Emmaberry's Pcc Countdown

[emmaberry101]

Some lovely pics of an investiture from the Belleville PCCs:

[img]http://www.poorclares-belleville.info/contact_us/brideR.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.poorclares-belleville.info/contact_us/brideL.jpg[/img]

Gosh.. I love that habit.

Edited November 24, 2012 by emmaberry101

[ChristinaTherese]

[quote name='emmaberry101' timestamp='1353740606' post='2515855']
[size=4]Also, ([b]congratulations if you are still reading, btw[/b] ) I thought of something I wish I had known concerning how you know a community is "it." When you find the right community, you would literally not take a million dollars to go to another, in the same way that a happily engaged person could never in a million years marry another person while being in love with "the one". Sorry if that sounds confusing, I just wish someone had told me that the bond is that strong before entrance. It really took me by surprise-not that it was unpleasant, just unexpected![/size]
[/quote]
It's always great to see what you write. Your posts show so much joy and eagerness to enter.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

[quote name='emmaberry101' timestamp='1353740606' post='2515855']
[color=#cc0066][i]Poem of the Day[/i][/color]

Thanksgiving after Holy Communion

Take this for thanks torrential
Frantic beating
Of my soul's wings against these tight, hot prison walls
Of flesh.
Or take for joy ecstatic, spirit's panting
In my body's sack of weary air.

O Christ! with what white dreams of perfect loving
I gave my lips up to Your hosted kiss!
But now the unfleshed will is agonizing
So nearly crushed beneath the sagging bone.

O strong, O holy, O immortal Lover!
Take for thanks my tired heart's grateful drooping
On Your own.
Take for love the little swords of longing.
Be a Lover - hold me in your arms.


[indent=4][i]Mother Mary Francis, PCC[/i][/indent]
[/quote]

Ahhh, wow, that was breath-taking! Your mother superior (abbess?), has a real gift!

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

I can't believe I haven't posted in this thread yet.

I am going to miss you so, so much. I am so happy for you, Emma!

[emmaberry101]

Poem of the Day

The Contemplative

There is no space for thunder here.
No poppies from old luxuriant lips
Spring up in crimson words to toss the stars
Lightly about the dark, familiar skies.

We will not talk of mountains or of darkness
Nor even mention silver mists. The Name
That bends the whole broad arc of worlds is only
And all I know. We will not speak of prayer.

Go, put away the tales of almost-seeing
(Sterner than legend), whisper them away.
Too shattered now for breaking, I come singing
Hoarse little scraps of melodies You know.

Stumbling along a cinder path and clutching
Pathetic, wind-burnt flowers of my love,
My eyelids shuttering shame and peace past dreaming,
Your mercy pouring down my cheeks like fire.

Mother Mary Francis, PCC



I attached a photo of the evening collation (supper). I hope it works-I am on my phone!
[IMG]http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e280/emmajaneberry/3E93888C-096C-489B-94A5-634BE6419035-215-000000231614B779.jpg[/IMG]

[quote name='ToJesusMyHeart' timestamp='1353796888' post='2516088']


Ahhh, wow, that was breath-taking! Your mother superior (abbess?), has a real gift!
[/quote]

Doesn't she, ToJesusMyHeart? She is the Mother Abbess of the Roswell PCCs in spirit now-she went to her reward in 2006. She was named Mother Emerita which basically means she will always be Abbess, just in her office in Heaven!

PS: Are you sure you are not called to the Poor Clares? Your username sounds suspiciously Clarian/bridal. (I love it, by the way!!)

Edited November 25, 2012 by emmaberry101

[ChristinaTherese]

I just found this, and thought you would like it. There's a letter from Mother Francis at the end. http://poorclares.wordpress.com/the-call/

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='emmaberry101' timestamp='1353825780' post='2516259']
I attached a photo of the evening collation (supper). I hope it works-I am on my phone!
[img]http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e280/emmajaneberry/3E93888C-096C-489B-94A5-634BE6419035-215-000000231614B779.jpg[/img]
[/quote]

The PCCs are very sensible. I used to wonder if they got hungry at night, but that looks like enough food to keep you until breakfast. There was one community of PCCs, however, that only had this:

[img]http://la_cause_des_causeuses.typepad.com/photos/herbimagier/collation.jpg[/img]

It really made me wonder how they didn't get hungry? I don't remember which community it was, though.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

[quote name='emmaberry101' timestamp='1353825780' post='2516259']
Doesn't she, ToJesusMyHeart? She is the Mother Abbess of the Roswell PCCs in spirit now-she went to her reward in 2006. She was named Mother Emerita which basically means she will always be Abbess, just in her office in Heaven!

