NUGGETS

Jesus Christ showed Himself to Celeste surrounded by the light of glory,
accompanied by the seraphic St. Francis de Assisi
and Don Alfonso de Liguori.
Then the Lord said to her,
"This soul is chosen as the head of My Institute.
It is he who will be the first superior of the Congregation of men." 

Autobiography of Ven. M. Celeste Crostarosa

 

St. Alphonsus was a prolific writer.             Here are some nuggets mined for his feast day.

“From starry skies descending,
       Thou comest, glorious King.”

 “Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly and with confidence and love, as to the dearest and most loving of friends.

          "I love Jesus Christ, and that is why I am on fire with the desire to give Him souls; first of all my own, and then an incalculable number of others."

           "If we would completely rejoice the heart of God, let us strive to make God's will alone our will.”

“God loves you.  Believe in God, return and God will bring to you the joy of everlasting life.”

 “Be full of courage, be joyful!  Become saints and love Jesus Christ very much for He gave His life and blood for each one of you.”

“It is part of the love of God’s plan for us to acquire and nurture all the virtues which make one perfect.”    

“We are made in God’s likeness, and endowed with memory, intellect and will…so that we in turn might love God out of gratitude for so many gifts."

“By giving us His Son, whom He did not spare, God bestowed on us at once every good: grace, love and heaven.” 

 “Immaculate and Most Holy Virgin, O most humble creature before God, you were chosen as His Mother therefore establishing you as Queen of heaven and of earth…She is a garden of delights, whose odors spread abroad and abound; that is, the gifts of graces. So that whatever good we have from God, we receive all by the intercession of Mary.”

Reflecting on the quotes, what has encouraged, consoled or challenged me?
What gifts am I grateful for?

 

EVERYDAY GOD

Everyday God  by Bernadette Farrell

Earth’s creator,                       God of laughter…

    Everyday God                       God of sorrow…
Loving Maker                             Home and shelter…
      O Jesus,                                    Strong and patient…
You who shaped us
          O Spirit,                         Way of freedom…

Recreate us.                               Star of morning…

           Come be with us.              Timeless healer…
                                                        Flame eternal…

In your presence…

   We are gathered…                  Word of gladness…

       You have called us…               Word of mercy…

         To restore us…                        Word of friendship…

                                                            Word of challenge…

Life of all lives…

    Love of all loves…                 Gentle Father…
      Hope of all hopes…                 Faithful brother…

        Light of all lights…                  Tender sister…

                                                            Loving mother…

In our resting…

    In our rising…                        Our beginning…
       In our hoping…                       Our unfolding…

        In our waiting…                        Our enduring…

                                                              Journey’s ending…

In our dreaming…

    In our daring…                       Alleluia…

       In our searching…                 Now and always…

          In our sharing…                     Alleluia…

                                                            Through all ages…

 

 

Reading: I am making all things new.  I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem come down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  I heard a loud voice say, “See, the home of God is among you.  God will dwell with you and you will be God’s people.’  Then the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘The Spirit and the bride say “Come” And let everyone who hears say ‘Come.’  Let everyone who is thirsty come and I will give water as a gift from the spring of life.   The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all God’s people.  Amen.  Come Lord Jesus! Amen.     see-Rev.21-22

This marks our first month anniversary of sharing the monastery with the sisters of the Carmel of the Incarnation.  The first heaven, Esopus, has passed away, it is finished.   Here, in this monastery, is a new heaven, a new beginning for all of us.   But in reality, what is finished? what is beginning?  Our life goes on in a circular fashion in Kairos time. We tend to recognize the hand of God in the extraordinary times of our lives but God is truly an Everyday God present in the little everyday events of our life.  That is where abundant redemption is found and shared. 

Our contemplation sees into the heart of the everyday and sees the hand of God creating, supporting, forgiving, guiding, healing and loving us at every turn.   Jesus became incarnate to participate in our everyday lives so as to give us an example of how much God loves us and how we in turn should love one another.  It is in the everyday moments of our lives that we become the hand of God creating, supporting, guiding, forgiving, healing, loving.  It is all the little things we do that when put together expresses the wholeness of our life and we become the Incarnate Body of Christ in today’s world; a radiant witness to God’s love.   

Celeste speaks of this as union/participation.  As Jesus once said to Celeste, “You shall possess my joy by your participation in my love.”  This participation is accomplished when we follow the Wayfarer with open hearts; letting go of the familiar to experience this ‘new heaven’ before us.  So let us joyfully live in constant communion with each other and Christ who is the light of our faith, the strength of our charity and the source of our hope that we may follow with confidence as Viva Memorias of this new heaven and new earth.  

RAINBOW

The Story of the Rainbow   
A Native American Legend 

Once upon a time, all the colors in the world started to quarrel; each claimed that she was the best, the most important, the most useful, the favorite.

Green said, ‘Clearly I am the most important.  I am the sign of life and hope.  I was chosen for grass and all the leaves on the trees – without me all the animals would die.  Look out over the countryside and you will see that I am the majority.’

Blue interrupted, ‘You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea.  It is water that is the basis of all life and is drawn up by the clouds from the blue sea.  The sky gives space and peace and serenity.  Without my peace you would all be nothing but busybodies.’

