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On that first Saturday, those who are keeping vigil after the most terrible loss imaginable do not have a strong belief in resurrection. After Jesus was taken down from the cross and furtively wrapped in borrowed linen and placed in Joseph’s unused tomb, those who had loved him were left without hope. The men who had lived with him during his public ministry, frightened and cowed, went into hiding. The vigil was left to the women, for this is what women did and continue to do. The same women now stood near the tomb that hid him, waiting to offer him the rites prescribed by their tradition. The burial had been hasty; he deserved better than that. However, “Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep…” So begins an ancient homily for Holy Saturday. The text dates to the 4th century and was written in Greek; the author is unknown. In it he describes Christ’s descent to the dead, where he grasps Adam and Eve and frees them from sorrow: “He (Christ) took [Adam] by the hand and raised him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light… I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in my and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.’” We stand in the middle of the great Triduum, the three great days of our Lord’s work. These three days are the holiest of days. What happened on these days long ago are the only events that ever truly changed the world. And today we find ourselves living once again in the Day of Silence. Living on the boundary between Good Friday and Holy Easter, we find ourselves stopped for a moment, to tread water with Christ in his being-dead for us. Today we are stopped in our tracks by the narrative of death and burial. On Holy Saturday, God proves that there is no abyss of sin and godlessness that he cannot descend into. The depths of God’s love run every bit as deep as the depths of sin and death which we unleash upon the world. And tomorrow we will learn that the depths of God’s love run infinitely deeper than the abyss of sin…but we’re not there yet. When we look at the God of Holy Saturday, the Trinitarian, cruciform God and ask ourselves how we might possibly image this kind of love, we find ourselves drawn into God’s loving descent into the depths of our sin for our salvation. When we say that we, as the church are the image of the Trinity, we are making the daring statement that we are joining in the pattern of Christ, in giving ourselves away, in expending ourselves for other, in putting others before ourselves, in loving others even to the point of death for their sake. This is what the life of the Trinity looks like when translated into the life of the sinful world. And so, as we seek to live and be the body of Christ, the one who descended into hell for us, his body lying cold in the grave, let us with humility and sobriety remember the horrifically great cost of love. God’s love for us cost him what was most precious to him, his own Son. If we would follow God, if we would be the ikon of his love in the world, the same pattern of self-giving must be true of us. We must, if we seek to follow God, descend into the world of sin and suffering and expend our love on all the unlovely people that we meet. And, as with Christ it may mean our death. But here is the miracle of Holy Saturday: Because Christ has died our death for us, we are never alone in death. “For this reason, Christ died and lived again, that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”

CARMELITE MONASTERY 428 DUANE AVENUE SCHENECDATY, N.Y. 12304-2628 J.M. + J.T March 11, 2005 Our dear, dear Friends, Praised be Jesus Christ! As we approach the Solemnity of St. Joseph, we wish you many blessings from his powerful intercession. As you know St. Teresa said he never refused her any favor she asked of him, and we are praying for each of you in particular in our novena before his feast. Most of you know of our need to relocate our community. For Many reasons we have been advised to move from Duane Avenue, our home for over eighty years, and to look for a place that is in a more contemplative environment. And many of you have been praying with us to St. Joseph for this intention. During the past few weeks, a totally unexpected turn of events has unfolded and we want to share with you how St. Joseph seems to be answering our prayers. We have been working for two years in our search for a new place in the diocese, and every avenue has led to a "dead-end." We do not want to pay five million dollars for a new building for eleven sisters, especially as it would require a great fund-raising appeal. Last year we were informed that our Carmelite Sisters in Pittsford, New York (Diocese of Rochester) had passed "the point of no return." Three of the Sisters needed nursing care and the other three could not maintain community life. They were welcomed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester and now reside in their new motherhouse. The Pittsford monastery was put up for sale. It is a beautiful stone building on fifty-eight acres of land. We were invited to consider moving there, but at that time the distance and the price (3.6 million dollars) discouraged us. Last month the Prioress of Pittsford Carmel contacted us. The contractor who was to purchase their property backed out at the last minute, saying he could not finance the project he had in mind. The Sisters realized that they do not want the monastery to be torn down (this was his plan), nor do they wish it to be given to secular purposes. Their solution is to offer it to us at no cost. A couple of us went to see it and to take pictures. The monastery is a real "jewel." The architect who designed it went to Spain to study monasteries there before he began his work. The chapel reminds one of a Cistercian abbey church in miniature (it seats 60 - 70 persons) and our present sanctuary furnishings will fit quite well. The slate roof of the whole complex was completely renewed two or three years ago, and the building has been insulated. It seems large, but in actual fact it is eleven thousand square feet smaller than our present building. With this letter we are sending some pictures so that you can see something of what is being offered to us. We ask you to pray with us as we discern God's will in this matter. Our hearts are heavy as we think of leaving this diocese, though in fact, our hearts will always remain here. Diocesan boundaries are man-made, and our love and prayers would still reach you and yours will reach us. At one time the whole New York State was one Diocese. Another significant factor is that the chaplains of the monastery in Pittsford are Priests of the Congregation of St. Basil. Here we have always been dependent on the diocesan clergy, and we are less and less certain of having a priest of Mass as the responsibilities of our good parish Priests increase. This is where we are at present. We would have liked to speak to each one of your in person, but since this is not possible, a letter sent to all at the same time seemed the next best thing. The plans are not finalized. The comment of one of our Priests was, "The news is bitter-sweet... but how could you refuse such offer?" So, we pray, and ask you to pray, as we ask ourselves this question. This year the feast of St. Joseph marks the beginning of Holy Week. As we enter into the liturgical celebration of the greatest Mysteries, we beg that God's grace in super-abundance may flood your hearts and minds. Devotedly yours, in Our Lord and His Mother, The Carmelite Sisters

