My Journey to the PCPA!

[zunshynn]

Aww, thanks,

I'm actually getting ready to leave for a Divine Mercy Conference in Sacramento at 6.30, so it'll just be a quick one today. In honor of the First Saturday, [url="http://www.shrinesf.org/prayers.htm#gbv"]here are the St. Francis' Salutations to the Blessed Virgin Mary[/url]:

[quote]Hail, Lady and Queen,
holy Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin who became the Church,
chosen by the Father in heaven,
consecrated by his beloved Son
and his Spirit, the Comforter:
in you was and remains,
the whole fullness of grace
and everything that is good.
Hail, his palace,
hail, his tabernacle,
hail, his dwelling,
hail, his robe,
hail, his handmaid,
hail, his mother!

O holy Mother,
sweet and fair to see,
for us beseech the King,
your dearest Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
to death for us delivered:
that in his pitying clemency,
and by virtue of his most holy incarnation
and bitter death,
he may pardon our sins.

Holy Virgin Mary,
among all the women of the world,
there is none like you.
You are the daughter and handmaid of the most high King,
Father of heaven.
You are the mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ.
You are the bride of the Holy Spirit.
Pray for us, with St. Michael the archangel,
and all the powers of heaven
and all the saints,
to your most holy and beloved Son,
our Lord and Master, Amen.[/quote]

And a couple of [url="http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/SCOTUS.htm"]interesting factoids...[/url] Did you know the writings of Bl. John Duns Scotus, who belonged to the Friars Minor, was influential in the formation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception? He was inspired one Christmas by an appearance of Our Lady, when she placed the Infant Jesus in his arms, and Jesus kissed him.

Plus, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, as an order, was begun on the very day that Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception dogma, on December 8th, 1854.

Well, I'm off to go finish getting ready! Ciao!



Woops. Almost forgot this: [color="#3333FF"][u][size=4]24 DAYS!!![/size][/u][/color]

Edited October 7, 2006 by zunshynn

[PrayerSupporter]

[quote name='zunshynn' post='1085679' date='Oct 6 2006, 05:38 PM']
How come people don't talk on my countdown very much? I feel so unloved! no, not really. But you guys usually have so much to say.
[/quote]

Dear Zunshynn,

Please don't feel that we don't care about your entrance -- we do!! As you can guess by my screen name, the "only" thing I can do for folks on Patmass is offer my prayers of support for them, which I try to do at each Mass. Please be assured that I am praying for you, counting down with you, excited for you, and hoping that everything progresses well for you during the next few weeks. It is so exciting and humbling to be allowed to share such a special, precious time in your life -- this anticipation of your entrance. I'm sure we all send prayers for blessings, as well of prayers of thanksgiving for the grace God has given you. Even if we may not be saying it "out loud" on Phatmass so much, we are saying it in our hearts. God bless you!

PrayerSupporter

[zunshynn]

[quote name='PrayerSupporter' post='1086408' date='Oct 7 2006, 03:45 PM']
Dear Zunshynn,

Please don't feel that we don't care about your entrance -- we do!! As you can guess by my screen name, the "only" thing I can do for folks on Patmass is offer my prayers of support for them, which I try to do at each Mass. Please be assured that I am praying for you, counting down with you, excited for you, and hoping that everything progresses well for you during the next few weeks. It is so exciting and humbling to be allowed to share such a special, precious time in your life -- this anticipation of your entrance. I'm sure we all send prayers for blessings, as well of prayers of thanksgiving for the grace God has given you. Even if we may not be saying it "out loud" on Phatmass so much, we are saying it in our hearts. God bless you!

PrayerSupporter
[/quote]
Oh, thank you so much, Prayer Supporter! I know you all care and are praying, and I truly am so appreciative of that... please don't think I'm not. I was really just teasing, because I'm not accustomed to Phatmassers being so quiet! lol! Hearing what you guys have to say is always a delight for me, but I do know that your prayers are an infinitely more precious gift!

The Divine Mercy conference I went to in Sacramento was awesome! I had liked the Chaplet for a while, and liked what I knew about St. Faustina, but this conference gave me such a tremendous appreciation for the Divine Mercy revelation to St. Faustina. I learned so much! I started reading her diary too. I'd glanced through it a few times before, but I'm really loving actually reading it.

