Dear Friends: The Lord will come and will not delay! These words come to mind as we enter the season of Advent, a penitential yet joyful time of preparation for the Birth of our Savior. In order to make our Divine Office more fruitful, our Sisters have placed the English translations under the traditional Latin hymns and antiphons. We hope the strains of chant rising from our Monastery many times during the day will be an even more fragrant act of homage before the Throne of God. Do you know how to manipulate an electric powered wheelchair? There is a technique to it. However, those who live in a house with a resident driver must also develop techniques to avoid being run into – or over. Thus far the only scars are on tables, chairs, door frames, and divers other inanimate objects. On August 8th, the Feast of St. Dominic, Sister Mary Jordan of the Holy Family, O.P. made her First Profession as a Dominican nun. “Posuit signum super faciem meum – He has set a seal upon my brow, that I may admit no other lover but Him.” While the Choir sang the ancient Latin chant, the Prioress and Novice Mistress replaced Sister Mary Jordan’s white veil with the black symbolizing her consecration to Christ. The three years of temporary vows are an important step in monastic formation, leading always towards the definitive commitment of a nun’s life to God in Solemn Profession. Please pray for Sister Mary Jordan as she continues to grow in response to God’s call. This Spring we decided to “branch out” so to speak. We planted blueberry bushes, pecan, almond and cherry trees. Just a few days after they were planted, a late freeze struck us. Then June turned out to be dry and HOT. Our sturdy trees survived both attacks and, with plentiful rain the rest of the summer, appear to be thriving. We can imagine bountiful harvests of fruits and nuts in years to come.
May the Holy Feast of Christmas fill your heart with the peace only God can impart. In His love and mercy, may He grant peace to our very troubled world. Mother Mary Aimee, O.P. and Sisters |
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That just proves we are still agile enough to jump out of the way. So, look both ways before you turn a corner!
The Year for Priests is a blessed gift from the Holy Spirit. How often we have reason to express our gratitude for the services of our priests who offer the Mass, hear Confessions and bring Jesus to the sick! When our Mothers came to Alabama in 1944, Marbury was not even a speck on the map. Imagine their joy at having a priest come each day to offer Mass. That privilege has been extended throughout our sixty five years. We celebrate this Year for Priests in our prayers and sacrifices. A large poster with pictures of our Archdiocesan seminarians reminds us that they depend on our prayers also. God grant we will be steadfast in our commitment to them.