Franciscan Footprints

Postulant Myra entered on February 23rd and Postulant Yvonne followed the next day. They are getting settled and getting used to our horarium. What an exciting time! Unite with us in praise and thanks to God for sending us these women who wish to give their lives to God and join us in worship of Him and service to His people.

May God bless all who read this!

Today we have the joy and privledge of witnessing the Perpetual Vows of Sister Mary Faustina. In our community, Reception into the Novitiate, First Vows, Renewal of vows, and Perpetual vows are preceeded by a full 7 day retreat.

May God bless all who read this.

 Our Holy Father spoke on the vocation to the prieshood in this Angelus message. It’s well worth the read. Here is the link to the full text on Zenit.

 

 

 

 

The CMSWR Eucharistic Congress will be broadcast on Catholic TV tonight and tomorrow.  See the link below for details.

CatholicTV

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Today Sister Agnes Joseph and I are heading out to the Motherhouse to attend the monthly CWA Mass, meeting, and luncheon.(be back around 2:30pm) You’re probably wondering… “What is CWA? It stands for “Catholic Women’s Apostolate”. It is a women’s group established by one of our late Sisters to pray for diocesan vocations to the priesthood and religious life. It’s a wonderful way to come together as women to promote vocations here in Peoria and around the world. They meet primarily at the Motherhouse, but will also travel once a year or so to another location. Last year I believe they went to visit the Congregation of St. John in Princeville, IL. At each meeting they bring in a Priest, Sister, or Consecrated Virgin to speak on their vocation and to answer questions. They are a wonderful group of women striving for holiness in the heart of the Church. It has been a privilege to know them and may God abundantly bless the Catholic Women’s Apostolate now and always.

In Christ and St. Francis, Sister Veronica

Sr. Veronica working on scrapbook

For the last month or so I’ve been working on getting a scrapbook together for the House of Formation. Sr. Mary John and Sr. Agnes Joseph have entrusted this task to me. Kind of surprising because I’ve never done a scrapbook! You learn lots of new skills when you enter the convent… Since entering I’ve been given the opportunity to speak at high schools about vocations, scrapbook, help Sr. Agnes Joseph to re-organize the library(a work in progress), etc. There is never a dull moment in the convent!

Sr. Veronica working on scrapbook

Our Booth

 Sr. Rose Therese and I left on Oct. 23rd and returned to Peoria on Oct. 25th for a Vocation Fair. Franciscan Univ. of Steubenville was a beautiful place. One evening we made our way to the adoration chapel(a replica of The Portiuncula) to do our Rosary, meditation, and Divine Office. It was such a special experience. I can understand why it was a treasured place to St. Francis.

 We met so many priests and religious. My first thought was: “I’ve never seen so many priests and religious in one place!” Kind of a curious statement, I know, but growing up in the South I had never seen a Sister except on TV.

So, Sister Rose Therese and I took turns staying at the booth so that we’d also have a chance to walk around. It was a wonderful experience for me as well as for the young people who attended. We met so many young people who are on fire for the faith and very serious about seeking His will. It was a wonderful encouragement. Our neighbors during the fair were the Sisters of Life and the Sisters of St. Basil the Great(Byzentine). We enjoyed conversation during lulls in activity. It was a busy and fun couple of days but we are grateful to be back home.

Well, that’s all for now.

God bless, Sister Veronica

Well, I thought I’d answer some of your questions regarding the Novitiate that were posted as a comment on another post. Here is the post by “Pladdermussen”:

“What you study, your insights, problems you stumble across and how you choose to solve them… we are many readers out here who are most interested in knowing about the novitiate formation life!”

Well, that is a fair question and I’ll answer it as best as I can.

Right now I’m studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Two sections that we’re going through are the section on prayer and life in Christ. It is very interesting. Also I have a class on Sacred Scripture and right now we’re up to the book of Wisdom. Another assignment while in this canonical year of the Novitiate is to read a book and write a paper on each of our Patron Saints. I just finished a book(written in 1908) about St. Paschal Baylon and have started to write the paper. I enjoy this sort of writing.

As far as insights and/or problems, suffice it to say that I have plenty of both but as of this moment couldn’t put them into words. I’ll try to work on that.(as I am a private person that way)

Thank you for the suggestions and I’m going to make more of an effort to write in this vein in the future.

God bless!
Sister Veronica OSF

Yesterday was the big day.(Feast of the Transfiguration) I was recieved into the Novitiate at 2pm in our Motherhouse Chapel. Needless to say I was SO nervous…

You know, it occured to me last night that I’m now engaged. What more could a woman want in a man? In my opinion Jesus couln’t be a more perfect spouse. I know that it may sound like an interesting comparison to some, but nonetheless true. From my understanding that is the same way that St. Clare felt at her Clothing. So, there you go. My two cents.