And today marks [u][color="#663300"][font="Comic Sans Ms"][b]23 days[/b][/font][/color][/u] until my entrance!

I found a really cool [url="http://www.catholic-forum.com/SAINTS/way00003.htm"]Way of the Cross attributed to St. Francis[/url] from the Catholic Forum, so that's what I'm posting today.

[quote]
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O most merciful Jesus, with a contrite heart and penitent spirit, I bow down in profound humility before Thy divine majesty. I adore Thee as my supreme Lord and Master; I believe in Thee, I hope in Thee, I love Thee above all things. I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, my Supreme and Only Good. I resolve to amend my life, and although I am unworthy to obtain mercy, yet the sight of Thy holy cross, on which Thou didst die, inspires me with hope and consolation. I will, therefore, meditate on Thy sufferings, and visit the stations of Thy Passion in company with Thy sorrowful Mother and my guardian angel, with the intention of promoting Thy honor and saving my soul.

I desire to gain all the indulgences granted for this holy exercise for myself and for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. O merciful Redeemer, who has said, "And I, if I be lifted from earth, will draw all things to Myself," draw my heart and my love to Thee, that I may perform this devotion as perfectly as possible, and that I may live and die in union with Thee. Amen.


[b]STATION 1 - Jesus is condemned to Death[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Jesus, most innocent, who neither did nor could commit a sin, was condemned to death, and moreover, to the most ignominious death of the cross. To remain a friend of Caesar, Pilate delivered Him into the hands of His enemies. A fearful crime -- to condemn Innocence to death, and to offend God in order not to displease men!

O innocent Jesus, having sinned, I am guilty of eternal death, but Thou willingly dost accept the unjust sentence of death, that I might live. For whom, then, shall I henceforth live, if not for Thee, my Lord? Should I desire to please men, I could not be Thy servant. Let me, therefore, rather displease men and all the world, than not please Thee, O Jesus.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.


[b]STATION 2 - Jesus is made to carry His Cross[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

When our divine Savior beheld the cross, He most willingly stretched out His bleeding arms, lovingly embraced it, and tenderly kissed it, and placing it on His bruised shoulders, He, although almost exhausted, joyfully carried it.

O my Jesus, I cannot be Thy friend and follower, if I refuse to carry the cross. O dearly beloved cross! I embrace thee, I kiss thee, I joyfully accept thee from the hands of my God. Far be it from me to glory in anything, save in the cross of my Lord and Redeemer. By it the world shall be crucified to me and I to the world, that I may be Thine forever.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword has passed.

[b]STATION 3 - Jesus falls the First Time[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Our dear Savior, carrying the cross, was so weakened by its heavy weight as to fall exhausted to the ground. Our sins and misdeeds were the heavy burden which oppressed Him: the cross was to Him light and sweet, but our sins were galling and insupportable.
Prayer
O my Jesus, Thou didst bear my burden and the heavy weight of my sins. Should I, then, not bear in union with Thee, my easy burden of suffering and accept the sweet yoke of Thy commandments? Thy yoke is sweet and Thy burden is light: I therefore willingly accept it. I will take up my cross and follow Thee.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
O, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole-begotten One!


[b]STATION 4 - Jesus meets His Sorrowful Mother[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

How painful and how sad it must have been for Mary, the sorrowful Mother, to behold her beloved Son, laden with the burden of the cross! What unspeakable pangs her most tender heart experienced! How earnestly did she desire to die in place of Jesus, or at least with Him! Implore this sorrowful Mother that she assist you in the hour of your death.

O Jesus, O Mary, I am the cause of the great and manifold pains which pierce your loving hearts! Oh, that also my heart would feel and experience at least some of your sufferings! O Mother of Sorrows, let me participate in the sufferings which thou and Thy Son endured for me, and let me experience thy sorrow, that afflicted with thee, I may enjoy thy assistance in the hour of my death.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs,
Of her dying, glorious Son.


