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This is the Third day of Holy Week. The texts present the betrayal which rendered it possible for the authority to arrest Jesus and contributed enormously to the suffering of Jesus. We read the Second Song of the Servant of the Lord. The prophet again speaks in words that apply very suitably to Jesus. Jesus has been called from all eternity to do this work of salvation, After having washed the feet of the disciples and Jesus expresses His emotion saying: ‘I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me.’ He does not say: “Judas will betray Me”, but “one of you”. It is one of His group who will betray Him. The disciples are frightened. They did not expect that one of them would be the traitor. Peter makes a sign to John to ask Jesus which of the twelve would be the traitor. This is a sign that they did not know one another well, they could not succeed in understanding who the traitor could be. John asked Him: “Who is it?” Jesus indicates Judas. In a common and normal gesture which the participants at a supper used to do among themselves. And Jesus tells Judas: “What you are going to do, do quickly!” Judas had charge of the common fund. He was in charge of buying things and of giving the alms to the poor. In this description of the announcement of the betrayal is evoked the Psalm in which the psalmist complains about the friend who betrays Him: Ps 55:13-15). Judas becomes aware that Jesus knew everything. But even knowing it, he does not change his mind but keeps the decision to betray Jesus. This is the moment in which the separation between Judas and Jesus takes place. John says at this moment Satan entered him John comments: “ Night had fallen.” It is as if history had waited for this moment of separation between light and darkness. Satan (the enemy) and darkness entered into Judas when he decides to carry out what he was planning. In that moment the light was made in Jesus who declares: “ Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified. If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself and will glorify him very soon.” The decisions had already been taken by Jesus (Jn 12:27-28) and now by Judas. Together with the betrayal of Judas, the Gospel also speaks of the denial of Peter. These are the two facts which contribute the most to Jesus’ suffering and pain.

Monday in Holy Week offers a pause, a chance to recollect from the drama of yesterday before plunging into the sacred events to come. Today’s reading from Isaiah reminds us that we are all called to emulate this ministry. It is a struggle though; that is why Jesus’ actions were startling to the Romans and why we still find them challenging today. This prophetic call to liberate the sick, the imprisoned, and those who “live in darkness” is especially important as we look towards the crucified Jesus. He died doing what God asked of him. He liberated the sick, the imprisoned, and those who “live in darkness.” We journey with Jesus to Bethany - to the home of his good friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus for a celebratory party. Jesus has called Lazarus from the grave and filled him with new life, making the impossible possible, bringing triumph from tragedy. For Martha, it is evident that Jesus is the Messiah. Mary in her gratitude, takes the costliest exquisite perfume money can buy. In adoration, she kneels at the feet of Jesus and offers anointing to the anointed one – the Christ. The moment is beautiful, intense, intimate and the house is filled with this fragrant offering. Jesus has saved Mary’s brother. And it’s just the beginning – a foretaste of what is to come as Jesus continues his journey to secure salvation for us all. But there are other odours in this house too. Below the surface, in the shadows and corners lingers a different scent – something rotten and deadly. It’s the smell of envy, outrage and hypocrisy. Soon it will deepen into the scent of betrayal and death. Judas - who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing - attempts to grab the moral high ground and place himself in the limelight – drawing the focus away from fluid adoration to rigid certainty. Just a few short weeks ago we gathered at the crib of the infant Jesus encouraging one another to sing loud and long: ‘O come let us adore him’. Where is our adoration now? What lingers in the shadows of our hearts and minds this Passion Sunday? What attitudes, behaviours and judgements keep us from offering wholehearted praise to the one who brings new life from death?

J1.2 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grâce, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous êtes bénie entres toutes les femmes et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles est béni. Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu, priez pour nous pécheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre ort. Amen

1981 From the beginning of the federation, the need for the revision of our Constitutions had been evident to our communities. On March 5, 1981, Archbishop Augustine Mayer, O.S.B., Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for Religious, signed the decree approving the new and definitive text of our Constitutions, which had been written by Mother Mary Francis, abbess of the Roswell monastery, who had been chosen by common consent of the federated monasteries at the chapter of 1970 to undertake the monumental task. The revised Constitutions had been painstakingly discussed and edited over the course of several federation chapters, with capitulars from each member monastery carefully reviewing each article of the proposed text. These Constitutions are still in use today throughout our federation, having also been adopted by many foreign monasteries who have petitioned the Holy See and were granted the permission to do so.

