O God, You search me and you know me. All my thoughts lie open to Your gaze. When I walk or lie down You are beside me: ever the Maker and Keeper of my days. You know my resting and my rising. You discern my purpose from afar, And with love everlasting You besiege me: In every moment of life or death You are. Before a word is on my tongue, Lord, You have known its meaning through and through. You are with me beyond my understanding: God of my present, my past and future, too. Although Your Spirit is upon me, Still I search for shelter from Your light. There is nowhere on earth I can escape You: Even the darkness is radiant in Your sight. For You created me and shaped me, Gave me life within my mother’s womb. For the wonder of who I am, I praise You: Safe in Your hands, all creation is made new.

We are well into the throws of summer in the Northwest. Though the weather is transitioning, our days are tending toward higher temperatures donned in humidity. Parks are more active with families having picnics, ball games, skateboarding and swimming. Portland has small park areas throughout its neighborhoods so families can more readily access that terrain.

May the power of the Holy Spirit be renewed in your life. May you be strengthened through His sevenfold gifts and enjoy the fruits that flow from them. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created and You shall renew the face of the earth!

Our Serafic Father, St. Francis would tell his Friars to “Go and preach to the ends of the world! And if you have to, use words!”

Lord Jesus, in this holy season of Lent help us to:

Fast from our busyness and Feast on the beauty of nature.

Fast from criticism and Feast on positive communication.

Fast from speaking and Feast on listening.

Fast from selfishness and Feast on generosity.

Fast from gossip and Feast on spreading the Good News.

Fast from apathy and Feast on enthusiasm.

Fast from complaining and Feast on giving compliments.

Fast from wasting time and Feast on spending more time in prayer.

But, most of all, O Lord, help us to Fast from all that keeps us from recognizing You in each other, and help us to Feast each day on Your unfailing love. 

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come! Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory are Yours, now and forever. Amen!

Take my heart, oh Lord, take my hopes and dreams. Take my mind and all its plans and schemes. Give me nothing more than Your love and grace. These alone, Oh God, are enough for me. Take my thoughts, oh, Lord, and my memory. Take my tears, my joys, my liberty. Give me nothing more than Your love and grace. These alone, Oh God, are enough for me. I surrender, Lord, all I have and hold. I return to You Your gift untold. Give me nothing more than Your love and grace. These alone, oh God, are enough for me. When the darkness falls on my final days, take the very breath that sang Your praise. Give me nothing more than Your love and grace. These alone, oh God, are enough for me.

As we encounter individuals throughout the week, we often receive requests for spiritual healings. They are asking us to join our prayers with theirs so that some heavy burden may be relieved. These may be physical ailments, family issues, alcohol or drug addictions, dryness in prayer, financial implications, loss of residence, or the death of a loved one. 

All things are possible to God! Keep your eye on what matters, what leads to eternity where the source of all grace abounds!  God is love! Heaven is our goal!

We have often spoken about life’s challenging journey. God’s love and grace is sufficient for us to make it holy. The key is our personal stance to be ready, like the parched earth, to receive those gifts. So, I ask myself: Am I in the State of Grace? Have I attended Mass as regularly as I should? Do I pray every day? Is the Sacrament of Reconciliation being frequented? How is my personal journey toward holiness? If such things are in place, we can be open to receive the gifts God desires to send. We are prepared recipients for His unbounded love and grace!

On the 26th of this month, we honor Saints Anne and Joachim the parents of Mary and Grandparents of Jesus. St. Anne is a patroness of Canada. There is a huge basilica in Quebec honoring St. Anne. Mother Therese was a guest artist there on many occasions. Part of her experience was travelling with Patrick O’Grady by train as he took hundreds of people with disabilities on pilgrimage to national shrines pleading the saints for healing. Many received extraordinary blessings and as you visit these basilicas, you can see the high walls lined with crutches, canes, wheelchairs, walkers, and casts that were left behind after a healing event. Mother Therese was witness to many of these extraordinary blessings. She personally had a great devotion to Saints Anne and Joachim. I can still hear in my mind how beautifully she sang “Viva Saint Anne” in French and English.

Within this week, we honor The Nativity of St. John the Baptist, The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Saints Peter and Paul. This is a powerful week declaring magnificent gifts of our faith! 

In this past month, we have witnessed the death of Pope Francis; the transition of a Papacy; the Hierarchy of the Church gathering in all its diversity; and the election and inauguration of a new Holy Father, the first from the US who can speak to the nations and has “Fear of the Lord”!

Blessings upon this Resurrection Tide! Yes, we continue celebrating the great Easter event which extends in season until Pentecost. The Church honors the full fifty days keeping it in cohesion with the first Resurrection Day and the events that followed. In a spiritual manner we re-trace those steps taken over 2000 years ago because He is Risen! He is alive! What glory fills our lives and our homes as these blessed days unfold! 

We have completed much of our Lenten journey and are nearing the most solemn days. This time of spiritual renewal is very important to us who are called to understand more fully “reparation to the Sacred Wounds of Jesus”. As humans, we are sinners. If we strive to avoid serious sin, we are desirous of a greater level of holiness—a closer relationship with our beloved God. Lent is a time to encounter Him more perfectly.

The beautiful season of Lent is here! Jesus spent forty days in the desert, thus forty days are set aside for offering penance, making a change of heart, strengthening our moral character and inner core toward holiness. The Church teaches us to consider three facets of penitential offerings: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Let these guide your journey.

It was on this date in 1957, in their small Chapel in New York, that our first Sisters made their profession of vows in this community. Present in that room were the statues of Our Lady of Grace and St. Therese that you honor in our current dwelling. They stood before the hand-carved altar where Mass is offered in our Chapel today. They used the same kneelers and some of the chairs we use today. It was a solemn occasion for them and one that was history-making.

Our Beloved Virgin Mary is known under many titles. She has appeared in many places, countries and continents. She calls us to be united under the Most Sacred Heart of Her Divine Son Jesus. She encourages us through her Immaculate Heart. She distributes to us spiritual strength as the Mediatrix of All Graces. She is the comforter of the afflicted and refuge of sinners.  God Himself trusted His Only Son to her care!

Our Blessed Christmas Season has begun. The secular world has removed its signs of the holiday while we, as Catholic Christians, are just beginning our festive celebrations. So many have mentioned how “fast” time seems to be moving especially with celebrating thanksgiving; then the countdown of four weeks of Advent; Christmas shopping and a New Year in the offing. But we are so blessed to have these days of Christmas to honor the coming of Christ as our Newborn King.

The Season of Advent is a glorious and thorough way to open a new Church Year. Within it we are given reflections considering the end times; the important mission of St. John the Baptist; an anticipation for the coming of the Savior; all accomplished with a loyalty to our Jewish roots.