Insights from the Life of a Franciscan Sister

[Makarioi]

I agree! Thank you for sharing!

[:o)Katherine:o)]

Thank you for sharing your video! Beautiful and radiant!

[sr.christinaosf]

Thanks  

[sr.christinaosf]

Watch out…Company’s coming!

August 28, 2015 / Our Franciscan Fiat

Maybe it’s a regional thing, but for years I’ve heard it said, “Watch out, company’s coming!” (or something similar) when someone dropped silverware.  Of course, no one believes that there’s any real connection between these two things, but we say it anyway.

I’ve even heard that this superstition can be extended to saying that if it’s a fork you drop, your visitor will be a woman and if it’s a knife, you’ll receive a gentleman caller.

In that case, someone must have dropped four forks last night at suppertime because we were blessed with a visit from four of our Sisters from Hankinson this morning.  They had a meeting here, and in conjunction with this, they were able to join us for Mass and dinner.  Their voices added nicely to the singing for this memorial of St. Augustine.  Later, at dinner, their mouths aided us again, enabling us to polish off the remainder of my ice cream cake.

Hospitality is a beautiful thing.  The author to the Hebrews exhorts his hearers: “Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.” (13:2)  I am not saying that our sisters are angels, though I do appreciate their company.  However, Jesus Himself said in Matthew’s gospel that whatever we do to the least of His brothers, we do to Him (25:40).  Hospitality, therefore, may be a way of going beyond simply entertaining angels (or ordinary visitors); it may be looked at as an opportunity to serve Christ.

In my experience, hospitality, that is, having “company coming,” can also be of service to those doing the hosting.  It is something different to look forward to, different people to visit with, and a chance to catch up.  It can add a little spice to everyday life.  I am grateful for our visitors.

Next time I discover that someone’s dropped some silverware again, and company is on the way, I hope I remember to say a prayer of thanksgiving and also pray for blessings on those who will be blessing us with their presence.

Sr. Christina M. Neumann

[sr.christinaosf]

A prayer worth praying

AUGUST 31, 2015 / OUR FRANCISCAN FIAT

I just finished with Jesus: Our Eucharistic Love, a book from the convent library in Hankinson, by Father Stefano Manelli.  Along with numerous quotes from saints to inspire the reader to greater devotion to Our Lord’s Eucharistic presence, I found this prayer by St. Alphonsus Ligouri.  I thought it was beautiful and wanted to share it:

My LORD Jesus Christ, Who because of Your love for men remain night and day in the Blessed Sacrament, full of pity and of love, awaiting, calling and welcoming all who come to visit You, I believe that You are present here on the altar. I adore You, and I thank You for all the graces You have bestowed on me, especially for having given me Yourself in this Sacrament, for having given me Your most holy Mother Mary to plead for me, and for having called me to visit You in this church.

I now salute Your most loving Heart, and that for three ends: first, in thanksgiving for this great gift; secondly, to make amends to You for all the outrages committed against You in this Sacrament by Your enemies; thirdly, I intend by this visit to adore You in all the places on earth in which You are present in the Blessed Sacrament and in which You are least honored and most abandoned.

My Jesus, I love You with my whole heart. I am very sorry for having so many times offended Your infinite goodness. With the help of Your grace, I purpose never to offend You again. And now, unworthy though I am, I consecrate myself to You without reserve. I renounce and give entirely to You my will, my affection, my desires and all that I possess. For the future, dispose of me and all I have as You please.

All I ask of You is Your holy love, final perseverance and that I may carry out Your will perfectly. I recommend to You the souls in Purgatory, especially those who had the greatest devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I also recommend to You all poor sinners.

Finally, my dear Savior, I unite all my desires with the desires of Your most loving Heart; and I offer them, thus united, to the Eternal Father, and beseech Him, in Your name and for love of You, to accept and grant them.

I found this to be a extraordinarily beautiful prayer that would be worth returning to again and again.  How good and right it is to show our love for the Blessed Sacrament as St. Alphonsus did.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting Vatican II’s Lumen Gentium (11), calls the Eucharist the “source and summit of the Christian life.”  I believe we can very rightly call It likewise (or in extension) “the source and summit” of our consecrated life as well.

