The Right to Love

My Dear Sisters,
   
     Women have such a capacity to love!  Every time I think about it (which is becoming increasingly more often) I am still struck with awe.  I can’t get over it, nor do I want to, it’s too gorgeous not to dwell on.   The incredible bond women have with each other, their friends, and their family is mind-boggling.  Just think of the tenderness a little girl shows for her doll, which is not even human, yet she demonstrates her desire to love and serve by brushing its hair and trying valiantly to feed it.  Conversely, when a woman’s femininity is poisoned by hate and fear, she can be exceptionally cruel.  I’m sure we’ve all heard of or witnessed these tragedies of girls tormenting their peers for no real reason other than they can get away with it or they “just don’t like her”.  Hate and fear can drive women to do terrible things, even going as far as to wage war against one of their most deeply ingrained instincts- a mother’s protectiveness of her child.  Abortion remains one of the most direct and vicious attacks against a woman’s femininity, and unfortunately the response from those able to help victims is often that of disgust and condemnation.  As we turn from the ugliness of the sin, let us not also turn from or forget the beauty of the women.
    These women are in great need of healing, not judgment or abuse.  Abortion was/is only meant to destroy.  Love heals all, and it is only through love and compassion that we may help heal and be healed.  Loving these victims is not condoning the evils of abortions, it is actually doing the exact opposite.  I have never heard of any account of an abortion where the mother skips away, perfectly content.  Whether they recognize it or not, these mothers intuitively know that they have lost something that can never be regained, that their choice has consequences they couldn’t imagine.  Their decisions were ruled by fear and pain.  Fear is not of God, for “there is no fear in love, for perfect love drives out fear”(1 John 4:18).  Through love we are fighting this overwhelming fear, this terror that drives mothers to kill their own children. 
    It’s easy to rave about how much we love Abby Johnson, one of the leaders of the Pro-Life movement.  She is fantastically inspirational and courageous and God is certainly working through her to change hearts.  But here is the question we need to answer for ourselves- did we love her when she was a clinic escort?  Did we love her when she was the director of a Planned Parenthood?  Did we love her when she had abortions of her own? 
    The love I’m talking about is deeper than just “hey you’re pretty cool, I think you’re fantastic”.  It’s not a, “well, you’ve sinned too, so you have no right to judge” blame/shame game.  The love I’m talking about, and the love that so many women long for, is beyond words, it is a presence.  It is someone speaking from their heart, “I love you because you are.”  It is a shoulder to cry on, arms to embrace them if they want to run to them.  It is the special force of prayer, being present to the women and asking forgiveness and healing from God on their behalf, even if you never meet or know their name.  It is a love that deeply imitates Christ’s love for all of us- loving the person exactly where they are, not because of what they have done, or what they will do.  Whether or not they have more abortions or fight for prolife laws.  The simple and beautiful fact that they were created and loved by God makes them worthy of all the love in the world.   
    Just look at Our Lady of Guadalupe, hear what she says to Juan Diego- “Am I not here who am your mother?  Are you not under my shadow and my protection?  Are you not within the folds of my mantle, in the crossings of my arms?”  Can you ever imagine her disgracing or shunning anyone?  Especially a grieving mother?  Our country is classifying pregnancy as a disease, that women are “oppressed” by their uterus.  Imagine the conflict within the victims’ hearts after they have aborted their children.  They feel the pain and the anguish of what they have lost, the magnitude and permanence of what they have done, but instead of being allowed to grieve, they are told they should be happy, even proud, that they have “liberated” themselves.  By mocking the pain of the women through ignoring it or waving it aside like a flu that will pass in time, society has wounded its daughters once again. 

    And so my sisters, I ask that you remember when speaking of abortion, whether in a debate or general conversation, always speak with love.  In this war against one of the greatest evils in this world, let us remember that we can only prevail if we love with such fierceness and such motherly tenderness that the world cannot help but gravitate towards it.  Let us show them how a woman’s love can change the world.
   
Your Sister in Christ,

Jenny

G.K. Chesterton and The Three Kings

I found this lovely poem/hymn that G.K. Chesterton wrote. I encourage you to read it slowly and thoughfully. I wish you all a wonderful Epiphany!

Love, Marta



G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936

The Wise Men

Step softly, under snow or rain,
To find the place where men can pray;
The way is all so very plain
That we may lose the way.

Oh, we have learnt to peer and pore
On tortured puzzles from our youth,
We know all labyrinthine lore,
We are the three wise men of yore,
And we know all things but the truth.

We have gone round and round the hill
And lost the wood among the trees,
And learnt long names for every ill,
And served the mad gods, naming still
The furies the Eumenides.

The gods of violence took the veil
Of vision and philosophy,
The Serpent that brought all men bale,
He bites his own accursed tail,
And calls himself Eternity.