PS: Are you sure you are not called to the Poor Clares? Your username sounds suspiciously Clarian/bridal. (I love it, by the way!!)
[/quote]

Haha, well gosh, I certainly love the spirituality of St. Clare, and I've read her Rule, which was lovely. But for some reason I really feel attracted to an active/contemp. life. Aren't all consecrated women "bridal," though?

[emmaberry101]

The new site is up!:

PoorClares-Roswell.org

[emmaberry101]

[quote name='ToJesusMyHeart' timestamp='1353864526' post='2516336']


Haha, well gosh, I certainly love the spirituality of St. Clare, and I've read her Rule, which was lovely. But for some reason I really feel attracted to an active/contemp. life. Aren't all consecrated women "bridal," though?
[/quote]

Just a quick reply to this (I'm at a rest stop on the way home.) I said Clarian/bridal referencing Bl John Paul II's analysis of the great contemplative Saints:

"If Catherine of Siena is the saint full of passion for the Blood of Christ, the great St. Teresa is the woman who goes from "mansion" to "mansion" to the threshold of the great King in the interior castle and Therese of the Child Jesus is the one who, in Gospel simplicity, travels the little way, Clare is the passionate lover of the Crucified Christ, with whom she wants to identify absolutely..."

But you are so right! All religious are assuredly and, firstly, brides of Christ. I think the thing I was really speaking of when mentioning your name was that it sounds very poetic-I feel as if I have read it in one of Mother Francis' poems.

Sorry to poke fun at you though! I hope I didn't offend.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Oh no, you absolutely did not offend in the slightest.

Naturally, I'd love to be called to the PC(C)'s, but as of now, it doesn't seem to be the case.

I love that quote by JPII though! When I drank the Blood of Christ during Mass today, it was a very emotional experience for me (it's not usually so dramatic), so perhaps I'm more like Catherine of Siena than I recognized.

[emmaberry101]

Wooh! This is a long one..

[img]http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e280/emmajaneberry/E252D494-CDA5-4CE5-B5FB-DCBDFB6E290F-610-000000B290BE642D.jpg?t=1353889926[/img]

Dinner (Lunch meal), the full meal of the day..and it is a FULL meal. Just as Mother Francis said in A Right to Be Merry, our culture seems to be more geared towards small meals and snacking throughout the day, so the full meal feels like a lot.

I'm on a winning streak concerning special "Feast Food" at the Monastery. Almost every time I am there for a Feast, so there is jelly on the morning bread, and today was a Solemnity (Christ the King of the Universe! More on that below) so there were: mashed potatoes (only on solemnities), cranberry relish, (and I [i]relished[/i] it) .. ice cream, and a cookie. I hit the cloister kitchen jackpot. Mother was telling me that in the novitiate they once joked that, "I entered for the wheat biscuits!" so I told Sister Portress and Sister Sacristan that I am entering for the jelly! They proceeded to give me a far too generous portion of the jelly, probably as payback for my little comment.

I arrived just in time for Solemn Vespers of Christ the King. This morning the nuns sang Christus Vincit (Sisters of Life singing it below!) and it was a thundering little melody! The nuns were so excited about it that they gave me the music, though I am far too poor a chant music reader to sing along. They only sing this hymn for this particular Solemnity, so it brings them great joy. The Sister playing the organ has a great postlude for this hymn, and that brings them great joy as well. There are three acclamations of something that sound like "Venicite" at the end (not in the video below), though I know that is not right. It was very powerful: "Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands! He is King! So reassuring after this US election we have had.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA_sXEihnfs

When I say it brings them joy, that is an understatement! Sister Portress was crying tears of joy afterward... It really is awe-inspiring how completely contemplatives mold themselves into the liturgical calendar. It brings to my mind an image of contemplatives in the womb of not only the Church but the liturgical feasts, just absolutely wrapped in them.

[img]http://www.donbentz.com/IMAGES_photo1/child_in_womb_web.jpg[/img]


[quote name='ToJesusMyHeart' timestamp='1353876710' post='2516387']
Oh no, you absolutely did not offend in the slightest.

Naturally, I'd love to be called to the PC©'s, but as of now, it doesn't seem to be the case.

I love that quote by JPII though! When I drank the Blood of Christ during Mass today, it was a very emotional experience for me (it's not usually so dramatic), so perhaps I'm more like Catherine of Siena than I recognized.
[/quote]

Yes! St Catherine is such a wonderful Saint. I remember reading about her early on after converting to the Church and being very edified by what I read. Of course, reading about any Saint is edifying, but her life was so poignant. She is amazing! Gushing over.