J1.6 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

But what if it were YOU who had passed away leaving behind your wife and three children while they were still young (say pre-teens)?

Motherhood is a career. No one (including myself) in this thread is saying that having a career is bad, either. In fact, nearly all the families with children (I know) today, both spouses have to work in order to make ends meet. What are boils down to , is priorities and the quality of your life?

Today, on Good Friday, we are asked not to look ahead to Sunday, but to sit here, at the foot of the cross. At the entrance to a grave. Today, we have to do what we do throughout life when beloved people die; we are asked to walk away in sadness. Let’s not skip ahead. Good Friday has something to teach us. The disciples did not know that Sunday would bring relief. The disciples did not know that Jesus would be resurrected. The disciples did not know that there was any hope. They walked away in sadness. They hid in fear. The disciples sat where we sit when someone we love dies. Because it is common knowledge that when people die, they typically do not come back to us in three days. As much as we would like to avoid it, death is coming for each of us. Death is coming – for each of us and those we love. Good Friday teaches us to look at death, to accept it as reality, to have patience with it. Because Jesus did it first. Good Friday teaches us that when we are at our lowest, God is there. Good Friday teaches us that when we suffer, God is there. Good Friday teaches us that when we all inevitably face the reality that is death, God is there. God has been there. God will be there. Even in the depths of the grave. Good Friday teaches us that there is no grave that we could go into — literally or figuratively — in which God cannot reach us. In the gospel text for the day, we hear the story of Jesus’ death as told by John. While the other gospels feature miraculous happenings when Jesus dies, like tombs being opened or the curtain of the Temple being torn in two, in John, we do not hear of those. For whatever reason, the evangelist does not choose to feature those occurrences. Because it is generally accepted that John was the last gospel to be written, we can safely assume that the fourth evangelist knew about them, but they are simply not featured in his writing. No, instead, in John’s gospel, Jesus simply breathes his last. Jesus simply dies. Fittingly, for a gospel in which Jesus is the love of God made flesh for the sake of the world, Jesus simply dies the death of a human. Just like us. Also fittingly, Jesus does what many people do when they know that they are about to die. He takes care of his friends. He takes care of his mother. He gives the beloved disciple to his mother, and she to him, to care for one another. After he dies, we meet a character that we also met in chapter 3 of John: Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee who first came to Jesus by night. It was to Nicodemus that Jesus said his famous words in John 3:16:“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.” After Jesus dies, Nicodemus shows that Jesus’ words that night had an impact. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea show up to collect Jesus’ body and bury him. Yes, we know the end of the story. We know that Jesus will be resurrected. We know that Sunday is coming. But on Good Friday, we are asked to forget that we know the ending. We are asked to sit with death and accept its reality because God endured death first. Good Friday reminds us, every single year, that death is a reality that we must face, but that we need not be afraid because Jesus has endured it first. We are finite, our lives are temporary. We embrace the hope of Good Friday: That while death is the worst thing, the hope we have in Jesus is that the worst thing is never the last thing. We are dust, we are mortal, and we are bound for the grave. But the Good news, is that Jesus has gone before us to the grave. And where Jesus is, there is hope – on Good Friday and forever.

J1.5 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 still don't understand. Unmarried women get pregnant. This makes husbands die for some reason. So in conclusion, wives shouldn't have careers in case their husbands die. I don't see any logic in these claims. No one in this thread is saying that marriage is bad. What we're debating is whether wives should be able to have careers. Someone brought up that not having a career is a problem if a woman's husband dies. How will she financially support herself and any children?

