say?   “My children, both of you were formed in my womb. Your brother has come home not the boy he used to be but a new creation: a humble man with enough integrity to admit the wrong he has done and come home to ask forgiveness.  Rejoice, because I see in you also a new creation: you are someone with a heart large enough to forgive and forget.
I love both of you; you are mine.  Come to the feast,
let us rejoice!”

         

Christ, the humble man, has reconciled us with the Father.  In fact, whatever wrong we have done God has no recollection of it because God’s heart is so large and overflowing with love.  Let us be that new creation formed in the image of Christ and be joyful knowing we belong to the One who loved us before we were formed in our mother’s womb.   Rejoice!

LIVING SIMPLY, LISTENING INTENTLY, LOVING FREELY

Even now I find my joy in the suffering I endure for you.  In my own body I fill up what is lacking in the suffering of Jesus, for the sake of Christ’s body, the church.  I became its servant according to God’s commission to make the Word fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages but has now been revealed to his holy ones: to make known the priceless glory which this mystery brings – the mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory; to make everyone complete in our Savior.    See Col. 1: 24-28

Art by Moira

Today we celebrate the Incarnation in the midst of Lent. What do we know of Jesus in the flesh?

Jesus lived simply by the work of his hands: working with wood, carrying nothing for the journey as he walked throughout the land spreading the Good News while relying on the generosity of others, reaching out to those in need of healing, breaking bread to feed the hungry…

Jesus listened intently to the guiding voice of his parents, Mary and Joseph, the Voice from heaven saying, “You are my Beloved,” heeding the poor in the marketplace, conversing with the Father in prayer under the star-filled sky, responding to the distress of women, being astounded by the faith of outsiders…

Jesus loved freely gathering the children into his arms, cleansing the Temple, yearning to gather together the people under his wings like a mother protecting her brood, sharing the cup and bread of his Life with his disciples, on the ground praying in the Garden, stretching his arms out on the cross, lifting his hands in blessing while being carried up into heaven…

How are we as Redemptoristines, Associates and the people of God to enflesh Jesus?    

We are to live simply doing the work given us which provides a balance to our life of prayer, we are to distinguish our needs from our wants as we prepare for our move, humbly accepting the help of others, sharing with those in need…

We are to listen intently to the insight of each sister with an open and patience heart not being quick to judge or find flaw as we glean the collective wisdom of the community during this time of transition.

We are to love freely looking to one another’s needs, speaking the truth respectfully, praying and opening our hearts to the transforming power of the Spirit enabling us to put aside the self in order to clothe ourselves in Christ as we live out in ourselves the Paschal Mystery and coming together rejoicing in harmony with one another. 

All these grace-filled qualities are spelled out in our Constitutions, Celeste’s writings, the Gospels.  Lent is a time for rekindling the fire in our hearts to a deeper living of our call to be transformed into the Living Memory of Christ.  By using our gifts and strengths, and offering our losses and weaknesses, we give over our complete selves to the mystery of the work of salvation for the life of the world – just as Jesus did while he was in the flesh.

HEART AFIRE

Art by Moira

       You spoke to my soul
       in the flame of
       Your Infinite Charity
       and set on fire
       within my breast,                
       O my Beloved,
       the Living Flame of Your
       most Pure Love!

Celeste to Jesus: the Soul to the Spouse
Sixth Dialogue                                   
      

   Happy St. Valentine’s Day!                                                            
May you be a living flame of love
         for all the world to see.

Create a pure heart for me, O God;

Renew a steadfast spirit within me. 
Ps. 51:12

THE WORRY STONE

Polished Worry Stone

Rubbed Smooth
by Faith and Prayer

Glories in the Cross
                                                                     Moira 2013

Very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had just risen, the women went to the tomb.  They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”  

When they looked up they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled away.  Mk 16:2-4

Hear the worry in the women’s voices?  They say rubbing a worry stone calms the soul.  We all have our share of worries:  Hilda away from community caring for her aging parents, Paz with her sister awaiting brain surgery; the community searching to find a place to call our permanent home, sorting through real or imagined treasures of what to bring along and what to leave behind; the actual move; how we will function as Redemptoristines and Associates in the future…   How do we handle these worries? 

If we look to our foundress, we see that despite all the blessings bestowed on Celeste throughout her life, she had her worries also.  But reflecting on the life of her Beloved in faith and prayer she wrote, “In your humiliations all the sweetnesses of your infinite glory are hidden.   How can I ever thank you for these marvelous humiliations while you invite me to keep you company
(on the cross) and you in your mercy deign to gaze on me with your divine light.”    Flor. 117

And Jesus answers, “Give your attention to the treasure which I disclosed to you on the cross in which my eternal glory is enclosed.” Flor. 123   

What is this treasure?  All our trials, humiliations, our frailties, our challenges; all our mundane tasks are hidden treasures.   By our own faith and prayer during this time of transition together we experience transformation of being rubbed smooth when we unite ourselves to Jesus on the cross and discover the graces and gifts, the wisdom and accomplishments in sweet acceptance of those hidden graces of the cross in order to obtain the glories of Jesus, our Beloved.  The stone has already been rolled away!

Let us polish our worry stones (rosary, or even a paper clip in your pocket) then, basking calmly in the merciful gaze of Christ’s divine light as we begin this Lenten season.                          
Ash Wednesday 2013