A convergence of blessings...

Have you ever felt incredibly blessed? Have you ever thought GOD was listening to your life and finding ways to make you feel loved? That's pretty much where I am today - mysteriously, outrageously, undeservedly blessed.

This past weekend three women braved the monastery for the first time. Each left the comfort zone of home for 48 hours with 35 Benedictine sisters. What courage! What a time of grace for our community!
These weekends remind me of how much I love this ministry...how much I love this way of life.

There was a package waiting for me at the monastery. When I opened it I gasped. Several weeks ago the Flip Video recorder died. It's the amazing little device I use to film the "Bristow Bistro" cooking show. It just blew something when I connected it to the laptop. I even smelled smoke! In this brown AMAZON box was the 2nd generation Flip Video recorder. I'm serious. I didn't tell anyone that it had died. I was pricing them at Staples and Costco because I knew it had to be replace. A friend in New England - who gave me the first Flip - sent the newest model for my birthday next week. Shazam! The hair stood up on the back of my neck.

Then...on Monday, I got dressed and went to work. Tired from the weekend program, I planned my lesson for my 14 students at SGHS and packed my lunch in my bag - a Ziplock with the letters OSB in permanent marker on it. When I got to school there were many parking spaces. Immediately, I knew something was up. Then, I noticed the senior lot was empty, too. If Sister had read her "pink sheet" for the week, I would have known that there was no school - retreats for 9,10,11 and a college search day for the seniors. No school. I've had many snow days as a teacher, but never a "no day." Sister took the day OFF!!!!

These may seem like little things - or even coincidences. But I believe that all is gift and our providential GOD sees to our needs - one way or another. GOD uses good, generous people and throws us a few surprises to keep our joy real. The past few days have been filled with grace and goodness. I think GOD is blessing me all the time, but I often miss things or just plain forget to say, "thank you, GOD." Today, I am missing nothing. That, in itself, is a gift.

Blessings and love to you all...
- Sister Vicki

"...take a sad song and make it better"

My Mother loved Saint Jude. I remember her receiving letters from his Shrine in New Orleans. She had medals and prayer cards and novenas in her bedroom. It was interesting to me as a child of 10 or so, NOT that I made the connection - that is, understood WHY Jude was so important to her. My Mom was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer around 1973. My Dad was wonderful when he explained it to us - took down a volume from the World Book Encyclopedia and used these cool diagrams of the human body to explain where the disease was and what the doctors would do. After surgery and radiation, my Mom went into remission. Then, two or three years later, it was back. I was older and not as dense by then. I got how serious it was when people started bringing food to the house. I knew that was NOT normal.

I prayed for her to get well. We all did - the whole community was surrounding her with loving energy. This second cancer was defeated. My Mom had 15 years with us "cancer-free." I was busy growing up, making my own mistakes, finding love and meaningful work. It's easy to forget how blessed you are until the next "shoe drops." I was 26 when Mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It took her in six months time. It's a terrible disease...

I'm almost 20 years older now. She and I have continued to nurture our relationship. In memory she comes close, I think, visits me. I no longer feel bereft of her, but connected to her goodness heart to heart. This is the power of our faith in the resurrection. She is and I am and somehow, we still share a mother-daughter love - a love that understands everything now, that allows for the other to be fully human. I treasure this love with all my heart. Today, for the first time in 20 years, I had the grace to thank Saint Jude. Perhaps, it was her prayer to him and his intercession that enabled her to raise us into young adulthood. Every time my Mom went to her oncologist for routine screening, the doctor would say she was a "miracle" patient. I hope my prayer of gratitude does not seem too little or too late to this Friend of GOD. For those precious years of life together, I say thank you, dear Jude, patron of impossible causes.

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

"Your kingdom come..."

"Again JESUS said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?

It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."

In today’s gospel passage, the Lord gives us a unique metaphor. The Kingdom of God is like “yeast.” Yeast! I have a fear of yeast – seriously. It’s alive. You can’t just dump it into the flour and expect it to work. You must be mindful of the temperature of the water and the time needed for the yeast to awaken. You can’t work the dough too hard or to little. If you manage to do all this right, then you still have to let it nap for a while before it goes into the oven. Yeast is complicated stuff. It makes me a nervous wreck.

Why, then, am I fixated on it this morning? I can’t stop thinking about the last verse: “until the whole batch was leavened.” There’s something wonderful here that I just can’t get my head around. My heart, though, feels the truth in this metaphor. GOD will never give up on us. The Kingdom will come in its fullness only when the leaven of peace, justice and compassion have permeated the world.

