Month: November 2020
In the opening ritual we just responded with a phrase from our congregation’s Vision Statement: a life that is simple, prayerful, courageous and compassionate. Truly that was Edyth’s vision for her life as a Sister of St. Joseph for seventy one years. Her deep spirituality enabled her to do whatever needed to be done selflessly, graciously and with great compassion. Born to Mary and John, Edyth grew up in Brooklyn,…
Reflection Advent is a time when we deepen our commitment to the meaning of Jesus’ life and words. We are not waiting for someone to come. We know he was already born and that he taught a new vision of living, a new way of understanding what it means to relate to God and to one another. The work of Advent is to probe that message, to reopen ourselves to…
First Sunday of Advent Reflection Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. Mark 13:33-37 Advent is about newness. Something unimagined is about to happen. In this weary world a new voice will be heard. A voice that gives hope. A voice that will bring good news to those who are willing to hear. It is about believing in the Word that speaks of a…
We celebrate the life of our sister, Mary Catherine Sullivan, a Sister of St. Joseph for sixty seven years. Mary Catherine lived in the gentle, befriending manner of St. Joseph, the patron of our congregation. Born to Helena and John, Mary Catherine grew up in Flushing and attended Mary’s Nativity and then The Mary Louis Academy. The daughter of faith-filled, hard-working Irish immigrant parents, Mary Catherine and her three brothers…
Reflection Thanks be to you, O God, for the strong arm of those who have given us shelter in our life. who loved us in the womb and carried us as children, who guarded us as watchful angels and wept when we were in pain. J. Philip Newell This season of thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for the parents and elders who have guided our lives. Who they…
Reflection Nature abhors uniformity. Nature produces individuals. Nature not only produces species diversity but also individual diversity. No two days are the same, no two snowflakes, no two flowers, trees, or any other of the infinite life forms. To wantonly destroy a living species is to silence forever a divine voice. In the universe to be is to be different. The mystery that lies behind the void must have an…
Thanksgiving Day Reflection This is a different Thanksgiving for many of us. It has been a hard year in many ways. We have suffered anxiety, illness and loss. Yet, there is still much to be grateful for because gratitude enables us to live in wonder at the world revealed by our senses, the amazing capacity of our minds, the yearnings of our spirits, the richness of our own giftedness. It…
UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women Reflection Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread human rights violations in our world today and remains largely unreported due to the stigma and shame surrounding it. According to the United Nations, 35% of women and girls globally experience some form of physical and or sexual violence in their lifetime with up to seven in ten…
Reflection Those who live justly understand what belongs to whom and work to ensure that they receive it. If we take time to reflect on situations around us, the actions of our national leaders, the prejudices we take as norms, we may realize that we have been ignoring injustices that demand our attention. Justice impels us to recognize the equality and dignity of all and to deal fairly with them.…
Reflection In the turbulence of our days, amid events that trouble us, we tend to forget that there is still wonder in our world, that beyond the struggles for power and transitory victories, deep within creation, there still exists wholesomeness and goodness and beauty. We need to try to put aside the noise of conflict, anger and division and turn to what will refresh our spirits and renew our hope.…