Yellow chuckled, ‘You are all so serious.  I bring laughter, gaiety and warmth into the world.  The sun is yellow and all the stars that twinkle in the night sky are yellow.  Every time you look at a sunflower the whole world starts to smile.  Without me there would be no fun.

Orange started next to blow her own trumpet, ‘I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce but I am precious for I serve the inner needs of human life.  I carry all the most important vitamins – my bounty is found in  carrots and pumpkins – but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you.’

Red could stand it no longer and shouted, ‘I am the ruler of you all. I am the color of life’s blood. I am fire in the blood, brave am I; willing to fight for a cause.  Without me the earth would be empty as the moon.  I am the color of passion and of love; the red rose, poinsettia and poppy.’

Purple rose up to her full height and said with great pomp, ‘I am the color of royalty and power.  Queens, chiefs and bishops have always chosen me, for I am a sign of authority and wisdom.  People do not question me – they listen and obey.’

Indigo spoke much more quietly than all the other but just as determinedly, ‘Think of me.  I am the color of silence.  You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial.  I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep waters.  You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace.

The colors were fighting when all of a sudden a great light flashed across the sky and thunder rolled in the heavens and rain came down.  The colors all huddled in a circle and were afraid.  The Rain said, ‘Silly colors, why are you fighting?  You are all important. You are all beautiful. The world needs each and every one of you.  You are all equal in the sight of the Great Spirit!’  Then the Rain stopped and the Sun shone and all the colors joined hands and danced with joy!

 

The day we moved in to Carmel there was a rainbow.  We all oohed and    aahed at the sight. It was a sign of blessing; a promise fulfilled.  God had brought us together to share this glorious, peaceful bit of land to be witnesses of God’s infinite loving mercy.

Like the colors of the rainbow each contemplative community, each sister, shines with her own special ‘color’ that gifts the whole.  As we join hands and begin this dance may our swirl of color hope, peace, laughter, strength, love, wisdom, silence radiate redemptive joy giving witness to the Risen Christ to all the world. 

This is the call of us all: to be a rainbow in the sky.

CHRIST LEADS THE WAY

Do you remember the call?

The call bespeaks of action, of moving. That is what we do when Christ leads the way. Ironically, our life of prayer calls us to be a still point in a busy world.  We have been a contemplative presence in the Hudson Valley for over 55 years and will continue to be so even though we are moving.  Six of us will move to Beacon and share the Carmel of the Incarnation monastery.  The others are moving to Meadowview Assisted Living today. 

 

Do we remember the call?

Our Foundress Ven. Mother Maria Celeste Cristarosa was no stranger to hearing a call and following as Christ led the way.  In religious life, she first entered a Carmelite monastery, then a Visitation monastery in Scala.  It was there she heard the call to “transform her being into that of the Lord himself.”  She further heard the call that the whole community was to become a “Living Memory of Christ.”  Two years after the institution of the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer was established, Celeste was dismissed from the community and moved three more times before making a foundation in Foggia.

 

Remember your call?

Sr. Mary Anne heard the call at the St. Anne de Beaupre Shrine in Quebec when she heard of the French Redemptoristine Nuns praying on the hill.  WWII was over, so she left the tank factory to cross the border at Detroit to enter into the new foundation of English speaking Redemptoristine Nuns in Toronto.  Not many years later the monastery became too small and the growing community moved to Barrie, Ontario.  In 1957 Sr. Mary Anne and five other sisters came to New York to make a new foundation at the invitation of the Baltimore Province. 

 

Sr. Mary soon joined them.  She came up from Brooklyn from teaching with the Sisters of St. Joseph when she heard the call to a deeper life of prayer.  She was the first sister to enter when the sisters were still living temporarily just down the road in the historic Smith House in West Park while the big monastery was being built on the Redemptorist seminary property.

 

Sr. Lydia heard the same call to a life of prayer while working with the Redemptorists and left behind her family and friends in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to enter the Redemptoristines in Esopus in the middle of winter. 

Many women heard the call to follow Christ’s lead and joined them.  Some stayed while others heard the call to another way of life.

After discerning the that big monastery was no longer conducive on many levels in supporting our contemplative call, the sisters moved into a new smaller monastery in 2001 also built on the grounds of Mount St Alphonsus.  Then, suddenly last year we found ourselves in West Park again living temporarily at Cabrini.   Our discernment has taken many twists and turns these past two and a half years until all our options were explored and we heard where the Lord was calling us.

We have been called to sacrifice and let go of all we hold dear.    Our three sisters: Mary Anne, Mary and Lydia are called to make the greater sacrifice in living in new surroundings.   Nevertheless, we follow as Christ leads the way and will continue to live as a contemplative presence throughout all the circles and cycles of life wherever we reside for the love of God and the love of community for all the people of God. Though separated by distance we remain united in mind and heart, spirit and charism.  The beauty of our life of prayer transcends space and time.  No matter in which place we find ourselves individually, we live like our Blessed Mother striving to live the love of Christ in constant communion with her Son who is the light of our faith, the strength of our charity and the source of our hope. 

 

In Meadowview the sisters will be among the welcoming ambience already created by the Lutherans, and the Dominicans and Franciscans.  Their gift will be that of the contemplative dimension which we are all called to experience at a deeper level as the circles and cycles of life roll on. 

 

Yes, we remember the call, the vision born of love, lived in fidelity, wisdom and hope and grown into fullness of life following as Christ leads the way in the Name of Love.

 

  

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.