For actually, the Eucharist is not an “it” but a “Whom.”  And, who, after all, did we come to give ourselves to when we entered religious life?  Who whispered an invitation of love in our ears, saying, “Come, follow me.”?   If I may speak from my personal experience, I first experienced this “invitation of love” during a time with Jesus in our parish’s Eucharistic Adoration Chapel.

May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament,be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.  (From the Divine Praises)

Sr. Christina M. Neumann

Edited August 31, 2015 by sr.christinaosf

[sr.christinaosf]

Here's an article set to come out in the morning on Our Franciscan Fiat.  It's by our Sister, Sr. Elaine Marie.  

 

 

Need a Place to Raise Frozen Dough?…Look no further!

SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 / OUR FRANCISCAN FIAT 

Is there anything more enjoyable than the aroma of bread baking in the oven?

Now, if you do not want to go through the work of making bread from scratch, here’s a brilliant solution: go to the local grocery store and buy frozen bread dough.

A year ago in July, Sister Rebecca and I took off for a long weekend reprieve at the lake.  The outdoor temperature was in the upper 80s – HOT!  So was the lake house!  Consequently, the first thing Sister Rebecca did was turn on the two window air conditioners which brought down the house temperature to a comfortable level.  However, this was not conducive to raising frozen bread dough.  I mentioned that I was going to turn the oven on to 200 for a short while, then turn it off and let the bread raise in the warm oven.  Sister was concerned that the house would warm up and suggested to let the loaves raise outside on the picnic table.  Yah, I thought, our luck a bird would fly over and ….  But then, I thought, “Hey, how about the van?”  So I put the three loaves into the van which was in the sun with windows closed.  Yes, a really warm area.  Perfect!

Well, I completely forgot about the loaves.  About 5:00 pm I happened to walk past the van – “Oh, the loaves!”  I cautiously opened the van door – You should have seen those critters!  They were HUGE!  WOW!  So, I carefully carried them into the house and put them in the oven to bake.  We had three delicious loaves of homemade bread, with the aroma of fresh baked bread.

An easy summer solution!

By Sister Elaine Marie Roggenbuck

Edited September 3, 2015 by sr.christinaosf

[sr.christinaosf]

It's been very CRAZY around here lately, between apples and tomatoes, company, and getting ready to go for some days of R&R, not to mention working as personal care aide two evenings, I can hardly catch my breath.  Not to mention that one of our receptionists is out of town and I'm filling in for her this weekend.  With my extra time at the reception desk, I've been working on a promotional video for our assisted-living type facility, St. Anne's Guest Home.  I still want to include a clip from a nurse and from our activity director.  If anyone cares to watch it and give feedback, that would be neat.  I am using Movie Maker.  

 

 

[Maggyie]

That's a great story about the bread! Sometimes you gotta get creative!

[sr.christinaosf]

Over the legal limit…of apples

SEPTEMBER 7, 2015 / OUR FRANCISCAN FIAT / 

I asked myself if I was going crazy as I entered the building laden with apples.  I set down one plastic grocery bag and took off my dark blue back pack, left still from college.  In it, I had two more bags of small apples.  What had I gotten myself into?

Actually, the warning signs of delirium had begun almost half mile earlier when I had heard the metal on my bike rattle, the speed of the beat fluctuating with my own rate of motion.  Did I really want to deal with all those apples?

When I was finally able to catch my breath and take off the heavy back pack, I felt a little tipsy;  I hadn’t had any alcohol, but the poundage of apples that I bore was none to small.  The funny feeling I had made me wonder if I had indeed exceeded my “legal limit” (of apples) for driving (a bike).

This all came about because I had been in contact with an acquaintance of mine (who also helped with Religious Ed. at St. Michael’s Church).  She had informed me, as a side note, that “the apples are ready.”  She had hoped to pick apples again with me near her home, but wasn’t able to due to the imminent delivery of her new baby.

Having heard the news about the apples, I checked here with Sr. Rebecca, our Administrator, if I should really pursue this.  She seemed in favor of it, so I called the facility to whom the apples belonged; I explained what I had heard and that we had picked the apples there before because no one else had wanted them.  I was informed that I was again free to help myself this year.

