St. Joseph's Corner: Charity Is Not Selfish

       

          "Charity is not a giving in order to get, but a giving without counting the cost or self-interest; it considers itself fully repaid by the honor of being able to serve and love God in our neighbor."  #281 - Divine Intimacy

St. Joseph's Corner: Practicing the Presence of God

         Putting ourselves in God's presence and staying with Him during the time of prayer is relatively easy, but remaining with Him always is more difficult. The actual fact is that when we return to our usual occupations, the awareness of God which had been enkindled during prayer gradually dissipates, and we often behave as if God were no longer present, as if He were no longer with and in us.

          One of the great Carmelite Saints, Teresa of Avila wrote:  "We must ... even in the midst of occupations, withdraw ourselves.  Although it may be for only a moment that I remember I have company within myself, doing so is very beneficial."

          A quick, interior act of the mind, of the will, of the heart, (or what may be referred to as an ejaculatory prayer) is enough to put us back in God's presence and to renew our contact with Him.  Although this is accomplished with greater effort for those involved in business and continual dealings with people and things than those who live in situations where prayer is more solitude, it is the effort that is blessed.  

          This condensed meditation is taken from the book Divine Intimacy by Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.  Volume III, number 235.

          Practicing the Presence of God TODAY: O Lord, purify my heart and my mind, that I may learn to know You better.

Have a blessed day.










          

       

News and Events: Easter Season

 I hope everyone had a very blessed Easter Sunday.  We are now celebrating the Easter Season. Did you know that the Easter Season lasts for 50 days? The Easter Season begins with the Resurrection of our Lord from the Dead on Easter Sunday and culminates in His Ascension into Heaven and the Holy Spirit coming down on the Church on Pentecost. Easter is so special and important for us that we can't possibly celebrate it on just one day.  It takes almost 2 months for us to celebrate God's love for us. 

 The first week of the Easter Season, the octave of Easter, is celebrated as if each day was Easter Sunday.  If you have been to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass this week, you have noticed that we pray the Glory, which we normally do only Sundays and Special Feast Days.

Sister Celeste Marie praying in our chapel.

The word 'Easter' actually comes from an old English word meaning 'east'. The sun rises in the east  and brings us the light of another day.  It is a symbol for the rising of Christ from the dead which brings hope and light to the whole world. The Easter Candle, called the Paschal Candle, is also a symbol of the light of Christ coming into the world.  The Paschal Candle is used during every mass during the Easter season as a symbol of Christ, the divine light.

We can get so used to things that we can forget the richness and beauty of our faith.  I hope these few little reminders of our faith will help you to joyfully celebrate this Easter season.

News and Events: Vocations and Fish Fry

This week is our last Fish Fry. Thanks to everyone who has supported St. Joseph Academy.  It takes a lot of work to make the Fish Fry a success.  We have so many volunteers who work behind the scenes to make sure it is a fun evening for everyone.  But all the hard work the volunteers do would mean nothing without the generous people who come to eat.  So please come one last time and bring a friend.

This week Sister Patricia Jean and Sister Celeste Marie will be at Benedictine College in Atchison Kansas for a vocation fair.   Benedictine College has a long history going back to 1856 when two monks arrived to begin a school at the request of the Bishop. They began with a boarding school in 1858.  In the beginning they only had six students. In 1863 seven Benedictine Sisters arrived to begin a school for young women. The sisters and the monks cooperated with each other in their schools, eventually merging the two in 1971.  This merger became Benedictine College. 

If you are in the area, the sisters would love to meet you. 

News and Events: Beginning of Lent

It has been too long since I've written anything on our Blog.  I really can't think of a reason why I stopped writing about the News and Events of the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker.  We have had all sorts of events and news to share.  But I got out of the habit of writing about them.  So this Lent I will attempt to get back to regularly sharing news, events, and stories about the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker.

Of course, Lent means Fish Fry on Fridays at St. Joseph Academy. Our first fish fry did very well.  Thanks to everyone who came out to support St. Joseph Academy.  And also a big thank you to all the volunteers.  Without the help of the parents, teachers, staff and volunteers we could never serve such a delicious meal.  It takes many hands to set up, cook, serve, and clean up. 

Teachers and staff of St. Joseph Academy praying at the beginning of the school year.

After you eat the delicious meal on Friday, you can attend the Stations of the Cross at All Saints Parish at 7:00 pm. The Stations of the Cross is a wonderful devotion. The stations remind us that God loves each of us so much that He sent Jesus to redeem us.   It helps us to keep in mind that Lent is just not something we have to put up with for 40 days. Lent is a 40 day retreat that draws us closer and closer to God. I hope to see you at the Fish Fry and at the Stations of the Cross this Friday.  May you have a blessed and grace-filled Lent.