Archive for the ‘Celebrations’ Category
HOLY WEEK, 2014
Schedule for Holy Week Services
at the Monastery:
Palm Sunday, April 13, 2014
Michael Joncas: Eucharist at 9: a.m.
Monday-Wednesday
Eucharist: 7:30 a.m.
Holy Thursday,
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
6:30 p.m,
followed by Eucharistic Adoration.
Good Friday,
Services at 3:30 p.m.
Holy Saturday,
Easter Vigil and Eucharist,
8:00 p.m.
From the Land of Ice and Snow, all brown and white…
comes the colorful Sr. Catherine, bedecked in her handmade sweater and cap, undaunted by Minnesota cold.
Our chapel is anything but cold and colorless as the Sisters pass the peace with daily worshipers.
In a chapel scape of empty chairs Sr. Kate is content in her winter reading.
New Years Eve
Prayer for Peace in our World
for this New Year of our Lord, 2014
Gathering
Taize #37 Within our Darkest Night
Lighting of candles near Our Lady of Compassion Icon
Leader begins: Let us praise the Lord of days and seasons and years, saying: Glory to God in the Highest!
All respond: And peace to God’s people on earth!
Taize #16 Glory to God in the Highest
Silence Taize # 29 Nothing Can Trouble
Silence
Passing of the Light
Lighting of the vigil lights
Taize # 36 The Lord is my Light
Silence
Leader: Our lives are made of days and nights, season and years, for we are part of a universe of suns and moons and planets.
We mark ends and we make beginnings and, in all, and we praise God for the grace and mercy that fill our days.
Word of God
Reading from the Scripture, Gen. 1:14-19; 26-28a.
Silence
Taize #48 Sing Praises
During the singing come forward and place your vigil light on the stand by Our Lady.
Psalm 91 prayed in choirs:
Universal Prayer
Taize #28 Come and Fill our Hearts
Let us pray for God’s blessing in this New Year.
Intercessions:
Remember us, O God;
From age to age be our comforter.
You have given us the wonder of time,
blessings in days and nights, seasons and years.
Bless your children at the turning of the year
and fill our months ahead with the bright hope
that is ours in the coming of Christ.
You are our God, abiding with us for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
Thanksgiving
Taize #47 In the Lord I am ever thankful
Silence
Taize #30 Lord of All Goodnes
The Icon of Our Lady of Compassion was written by Sr. Mary Charles, OSB, St. Scholastica Monastery in Duluth, MN. The very large original is venerated in the Adoration Chapel at St Olaf’s Church , downtown Minneapolis.
Midnight
Christmas, 2013
Dear Family and Friends,
Earth and sky are connected in this photo by Dale Kaminsky of Kearney, Nebraska. In the photo we see lightning over a village, or a village calling forth lightning. For some people lightning could be a frequent experience that lights up the sky and passes in a moment. Or depending on your perspective, you might experience a cosmic moment of connectivity when the electrical energy in the atmosphere seeks a partner with the opposite charge, and equalizes the atmosphere with a show of light. When two of our Sisters saw Dale’s photo on CNN, they looked at one another and said “Christmas!” Sister Gabriel contacted her nephew and he agreed enthusiastically to let us use his photo for our Christmas greeting this year.
One Sister looked at the photo and saw the Word of God made flesh in a small town named Bethlehem, the sky alight with signs and wonders. For another Sister it was a dramatic demonstration of cosmic beauty that only now scientists are beginning to understand. We see the little town and the great force of energy; the ordinary and the unusual.
The photo could be prompting our inner world, nudging memories and feelings from the past. Or it could be calling our imagination into the future when ordinary people will ride a space craft beyond our atmosphere. It might be an invitation to ready ourselves to move from this life into the spiritual realm of life beyond death.
For all who are in awe of theology in conversation with scientific study, this is a reminder that theologians and scientists for most of the centuries following Christ’s life on earth worked closely together to express the reality and wonder of life.
The First Christmas was an open system, that is, people in their environment exchanging and sharing with one another: the Child, Mary, Joseph, shepherds and kings. Animals provided not a small amount of chaos, entertainment and warmth. The Spirit of God works in openness and confusion. God is with us.
United with you in prayer and affection,
your Sisters at St. Clare’s
- What do you see?
Knight Rob and his Lady Lynne
Rob and Lynne are part of our larger community. They worship with us and help with Chapel decor and computers. Shortly before this photo, our very large Douglas Fir at the back of Chapel decided to “walk.” Fortunately no one was in its path. Bill Weldon came to help, and Rob and Bill got the tree standing again and the lights on.
Getting ready for Christmas
Oleg and Cole brought the Christmas trees, gift of Gary and Jane from Pahl’s Nursery in Burnsville. Sr. Gabriel supervises the raising of the trees.
The feast of St. Cecilia
Sister Cecilia was with the Community for the celebration of her feastday.
Many friends joined us for Eucharist. Sr. Cecilia is well known for her telephone and letter writing ministry which she continues at Catholic Eldercare where Sister resides.
Visiting Women’s Religious Communities
VISITING WOMEN’S RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
Visit four different religious communities to meet, learn, share meals, and pray with Catholic Sisters. We will visit local communities of Benedictines, Franciscan Poor Clares, School Sisters of Notre Dame, and Sisters of St. Joseph. Carpooling will be arranged.
When: Saturday, October 5, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Cost: This event is free; the day is a gift to participants.
The Event was a great success. Our visitors arrived at the monastery before 8:00 am to join our Saturday Eucharistic community. Following the Eucharist we enjoyed a modest brunch and a presentation by Sister Beth on COMMUNITY which is a central aspect of Poor Clare life and a needed focus for our country and our world at this time. The group left St. Clare’s at 10:30 to continue their visits to Communities of Benedictines, St. Joseph Sisters and School Sisters of Notre Dame. There are tentative plans for another opportunity to visit Religious Communities in January.
Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Friday, October 4th at the monastery.
The Eucharistic celebration is at 9:30 am followed by conversation and refreshments in our hospitality area. Michael Joncas is presiding and all are included in the choir.
It is also the first feast day of Papa Francisco of Rome.
The conversation of Papa Francisco with Antonio Spadaro, S. J. editor of La Civiltá Cattolica “A Big Heart Open to God” is available on www.americamagazine.org. In this interview Francis shows his big heart open to all God’s people. And that means you. Remember the words of Jesus, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters (and the greatest), you do to me.” We are all one in this all inclusive global family.
For every section of the interview of Pope Francis with Spadaro, you could match the stories and the teachings of Jesus. For example, when the pope is asked, “Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?” he responds with the story of the calling of Matthew the tax collector. Jesus looked on Matthew with love and chose him to be a disciple. That’s our Pope.
Blessed feast day to all!
Feast of St. Clare
Welcome all Franciscans to the Monastery of St. Clare for the Feast.
The Transitus is at 7:00 PM August 10.
The Eucharist is at 10:00 AM August 11.
INHERITANCE
For Saint Clare
Light is your legacy, Clare,
the light that falls across the day,
new each morning with a constancy
that hints at you.
I see you in the early light
spreading the glow of the high place
from which it came,
pristine on stone and icon,
subtle on wooden floor.
From a fountain beyond time
light streams toward me
down long hallways,
sometimes rosy when the sumac
dyes it on its way.
This is the light that searches every deed for love.
I think of you especially at sunset,
when a golden western light
burns through the quiet trees
and strikes the gleam of life in all the leaves,
making the air between them radiant as fire,
mellow evening fire for this hearth,
this place of peace that blesses night
and welcomes dawn
secure, held in your enduring light
