December Awesomeness -- Top picture is Sr. M. Herlinde, our new Superior General from Austria. She's visiting now!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
December Awesomeness! Superior General Visits
December Awesomeness -- Top picture is Sr. M. Herlinde, our new Superior General from Austria. She's visiting now!
Friday, December 24, 2010
What Do Sisters Do on Christmas Eve?!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Advent Waiting
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Receive Love - Be Love!
"God is love, and he who abides in love, abides in God and God abides in him." (1 John 4:16)
Every ounce of love in this world is from God. Don't forget to take time every day to "receive" love from Him -- meditation, quietly sitting with Him . . . receiving love, going to Mass, reading the Scriptures, and living in His Presence.
Then be love to those around you! Love from God automatically overflows from you to others. Sometimes it takes some effort -- some self-sacrificing, some forgiving, overlooking of faults. Real love is other-centered (not self-centered).
We have such an awesome God?! He's the real deal.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Joys of Community Life -- No Picture can Tell
We like to post pictures most of the time on this blog, but the truth is . . . no picture can tell how awesome it is to live in unity and love. At recreation that night, we really didn't do anything special. We just sat around talking, laughing, and enjoying each other. Yes, we thought about taking a picture, but some pictures in life are just for your heart. Just thought we'd share! And . . . Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!
We just published our last e-newsletter. If you're not on the list, go to our website to sign up!
Here's a link to the Advent E-newsletter -- includes news about a visit coming up from our new Superior General, Franciscans in Guatemala that are running a children's home for disabled children (awesome ministry), an article about why we pray to Mary, and more....
God bless you all!!!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Mary - Our Spiritual Mom
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Growing in holiness???
Dear Friends,
First up -- here's our latest "paper" newsletter!
Secondly -- the topic of this blog post -- Growing in Holiness???
We usually use this blog to tell everyone what we're doing and to post pictures and things. We hope you enjoy it!
This time we will talk about something that we usually take for granted in our own lives. We have time to pray, we take time for spiritual reading every day, and we get to go to Mass every day (we usually get quality time in front of the Blessed Sacrament too!). We hope that some of these practices can help you grow in holiness as well.
Daily Mass: If you can, go to Daily Mass as often as possible. There's nothing greater than receiving Jesus in His Body and His Word to feed our souls!
Spiritual Reading: Try to take at least 10-15 min. a day to read from the Bible, the lives of the saints, or another religious book to help feed your soul. It's amazing to us how often the spiritual reading that we have is "just what we needed" that day to inspire us or to help us.
Daily Prayer: Take time every day to commune with God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this:
"The grace of the Kingdom is 'the union of the entire holy and royal Trinity . . . with the whole human spirit.' This, the life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with him." CCC #2565
God thirsts for us! We thirst for Him too, we just have to take the blinders off to see it. . . or should we say, we need to open our hearts.
Practice Mortification: In this crazy world where everything is easy to get and we think we're too busy to do the things that are really important, we many times leave mortification in the dust. This is really the key to happiness. Learning to control ourselves is so critical. If we do not control our passions, our passions will control us. So, we can practice mortification in little things -- don't add salt to a meal, for example. Little things like this will help us control ourselves in much bigger temptations. We know, it's an oxymoron. "I'm supposed to give up stuff and be happy?" Yes, it's true -- try it.
The Catechism says, "...they [the virtues] dispose all the powers of the human being for communion with divine love." CCC #1804
Wow -- practicing the virtues DISPOSES us to COMMUNION with DIVINE LOVE! God is so awesome!
Bottom line: Make God #1 in your life. That's it. Make God a priority . . . and watch your life turn around. You give yourself to Him, and He will give you Himself!!!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Texas Tour was Great!
The top picture is with a family in Port Lavaca that we used to teach! The young man in the red shirt was Sr. Mary Michael's 3rd grader (a few years ago)! He's now in college!
The bottom picture is taken from our "Community Day" a couple weeks ago! We LOVE it when all the Sisters are home and we can be together.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Great Community Weekend . . . and the Texas Tour!