[b]STATION 5 - Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry His Cross[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Simon of Cyrene was compelled to help Jesus carry His cross, and Jesus accepted his assistance. How willingly would He also permit you to carry the cross: He calls, but you hear Him not; He invites you, but you decline. What a reproach, to bear the cross reluctantly!

O Jesus! Whosoever does not take up his cross and follow Thee, is not worthy of Thee. Behold, I join Thee in the Way of Thy Cross; I will be Thy assistant, following Thy bloody footsteps, that I may come to Thee in eternal life. ------ Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Jesus Christ, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
Is there one who would not weep
Whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ's dear Mother to Behold?


[b]STATION 6 - Veronica wipes the Face of Jesus[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Veronica, impelled by devotion and compassion, presents her veil to Jesus to wipe His disfigured face. And Jesus imprints on it His holy countenance: a great recompense for so small a service. What return to you make to your Savior for His great and manifold benefits?

Most merciful Jesus! What return shall I make for all the benefits Thou hast bestowed upon me? Behold I consecrate myself entirely to Thy service. I offer and consecrate to Thee my heart: imprint on it Thy sacred image, never again to be effaced by sin.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be[/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother's pain untold?


[b]STATION 7 - Jesus falls the Second Time[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

The suffering Jesus, under the weight of His cross, again falls to the ground; but the cruel executioners do not permit Him to rest a moment. Pushing and striking Him, they urge Him onward. It is the frequent repetition of our sins which oppress Jesus. Witnessing this, how can I continue to sin?

O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Offer me Thy helping hand, and aid me, that I may not fall again into my former sins. From this very moment, I will earnestly strive to reform: nevermore will I sin! Thou, O sole support of the weak, by Thy grace, without which I can do nothing, strengthen me to carry out faithfully this my resolution.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender child,
All with bloody scourges rent.


[b]STATION 8 - The women of Jerusalem weep over Jesus[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

These devoted women, moved by compassion, weep over the suffering Savior. But He turns to them, saying: "Weep not for Me, Who am innocent, but weep for yourselves and for your children." Weep thou also, for there is nothing more pleasing to Our Lord and nothing more profitable for thyself, than tears shed from contrition for thy sins.

O Jesus, Who shall give to my eyes a torrent of tears, that day and night I may weep for my sins? I beseech Thee, through Thy bitter and bloody tears, to move my heart by Thy divine grace, so that from my eyes tears may flow abundantly, and that I may weep all my days over Thy sufferings, and still more over their cause, my sins.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
For the sins of His own nation
Saw Him hang in desolation
Till His Spirit forth He sent.


[b]STATION 9 - Jesus falls the Third Time[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Jesus, arriving exhausted at the foot of Calvary, falls for the third time to the ground. His love for us, however, is not diminished, not extinguished. What a fearfully oppressive burden our sins must be to cause Jesus to fall so often! Had He, however, not taken them upon Himself, they would have plunged us into the abyss of Hell.

Most merciful Jesus, I return Thee infinite thanks for not permitting me to continue in sin and to fall, as I have so often deserved, into the depths of Hell. Enkindle in me an earnest desire of amendment; let me never again relapse, but vouchsafe me the grace to persevere in penance to the end of my life.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
O thou Mother! fount of love,
Touch my spirit from above.
Make my heart with Thine accord:


[b]STATION 10 - Jesus is stripped of His Garments[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

When Our Savior had arrived on Calvary, He was cruelly despoiled of His garments. How painful this must have been because they adhered to His wounded and torn body, and with them parts of His bloody skin were removed! All the wounds of Jesus were renewed. Jesus was despoiled of His garments that He might die possessed of nothing; how happy will I also die after laying aside my former self with all evil desires and sinful inclinations!

Induce me, O Jesus, to lay aside my former self and to be renewed according to Thy will and desire. i will not spare myself, however painful this should be for me: despoiled of things temporal, of my own will, I desire to die, in order to live for Thee forever.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.


[b]STATION 11 - Jesus is nailed to the Cross[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Jesus, being stripped of His garments, was violently thrown upon the cross and His hands and feet nailed thereto. In such excruciating pains He remained silent, because it pleased His heavenly Father. He suffered patiently, because He suffered for me. How do I act in sufferings and in troubles? How fretful and impatient, how full of complaints I am!