Have you ever felt the Kingdom coming? I have. I have felt the Kingdom coming when a young woman with Downs Syndrome proclaimed the Word at the Sunday Eucharist. I have felt it coming in a moment of true forgiveness…true reconciliation with my sister. I have felt it coming in the gift of hope when faced with a fearful, impossible reality. I think we get glimpses of the Kingdom so that we can continue kneading the dough, working the yeast of Christ’s love into the whole world.

Blessings and love to you all…
- Sister Vicki

When our "girls" come home...

Last night we had joy of welcoming our SGHS alumnae for “Vino on the Veranda.” This event enables our graduates of many generations to reconnect with one another and with their school community. GOD gave us a spectacular evening – warm and clear. Our new “veranda” now leads to a carefully planned garden paved with stone. For the first time our alumnae enjoyed its beauty. Many hunted the patio for stones of remembrance purchased to support our landscaping project and engraved with the names of friends and loved ones. Many toured the school and were thrilled with the third addition blessed in 2005 – gym, library, media center, work out room, and science labs. The newly renovated Chapel brought back happy memories to those who remembered the beautiful wood floor recently rediscovered and brought back to its original luster. I ran a Power Point depicting the school’s history and many of the Benedictine sisters who served here over the past 87 years. Many memories were shared around my laptop. I heard stories I’ve never heard before! It was a lovely evening… Every year I meet new friends and wonder at the faith and character of our “Gertie Girls” - gracious women who continue to bring honor to our beloved Saint Gertrude. Can’t wait for next year!

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

"Abbey Nights..."

Brother Nolte makes an awesome bonfire!

The Abbey has five stunning portraits based on the Shroud of Turin.

The band members prayed with the crowd before the concert began.

Let the prophet speak...

It was my honor to introduce Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, to the participants at the National Benedictine Vocation Directors Conference. Not exactly a person who needs one - DUH! But, a few gracious words were required so I listened to my prioress who advised me to "keep it short."

Her topic, "Monasticism as Radical Christianity," was the brain child of the planning team. What Joan did with that topic, though, was completely her own. I know I took notes but it wasn't a lecture in the traditional sense. It was an experience.

There are some among us who are instruments of the Spirit - faithful people who welcome the Word in their very being. We called them "prophets" in the Scriptures. They are among us still, I think, because GOD never gives up on us - never fails to be faithful Love. Prophets are human - frail, fallible and sometimes frightened - but they say "yes" to their part in the building of the kingdom. Often, it gets them into trouble. [Remember Jonah? Daniel? Ezekiel?] Yet, they seem compelled to speak the Word they have heard in the stillness of prayer. This alone is reason enough to listen. The truth is often hard to hear, though. When a voice calls us to authenticity in the Gospel life, to integrity in the pursuit of justice, to mercy instead of righteous anger, we would rather cover our ears and sing a happy tune. But this is precisely why we need them.

Joan said many profound things that morning. She spoke to the particular challenges of our ministry and the way in which Benedictine spirituality feeds the deepest longings of our post-modern world. Here are just a few of the sentences that touched me deeply:

On work: "The work we do is not as important as why we do it."

On stewardship: "How can we no build green"

On community:

"We exist to be miracle workers for one another."

On Vocation Ministry:

"Numbers were not Benedict's criteria for success."

"Build a future worthy of our past."

I am still so amazed that Joan said "yes" to our invitation - busy as she is in the global conversation about GOD. May this same GOD bless and protect Sister Joan...and all the prophets to come.

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

New Wine...

Though I have been back in the Commonwealth since Tuesday night, the events of the last two weeks are still hovering in my head. When we experience something new it can seem like a dream – seem better than we’d hoped for. My weary body knows the work was real, but my soul is still doing lectio on the blessings of those days.

The time spent with the new vocation directors – seven Benedictines who are just beginning the ministry – was precious, indeed. I volunteered to work with the new directors because I wanted to share my own joys in the ministry – my confidence that GOD does, in fact, build the house (Psalm 127:1). It can seem an overwhelming job at times. There is certainly fear and trepidation at the beginning of any new work. But, it is easy for vocation directors to take too much on their shoulders – the burden of their community’s future. That future is up to GOD. We, who minister to those seeking, are charged with listening, affirming, guiding, testing the spirits…and helping candidates get where GOD wants them to be. Seen in this light vocation work is truly ministry.

When my workshop was over, I reminded these good monastics that they will do the job their way - not as it has been done in the past. They are "new wine" in "new skins" and in time we will taste the sweetness of their efforts. I will keep these seven in prayer this year…and trust that they will receive the grace required to “listen…with the ear of [their] hearts [RB Prol. 1].”

Next blog: Sister Joan Chittester, OSB, keynote speaker...

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki