St. Joseph's Corner: Steps for Discernment

Steps For Discernment - Knowing God's Will

• Pray and receive the Sacraments often.  Have a deep, relationship with God.
• Know yourself and the gifts God has given to you.  He will use them.
• Search the desires of your heart; God will speak through them.
• Be open and ready to follow wherever God leads and to serve Him generously.
• Although it will not always be easy, you should have peace, joy, and a sense of rightness.
  

News and Events: Litany of Humility

I am just getting back from a relaxing time with my family.  But when spending time with our families, we still continue our prayer life.  I would like to share with you one of my favorite prayers.  While you are reading it and praying it, I'll be unpacking, catching up with all the happenings while I was away and sharing with the sisters the adventures I had with my sisters and cousin.  

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,  Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored ... (etc)
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I,  Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...(etc)
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

News and Events: Saint Joseph Academy

Last week the new school year began.  The sisters, staff and students are beginning to fall into the familiar routine.  We are blessed to have dedicated parents, volunteers, teachers and staff at Saint Joseph Academy.  Running a small Catholic school can be a challenge at times.  There is never enough money or time to do everything that we would like to do.  But God always gives us what we need when we need it.

Supporting Catholic schools is a great way to help with evangelization.   The students are not just taught reading, writing, math and science.  They are also taught the truths of their faith and learn about God's love for them.

Many times when an adult who has fallen away from the Catholic faith returns, it is often because they remember something that 'sister' taught them in second grade.  They may have fallen away and not practised the faith in years.  Eventually  they realize that something is missing in their lives and they begin to look deeply into what they believe.  Then they remember what they were taught in Catholic school and it re-enkindles their faith.

Saint Joseph Academy in Walton is a small school.  We appreciate all the support you give us and hope that you will continue to donate your time, talents and treasure to help us in our work of spreading the faith through education.

Our Golf Outing to help support the school will be on September 8th at Twin Oaks and Plantation Club.  You can visit sjawalton.com for more information.

News and Events: Home visit and family.

This week I will be on my home visit.  Each year we spend two weeks visiting our families.  My family is a bit spread out over the country, so I am not able to see everyone each year.  But I do keep in touch and I try to see my family when I am able.

At Taylor Manor, the sisters and the staff take care of the elderly in their care as if they were part of their family. And in a way, the elderly are part of our family.  We are all brothers and sisters in Christ.  St. Paul reminds us in Romans that we are all one body in Christ.

Working at a nursing home is demanding work and not everyone is given the gift by God to care for the sick.  But for those who have that ability, it is a wonderful opportunity to put into action the works of mercy.  At Taylor Manor, we have the chance to give drink to the thirsty, to feed the hungry, to clothe, the comfort, and to counsel.  In other words, to care for our family members.

 For the sisters, the word 'family' takes on news meaning.  It is not only our biological family that we care about but our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We pray for and care for everyone who God puts into our lives.  It is something that society needs to be reminded of sometimes.  We are all family and each person has been redeemed by God.  We may not have the same opinion about current events, we may not see things in the same way, but we are all called to care for our brothers and sisters in Christ and to show them respect.

May you and your family be blessed. And I hope you have the opportunity this week to show the love of God to someone in your 'extended' Christian family.

News and Events: Renewal of Vows

This week Sister Cecilia will be in retreat as she prepares for the renewal of her vows. The vow formula that our community prays has a very special place in our all hearts.  It is our wedding vows.  We give ourselves to Jesus totally and completely and He gives Himself totally to us, which is a gift beyond understanding.

I remember when I made my first vows.  I was able to say the first four words of the vows and then I began to cry. It wasn't that I was unhappy.  They were happy tears, very happy tears.   Even if I would have written everything I wanted to say to Jesus, I couldn't have said it any better than the vows.  And each time a sister makes vows for the first time or renews her vows, the whole community rejoices with her and her family.  It's another wedding day for her.  And it remind each of us of our wedding day.