O Jesus, gracious Lamb of God, I renounce forever my impatience. Crucify, O Lord, my flesh and its concupiscences; scourge, scathe, and punish me in this world, do but spare me in the next. I commit my destiny to Thee, resigning myself to Thy holy will: may it be done in all things!
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
Holy Mother, pierce me through!
In my heart, each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.


[b]STATION 12 - Jesus is raised upon the Cross and Dies[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Behold Jesus crucified! Behold His wounds, received for love of you! His whole appearance betokens love: His head is bent to kiss you; His arms are extended to embrace you; His Heart is open to receive you. O superabundance of love, Jesus, the Son of God, dies upon the cross, that man may live and be delivered from everlasting death!

O most amiable Jesus! Who will grant me that I may die for Thee! I will at least endeavor to die to the world. How must I regard the world and its vanities, when I behold Thee hanging on the cross, covered with wounds? O Jesus, receive me into Thy wounded Heart: I belong entirely to Thee; for Thee alone do I desire to live and to die.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.


[b]STATION 13 - Jesus is taken from the Cross and given to His Mother[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Jesus did not descend from the cross but remained on it until He died. And when taken down from it, He in death as in life, rested on the bosom of His divine Mother. Persevere in your resolutions of reform and do not part from the cross; he who persevereth to the end shall be saved. Consider, moreover, how pure the heart should be that receives the body and blood of Christ in the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar.

O Lord Jesus, Thy lifeless body, mangled and lacerated, found a worthy resting-place on the bosom of Thy virgin Mother. Have I not often compelled Thee to dwell in my heart, full of sin and impurity as it was? Create in me a new heart, that I may worthily receive Thy most sacred body in Holy Communion, and that Thou mayest remain in me and I in Thee for all eternity.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be[/i]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.


[b]STATION 14 - Jesus is laid in the Sepulcher[/b]

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

The body of Jesus is interred in a stranger's sepulcher. He who in this world had not whereupon to rest His head, would not even have a grave of His own, because He was not from this world. You, who are so attached to the world, henceforth despise it, that you may not perish with it.

O Jesus, Thou hast set me apart from the world; what, then, shall I seek therein? Thou hast created me for Heaven; what, then, have I to do with the world? Depart from me, deceitful world, with thy vanities! Henceforth i will follow the Way of the Cross traced out for me by my Redeemer, and journey onward to my heavenly home, there to dwell forever and ever.
[i]Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [/i]
Jesus Christ, crucified, have mercy on us!
[i]Stabat Mater [/i]
By the cross with thee to stay,
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.

[i]Concluding Prayer [/i]
Almighty and eternal God, merciful Father, who hast given to the human race Thy beloved Son as an example of humility, obedience, and patience, to precede us on the way of life, bearing the cross: Graciously grant us that we, inflamed by His infinite love, may take up the sweet yoke of His Gospel together with the mortification of the cross, following Him as His true disciples, so that we shall one day gloriously rise with Him and joyfully hear the final sentence: "Come, ye blessed of My Father, and possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning," where Thou reignest with the Son and the Holy Ghost, and where we hope to reign with Thee, world without end. Amen. [/quote]

Edited October 8, 2006 by zunshynn

[VeniteAdoremus]

Oh, thank you for that! I am ever niffling for prayers to go with the Way of the Cross, or the Mysteries of the Rosary, or...

Anyway. I'm a greedy person, let's keep it at that.

Just a little over three weeks!

[zunshynn]

[quote name='VeniteAdoremus' post='1086835' date='Oct 8 2006, 03:58 PM']
Oh, thank you for that! I am ever niffling for prayers to go with the Way of the Cross, or the Mysteries of the Rosary, or...

Anyway. I'm a greedy person, let's keep it at that.

Just a little over three weeks!
[/quote]

You're welcome. At least it's spiritual greed... Perhaps that's not as bad. We're lucky the Church has such a wealth of spiritual stuff that we can afford to be greedy!

I know... It's coming up so soon. Wow... 3 weeks. Amazing. On some level it still feels far off, even though I know it's quite soon.

