News and Events: Seek 2017 and the New Year

Merry Christmas!  And may the New Year be filled with many blessings for each of you.  We enjoyed our time with our community during the Christmas.  The staff at Taylor Manor fixed us a great dinner.  Then we prayed together and played a few games.  Our Christmas is a celebration of the Birth of Jesus with each other, with our spiritual family.  We are truly blessed.

One of the many Navitity scenes at Taylor Manor.

Our year ends with a silent retreat.  We spend December 31st spending time wiht Jesus thanking Him for the blessings of the past year, praying for friends and family, and asking God to bless the New Year.  Each of you will be in our prayers.

Next week the sisters are traveling to San Antonio for SEEK2017.  SEEK is sponsored by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.  There will be college students from around the country attending.  They will hear great speakers, enjoy special entertainment and have the opportunity to meet religious from different communities.  If you are in the area we would love to see you.

News and Events: Helping out

Taylor Manor and the all the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker want to say 'Thank You" to Mr. and Mrs. John Barkett.  They are Sister Elizabeth Ann's parents.  For many years Mr. and Mrs. Barkett have volunteered at Taylor Manor.  From helping out with the little things that help to make the residents more comfortable to negotiating buying equipment to baking delicious goodies, they have joyfully given of themselves.  They are retiring and moving to Florida.  May God continue to bless them both.  They will be missed.

Sister Mary Faustina and Mother Christina with John Barkett in a meeting at Taylor Manor.

At St. Joseph Academy, there are many volunteers that help out in many ways too.  If I would attempt to mention names, I know that I would forget someone. Pig Fest, Fish Fry, Tee Off for the Kids wouldn't be possible without the help of many friends.  Not to mention all the help they give day to day during a normal school day.

Sister Elizabeth Ann and some of the students making blankets to give away.

Christmas is almost here and while you are busy making sure all the gifts ahave been brought and the decorations are perfect, consider giving the best gift of all - a little bit of yourself.

News and Events: 12 Days of Christmas

Last week I mentioned that the 12 Days of Christmas begins after Christmas, not before.  But did you know that the Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was actually written to teach young Catholics the faith?

It was written in England during a time when it was forbidden to practise the Catholic faith.  During that time in the history of the Church in England you could be arrested and sentanced to death if you had something in writing that proved you were a Catholic. The the song was written as a memory aid to help the people learn and remember the teachings of the Church.

The song begins, "One the first day of Christmas by true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree."  Of course the first day of Christmas is the birth of Jesus.  So the "true love" refers to God, the 'me' refers to every baptized person.  The partridge in the pear tree is Jesus.

The other verses following refer to different tenets of the faith:
2 Turtle Doves represent the Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens represnt Faith Holy and Charity
4 Call Birds represent the four Gospels
5 Golden RIngs represent the first five books of the Old Testament
6 Geese A laying represent the six days of creation
7 Swans a swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven Sacraments
8 Mais a milking represent the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing represent the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A leaping represent the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping represent the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming represent the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

St. Joseph's Corner: Morning Poetry Meditation

God's Touch

I wandered in a garden fair,

Adown a leaf-strewn glade, 

Drinking in draughts of sweet cool air,

Which round about me played.

When, just a little to one side,

A-crouching playfully,

A jet-black kitten I espied,

Whose eyes were fixed on me.

I beckoned to her with my hand,

And swift to me she sped.

I stooped, and with a finger bland

Caressed her soft black head.

The little creature, to and fro,

Rubbed gently 'gainst my feet,

And purred incessantly, to show

My touch to her was sweet.

And when I strolled on silently-

Although she sought in vain-

She would not leave me, hoping I

Would touch her once again.

And then there came to me the thought:

If one slight touch of mine

Such joy to this small creature brought,

What power in the Divine!

The touch of God has power to move

The soul to such delight

That it will thrill with heavenly love,

And languish for His sight.

Touch then my soul, O God, that I

May thrill with that true love

Which makes earth's joys seem vanity,

And draws my heart above.

News and Events: Advent

This week is the second week of Advent.  Advent is a latin word meaning 'coming'. Advent is the begining of the liturgical year in the Church.  You could say that it is the Catholic version of New Year's Day. We begin our Church year by looking forward to the birth of the Messiah.

Advent also reminds us that Jesus will come again.  So this season has both the joyful aspect of the anticipation of Christmas combined with the pentitnial aspect of preparing ourselves for the second coming of Jesus. That is why the purple is worn by the priest during Advent.  Purple is the tradition color that symbolizes a pentitial spirit.

So contrary to the popular culture, the Twelve Days of Christmas do not start before December 25th.  Advent is a time when we prepare for the great feast day of Christ's birthday.  Here in our convent we don't put up any Christmas decorations in our chapel until December 24.  Our Christmas tree goes up a week or so before Christmas and stays up until a few days after the New Year.  After all, we are celebrating the Birth of the Messiah.  But we celebrate after He is born, not before.

Regardless of when you begin decorating and celebrating, I hope that this Advent season brings each of you many graces and blessing.