After giving our receptionist her lunch break, and having dinner myself, the partying began. Although I advertised an “apple cutting party,” I didn’t have a huge turnout of helpers for the task of transforming the little things.  Some did help however, and a few hours later, I had several gallons of tasty apple sauce.

I guess one lesson can be learned: if you stick to a job, even though it can be hard work and take time, you can enjoy the results.  Another slogan might be applicable here as well; that is: “No rest for the wicked!”  This same afternoon, someone donated two flats of tomatoes.  After evening prayer, I ended up attacking these 76 tomatoes to preserve for the winter.  Thankfully, Sr. Elaine came around, took pity on me, and helped a lot with getting them processed.

[sr.christinaosf]

It's a bit ironic that I mentioned tomato processing in the end of this last article.  I got up to Rugby, ND, for some vacation days with them at their convent, and they had a bunch of tomatoes to process, too. 

As I type, I have a pot of chili simmering, from the tomatoes we did up last evening here.  I guess there's no escaping the summer and fall produce! 

Still, it is so nice taking time here with a chapel right in the convent.  That is one thing I miss when I go on home visit with my family. 

[Spem in alium]

 

Still, it is so nice taking time here with a chapel right in the convent.  That is one thing I miss when I go on home visit with my family. 

Me too, Sister.  

[sr.christinaosf]

Riding back to Grand Forks yesterday afternoon, I put my vocal chords to work in effort to help Sr. Jean Louise with her driving.  After a busy day at school, she was getting a bit sleepy; singing songs together was a way to help her keep awake.  Along with "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and "Amazing Grace," "Now Thank We All Our God" was an additional piece we chose in this safety endeavor.

This song of gratitude was very fitting for me after four days' vacation spent with our Sisters in Rugby, ND. I had ridden home with them after Labor Day weekend and was catching a ride back now with Sr. Jean Louise, who had to return to Grand Forks anyway this weekend for a board meeting.

Yesterday morning, as I spent my daily meditation time in the small, intimate chapel at Little Flower Convent in Rugby, I found my mind repeatedly returning to thoughts of gratitude. Although it wasn't the passage I had selected for the morning's reflection, my mind went to the gospel account of the ten lepers who were cleansed when only one returned to give thanks.  Like this man long ago, I had so much to be thankful for.

Foremost in my mind was this beautiful time I had enjoyed with our Sisters.  Along with having a much-needed get-away and enjoying some extra R&R, I had been able also to help out with some of the fall work at their convent, including making a pot of chili with some of the plentiful tomatoes. I sometimes enjoy cooking and baking and this was a chance to make have a little fun in the kitchen.

In the course of my stay there, I did get moist eyes, though not from emotions of gratitude.  This was because I was helping make a dish akin to salsa by dicing onions; they were quite potent, a

Sr. Christina M. Neumann

Riding back to Grand Forks yesterday afternoon, I put my vocal chords to work in effort to help Sr. Jean Louise with her driving.  After a busy day at school, she was getting a bit sleepy; singing songs together was a way to help her keep awake.  Along with "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and "Amazing Grace," "Now Thank We All Our God" was an additional piece we chose in this safety endeavor.

This song of gratitude was very fitting for me after four days' vacation spent with our Sisters in Rugby, ND. I had ridden home with them after Labor Day weekend and was catching a ride back now with Sr. Jean Louise, who had to return to Grand Forks anyway this weekend for a board meeting.

Yesterday morning, as I spent my daily meditation time in the small, intimate chapel at Little Flower Convent in Rugby, I found my mind repeatedly returning to thoughts of gratitude. Although it wasn't the passage I had selected for the morning's reflection, my mind went to the gospel account of the ten lepers who were cleansed when only one returned to give thanks.  Like this man long ago, I had so much to be thankful for.

Foremost in my mind was this beautiful time I had enjoyed with our Sisters.  Along with having a much-needed get-away and enjoying some extra R&R, I had been able also to help out with some of the fall work at their convent, including making a pot of chili with some of the plentiful tomatoes. I sometimes enjoy cooking and baking and this was a chance to make have a little fun in the kitchen.

In the course of my stay there, I did get moist eyes, though not from emotions of gratitude.  This was because I was helping make a dish akin to salsa by dicing onions; they were quite potent, and by the time I was finished, my left eye was sealed shut from moisture.