[zunshynn]

[b][color="#CC33CC"][font="Comic Sans Ms"][i]22 days![/i][/font][/color][/b]

Today the two ladies that I work with at our local crisis pregnancy center wanted to take me to lunch to celebrate my entrance, and I totally forgot about it! But it should be really nice. We're going out for Italian! I love italian! Yum! Then we go to work... my second to last time working at the center . I started working there the week before I left for my aspirancy actually. I'd thought about it for a while, and hadn't because I didn't know if I had time, yada, yada yada... but then I decided to just go for it. I'm so glad I did. It's been so rewarding. I'll value the experience for a lifetime. Children are so awesome!

Anyway, so I have to go get ready... but not to worry... you still have something of wonderful of St. Francis to ponder! This is [url="http://www.franciscanfriarstor.com/stfrancis/stf_st_francis_prayer_of_selfgiving.htm"]St. Francis' Prayer of Self Giving[/url]

[center][quote]I beg you, Lord,
let the fiery, gentle power
of your love
take possession of my soul,
and snatch it away
from everything under heaven,
that I may die
for love of your love
as you saw fit to die
for love of mine.[/quote][/center]

[cmaD2006]

[quote name='zunshynn' post='1085679' date='Oct 6 2006, 06:38 PM']
How come people don't talk on my countdown very much? I feel so unloved! no, not really. But you guys usually have so much to say.
[/quote]

Keep the posts coming ... trust me if there's something that I want to reply to (and I don't feel as though I can't) I will.

I don't know about everyone else but I'm enjoying the countdown.

Maybe I should count down my visit to a community in Argentina ... I keep looking at the calendar going "ok, one month 7 days and counting". But in your case I remember my own countdown to entrance as an aspirant ... I was just plain old overwhelmed. Its a good sort of overwhelmed, though!

(I lived on my own so it was a question of wrapping everything up, from job to friendships, to getting out of an apartment, to getting rid of a car, etc. etc. etc. I cried when I left the computer lab in which I worked .... [I'm a software engineer working on a large-scale system]. Who'd think I'd miss an inanimate object (well, it was more like a passing of an era)]).

Anyways sorry I digressed ... but keep the countdown going. I love it.

-- Carmen

Edited October 9, 2006 by cmariadiaz

[Chiquitunga]

I was wondering, does OLAM still have room for new aspirants? I may be going on a pilgrimage to EWTN and OLAM. But I always thought I could not consider there as an option because they are too full. I don't know if anyone told me this, or if I just thought it up on my own. I always thought, if I would consider Mother Angelica's Poor Clares, I would have to go to the one in Ohio, or AZ.

[Chiquitunga]

I was wondering, does OLAM still have room for new aspirants? I may be going on a pilgrimage to EWTN and OLAM. But I always thought I could not consider there as an option because they are too full. I don't know if anyone told me this, or if I just thought it up on my own. I always thought, if I would consider Mother Angelica's Poor Clares, I would have to go to the one in Ohio, or AZ.

[Chiquitunga]

Oh dear, please forgive me for the identical posts. My computer kept saying it wouldn't go through, so I kept trying again.

Edited October 10, 2006 by Margaret Clare

[zunshynn]

You're forgiven for the double posts! (That happens to me alot too). As to how much room we have, I believe there's still space for externs (I think one more...), but not in the cloister. But Portsmouth and Phoenix are really awesome as well. They really are preserving Mother Angelica's spirit, which is what I think attracts people to OLAM in the first place... So to go to one of those is like getting to help spread Mother-Angelica-ism!

Any idea when you're going on your pilgrimage?

[zunshynn]

[size=2][color="#663300"][font="Courier New"][b]21 days...[/b][/font][/color][/size]

[url="http://franciscanfriarstor.com/stfrancis/St_Clare_of_Assisi/stf_chronology_st_clare_of_assisi.htm"]Chapter X from the Rule of St. Clare, on the admonition and correction of the sisters.[/url]

[quote]Chapter X

The admonition and correction of the sisters.

