"Week 52"...

I've been home just two days and it's time to pack a bag again. Not a business trip - VACATION! Yes, even nuns get one week of sun and fun. I am off to our rental house in the Outer Banks of NC. We've been going down to Nags Head for over 25 years. I think it was Sister Ernestine who instituted the beach week. My group is week #4: Sister Cecilia, Sister Kathleen and Karen who, as a postulant, is experiencing "the beach" for the first time. When we arrive around midday, the sisters in week #3 will have lunch ready for us. We'll help them pack their cars and then settle in for some serious holy leisure. I wait for this week all year and then, magically, it almost sneaks up on me. Here's what I love: sleep when you're tired, eat when your hungry and pray when the Spirit moves you. For one week we will live our monastic lives without the bell. It is an opportunity to rest in God - unplug from the Internet, the phone, etc. We will follow, instead the rhythm of the sea - the pounding waves and the gentle breezes. We might be up for sunrise or not. (Probably not!) And there will be a gracious common meal in the evening - lots of laughter and good conversation. Oh, and did I mention cable TV? Yup. That means "The Food Network!" Oh, I can't wait... I'll be back, on-line and on Facebook, Monday, July 12th.

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

Last Run in Richmond...

This morning I took my last run around our neighborhood here in Richmond. Tomorrow, the monastery pick-up truck will carry me and my belongings back to the Monastery. Three years of life and ministry in this city come to an end. I’ve been preparing for this departure for quite some time – on a practical level. The vocation office at SGHS has been deconstructed. I’ve packed most of my room at the convent. But the movement from one place to another happens mostly in the heart. So many good memories…so many relationships deepened by time and life shared. As I made my way around the big square that is my running route, I felt like blessings everything – the flowering trees, the Honeysuckle bushes, the fellow-joggers who usually pass me by. I prayed a goodbye to the Yeshiva on Patterson Avenue where daily I could see the rabbinic students praying Morning Prayer by the second floor window. I prayed a blessing on the “Boo Radley” house – an abandoned cottage that I’m certain inspires the creepy fantasies of the local children. I prayed for Sister Charlotte and all who work at St. Mary’s Hospital as I cut through Maple en route to Monument Avenue. I’ve never been strong enough to run to our high school, which feel like a blessing today. I can’t run and cry at the same time. SGHS is in my heart now and that’s a good thing. It’s been said that when we leave a place something of our spirit remains. I hope that’s true. I know Richmond will come with me – the memories, the friendships, and the good work done by the sisters here. It might be a long time before I run these roads again. Until then I remember Richmond with love.

A "Must Hear" CD...

A good friend introduced me to a Minnesota trio several years ago. The "Three Altos" have produced their second album (I still think in records!) and it's as rich and satisfying as their first. "One Voice" is an eclectic mix - some composed by the folk-singer in the group, Sara Thomsen, and the rest by others. What I love about the songs is how they seem to reflect the inner life of this trinity. Three women - all with "regular" jobs - come together and sing for their souls and for ours. A folk-singer, a psychologist and a rabbi share more than tight harmonies. It is their friendship grounded in GOD that produces these contemplative and challenging songs. My favorite track (today) is called, "Echoes." It suggests that every second of life we spend loving somehow changes things - ripples out into the unfinished creation, nudging God's plan forward. There is a wonderful rendition of Bobby McFerrin's "The 23rd Psalm." And another track, "We Are Women," was written by the trio for the students of The College of Saint Benedict, in St. Joseph, MN. VERY cool. Whether these women sing in English, Spanish, Swahili or Hebrew, my heart is moved. Like their first collection, "Camaradas," I will use these songs for private prayer and for retreat work. If you are interested in hearing a sample or placing an order, visit the "Three Altos" at http://www.threealtos.com/.

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

Bristow Benedictine Elected Federation President...

Last night, Sister Glenna Smith, OSB, was installed as President of the Federation of Saint Scholastica. Her election, amid the work of the Federation Chapter, was clearly the work of the Spirit. Sister Glenna follows Sister Esther Fangman who gave our Federation twelve years of service – the maximum allowed by our constitution. Sister Glenna’s term will take her from monastery to monastery – 22 houses in all. She will officiate at elections, oversee canonical visitations, mediate difficult situations and be our liaison with the Holy See. Sister’s new duties will call upon every gift and the wisdom of all her experiences. We are certain God has prepared her for this ministry and will grant the grace of office all in leadership depend on.

Bristow is bursting with pride! The gift we know in Sister Glenna we will now share with the larger Benedictine world. What does this mean for the Benedictine Sisters of VA? Well…it means that Sister Glenna can no longer serve as subprioress. That is a huge sacrifice but one that Sister Cecilia makes willingly for the good of the Federation. In her wisdom, Sister Cecilia has appointed Sister Andrea Verchuck, OSB, our new subprioress. God prepares the way and provides for our every need. It is a new day full of hope and possibilities. Please join us in praying for Sister Glenna as she makes this important transition.