Annunciation Monastery of the Poor Clare Colettine Nuns is not a member of the Federation of Mary Immaculate. However, Corpus Christi Monastery in Rockford is back as a member of the above federation.

Mea Culpa, I missed some of the House Superiors, here they are: Sister Mary Carmela - Filipina Manila Sister Mary Amatrix - Filipina Philadelphia

Is it possible that the quality of life has diminished over the last 50 years because of the decline in religious principles, particularly the importance of holy matrimony. after all, Approximately 40% of all births in the U.S. in 2020 were to unmarried women. The percentage of children born out of wedlock in 1960 was approximately 5%. Is this a statistic anomaly or something else?

Thanks!!! I don;t know how to do that but I love following!!!!!! Pleas send me the link!! Archdiocese of Detroit ordained 4 to the Transitional Diaconate today!!!! I belie Arlington will have a big ordination class this year.. Anybody else have any information????

The following are the current Superiors of the Houses of Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters all over the world including the Superior General of the Congregation: Mother Maria Magdalena - German Mother Superior General Sister Mary Joan Togo Sister Mary Scholastica - Filipina Utrecht Sister Maria Cristina Villa Alemana Sister Maria Teresita Cordoba Sister Mary Luzanne - Filipina Bad Driburg, Germany Sister Mary Ancilla - Indonesian? Ruteng Sister Mary Encarnacion - Filipina Steyl Sister Maria Dominica Nitra Sister Louise Mary - Filipina St. Louis Sister Mary Cecilia - Filipina Lincoln Sister Mary Angelica - Filipina Corpus Christi Mother Maria Elizabeth - Brazilian Ponta Grossa Sister Maria Faustina Nysa Sister Mary Loyola - Filipina Davao Sister Maria Raquel Generalate Sister Mary Jyothi - Indian Bangalore Sister Mary Auxilindis - Filipina Tagaytay Sister Mary Gloria - Filipina Aklan Sister Mary Charity - Filipina Cebu Sister Maria Ligaya - Filipina Baguio I am not sure about the nationality of the other Superiors. This information was taken from the Newsletters - Lenten edition of the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters in Tagaytay. I recently visited the convent and join the Sisters in praying the Vespers. Then I treat myself with one tub of Angel Cookies sold at the small convent store. These were actually made from cutouts and leftover dough for the Hostia or Communion Bread.

She came to Minooka as Mother Foundress of the Poor Clares of Joliet on October 13, 1995. Mother Mary Dorothy of the Holy Spirit (Dorothy Jean) Urschalitz, P.C.C., age 83, Abbess of the Annunciation Monastery of the Poor Clare Colettine Nuns of Joliet, departed this life on Saturday, January 1, 2022, at 11:30 a.m., in the St. Joseph’s Infirmary Chapel of the Monastery. Born May 28, 1938 in Findlay, OH, Mother was the daughter of the late Vincent and Edna Urschalitz. A brother, Robert, also preceded her in death. She is survived by three sisters, Mary Ann Bihn, Martha Warren and Sue Senn. Mother entered Corpus Christy Monastery, Rockford, IL in 1959 after being a junior Professed Franciscan Sister in Tiffin, Ohio, from 1956 to 1959. She was Abbess of Corpus Christi Monastery from 1977-1996. She came to Minooka as Mother Foundress of the Poor Clares of Joliet on October 13, 1995. In August 2012, Mother celebrated her Golden Jubilee.

I just watched the funeral video of Mother Mary Dorothy of the Holy Spirit, P.C.C. - former Abbess of Poor Clare Monastery in Rockford, Il. and Foundress of Poor Clare Monastery in Minooka, IL. I noticed that the nuns who attended the burial where some of the nuns wore the their kerchief covering the side of their faces and several nuns with their kerchief on the tip of their chins. There was one Nun where her kerchief covers her chin. I have never noticed this before. Now they all revert to wearing their kerchief fully covering their chins even the novices can be seen doing the same.

The First Joyful Mystery The Announciation Le Premier Mystère Joyeux L'Annonciation Notre Père, qui est au cieux, Que Ton nom soit sanctifié, Que Ton règne vienne, Que Ta volonté soit faite, sur la terre, comme au ciel. Donnes nous aujourd'hui, notre pain de ce jours, pardonnes nous nos offenses, comme nous pardonnons aussi a ceux qui nous ont offensé. Ne nous soumet pas a la tentation, mais délivres nous du mal. Amen J1.1 JE vous salut Marie, pleine de grâce, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous êtes bénie entres toutes les femmes et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles est béni. Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu, priez pour nous pécheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

I don’t understand. What does saying this have to do either with them being prepared if they become widows?

Palm Sunday is designed to reflect the dramatic mood swing that accompanies the events of that day when Jesus was triumphantly welcomed into Jerusalem, only to face his rejection and crucifixion a few days later. We are here now to make our answer to the invitation of Palm Sunday. Jesus is hailed by the crowds today, And then we have a choice. Many of us will go home and not darken the door of spiritual encounter until Easter Day. But that is a mistake. He has spent three years on Earth teaching, healing, leading people to God, to liberation, to new life. Today, on Palm Sunday, we all shout out his name with Hosannas. He is clearly top of mind. But he knows that the time is fast approaching when all will desert him, along with the rest of the disciples. That is exactly what the chief priests and scribes want. We read in the Gospel of Mark, “The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him, for they said, ‘Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.’” They don’t want people holding on to their allegiance to Jesus. It’s too dangerous. The Romans are already losing patience with the Jews and their ongoing parade of political Messiahs who cause disturbance and unrest. And Rome solves its problems with violence. The chief priests and scribes know that everyone will be better off, safer if Jesus is simply forgotten. And that’s the question we’re being asked today. When we walk out of these doors will we forget Jesus? Will we abandon him? Will the noise and news, claim our attention for the next seven days, so that the Resurrection is an anti-climax marked only by Easter eggs? That can’t be all we have to offer. That can’t be all the courage we have. Try to stand in Jesus’ shoes at this moment, on Palm Sunday, toward the end of the day. The crowds welcomed him into Jerusalem, waving palms and laying their cloaks in the road before him. Everyone was joyful, exuberant. The disciples felt like their moment finally had come; Jesus was going to take over Jerusalem and show the Romans who was boss. Now it’s the end of the day. The crowds have gone home and the pilgrims and others from outside the city like the disciples have found rooms at inns or courtyard corners to bed down in. And where is Jesus? The colt has been handed off to someone, and the hundreds surrounding him have dwindled to the Twelve, the women, and a few other friends and followers and no one notices Jesus drifting away out of the warm circle of firelight to stand alone, gazing out at the quieting city under the stars. This is where Jesus is at the end of the day on Palm Sunday. The task that lies before him is overwhelming, and he knows that one by one, everyone will abandon him until he is all alone. But the thing is that we still have a chance. We still have a choice. We can decide that we will be loyal to Jesus to the best of our ability, every day of this week that changed the world. It may be through coming to worship. It may be through extra time in prayer and meditation every day of Holy Week. It may be through serving others who are in need, or reading the entirety of one of the gospels, or finishing our Lenten intention with special dedication and love. It doesn’t matter what we do to follow Jesus to the Cross. It just matters that we do something. It will be difficult. Living Holy Week fully, with integrity, demands that we have to trust Jesus and follow him into the shadows, for the sake of the promise of the light. If we say yes to the invitation of Palm Sunday, we are committing to being trapped somewhere between the wrenching fear and despair of losing faith, and the ultimate promise that the resurrected Christ will shine forth over the world with love that heals and reconciles all people. We say yes to being stuck between those two poles for seven long days. Let’s try to remember Jesus and stay with him from now until Easter Day, because he is not a dead man at all. And that’s all we need to know to get through these days as we wait for the light—he is alive. Following His example of humble obedience in the trials and crosses of our lives, we know we will never be forsaken, that one day we too will be with Him in Paradise (Luke 23:42).

Hence, the importance of the sacrament of holy matrimony.

That’s exactly my thinking. I see this trend with these women who will be totally unprepared if that happens. The only thing they have going for them is their social media and hopefully life insurance.

