A Thought for Today

Good Advice.

Morning Poem by Mary Oliver and pictures of Spring

Morning Poem

Every morning

the world

is created.

Under the orange

sticks of the sun

the heaped

ashes of the night

turn into leaves again

and fasten themselves to the high branches ---

and the ponds appear

like black cloth

on which are painted islands

of summer lilies.

If it is your nature

to be happy

you will swim away along the soft trails

for hours, your imagination

alighting everywhere.

And if your spirit

carries within it 

the thorn

that is heavier than lead ---

if it's all you can do

to keep on trudging ---

there is still

somewhere deep within you

a beast shouting that the earth

is exactly what it wanted ---

each pond with its blazing lilies

is a prayer heard and answered

lavishly,

every morning,

whether or not

you have ever dared to be happy,

whether or not

you have ever dared to pray.

from Dream Work (1986) by Mary Oliver

The Beauty of Nature Abounds in our Monastery Yard.

Praise to our Creator for all His Gifts.

© Mary Oliver

Discovery channel's earth day video i love the whole world

Holocaust Rememberance Day

Porcelain Unicorn Movie

Holy Name Province Postualnts

Yesterday, the five Holy Name Postulants visited our Monastery to celebrate Mass with us and share their

vocation story.

We were very impressed with these  wonderful young men who  desire to become Franciscan Friars and to join the Franciscan Family.

There is a blog that you can follow and learn what these young men think and do as they venture forth on this journey into God. The link is below

.

breakinginthehabit.org/ 

Spring 

The Monastery Trees are all in bloom, well almost, since we had warm weather, unusual for this time of year.

And in the midst of this beautiful garden

you look toward the East and see  five graves , lined up one next to the other.

Our own dear Poor Clares  lie there, rejoicing in the  Resurrection 

of  the Lord and are in the light of His Face.

We move and pray at these graves often, for they, buried there, are our dear ones and now intercede for us here below.

Watch over us dear ones, we pray.

You were once young with hearts burning to love God

and desiring to set the world ablaze with your love.

Help us to do the same.

"What does it matter if you gain the whole world but lose your soul in the process."

     gospel

Here I Am Lord - YouTube

Here I Am Lord - YouTube: ""

'via Blog this'

A vocation song for men but easily applied to women.

Ponder and think about it..

Easter Victory

Easter Vigil

From Cyber-Psalms by David Kerr

Sing and hum and whistle!

Snap your fingers and tap your toes.

Walk each step to the rhythm of praise.

Wipers on windshield set the song.

Raindrops on roof tops sing along

Every laugh a line of love.

Fill your mouth with words of praise.

Every expression an exclamation.

Every thought a meditation.

God fills the kitchen.

The steam of a pot is his hurrah.

Clatter of crockery is His applause.

Landscape, seascape, miniature and massive.

Every sight a shout of glory.

(Rainbows)

All around us is His and sings to Him.

Join in the song.

Sing and hum and whistle!

Snap your fingers and tap your toes.

Walk each step as a rhythm of praise.

Alleluia!

He is Risen!

Easter Shalom

עאסתער סלומ

The Easter Vigil

Friar Michael Lasky, a Conventual Franciscan  who works

at the UN with the Non Governmental Organization,

gave us a retreat from Palm Sunday to Easter
and preceded over

the Easter vigil.

We are grateful to him and his presence among us.

Good Friday April 6, 2012

Good Friday Meditation

From Cyber-Psalms 

by David Kerr

I try to put on a sad face and think

somber thoughts

on this the darkest of days in our

year.

Good Friday!

When the inner eye should fill with scenes of storm

and mangled men dangling from

poles.

But I can't.

I'm too conditioned by the Christian optimism

that sees a risen Savior where others

see a dead Messiah.

And yet.

This world exhibits no cause for

Easter hymns.

Cains are still striking down Abels.

( sins go on)

Each song of hope smolders like

smoke from a guttered candle.

Then the house itself is flattened by

the howling storm.

And all is darkness.

My God, my God, why have you

forsaken us?



The New Easter Proclamation. and Easter Blessings

Holy Thursday - Our Refectory Fixed for the Meal

Click to Hear Music Below

Ubi Caritas

Our Chapel decorations

Click to Hear Music

This simple fare of living bread and living water,

These new words from a new God on a new Mountain.

Yon Pantokrator shimmers among candlesticks.

Transubstantiates on cupolas and over cup.

Delicacies. And still I hunger.My soul is dried away.

Rough fare tastes better to rough Faith.

From Cyber-Psalms by David Kerr