Our TEXAS TOUR begins this week -- we'll be at:
- the Catholic Student Center at the University of Texas (Wednesday).
- Victoria, Texas (Thurs. and Friday).
- College Station and the Catholic Student Center at Texas A&M (Saturday and Sunday)
- Tarleton University (Sunday evening)
- Irving and the Catholic Student Center at the University of Dallas (Tuesday)
Pray for us to spread the New Evangelization and for us to meet whoever God wants us to meet! May the Holy Trinity be in the middle of all of it! God bless you all!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Receive Love - Be Love
Monday, October 4, 2010
We are God's Powerful Instruments
So have I. I'm learning that it is fun to watch the light bulb go on in their heads and hearts as they have the daily opportunity in school to get closer to God. They have become a highlight of my day and a joy to teach! Help me pray for them and all those we minister to in our apostolates! God bless you all!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Temporary Goodbye to a Great Mentor
He went on to his eternal reward the other day, so we temporarily say good-bye to him. He was our retreat master two times, and we use many of his books and talks in our initial and on-going formation. He has made a huge difference in the Religious Life, especially in this country.
Fr. Dubay, thank you for all of your inspiring talks and insights! Thank you for teaching us about contemplative prayer and the wonders of Communion with the Holy Trinity (from Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross mostly). We will miss you!
http://insightscoop.typepad.com/2004/2010/09/father-thomas-dubay-sm-rip.html
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Super September!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
August Happenings
Top picture: Awesome Annual retreat with Fr. Jordan Kelly, OP! We had a GREAT week. Thank you to all of you who were praying for us!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Getting Ready for School!
Our St. Anthony's Sisters will leave tomorrow to go to prepare for school there! Pray for us as we begin a new year of surprises and a journey with the people at these two parishes.
Friday, July 30, 2010
"Oh How He Loves Us!"
Pope John Paul II's "Interior disposition of Eucharistic Spirituality" (we should have these points in our lives as people that love Jesus in the Eucharist -- only possible with God's grace through Communion with Him!)
- Thanksgiving and gratitude (live a life of gratitude . . . to God and to others; and see God in EVERY situation)
- Self-Offering (live a life of being a "self-gift" . . . be a gift to others!)
- Charity (live a life a true charity)
- Contemplation (long to contemplate and to be in communion with God . . . silence and love with the Lord)
God bless you all! Lots going on as usual..... Every day we pray for all of our benefactors, friends, relatives, and people we work with in our apostolates.
"I can change the world by allowing God to change me!"
Sunday, July 18, 2010
School Sisters "Family Retreat"!
This awesome family bought our "Family Retreat with the School Sisters" at our FUN Raiser last year! We had an awesome weekend together -- talked about prayer, family life, virtues, thanksgiving for God's blessings in their family so far, Theology of the Body, and much more. The kids had their own retreat with Sr. Pia and Sr. Mary Jude. We even played basketball!!!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Lots Going On!
LOTS going on! The top picture is from the 5 inches of rain that we've had in the last day and a half. We're getting our roof repaired and it is unfortunately helping us find our leaks.... One repair at a time! :> From what I hear, our 5 inches is mild compared to other places in Texas that are flooding!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
First Vows (and Vacation)
Sr. Mary Grace made her First Vows and Sr. Mary Magdalene renewed her vows on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart (June 11). Congratulations!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Bishop Cantu at Life Awareness Weekend
Monday, May 31, 2010
The Solemnity of the Holy Trinity
O my Three, my All, my Beatitude, infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I lose myself, I surrender myself to You as Your prey. Bury Yourself in me that I may bury myself in You until I depart to contemplate in Your light the abyss of Your greatness.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Happy and Blessed Feast of the Pentecost!
We must prepare ourselves for the receiving of the Holy Spirit! Jesus prayed deeply before each big decision or event in His life, so we must learn from Him! (taken from Bishop Zurek's homily preparing for Pentecost Sunday)