By: Sister Mary Colombiere, O.C.D. Does God smile? Have you ever seen a little child look up to its mother and smile? Such a scene captures the relationship between mother and child – the expression of motherhood. Mother Teresa of Calcutta once remarked, “Every time...
By: Sister Mary Scholastica A handful of times in my life, I KNEW with deep conviction that certain things would come to pass. I can’t explain it. I just knew. My vocation to the Carmelite Sisters was one of these “Aha!” God-moments. I knew in an instant I had a...
By: Sister Timothy Marie, O.C.D. “Spiritual motherhood, what in the world is that?” Spiritual motherhood is a topic that more people are becoming aware of within the Catholic Church. Around the United States, retreats and conferences include this subject and new...
By: Sister Jeannine Marie, O.C.D. Living in the Presence of God can be a daunting task in this busy hectic world we live in. The top of the ocean may be swarming with rough and crashing waves but if we go a little deeper we will find the tranquil calm. It is similar...
By: Sister Jeannine Marie, O.C.D. “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Our light has come,the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” Isaiah 10:1 Today the Church celebrates the great feast of the Epiphany, our God manifesting Himself to the world. Is this important? Well, we...
By: Sister Timothy Marie, O.C.D. Each culture has its treasure trove of beloved saints and well-loved prayers. And, being of Irish descent myself, allow me to ring in the New Year of 2020 with a traditional, Irish prayer. I think you may have already heard it, perhaps...
By: Sister Timothy Marie, O.C.D. JOY is a special word. It’s not quite the same as happiness. Definitely not the same as pleasure. There is something profoundly deep hidden within the word “joy”. I wonder why, and I also wonder if other people have felt this subtle...
By: Sister Mary Colombiere As the earth lay sleeping in the chilly throes of death, a light breaks forth and in the silence of that night, the Word leapt down from heaven Thus opens the season of Advent preparing us for the revelation of God-with-us, which will become...
By Sister Mary Colombière, O.C.D. “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”2 Timothy 3:12 “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.”Tertullian These first verses may not sound very inviting, but do not stop reading!...
By: Sister Timothy Marie, O.C.D. So you ask me outright: “What are you willing to die for?” Well, that’s one question I’ve never been asked before! This will take some thought before I can answer. Do you mean to die for as in DIE? Die for something like a person or a...
By: Sister Mary Colombiere, O.C.D. How often as a child did you hear the words, “Do you wanna play?” One of childhood’s favorite games was ‘Hide and Seek’. Which did you prefer? To be the one to hide and look for a place that you thought would not be discovered? Or to...
By: Sister Timothy Marie, O.C.D. Sacrifice is defined as something that you give up, or as a loss, usually for the sake of a better cause. The word sacrifice originally had a religious meaning, coming from the Latin sacra and facere meaning “to perform sacred...
By: Sister Jeannine Marie, O.C.D.St. Paul exhorts us to: “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1Thessalonians 5:16-18).Whoa, you mean me? In this busy fast-paced world? Prayer...
Sister Mary Colombière, O.C.D.How do you get to know someone better?When my Dad first became interested in my Mom, he learned where she lived and then went to her home hoping to visit with her. However, my grandmother was not too keen on his attempt to get closer to...
By: Sister Timothy Marie, O.C.D. Saint Teresa of Avila’s personality exuded passion and vibrancy. Shaker and mover. Trailblazer. Leader. Motivator. Her life personifies those fiery words first uttered by the prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel: “With zeal have I been...
By: Sister Jeannine Marie, O.C.D.Life is a journey. We were not conscious of our beginning but we can prepare for the Grand Finale! Here are a few tips to take along the way.This final journey of life is one we take alone, yet God gives us the opportunity to accompany...
By: Sister Carmelina, O.C.D. “Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel? … I can only imagine when all I would do Is forever, forever worship You …” (Bart Millard) The greatest consolation when a loved one, or we ourselves, encounter or approach...
By: Sister Jeannine Marie, O.C.D. In this Year of the Family, we have traveled through all the stages of life. We now approach what many believe to be – The End. This may work on movie screens, but deep within each human being, there is an unspoken certainty that this...
Excerpts taken from To Love Me In Truth and Early Chronicles. Father Leroy Callahan knew of Mother Luisita’s hope for a retreat house, and like Mother Margarita Maria, he never forgot it. Once the congregation became established in the diocese and after the passing of...
By: Sister Jeannine Marie, O.C.D. To the modern mind, the practice of preparing for death that Saints, monks, and religious through the history of the Church have followed, seems, well, morbid! Here are some practical tips that may just change your mind. Stephen Covey...
By: Sister Jeannine Marie, O.C.D. We are coming to the end of our journey together in this ‘Year of the Family’. Our theme is: It ends with love. In this part of our journey we encounter that most mysterious moment, death. In one sense it is a journey we...
By: Sister Carmelina, O.C.D. St. Therese once said: “This world is our ship, not our home.” In the Church’s year, November is dedicated specially to pray for the dead and reflect upon our own death: reflecting upon the letter to the Hebrews: “All these died in faith,...
By: Sister Jeannine Marie, O.C.D. As we celebrate this ‘Year of the Family’, we come to those most important years where we learn wisdom from experience. Our approach to life suddenly takes on a new viewpoint. As we peer through the “rear view mirror” of...
By: Sister Mary Louise, O.C.D. It really is amazing the ways God will choose to speak to us. Sometimes it is in a church. Often it is through a book we read. Other times He uses a conversation with a friend. Oddly enough, this morning He spoke to me on a treadmill....
By: Sister Carmelina, O.C.D. So many people looking forward to retirement find that health and other circumstances can turn the anticipated ‘golden years’ to new challenges. Mother Luisita, who suffered many physical and spiritual trials throughout her entire adult...
