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Welcome
to
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Be
still and know that I am God. "Steer
the ship of my life, Lord, to your quiet harbor, where I can be safe
from the storms of sin and conflict. Show me the course I should take.
Renew in me the gift of discernment, so that I can see the right direction
in which I should go. Give me the strength and the courage to choose
the right course, even when the sea is rough and the waves are high,
knowing that through enduring hardship and danger, in your name we
shall find comfort and peace. Prayer
for Vocations Bless
us with discerning hearts. Inspire
men and women to respond generously We
unite our prayers with the whole Church, |
| I
don't feel old enough, but I actually did attend the old-fashioned three-room
school house for my first thru eighth grades. We had three nuns who taught
most subjects for two or three grades each. One of them was better in
music, so she visited all of the classrooms . They lived in a convent
on the church grounds and had another nun, Sister Cordelia, who cooked
and cleaned for them. Whenever one of the teaching nuns was sick (which
was almost never), Sister Cordelia would come in and take her place.
It was a different time and place. I don't remember there being a single family in our parish who had less than five children. Many had eight or more like ours. Most of them had a "Mary" in them…Mary Beth, Mary Ann, Mary Catherine, etc. . The rest of the kids were named after the saints, too….Thomas, Francis, John, James, Ann, Elizabeth, Joseph, etc. If one of the children decided to pursue a religious vocation, the family's position in the parish rose significantly. One of my younger sisters decided after eighth grade to enter the convent. The summer before she was to leave, she enjoyed the attention usually devoted to a celebrity. Our grandparents took her to a movie and lunch and then paraded her off to visit relatives they hadn't seen in years but wanted to impress with the fact that their granddaughter was off to the convent. In the long run, she did not become a nun but has fulfilled her vocation as a wife and mother of three wonderful boys. Today,
most discussions about a child's future revolve around what college
to attend and what career to pursue in order to "make a decent
living." This year we have been asked to pray for those already
honoring a religious vocation and those who may be considering it. We
can extend those prayers to the parents who may encourage their child
to "make a decent living" by serving God. |
Hawaii,
Capuchins blessed with new priest
The newly ordinained with his parents Carmen and Ben, and his siblings, from left, Patrick, Maribel, Mark and Michael. |
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Today's
Readings
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