Raised in Kane...

Small towns are like people – no two are the same. Kane, Pennsylvania – Sister Denise’s hometown – has been home to generations of faithful Catholics who treasure the land and one another. Yesterday, the good people of St. Callistus parish celebrated a memorial Eucharist for Sister Denise. The church was packed with friends and family who were gathered to pray with the Mosier family and extend their sympathy. It was a tender moment for all who loved Denise – a chance to thank God for the gift of her life and for the faith that assures us that she, too, is risen.

Kane is town with priorities. Family, faith, hard work…this is the stuff of life in a farm town. Each home is tended with care. Flower pots hang and gardens sprout with vegetables and berries. The church is the epicenter of the community. Corner taverns offer the local brew – Straub’s Beer from nearby St. Marys. Spending just 24 hours in Kane clarifies things. Though the complexities of life abound, some things are very simple. People come first. God is always God. And, work is holy. It is easy to see how such a place, such a people formed our sister, Denise. It was hard to leave Kane yesterday. Our goodbyes felt weighted with the knowledge that things will never be the same. When we lose a sister in death, it feels like we lose her family, too. The intensity of relationship formed for love of her will fade into a new future – for them and for us. The Mosier family will always have a place in the community heart – even if we never meet again. Today, I miss them already. In their company Denise was so present. Maybe, we brought her to them, as well. This love we have for Denise still binds our hearts – a mystery, a gift. May God bless them in the days and months to come.

Blessings and love to you all…
- Sister Vicki

Our "road to Emmaus"...

In the last few weeks I’ve found myself in a strange position. I have begun so many sentences with the words: “There was a car accident…” The disclosing of a tragedy to someone is a difficult thing. The look of a dawning realization or the sound of a gasp has become the expected response. Yet, in the telling, the story doesn’t get any easier. It reminds me of the disciples who run into Jesus on the road to Emmaus. They don’t recognize him at first and are shocked that he doesn’t seem to know about the “terrible things” that have happened in Jerusalem. (Given the media attention around our sisters’ accident, I guess I think the whole world knows.) Just this morning a man came to the convent in Richmond to repair our A/C. He asked me, “Are the sisters at church this morning?” Soon, he realized that our sisters were THE sisters in the newspaper and on television for the past few weeks.

One of the things I love about the Emmaus narrative is how Jesus doesn’t rush to identify himself. He meets his friends were they are - lets them tell their story of pain and disappointment. Telling the story – though painful – does help us to shape every suffering into the Paschal Mystery. It has been crystal clear, though, from the beginning that the risen One has been walking with us. Christ has been with us in the many Benedictines who have joined their prayer with ours. He has been with us in the friends who’ve brought food to the monastery or sent donations in Sister Denise’s memory. Christ has been with us in the hundreds who came to the funeral or wrote cards of sympathy. Most especially, the risen One has been with us in the Liturgy of the Hours. Here, we have been held and comforted, challenged and transformed. We have never been alone on this road – not for one moment. In our dying and rising God’s power and glory are made known.

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

"I Will Raise You Up"...

The Dogma of the Assumption is relatively new – 1950. Yet, the faithful embraced this notion long before it became an ecclesial reality. It is often the people of God who make known to the Church a new reality. Today, as we celebrate her final journey – body and soul – into heaven, it is helpful to glean our tradition for insights into the mystery of her being.

In Chapter 8 of LUMEN GENTIUM, (solemnly promulgated by his holiness, Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964,) the role of Mary is considered both in her relationship to our salvation and to the Church. Her “yes” to God’s plan of is a definitive moment – an unparalleled model of perfect discipleship. Prepared to mother the Savior from her own conception, Mary becomes a model for the Church as it shall be – perfect and without sin. Even in her dying, God uses her to reassure us – to give us a glimpse of the resurrection that awaits all who believe. “Finally, the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all guilt of original sin, (12*) on the completion of her earthly sojourn, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, (13*) and exalted by the Lord as Queen of the universe, that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords (297) and the conqueror of sin and death. (l4*) (LG 8, II, 59.)” Mother and Son together at last…what joy there must have been!

It’s been just two weeks since we carried Sister Denise’s precious body to the grave. This solemn feast feels like a gift. It is a reminder that the human body is dear to the Lord who made our flesh His home. Death divides the body and soul. Like an eagle the soul soars home, but on the “last day,” the body will be raised with it. That is our faith. That is the promise made to us in this feast of Mary. We must follow Mary in her example of faith. We must strive for the depth of her love and fidelity. And for our striving and struggling we shall win the prize of perfect wholeness. May she who has gone before us watch over her children now, “and at the hour of our death.”

Happy Feast....

- Sister Vicki