Let the Abbess admonish and visit her sisters, and humbly and charitably correct them, not commanding them anything that is against their soul and the form of our profession. Let the sisters, however, who are subjects, remember that they have renounced their wills for Gods sake. Therefore let them be firmly bound to obey their Abbess in all things they have promised the Lord to observe and which are not against their soul and our profession.

Let the Abbess on her part, be so familiar with them that they can speak and act with her as ladies do with their servant. For this is the way it must be: the Abbess should be the servant of all the sisters.

In fact, I admonish and exhort the sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ to beware of all pride, vainglory, envy, avarice, care and anxiety about this world, detraction and murmuring, dissension, and division. Let them be always eager to preserve among themselves the unity of mutual love which is the bond of perfection. Let those who do not know how to read not be eager to learn. Let them direct their attention to what they should desire to have above all else: the Spirit of the Lord and its holy activity, to pray always to him with a pure heart, and to have humility, patience in difficulty and infirmity, and to love those who persecute, blame, and accuse us, for the Lord says:

"Blessed are those who suffer persecution for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. But whoever perseveres to the end will be saved". [/quote]

The call to be patient and humble and kind and obedient is a radical challenge when your inclination is to be impatient, and arrogant and selfish and stubborn... And yet, how funny... that we live in a world that says power is measured by how much one gets his own way. And yet, it's not difficult at all to demand to get things how you want it... we do that everyday! But what a triumph to truly and genuinely look beyond yourself! The paradoxes of our faith never cease to amaze me.

[Chiquitunga]

[quote name='zunshynn' post='1088137' date='Oct 10 2006, 10:41 AM']
You're forgiven for the double posts! (That happens to me alot too). As to how much room we have, I believe there's still space for externs (I think one more...), but not in the cloister. But Portsmouth and Phoenix are really awesome as well. They really are preserving Mother Angelica's spirit, which is what I think attracts people to OLAM in the first place... So to go to one of those is like getting to help spread Mother-Angelica-ism!

Any idea when you're going on your pilgrimage?
[/quote]

Hi! Thanks for the reply! Yes, Portsmouth and Phoenix look like great communities on their sites. I was in Carmel for a very short time a few years ago and felt called to a more erimitcal order, but now I've been out for some time, and also greatly appreciate community prayer - which helps so much to keep you going - with too much solitude, I fear my weakness!! I'm going to pray a lot on whether I should still consider a more erimitcal community like the Srs of Bethlehem, but if not - the PCPA look great.

I'm not sure when I plan to go to Birmingham. There's a great priest from here leading a pilgrimage this October that I thought I might go on, and then I could also discern religious life. I feel pretty sure I am called to the cloister. But it would still be worth it to go there anyway. It looks soo beautiful there. Yes, I really like Mother Angelica even though I have never had cable, but every oppportunity I had to see EWTN, I would.

Pace e Bene!

Edited October 10, 2006 by Margaret Clare

[Guest Rick777]

Jen, did you ever go to Manteca Waterslides? It's closed now...well you already know that.lol

Edited October 11, 2006 by Rick777

[zunshynn]

[quote name='Rick777' post='1088584' date='Oct 10 2006, 06:09 PM']
Jen, did you ever go to Manteca Waterslides? It's closed now...well you already know that.lol
[/quote]

Oh my goodness, yes! I [u]loved[/u] the Manteca Waterslides! Our only legacy as a town, and they got rid of it. No that's not true, we have other legacies. But I would go at least a couple times every year. My classmates all used to get season tickets and most of them went every single day, and it was a great place for teenagers to work, even the ones that weren't old enough to work, technically. And there's really no other amusement park I've ever heard of that was anything like it... especially the original slides were the absolute best. Ahh, memories.

It was really too bad that they got rid of it just for new houses. Now we have even more people with even less to do. And they wonder why teenagers get into trouble. We used to be like this little dinky town, that people would just drive through to get to Yosemite or to go to the Waterslides, and now it's just another city for the overflow population from the Bay Area. Not sure which way I liked it better, lol. When I went to OLAM the sisters would ask me where I was from, and I'd be trying to explain based on San Francisco and Sacramento. Had you ever gone to the Waterslides?

Wait, how'd you know I was from Manteca?

Oh my myspace probably. duh, lol.

Edited October 11, 2006 by zunshynn