Go humbly…it has hailed and snowed…
With voices low and lanterns lit;
So very simple is the road,
That we may stray from it.

The world grows terrible and white,
And blinding white the breaking day;
We walk bewildered in the light,
For something is too large for sight,
And something much too plain to say.

The Child that was ere worlds begun
(…We need but walk a little way,
We need but see a latch undone…)
The Child that played with moon and sun
Is playing with a little hay.

The house from which the heavens are fed,
The old strange house that is our own,
Where trick of words are never said,
And Mercy is as plain as bread,
And Honour is as hard as stone.

Go humbly, humble are the skies,
And low and large and fierce the Star;
So very near the Manger lies
That we may travel far.

Hark! Laughter like a lion wakes
To roar to the resounding plain.
And the whole heaven shouts and shakes,
For God Himself is born again,
And we are little children walking
Through the snow and rain.

New Year's Resolution: Let Them Go

    How often we hold onto things in our lives.  Have you ever witnessed this kind of incident (or been a part of it)?  A child is holding onto something they shouldn’t, and an adult is trying to get the child to give it up.  The child rarely gives it up without a fight, probably with some tears, but finally the adult’s coaxing and/or strong fingers pries open the tiny fist and removes the object from the child’s grasp.
    How applicable is that to our spiritual lives?
    I’m not just talking about the material things in our life, for this post I’m focusing on people in our lives.  A lot of confusion and hurt can result from us clinging desperately onto different people in our lives.  I’ve been noticing this in certain relationships I call the “security blanket relationships”.  Security blanket relationships are relationships (friendship or romantic) we hold onto in our lives out of fear that can keep us from loving others and most especially Christ with our full heart.  Many times these relationships are ones that are not even grounded in reality, the ones that lead us into the torturous Land of What-Ifs.  Be it past relationships or relationships that you long for, when we hold onto these relationships such that we are pulled from Christ, that is the time when we must let them go.
    It is not the desire to be loved or even the people themselves that are bad.  The problem is when we allow these relationships, whether actual or desired, to fill our fists and make it more difficult to embrace Christ.  By letting go of one of these relationships, I mean that we give them up to Christ and allow Him to fill us instead and heal our hearts.  Sometimes we hold onto these relationships and we’re not really sure why.  I think it’s because we tend to view it subconsciously as a sort of identity, something to hold onto to keep us safe and still. 
    Do you remember when you were first learning to swim?  The moments of panic when you found yourself suddenly without any support and the violent blind thrashing of limbs as you tried desperately to cling to something- anything- to keep yourself from drowning (even if the swim instructor was right beside you or if you had a life vest)?  This perfectly human reaction is what keeps us tied to these phantom relationships, this fear of the unknown, of how we will identify ourselves, of how we will occupy our thoughts.
Let them go.   
    Unclench the fist and relinquish it to Christ.  If it is a past relationship, learn from it but don’t let it keep you from loving others.  If it is a potential relationship that is consuming you or causing you grief, let the Holy Spirit take a look at it.  Release it into His care and let Him lead you in your future actions.  Root your identity in Christ, without clinging to other relationships.  They don’t define you.  Please do not be afraid to let go!  There’s a quote by Patrick Overton that says, “When you come to the edge of all the light that you have, and must take a step into the darkness of the unknown, believe that one of two things will happen.  Either there will be something solid for you to stand on- or you will be taught how to fly.”
    Angela Thomas says in A Beautiful Offering, “"When a woman has a kingdom heart, she has an active understanding of what matters most to the heart of God. She lives in the balance of passion and contentment. She learns to love well, give without regard to self, and forgive without hesitation. The woman with a kingdom heart may have a duffel bag full of possessions or enough treasures to fill a mansion, but she has learned to hold them with an open hand. Hold everything with open hands. I don't think we are ever allowed to grab hold of anything or anyone as though they matter more than the kingdom of heaven. When you hold relationships with open hands, then people come in and out of your life as gifts of grace to be cherished and enjoyed, not objects to be owned and manipulated. And then when you hold your dreams with open hands, you get to watch God resurrect what seemed dead and multiply what seemed small."  
    Our hearts were not made to linger in the Land of What-Ifs.  So work with Christ to heal and gently loosen your heart’s hold on these chaining thoughts.  It’s not always easy and it usually won’t happen quickly, but Love is patient and Love is kind.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.  Love never fails.
So just let go.

Your Sister in Christ,
Jenny

p.s. Happy New Year!!

Emmanuel

I was praying about Christmas and began wondering what the Holy Family would be doing right now, in these last few days before Christmas.  I know what normally happens this time of year – shopping for last minutes Christmas gifts, baking the cookies, preparing the meals and throwing parties, watching those same good-ole Christmas movies that have become a yearly tradition, listening to Christmas music while wrapping gifts.

But what would Mary and Joseph have been doing in these last few days before Christmas – that first Christmas?