When the Sisters accompanied a workman within the enclosure - she rings the handbell to warn that the Sisters to stay away or stay in their cells. If this is not possible, the Sisters has to pull down her veil in front of her face.

Gloire au Père et au Fils et au Saint Esprit, comme il était au commencement, maintenant et pour les siècles des siècles. Amen

I have no news to post at just this moment, but we are heading into ordination season, so... let the good news begin!

I certainly can, although no one needs my permission to start a thread. I'll do that now.

ARE YOU STARTING A NEW PAGE FOR 2025 LUIGI?

Oh mon Jésus, pardonnes-nous nos péchers, préserves-nous des feux de l'enfer, conduisez au ciel toutes les âmes, psécialement celles qui ont le plus besoin de Ta miséricorde. Amen Salut, Ô Reine, mère de miséricorde, notre vie, notre douceur et notre espérance, Salut! Enfants d'Eve, exilés, nous crions vers vous; vers vous nous soupirons, gémissant et pleurant dans cette vallée de larmes. Ô vous, notre avocate, tournez vers nous vos regards miséricordieux. Amen Notre Père, qui est au cieux, que Ton nom soit sanctifier, que Ton règne vienne, que Ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel. Pardonnes-nous nos offenses, comme nous pardonnons aussi a ceux qui nous ont offensé, ne nous soumets pas a la tentation, mais délivres nous du mal. Amen

I did ask the Mother Prioresses and they have differing opions - one said it could be a Muslim Influence and another said the opposite. Carmelite Nuns sent the following explanation to a friend: We assume that what you call the Great Veil, is actually the Parlor Veil that you are referring to. In the times of Our Holy Mother St. Teresa, she and other cloistered nuns would wear these veils covering their faces completely when meeting persons outside the cloister, particularly on her journeys when setting up new foundations of Carmelite Nuns. The purpose of these parlor veils was to maintain the spirit of the cloister even when certain duties were necessary to perform outside the cloister. This spirit was and continues to be a spirit of detatchment from the things of the world and being set apart from the world in order to maintain intimate converse with their Spouse, Jesus Christ. Carmelite life is also a hidden life, and St. Teresa tried to even maintain this aspect of our life in tact when one needed to leave the enclosure. It also helps maintain recollection, custody of the senses, and maintaining religious decorum outside the monastery. In the days of St. Teresa, this was a very common practice and widely accepted as the norm since all of Europe was still predominately Catholic. In our modern times, however, this is not the case and that is why this pious practice has almost become extinct among Carmels today. I have a copy of "Carmel: Its History, Spirit, and Saints" compiled by The Discalced Carmelites of Boston and Santa Clare, published in 1927. It says that Pope Urban IV made the regulation that in all monasteries, each grate should be armed with points of iron. St. Charles of Borromeo, during the Council of Milan, approved and generalized the use of double grate as ordained by St. Francis of Paula for his religious and even designated the distance which should separate one from another. He also wished the Religious to have their faces covered with a veil before persons from without, who should be obliged to enter into the cloister. PAPER OF EXACTIONS OF THE Discalced Carmelite Nuns OF THE ORDER OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL taken from the traditions of our Spanish Mothers and Foundresses. When they have to see the doctor, they should have their great veil lowered and not raise it until they are told to do so, drawing it down again dir­ectly after, but when they have received Extreme Unction, they usually only wear the little veil. They only speak to the doctor when the Mother Prioress, or the Sub-prioress, and in their absence, the Infirmarian tells them to do so; the latter will take care to be beforehand with this permission as soon as the doctor questions them. They should edify him by their patience and moderation, con­tenting themselves with saying what he wishes to know, without showing any eagerness for the remedies which are pleasing to nature, or aversion for those of which it is in dread. Great/grate Veils Of The Discalced Carmelite Nuns the above is a VS old thread about the great/grate/parlour/enclosure veils with many photos.

@dUSt While it's not specifically Catholic, I did find a Christian Hip Hop station that I think you and others here might appreciate: https://myboostnation.com Enjoy!

I wonder how much of this (especially face-covering, but also the use of mantillas) has to do with the Muslim influence in Spain? I really don't see mantillas on women or chin-covering on nuns when I look at Renaissance-era paintings, which has me thinking that women in Italy at that time probably weren't wearing them.