Wouldn't it be a wonderful practise for married couples to recite their vows together on each anniversary of their wedding day? Instead of waiting until the 5th or 10th or 50th anniversary of their marriage they could say their vows again each year.   Each year they could have a reminder of the joy, peace and love that they shared on their wedding day.  When Sister Cecilia renews her vows, she will be reminded of Jesus' invitation  to give herself totally to Him.  The whole community will be reminded of the love of God for each of us, for the community and for His Church.   If the married couple would renew their vows yearly, they would be reminded that they too are called to give themselves totally to God through their love for their spouse.  And as Sister Cecilia's renewal of her vows reminds all of us in the community of God's love for us, the husband and wife renewing their vows each year would be a wonderful witness to their children and family.

Please keep Sister Cecilia in your prayers this week as she prepares to renew her self-giving commitment to her Divine Spouse.  (and yes, when Sister Cecilia renews her vows, I will probably cry the happy tears of a spiritual mother.)

A Day in the Life: Unconditional Love

The love God has for us is unconditional. It has no fine print, no asterisks, no parameters. He doesn’t say, “I love you… if you do this… as long as you don’t say… until you’re an inconvenience… unless you irritate me… but only if you ask for too…” He loves us and He never stops loving us, even we run from Him. There is no sin so horrible that God stops loving us and waiting for us to return to Him. There is nothing we can do to make Him stop loving us. That’s what St. Paul was talking about when He said, “Love never fails.”

Jesus tells us that this same love, this unfailing, unchanging, unconditional love, this is how we are to love one another. This is how the world is supposed to know we are followers of Christ. No counting the cost, no keeping a record of grievances, forgiving seventy times seven, and laying down our lives for our brothers and sisters. Love without questions, without “buts,” without limits. Of course, I’m not saying we don’t hold others accountable for wrongdoing. In fact, sometimes it takes more love to confront family and friends because you really have their best interests at heart and be willing to rock the boat in order to keep them from drowning. Love is not easy, but it is beautiful. Just look at the Cross.

Maybe there is someone in your life who should have shown you unconditional love and failed: a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a close friend. Maybe they walked away when you needed them most because you needed more love than they were willing to give you. If that’s you, know that God’s love has no limits. You can’t push so far away that He decides to give up on you. Like the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son, He is watching the road constantly, looking for you and listening for your footsteps so that He can run out and gather you in His arms. His love is everlasting and inexhaustible and He holds in the palm of His hand.

News and Events: Ignite Northwest

One of the highlights of the summer months is the youth conference called "Ignite Your Torch".  The sisters enjoy the interaction with the participants and the chance to talk about vocations.  This week Sister Cecilia, Sister Margaret Mary and I will be heading out to Seattle, Washington, to attend "Ignite Your Torch Northwest".

We have never been to Washington so we are looking forward to meeting new people, seeing the sights and sharing our vocation stories.  I will be giving two break out sessions to the participants.  One of the talks will be about approved Eucharistic Miracles and the other one will be about Birth Control.  That is one of the things I like about this conference.  The youth have lot of fun, there is time for Eucharistic adoration and prayer but they also have the opportunity to learn what the Church teaches.  There will be many other break out session they can choose to listen.  There will be talks about the faith, about the sacraments, prayer, and life issues.

You can never learn enough about the faith.  There is such a richness in our church and in our beliefs.  Even if you studied all your life you can never cover all of it because God is so infinite and awesome.  So it is wonderful to be able to take time out and attend a conference.  Everyone is so busy and there is so much to do.  But nothing is more important than God.  Attending a workshop or a conference or even just taking time out to read a good spiritual book will deepen your spiritual life.

We sometimes take breaks by playing the latest game on our phones, or watching the newest internet sensation. But how much time do we spend learning and deepening our faith?  The amount of time we spend on our 'device' should be less than the amount of time we spend in prayer and developing  our spiritual life.  Be open to the beauty of God and His church and you will be amazed at the peace and joy you will find.