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...
We wish to offer you some reflections from the sisters making their final profession in 2019, as well as the beautiful stories from their parents. Sister Gianna will make her Final Profession in July, 2019. Reflections from Sr. Gianna Full of Joy I recently had the...
By: Sister Maria Olga, O.C.D.Let us welcome aging as a gift from God showing us the many years of being loved and cared for by Him. Even though our bodies and mind begin to slow down, we know that our hearts can continue to grow in youthfulness and wisdom by the life...
By: Sister Elizabeth Therese, O.C.D. A chaplain we once had used to say, “People will not remember what you said or did, but they will remember how you made them feel.” We do not know the actual words of Mary’s greeting when she arrived at the home of Zechariah and...
By: Sister Meredith, O.C.D. Perseverance in prayer can be a challenge, even for many well-intentioned, faithful Christians. Just as life has its ups and downs, so does our prayer life and God can take a soul into a certain darkness where joys and consolations turn...
By: Sister Mary Scholastica, O.C.D. To remember is a powerful thing. It transports us back to past experiences; it connects us relationally with others; and it provides context to current situations. Remembering is deeply tied to who we are. That’s why memory loss is...
By: Sister Jeannine Marie, O.C.D. Well, we made it! All you fellow mid-lifers now over the hill and through the glen we have journeyed through life. The children are older, the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), is a regular companion, and the famous...
By: Sister Mary Louise, O.C.D. It happens to all of us, Carmelites included. The day’s schedule looms larger and longer than a twenty-four hour period can hold, frustrations and failures from yesterday weigh heavy on us, and on the horizon, tomorrow seems to be...
By: Sister Timothy Marie, O.C.D. Spiritual Motherhood – Can You Answer My Question? Not long ago, I typed “spiritual motherhood” into the search bar of my computer. It is such an intriguing concept, being a spiritual mother. It has an aura of mystery, it seems to me....
We wish to offer you some reflections from the sisters making their final profession in 2019, as well as the beautiful stories from their parents. Sister Teresa Margaret will make her Final Profession in July, 2019. Reflections of Sr. Teresa Margaret Sister Teresa...
By: Sister Carmelina, O.C.D. “Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down” (Simon and Garfunkel) Through our adult years, the peaks and valleys of life become more pronounced and often we can feel ‘adrift’ and helpless much like our Mother Luisita, whose...
The Fatima Prayers Three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto received visions from heaven in 1916 and 1917 at the Cova da Iria near the town of Fatima in Portugal. In 1916, as if in preparation for the Visits of Our Lady,...
By: Sister Mary Scholastica, O.C.D. The Mass at the grotto this morning was deeply touching. Because the malade I was assigned to today did not have a companion, I had the blessing of being with her, closer up front in the grotto. I can’t quite express what was so...