Everything! Life is a struggle, no matter what your status in life is. Single, married, divorced or separated, rich or poor. Life's a beesh and then you die. My spouse had my back and I had hers, we lived paycheck to paycheck and raised three beautiful children. My spouse passed away, sometime ago, and I have never been the same if it wasn't for my children and grandchildren, I would have surely died from despair. I feel that at least in my case, holy matrimony truly saved my life. BTW: my spouse was a SAHM

POOR CLARE FEDERATION OF MARY IMMACULATE June 8, 1959 Pope John XXIII granted the petition of the Poor Clare Nuns of St. Colette in the United States of America to form a federation among themselves. The charter member monasteries of the Federation are: Blessed Sacrament Monastery, Cleveland, Ohio (founded from Dusseldorf, Germany, 1877); Monastery of the Immaculate Conception, Chicago, Illinois (founded from Cleveland, 1893); Maria Regina Mater Monastery, Kokomo, Indiana (founded from Chicago, 1959); St. Joseph's Monastery, Aptos, California (founded from Cleveland, 1921); Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Roswell, New Mexico (founded from Chicago, 1948); Bethlehem Monastery, Newport News, Virginia (founded from Cleveland, 1956), relocated to Barhamsville, Virginia in 2004.

The weekend held many blessings for Sister Concepción Medina, Sister Catherine Peter Logan, Sister Michelle Marie Ozuna and Cyan Reed.... https://fscc-calledtobe.org/2025/04/15/the-vowed-life-focus-of-manitowoc-formation-weekend/ The first full day of Formation Weekend started in St. Francis chapel with morning prayer followed by Mass for the intentions of all of those in formation. Father Joachim Studwell, OFM, the speaker for the weekend, was the presider at Mass. Following Mass, we heard Father Kim’s first talk titled, The Vow of Poverty – Depending on the Lord. Father Kim provided historical information about the evolution of our faith and the rich history of Christian faithful who have tried to live a privileged life of poverty. He explained that to undertake poverty is a grieving process and we should ask ourselves, “What am I letting go of, what am I clinging to, and what does it symbolize?”

J1.54 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

1990 The Monastery of Maria, Moeder van de Kerk, was founded in Elshout, The Netherlands, by the Roswell monastery. In 1993, the Elshout monastery relocated to Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and became a member monastery of our federation in 2009. Due to lack of vocations, the monastery closed in 2015 and the community returned to the United States.

Arlington will Ordain 12!!!!!!! The Beauty of Catholicism (Facebook page) Abraham Tersoo Torji · Snetproods10525t9fcatul0h6f1m5a15icmh226fgcffcmg3h12la938h12 · Despite having a relatively small population of approximately 450,000 Catholics, the Diocese of Arlington in the United States is set to celebrate the ordination of 12 new priests next month. Image: Diocese of Arlington. Source: David Ndukwe

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.

yes

That reply and that blog quote reference were two separate posts that got unexpectedly merged. I tried to fix it, but I wasn't permitted to edit that.

So husbands die because unmarried women get pregnant? That doesn't make any sense. Here's a comment I wrote in response to a blog. SAHM stands for stay at home mom. https://overapplesandroses.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-past-is-foreign-country.html Tiny Therese Many people don’t realize that rich women in the past not only had servants to cook and clean, but governesses as well so that they could focus on running the household and being attentive hostesses to guests. Some women in Jane Austen’s time ran boarding schools for girls. Women worked in factories during the Industrial Revolution. The Bible itself doesn’t insist that all women be SAHM. Exodus 1:15-22 cites that women were midwives and even stood up to the Pharaoh who ordered them to murder baby boys. “And because the midwives feared God he gave them families” (21). Proverbs 31:10-31 praise wives who make money on the side. Lots of college or university graduates, especially in the U.S. have school debt that takes them decades to pay off. So having a housewife isn’t very practical. The employment world isn’t what it used to be. One grandpa of mine didn’t finish high school but took on an apprenticeship to become a plumber’s assistant. He supported himself, his wife, and three kids without my grandma needing to work outside the home. My other grandpa graduated from high school, did one year of technical school, and made a living doing engineering work. He also supported himself, his wife, and three kids without my grandma needing to work outside the home. Not every woman is cut out to be a SAHM. Wives may resent their husbands and kids if it isn’t for them. Their families will likely pick up on it. We don’t want kids growing up thinking that they’re burdens. We also don’t want women to think that they must choose between motherhood and their dreams. How many pro-choice advocates claim that babies will get in the way of women having fulfilling lives? SAHMs with degrees are often accused of wasting their education or that they do nothing all day. Why they don’t consider cooking, cleaning, and caring for kids work is beyond me. Cooks, maids, janitors, day care workers, babysitters, and nannies are paid to do such tasks. I encountered a man who insisted that housewives were leeches, living off their husband’s money instead of working.

J1.3 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grâce, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous êtes bénie entre 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

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