AKA think Dominican! [url="http://happysaints.com"][img]http://rlv.zcache.com/st_catherine_of_siena_sticker-p217280349527659195en7l1_216.jpg?max_dim=328[/img][/url]

[color=#222222][font='Helvetica Neue', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif][size=4][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1353832440' post='2516281']

The PCCs are very sensible. I used to wonder if they got hungry at night, but that looks like enough food to keep you until breakfast. There was one community of PCCs, however, that only had this:

[img]http://la_cause_des_causeuses.typepad.com/photos/herbimagier/collation.jpg[/img]

It really made me wonder how they didn't get hungry? I don't remember which community it was, though.
[/quote]

Yes, I have seen that on some PC site or internet source, but I forgot where it's from as well! In PC communities who only have this for collation, they probably have a larger breakfast than the Roswell PCCs, which is two slices of bread. The fast, as we all know, is one meal plus two small repasts not adding up to another full meal, so you can mess with the morning and evening meals' substance (can't find the right word). You are right though, that is less meal and more snack...and a meager snack at that!!

[quote name='Christina Thérèse' timestamp='1353829539' post='2516268']
I just found this, and thought you would like it. There's a letter from Mother Francis at the end. [url="http://poorclares.wordpress.com/the-call/"]http://poorclares.wo...s.com/the-call/[/url]
[/quote]

Thank you for posting Christina Therese! Yes, I loooove (obnoxious huh?!) love love that letter. I would quote favorite bits, but I would end up just copying and pasting. [/background][/size][/font][/color]

[emmaberry101]

Darn, I forgot to post the poem in my monster post. :

[indent=1]
[color=#cc0066][i]Poem of the Day[/i][/color][/indent]

[indent=1][i][size=4]Concerning Affluence[/size][/i][/indent]

[indent=1][i][size=4]I am the richest one in town[/size][/i][/indent]
[indent=1][i][size=4]Although they may not know it[/size][/i][/indent]
[indent=1][i][size=4]Who count their funds and lay aside[/size][/i][/indent]
[indent=1][i][size=4]Good portions against winter.[/size][/i][/indent]

[indent=1][i][size=4]I am the richest one on earth,[/size][/i][/indent]
[indent=1][i][size=4]Unshod I walk to tell it.[/size][/i][/indent]
[indent=1][i][size=4]All silvered stars are my small coins[/size][/i][/indent]
[indent=1][i][size=4]For sudden need arising.[/size][/i][/indent]

[indent=1][i][size=4]I am the richest in the world[/size][/i][/indent]
[indent=1][i][size=4]Or in the heavens either,[/size][/i][/indent]
[indent=1][i][size=4]Owning a greater need than all[/size][/i][/indent]
[indent=1][i][size=4]For God to come and fill it.[/size][/i][/indent]

Edited November 26, 2012 by emmaberry101

[emmaberry101]

Poem of the Day

A SONG FOR APRIL

April, my April,
Mine! for young
Are you as my heart and its hopes are young.
Spilling the balm of your tears to bless
My own with its fragrant tenderness,
April, my April,
You are as young
As my undreamed dreams, my songs unsung.

April, shy April,
Yet be not shy
With me who love you. Your hand in my
Own hand, we two shall race the dawn,
Your fleet white feet and mine upon
its clouds, till all
The must of care
Grows sweet in the scent of tangled hair.

April, glad April
And how be sad,
My heart? The earth is young! And clad
In tender laughter are older woes.
On every road my April goes
She breathes her laughter
In cinnamon dream
And folds it in polished shoots of green.

My willful April,
You hide your charms
From dreamless hearts. Your slender arms
Have no embrace for those whose eyes
Can see no vision in the skies.
And them who fear
To weep, you scorn,
For your sweet laughter of tears was born.

April, gay April!
Will you ever be gay
And curve of your lips be rose always?
Let May unflower, let June grow old,
But April about her gaily folds
Her verdant mantle,
The silver cord,
And dances back to springtime's Lord.

-Postulant Alberta (aka Mother Francis, PCC)

Can you believe she wrote this as a Postulant?

Edited November 27, 2012 by emmaberry101

[Chiquitunga]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1353832440' post='2516281']
The PCCs are very sensible. I used to wonder if they got hungry at night, but that looks like enough food to keep you until breakfast. There was one community of PCCs, however, that only had this:

[img]http://la_cause_des_causeuses.typepad.com/photos/herbimagier/collation.jpg[/img]

It really made me wonder how they didn't get hungry? I don't remember which community it was, though.
[/quote]

Just did a google image search on it. It's from here, http://forums.catholic.com/showpost.php?p=4281185&postcount=10 & was just a guess Yes, I'd be starving by the morning if that was it!