This day 2000 years ago, Mary and Joseph were already a few days into the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.   Mary was extremely pregnant.  Can you imagine making a five day journey on the back of a donkey when you are ready-to-pop-pregnant?!  She most likely would have ridden side-saddle and probably without a saddle.  I am sure her back ached from being pregnant on top of having to balance herself for hours on end on the back of the donkey.  Did her legs fall asleep from poor circulation? Was her bum sore from riding on that donkey’s back for days?  And Joseph, what was he wondering about the pending birth?  Was he anxious in trying to provide Mary with as much comfort as he could but knowing there was little he could offer on the journey? 

A stop along their way would be Jerusalem.  When they passed through would they have heard people singing and chanting, “When, O Lord, will you send the Savior you have promised?”  Would they have passed by the faithful watchers praying to God for the Savior to come?  Would Jesus have leapt in Mary’s womb on hearing the cry of His people?  Would Mary have placed a hand on her belly and whispered, “Indeed your Savior has come”.  

When they arrived in Bethlehem, was Joseph feeling discouraged as he tried to find suitable lodging for his wife and child, only to be rejected?  What was his reaction when that last inn keeper pointed to the stable?   A stinky, smelly, dirty stable littered with animal refuse and old straw?  Poor Joseph.  Bethlehem was his cross.  But Mary was not flustered.  She puts him at ease and reassures him with her gentle smile seeming to say, “Soon the Messiah will be born – God made Man – Emmanuel, God is with us.” 

As Christmas fast approaches, may we not get ruffled with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but like Mary, ponder in silence and joy the awesomeness of this beautiful mystery.  Let us realize deep in our hearts that Emmanuel, God with us, indeed has come. 

                                                                                                           -Sr. Elizabeth, TOR

Making the most of the last week of Advent

It's almost the Fourth week of Advent, I can hardly believe it!
I often feel like I miss out on really entering in to the season of Advent because I get so overwhelmed with projects and exams during the first few weeks, and by the time I get home for break it's practically Christmas.
If you feel the same way I challenge you to make the most of this last week of Advent. It's not too late to prepare your heart for Christ's coming.

Check out this video, it's a great reminder of what Advent is all about.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

The Life of a Student: Much More than Papers, Projects, and Finals

As we approach the final classes of the semester and final exams, I wanted to share some insightful and, hopefully, motivating, quotes about being a student. I know for me as the semester drags on (or flies by, depending on how you look at it) I often loose sight of my purpose as a student. Especially being a senior this year, it’s easy to see school and everything that it entails as just the last step before “real life” begins. Recently this way of looking at things has really been negatively affecting my attitude toward classes, assignments, and finals. The last couple days though, I’ve been getting the feeling that the Lord is trying to challenge me to turn my bad attitude around and to realize that what He has placed before me right now, the life of a student, is His will for me at the moment. Fr. Brad said in a homily the other day, “Success is doing the will of God.” If I make the effort, I can choose to see each academic hurdle as an opportunity for doing God’s will, as an opportunity for success.

Know that you will all be in my thoughts and prayers these last, challenging days of the semester!

Peace,

Megan

"Dear students, Hold school in high esteem! Return to it joyfully; consider it a great gift, a fundamental right which, of course, also involves duties." -Blessed Pope John Paul II

"An hour of study, for a modern apostle, is an hour of prayer."
St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, 335

"You have a war-horse called study. You resolve a thousand times to make good use of your time, yet you are distracted by the slightest thing. Sometimes you get annoyed at yourself, because of your lack of willpower, even though you begin again every day.
Have you tried offering up your study for specific apostolic intentions?"
St. Josemaria Escriva, Furrow, 523

"Do you desire to study to your advantage? Let devotion accompany all your studies, and study less to make yourself learned than to become a saint. Consult God more than your books, and ask him, with humility, to make you understand what you read. Study fatigues and drains the mind and heart. Go from time to time to refresh them at the feet of Jesus Christ under his cross. Some moments of repose in his sacred wounds give fresh vigor and new lights. Interrupt your application by short, but fervent and ejaculatory prayers: never begin or end your study but by prayer. Science is a gift of the Father of lights; do not therefore consider it as barely the work of your own mind or industry."
-Saint Vincent Ferrer

"You must study ... but that is not enough.
What do those who kill themselves working to feed their self-esteem achieve? Or those who have nothing else in mind but assuring peace of mind for a few years ahead?
One has to study – to gain the world and conquer it for God. Then we can raise the level of our efforts: we can try to turn the work we do into an encounter with the Lord and the foundation to support those who will follow our way in the future.
In this way, study will become prayer."
St. Josemaria Escriva, Furrow, 526

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24

Patience...

Dear Sisters,

"I beg you to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. The point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Someday in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answers..." ~ Rainer Marin Rilke

May God grant you peace.

~Margaret