Sr. Christina M. Neumann

Riding back to Grand Forks yesterday afternoon, I put my vocal chords to work in effort to help Sr. Jean Louise with her driving.  After a busy day at school, she was getting a bit sleepy; singing songs together was a way to help her keep awake.  Along with "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and "Amazing Grace," "Now Thank We All Our God" was an additional piece we chose in this safety endeavor.

This song of gratitude was very fitting for me after four days' vacation spent with our Sisters in Rugby, ND. I had ridden home with them after Labor Day weekend and was catching a ride back now with Sr. Jean Louise, who had to return to Grand Forks anyway this weekend for a board meeting.

Yesterday morning, as I spent my daily meditation time in the small, intimate chapel at Little Flower Convent in Rugby, I found my mind repeatedly returning to thoughts of gratitude. Although it wasn't the passage I had selected for the morning's reflection, my mind went to the gospel account of the ten lepers who were cleansed when only one returned to give thanks.  Like this man long ago, I had so much to be thankful for.

Foremost in my mind was this beautiful time I had enjoyed with our Sisters.  Along with having a much-needed get-away and enjoying some extra R&R, I had been able also to help out with some of the fall work at their convent, including making a pot of chili with some of the plentiful tomatoes. I sometimes enjoy cooking and baking and this was a chance to make have a little fun in the kitchen.

In the course of my stay there, I did get moist eyes, though not from emotions of gratitude.  This was because I was helping make a dish akin to salsa by dicing onions; they were quite potent, and by the time I was finished, my left eye was sealed shut from moisture.

[sr.christinaosf]

Following the Example of Our Lady of Sorrows

Our Franciscan fiat

As we again observe the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, I am reminded of a reading from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a sermon by St. Bernard of Clairvaux.  Here, this saint especially devoted to Our Lady, offers some touching insights.

During my college years, I used this “Little Office,” but now, as a Franciscan Sister, my Marian devotion has taken a different turn.  We pray the regular Liturgy of the Hours with the Church and so I no longer use the small volume that I once utilized so often.

Instead, my challenge, as set out by our Constitutions, is “to keep the example of the Blessed Virgin ever before [my] eyes.”  In order to do this, I must do a little reflection.  What example does our Blessed Mother offer us?  Seeing her example takes a bit of work because we know so little about her life.

As we remember our Sorrowful Mother, we might remember her as a model of faithfulness, of constancy, or endurance, and most of all, of love, in the midst of suffering.

May I, each day, have this example of love which she offers, “ever before my eyes.”  May I be willing to stand by Jesus in the midst of suffering as she did.

From OUR FRANCISCAN FIAT

[sr.christinaosf]

Purity of (and power in) Intention

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 / OUR FRANCISCAN FIAT 

When discussing a deep frustration recently with a trusted friend, I got some direction which gave me courage to face the situation with resolve, hope and peace.  It had to do with intention.  What she said makes all the difference in the world, serving as a powerful reminder to me:

“Do it for Jesus; He’s the one we do it for.”

I pray that I can keep this in mind, when facing frustrations and struggles.  May I do what I “have to do” for Him; this way, a frustrating situation, which once was so hard, can become a way of saying “I love you.”

We have the beneficial custom in our community of praying the Morning Offering before beginning Lauds in the Liturgy of the Hours.  In this way, we can dedicate our day as an act of love to Jesus.  When we do this, we don’t know what this will all include.

I was also reminded by my friend that, “as busy people we can’t be thinking every minute about why we are doing things, but making the intention to live generously and sacrificially …(daily, or even multiple times a day) helps us to build virtue and good habits that allow Jesus to love and serve in us and through us.”

When things are hard, I hope to find courage, peace and strength in “doing it for Jesus.”  Without this in mind, it can be hard to make our way through the challenging situations that life gives us.  If we have the focus, the intention, of doing it for Him, somehow, we find courage (and maybe even joy) to face challenging situations.

Sr. Christina M. Neumann

[beatitude]

I love this blog post, Sister Christina. Sometimes the idea of doing things for Jesus seems so obvious that paradoxically I start to overlook the idea, but that piece of work I am procrastinating about right now? I really could do it for him!