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

"Where in the world..."

It’s been two weeks since my last blog entry. That, in and of itself, indicates a level of busy-ness that is unusual – even for me. If you were to ask me what I’ve been doing or where I’ve been, I could look in my calendar book and paint you a picture: Richmond, Baltimore, Dallastown, PA, Bristow. Projects, talks, travel and meetings – these things constitute “business as usual” for me. But, May and June are particularly challenging. And then there’s “Wonder Week.”
Girls grades 5-8 spend five days with the monastic community. Parents drop them off at 8:15 and pick them up at 5 PM. Our day-program draws them into our daily routine – meals, prayers and even work. We have classes in pottery, arts & crafts and ASL. Our girls have schola practice and hit the pool every afternoon. And on Friday, the day doesn’t end. Our “Wonder girls” bunk in sleeping bags in our Subiaco Room. (Guess who gets to join the slumber party?) By the time Mom and Dad roll up on Saturday morning, these young people have made a place in the community heart. We say our goodbyes and begin the countdown to next year’s “WW.” So, 51 weeks from now, we’ll do it again. We’ll greet old friends and make new ones. There will be songs to sing and adventures to have. In spite of a typical “WW” fatigue, I confess to missing those six young faces. I hope they miss us, too. T-minus 363 days…and counting!

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

"Getting" grace...

Only the Blessed Mother is “full” of it. The saints, I suspect, enter eternal life with nearly a full tank. The rest of us – simple, struggling, hopeful sinners – go through life learning the difference between a life of grace and “running on empty.” The CCC – Catechism of the Catholic Church – defines grace in this way. “Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons [and daughters], partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.” [Part II, Chapter 3, Article 2, 1996] Advanced theological study might include such topics as “sanctifying" grace, prevenient" grace, “ created” vs. “uncreated” grace. All these things are important, but as I continue on the journey, I am more compelled by moments of realization that confirm the reality in question. Yes, God is taking the initiative in the relationship. God is busy loving us before we even get around to loving God. God is, simply put, always loving us first.

I guess I’m interested in how we "wake up" to grace – how, over time and through life experience – become more and more aware that God is with us. It’s so easy to know when the tank is low – when we are consumed with our own issues, concerned about “many things”, like Martha. When we’re there we are generally miserable. We see only what is lacking in us – we feel “grace-less.” But then there are days when we are available to God’s unrelenting invitation. We welcome the Love that wants to inhabit our flesh and God’s uses us – in a good way! God uses our words, our actions, our faces, our hands…our love. And we become a blessing. This kind of graced-living happens more than we realize. The more we cooperate – welcome grace – the more sweetly it flows through us. Over time we begin to recognize what’s happening – believe that God is with us and working through our frailties to make something good happen. This reality – this kind of grace – can change us and others. How God’s unrelenting love does this is beyond our grasp, but it is too good to resist. It just feels good to be used by God.

I am 46 years old and I feel as if I am just getting grace. Three years in seminary and several letters after my name, and it is only through God’s gift of self that I’m getting anything. God – our God – is always there first - waiting, inviting, gifting without limit or measure. Grace is all around us. Grace is unrelenting. Grace…is God being God.

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

Peace..."on top"

I don’t wear much jewelry – not that I couldn’t. Many sisters wear lovely, simple earrings or rings that belonged to a family member. I tend to stick to the holy “bling” – the medal of Saint Benedict and the ring that was given to me by my community on the day of my perpetual profession. When I put the medal on a chain, it’s easy to put on. But when I choose to wear the super-cool lapel medal, I have difficulty getting things right-side up. One Sunday morning as we were gathering for Morning Prayer, my prioress saw me struggling and said, “Put peace on top and you’ll have it right.” Peace on top? Oh…the Latin word pax can be found on the border of the cross. If the word, pax, is on top, then my medal is on straight! That woman is so brilliant! Now, in addition to having fewer “issues” getting myself dressed and in chapel, I now have this wonderful piece of advice to chew on. “Put peace on top.” Good advice and very in keeping with the message of the risen Christ. "Peace be with you."

The month of May is psycho. Our schools are getting ready for graduation. Vocation programming is at its height. Extra jobs and projects are demanding my time and attention. And the travel just won’t let up until June. My “To Do” list is obscene – even for me – and deciding what must be done first is not an easy exercise. “Put peace on top…” Can I do that? Can I grab hold of that peace that only Christ can give and let everything else take a back seat? Can I move through the days ahead doing what must be done all the while holding tight to the One who wants to keep my heart calm and gentle? I certainly can’t do it on my own. But, if I ask for help? For the gift of peace? I know I will not be disappointed. What gift would you ask of Christ today? Don’t be afraid.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

Bessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki