When the Holy Ghost finds Mary in a soul, He flies there.

Articles in this newsletter: Mary, Spouse of the Holy Ghost Vocational Question: Will God Be Angry if    I Don’t Enter the Convent? Photo Gallery (separate web page) Convent Trivia Calendar Our Apostolate of Prayer Send intentions for Sisters’ Novenas Join the Sisters’ mailing list: Emailing | Postal | Both Summer Support Appeal Since the Sisters have no income from tuition while our schools are closed for the summer, in your charity please consider making a donation towards our support over the next few months.

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Summer 2013

Dear Friends,

Praised be Jesus and Mary!

As we have delighted in honoring our Blessed Mother during the month of May dedicated to her, we have also appropriately celebrated the feasts of the liturgical year which commemorate the culmination of the life of her Son on earth and the founding of His Church. Scripture tells us that Christ, after giving His apostles the commission to preach the Gospel throughout the whole world, ascended into heaven. He told them that it was necessary for Him to leave them so that He could send that Paraclete to them.

“All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts I:14). And in the following chapter, St. Luke relates, “When the days of Pentecost were drawing to a close, they were all together in one place...”

It is most significant that during these nine days of prayer, the apostles were in the company of the Blessed Virgin. In his Gospel, St. Luke relates the story of the Annunciation, and tells how Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, and as a result, the divine Seed was planted within her to grow into Jesus the very Son of God. Now, as she prays with the apostles she fulfills the same role of drawing down the Holy Spirit who will transform them into living images of Christ.

Rev. Mother presents flowers to Our Lady and then kneels before her statue during the Living Rosary.

St. Louis Marie de Montfort tells us in his True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, that when the Holy Ghost finds Mary in a soul He flies there and unites Himself to that soul in order to form Jesus in it. What a marvel! Mary is the spouse of the Divine Spirit. Through her He produces the Man-God Jesus Christ, in the Incarnation, in the Church, and in each of our souls.

Our devotion to Our Blessed Lady is the nearly infallible way for us to attain the end for which God has created us: to attain holiness through transformation in Christ. The Holy Spirit will form Jesus in each of us to the degree that we are living in and with His spouse the Virgin Mary. Let us imitate her virtues and take on her dispositions, especially her conformity to the Divine Will. Let us ask her to replace our sinful hearts with her pure heart, burning with love for God!

In his prayer at the close of the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin, St. Louis expresses this sentiment: “Let thy soul be in me to magnify the Lord; let thy spirit be in me to rejoice in God. Set Thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon my heart, that in thee and through thee I may be found faithful to God. Grant that for love of thee I may despise all earthly consolation and ever cling to those of heaven, until through the Holy Ghost, thy faithful Spouse, and through thee, His faithful spouse, Jesus Christ thy Son be formed in me for the glory of the Father. Amen.”

Vocational Questions

Our Apostolate of Prayer Are you worried about a loved one? Is there a problem that is weighing heavily upon your heart? Send in your intentions, and the Sisters will commend them in their prayers and Masses, especially during our upcoming Novenas: Our Lady of Mount Carmel    (Feast: July 16) Immaculate Heart of Mary    (Feast: August 22)

Dear Sister,

Okay, I’ll admit it: every time I hear the word vocation I get an awful feeling in my stomach. I don’t want to consider it — it’s not for me! Can you imagine ME keeping silence? ME wearing a habit and praying all day long? ME not being able to go out and have fun with my friends? I don’t want to leave my family or lose my friends or never get married. But I’m scared, too. Will God be angry if I don’t enter the convent? —Kelly

Dear Kelly,

Your vocation — whatever it may be — is what God made you for; it is the plan by which He can give you the most happiness He can give you, in both this life and the next. And Kelly, if God is calling you to follow Him, it is because He loves you with a very special love — not because He wants you to have a miserable life.

It’s not that God would be angry if He calls you and you choose a different state in life. Perhaps in a certain sense, though, you could say that He would be sad — remember how Christ responded to the rich young man in the Gospel. After all, He won’t be able to give you all the wonderful gifts He meant to give you as His bride. And all the good that He meant for you to do won’t be done by you — and this, too, will affect many other souls. The good accomplished by a consecrated soul for the Church and for souls is immeasurable. Yet you can be certain that He will continue to give you graces to help you live a good life and save your soul.

A religious vocation is a precious gift sent by God Himself. Can you imagine giving a special and costly gift to someone dear, only to have that person give it back to you unopened saying, “I think I know what’s in here, but someone ordered me a better one for me yesterday. Thanks anyway!” I don’t know for sure if you have a religious vocation, but you seem to have the necessary qualities — maybe, just maybe — God is offering you this gift. Won’t you at least “unwrap” it and seriously explore the possibility?

Kelly, God is not “out to get you” — except in the sense that He loves you so much that He wants your heart. If souls only knew how good God is and how much He loves us, they would be on fire with love for Him and be willing to make any sacrifice, face any hardship, overcome any obstacle to respond to that love, even if it meant standing alone against the world. If you get to know Christ as He is, you will begin to love and trust Him as He deserves. Spend time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and at the foot of Christ on the Cross; see how He loves you and let Him move your heart. Ask Him what He wants you to do, and if He is calling you, to open your mind and heart to the beauty of consecrated life. Ask Jesus and Mary to let you see the good God wants you to do for others, the light and hope He wants you to symbolize to others. A religious vocation means choosing Christ above all else with your will and heart, moved and supported by grace. He understands your fears more than you can know; trust Him and ask Him to help you do what you are afraid to do. —Sister Mary

Convent Trivia

Did you know that we have three Masses offered each month for our benefactors? One is offered in honor of the Holy Ghost, one is in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the third is in honor of good St. Joseph.

Summer Catechism

The Sisters will be traveling to the following areas to teach catechism this summer:

July 13-22 Southern California
July 13-31 Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas
July 23-8/4 Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Are you interested in having the Sisters teach catechism in your area next summer? Or would you like to help sponsor the Sisters’ travels for catechism? Please contact us!

Calendar

June	7 13 20-24 27 29 30		Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sr. Corinne Marie’s feastday Sr. Mary Antoinette’s feastday Sisters’ Annual Retreat Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help: Sisters’ Vows Ceremonies Sr. Mary Petra’s feastday Sr. Mary Paula’s feastday
July	16-23		Sr. Mary Veronica’s feastday Camp St. Philomena
August	9 15 18 28		Sr. Marie Vianney’s feastday Feast of the Assumption BVM Sr. Helen Marie’s feastday Sr. Augustine Marie’s feastday

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