The monastery is buzzing with joy and gratitude for "Habemus Papam." As we have grieved Pope Francis' passing and then began looking toward the conclave, we were longing for the white smoke and those consoling words: Habemus Papam. For us, here in Arizona, the white smoke billowed out of the chimney shortly after our [...]
In order to escape death, it is not enough to be in the king's house; Queen Esther cannot disown her race, she must labour to save it if she desires to secure her own safety." - Abbess Cecile Bruyere Reading through the book of Esther is moving on many levels...it's an intriguing story with the [...]
"With confidence, tell the Madonna and her son Jesus about your expectations, your hopes, your joys and your sufferings, and trust in the help of Jesus and the support of Mary." - Pope Francis Mark your calendars and please plan on joining us... To celebrate the Jubilee Year of Mercy and to honor Our Lady [...]
I am truly your merciful Mother, yours and all the people who live united in this land and of all the other people of different ancestries, my lovers, who love me, those who seek me, those who trust in me. Here I will hear their weeping, their complaints and heal all their sorrows, hardships and [...]
So there are challenging books and then there are CHALLENGING books. This, my friends, is a CHALLENGING book. It's only 136 pages long. But WOWZERS, it really packs a punch. The book contains the conferences given during a retreat that Pope Francis (then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio) gave to the Bishops of Spain. The title [...]
We were blessed to kick off the Year for Consecrated Life with Mass celebrated by our beloved Bishop here at Our Lady of Solitude! His homily highlighted how Advent is a time of HOPE! The heart of each consecrated person is to be a dwelling place of hope as well. It is not about 'wishing' [...]
Every vocation, even within the variety of paths, always requires an exodus from oneself in order to center one’s life on Christ and on his Gospel.... We must surmount the ways of thinking and acting that do not conform to the will of God. It is an exodus that leads us on a journey [...]
God always saves the best for us. But He asks us to let ourselves be surprised by His love, to accept His surprises." - Pope Francis, July 24, 2013 I know some people who are "One Book People" - they read only one book at a time and read it at a steady rate, say [...]
Your intentions were remembered during the St. Francis Novena Truth be told: Pope Francis delights me. And he challenges me. And he encourages me to go beyond my comfort zone - way beyond my comfort zone. When I read his homilies and addresses, I sense the Spirit not only moving, but shaking things [...]
On June 1, 2013, Pope Francis offered a reflection on the Visitation. Again, he chose three words to sum up Mary's attitude as she prepared to visit her cousin Elizabeth: LISTENING DECISION ACTION Pope Francis went on to say that these same words "show us the path before us of what the Lord asks of [...]
