This afternoon, the moment arrived, which had seemed to be looming somewhere in the distance: the time to remove all of the poinsettias from our chapel.

They'd been there for two months, since Christmas, and were still doing alright.  There was no botanical malady causing their demise; flowers are not allowed for church décor during Lent (except for on a few special occasions), so this Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras was slated to be their last day to enjoy the warmth and beautiful home our chapel offered.

It was good to get this done today, rather than waiting for the morning...We are now prepared to be in accord with liturgical norms, it is true.  However, I did have another reason for taking action in this matter today: this is one less thing I will have to take care of in the morning. 

I have the full length violet altar cloth draped across the table in the little private dining room down the hall.  Before I get on with the rest of my day (prayer, Mass, reception desk duty, etc.), I'll have to change things over in chapel from ordinary time to Lent. 

Down will go the green trim on the altar and ambo.  The green tabernacle veil will be exchanged for white.  The huge violet altar cloth will go on.  (Hopefully, most of the creases/wrinkles will have come out of it in the day and I half that it :hung out" in the other room - I really don't want to have to iron!!)

I'm hoping I can get myself going early enough in the morning (after working until 10 tonight) to get all of this done and still have time for private prayer before everyone else gets over to St. Anne's for morning office at 6:30 a.m.

Your prayers for me would be appreciated as we start this season of Lent.

This evening, Sister Elaine shared how fast she felt the week was going.  She works in bookkeeping, and has been busy. Among other things, she has to get ready for the board meeting here on Saturday.  The pressure of the deadline probably has something to do with her feeling that week is slipping away from her.  It can be a stressful time for board members here.

I, personally, have a very different attitude toward these quarterly gatherings.  I have my small part in the preparatory work: cleaning guest rooms and making the reports available electronically shortly beforehand. 

To me, the weekend of the board meeting is always something to look forward to.  We get a change from the normal routine and get a chance to see some of our Sisters again. (Something that happens all too seldom, it seems.) 

To me, this week is going "plenty slow."  I think the fact that I am so looking forward to the visit has a lot to do with this.  Unfortunately, before I know it, it will be over.  :(

I am not criticizing Sr. Elaine's perspective here; "it has it's merits" (to borrow her expression);  I am simply musing on the huge difference perspective makes.

I find this in my personal life as well.  I am preparing a talk on the Morning Offering and Examen Prayer for our next women's gathering.  It has been a powerful reminder to me, and has impacted my interior life - for the better.  Through this preparation, I have improved my own practice of the examen prayer, and have renewed my efforts at looking upon my past day with gratitude.

Facing a North Dakota winter and all the other struggles in this journey we call "life" can make a person focus more on the negative than on the blessings.  It can be easy to fall into this trap.  My renewed efforts at the daily examen prayer have helped me to remember an attitude of gratitude, not only at prayer before "turning in for the night," but during the day as well. 

I certainly am not perfect at this, but at least I’m getting a nudge in the right direction. :)

I pray that each week of my life (not only those leading up to joy-filled gatherings) may be a time when I look ahead with hope, grateful for God's blessings: past, present and future.

Working in the long term care sector requires weekend work.  Here at St. Anne's, most staff alternate weekends; they work one weekend and have the next one off.  This is true, as a rule, for aides, dietary staff, nurses, and receptionists. 

I don't get weekends off, but my hours change every other week, based on the schedule of the other receptionists.  One weekend I work the morning shift and the next I work the evening.

When we used to have Mass here every day, the morning nurse would watch the desk for me so I could participate in the Liturgy with the other Sisters and residents on my weekends of morning duty.  However, now that we don't have this luxury, my Saturdays have taken a different turn. 

Unable to go to the local church for 7:15 a.m. Mass, yet aware of my duty (and immense privilege) to attend Mass daily, I go to the 5 p.m. Mass.  (Canon Law instructs Religious to participate daily as far as possible.)  Attending the evening Mass is not the ideal; I miss out on the Saturday morning readings, etc., but I am grateful to be able to go at all. 

Another element of my Saturdays, regardless of what shift I am working, is holding "Reading Hour" for our residents.  Currently, we are reading The Prince and the Pauper, the enthralling story of a poor London boy and a prince (some 400+ years ago) who switch places.  My dad had read it to me when I was growing up, and I remember him commenting on how difficult it was to read.  He became quite adept at "translating" texts to me when the archaic language was beyond my comprehension.  Now, it is my turn, and I have my chance to hone my linguistic skills!

Yesterday, however, we did not check in with London's rich and poor because another special activity was scheduled for the afternoon.  The Secular Franciscans who meet here monthly came to do a service project, making valentines with our residents. 

Later in the afternoon, before heading over for confession and Mass, I mixed together a batch of cookies, using up a half bag of cherry chips I had left in the freezer and forming the cookies, by hand, into heart shapes.  (They were too small to use the cookie cutter).  I depend on St. Martha and Mary's intercession in these endeavors as I am sure they spent many hours cooking and baking.

The cookie-making took a little longer than I had planned, so I wasn't sure if I would make it to the church before the priest left the confessional to prepare for Mass.  (It is a ten-minute walk.) 

However, my prayers were answered and I was able to receive two sacraments on this mild Saturday afternoon.  After Mass, a friend of ours insisted on giving me a ride home, and I made it in plenty of time for evening Office.

What an interesting Saturday schedule!  I am thankful to God for all His blessings!

Why is a Franciscan Sister writing about a baptism party on a cold January morning, you might ask.  I realize that this title may seem strange to my readers.

As a matter of fact, today is going to be a rather "strange" day here for me.  (I'll get back to the baptism party issue in a bit.)  We don't have Mass until 4 p.m.  The priest who usually serves us on Sundays isn't available, so another priest is filling in as his schedule allows.  We're not complaining; we are grateful to have a priest for Mass! 

Before this, however, we're having our annual baptism party!  The secular Franciscans (sometimes called 'Third Order') who meet here have their monthly gatherings on the second Sunday of the month.  (I serve as their 'spiritual assistant.')  Instead of having their Christmas party in December (the second Sunday of which is still Advent), they celebrate Christmas together at their January meeting.  Most often, this falls on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which ends the Christmas season. 

This group always invites us Franciscan Sisters to join in their festive gathering, which includes a potluck.  This is mid-afternoon, right in between lunch and supper.  It is a very nice time to come together as members of the Franciscan family to celebrate our Lord's coming among us.  With all this feasting in mind, we'll have to really cut back at the other meals today, though.

Today, as we celebrate the Lord's baptism, should be a good day, though the schedule will be far from normal. 

Happy Feast Day - and one last 'Merry Christmas!'

“Jesus is the soul of our apostolate” and we are “made for mission” are some messages ringing in my mind after participating in the Student Leadership Summit (SLS20) sponsored by FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students).  Held in Phoenix, AZ, with around 8,000 participants, including numerous clergy and consecrated religious as well as college students, campus ministers, high-caliber speakers, parish youth ministers, and families, SLS20 provided an opportunity to get a glimpse of the Church, the Body of Christ.  There were speakers, activities, liturgies, exhibits, and more! 
 
As often happens with large conferences, it was not humanly possible for one person to take in all that was offered; this is a good reminder that the Lord does not call us to do everything but has something particular in mind for us among all the choices of life.  The somewhat overwhelming schedule/program of SLS20 was a reminder of, and an opportunity to practice, the personal discernment necessary in life, which presents us more options than we can possibly embrace.  That aspect of modeling the message was evident at several layers throughout SLS20.   There was the constant discernment necessary to navigate each day but the daily structure was also a model for our lives in that each day started with worship, an opportunity for Eucharistic Adoration and Holy Mass, before the other activities began. 
 
Further, participants were encouraged to attend various sessions and then come together in the afternoon for “Power Sessions” to teach each other/share what they learned.  This structure not only promotes the development of Christian friendship (a topic addressed in several sessions), the basis of incarnational evangelization (another topic addressed in various sessions), it also provides another level of processing the material being received so individuals are prepared to apply it to their lives in a very tangible way, if they so choose.  In addition, this structure enabled persons to gather information from sessions they were physically unable to attend while providing encouragement and a safe space for God-talk to flourish.  I was blessed to learn from and enjoy the encouragement of women from the University of Idaho for the Power Sessions.  Campus ministers were encouraged to kick off the 2020 with a retreat day, and I took the opportunity to join them.  This again modeled the ministry all ministers are called to…staying firmly rooted in Christ amidst the busyness of life – taking time to pray even when there are six things to be done at any given moment.  If our ministry is to be fruitful, we must be Christian Mystics living the Mystery; through contemplative encounter(s) with Christ, who meets us individually where we are, we are transformed by that Mystery and sent forth in mission.
 
This conference has been a reminder that the active life will not see us through and that the interior life is the root of all ministry.  This was reinforced by the conversations I had with individuals in “Mission Way,” at our display about the Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen.  When students would stop by and ask, “What is your apostolate?” I found myself giving various answers: sometimes I would tell them that I work at a school and we have sisters at a nursing home and at a basic care facility as well as a retreat center but other times I would simply tell them we pray and live together in community.
 
All in all, SLS20 was a remarkable way to wrap up 2019 and begin 2020.  Now for the challenge of carrying out those resolutions.  Nunc Coepi!  Or, as St. Francis said, “Let us begin to serve the Lord God, for up until now we have done little or nothing.”

I was reminded this morning how blessed I am in not having to travel on dangerous, wintry roads, since I live so close by (just across the yard, in fact.)

Although this proximity does have its benefits, it also brings with it some less-than-ideal circumstances as well.

When you live close, and coworkers are snowbound at home, you can end up working your regular shift/department, plus theirs!

Therefore, today, I am the morning receptionist.  This afternoon and evening, I will also be the p.m. receptionist as well as the care aide. 

Thankfully, those who are able to make it in do cooperate and work together nicely.  For example, Sr. Elaine will be helping me out for a couple of hours at the front desk so I can tend to the needs of our residents elsewhere in the building. 

The picture above is taken from our atrium, which my dad used to say would be "the perfect place to watch a snowstorm."  In reality, however, during snowstorms, we are sometimes completely occupied with other matters and don't have much extra time just to sit and enjoy this wonder of nature. :)

I must confess, though, that until I saw the effects of a terrible, driving wind out the window, I was tempted to go out and play in the snow later this afternoon.  This was before our other receptionist called in, though.)

This past Friday, I was invited to go sledding at Lincoln Park with some students from the Newman Center.  I hadn't been sledding in a long, long time, though I grew up less than two blocks away from the best sledding hills in town!

We didn't get started until around eleven at night, and it was 1:30 a.m. before my head finally hit the pillow.  This was after a full day, coordinating an evening discussion group with our residents, and attending festivities at the Center.  

I had so much fun, though it took me a few moments of watching others go down the hill to get up the nerve to try!  We used a variety of "sleds," from big pieces of cardboard to metal (trash can?) lids to actual plastic sleds and saucers.

Although it was far from hot outside, I kept quite warm climbing back up the hill after each delightful passage down.  It brought back memories!

The only drawback from the night (besides some sleep deprivation), was hitting a rough spot on one of my downward voyages.  Almost three days later, I still have a 'pain in the seat' when I walk or move the wrong way. 

I don't regret the outing, however; it was well worth it!!