 Oh, I almost forgot, my name in religion is Sister M. Veronica, OSF.

P.S.- I’ll elaborate on the retreat preceeding my reception another time, although it was a wonderful, grace filled 7 days.

God bless and keep you, Sister Veronica

  

I received the inspiration for this post from Monday’s meditation in the book “In Conversation With God” by Francis Fernandez. The meditation was so timely because I returned from my home visit on Sunday afternoon.  It had me thinking about my relationship to God and to my parents.  I think that parental opposition to a vocation to the Priesthood and the Religious Life is a significant factor in the failure or delay of young people(and the not so young-like myself) to follow Christ’s call.

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Here is an excerpt from Monday July 14th’s meditation:

 Complete freedom to follow Christ. A vocation is a great honor.

He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, we read in the Gospel of today’s Mass.(1) When one freely decides to follow Christ completely it takes preference over other plans: one’s father or mother, boyfriend or girlfriend. God’s call comes first, and everything else has to take second place to this.

Christ’s words don’t create any incompatability between the First and Fourth Commandments, but rather highlight their mutual relationship.  But love for our parents cannot take precedence over love for God. Ordinarily there will be little reason for conflict to arise, but should it ever happen, that would be the moment to recall the words of the adolescent Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem: How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?(2) Jesus’ reply to Mary and Joseph, who had sought him anxiously is a very good example for both children and parents: for children it teaches them that they shouldn’t put affection for their family before love for God, especially when Our Lord asks them to follow Him with a total self-giving; for parents, it helps them see that their children belong above all to God, and that He has a right to do with them as He wishes, even though in certain circumstances it may require sacrifice on their part. 

It would be very sad if someone were to turn a deaf ear to God’s call so as not to upset his or her parents. And even worse would be the situation of the parents, for, as St. Bernard says, the source of their consolation is the death of their child.(4) It would be difficult to cause that son or daughter greater harm.

It is, on the contrary, an immense honor, a motive for a great and holy pride, a mark of predilection, a very special affection that God has shown at a particular time, but which has been in His mind from all eternity.(5)  It is indeed a great honor and a great blessing from God to that family.

There comes a time for everyone when they have to leave home and parents.

When someone gives their heart completely to God, it is returned more youthful and enlarged, with a greater capacity to love others. Love for one’s parents, brothers and sisters is then enriched by being passed through the Heart of Christ. St. Thomas Aquinas points out that James and John, in following Our Lord and abandoning their father, were praised. They were not praised because he had incited them to do something evil, but because they realized that their father would be able to spend his life some other way, while they followed Christ.(6) The Master passed by and called them, and from that moment on, everything else paled into insignificance. In heaven their parents will surely have received a special reward, in large measure due to their sons’ response to the divine call: vocation is a blessing and a great good for all concerned.

Vocation is God’s initiative; He knows well what is best for the person called, and for the family. Many parents accept God’s will for their children joyfully and unconditionally and are happy when one of them is called to follow Christ. There are some though , who react quite differently, for various reasons, some logical and understandable and others tainted by selfishness. They forget that they are God’s collaborators, and that it is inevitable that sooner or later their children will leave home anyway, either to form a family of their own, or for work or study reasons.

Wanting the best for one’s children.

Good parents always want the best for their children. Since they are capable of making great sacrifices for their material welfare, why not too in the case of their supernatural well-being? They sacrifice themselves so that their children grow up healthy , and do well at their studies, and have good friends; and likewise so that they live as God wants them to, leading a life that is Christian and honorable. This is the mission that God has called parents to in matrimony - the education of their children. It is the express will of God for them, and a consequence of the Natural Law.

Parents ought to ask for the best for their children, and the best is for them to follow the vocation that God has forseen for them. This is the great secret of being happy on earth and of attaining the boundless joy of Heaven.

Our Lord makes use of parents to create a suitable climate in which the seed of vocation may develop and flourish. Christian couples are, for each other, for their children and their relatives, cooperators of grace and witnesses of the Faith. They are the first to pass on the Faith to their children and to educate them in it. By word and example they form them to a Christian and apostolic life; they offer them wise guidence in the choice of vocation, and if they discover in them a sacred vocation they encourage it with all care. (14)

A vocation in a family is a special sign of God’s love and confidence for all its members. It is a privilege and a great treasure that ought to be protected, especially with prayer. God blesses the place where a faithful vocation is born: giving up one’s children to the service of God is not a sacrifice: it is an honor and a joy. (15)

(1)  Matt 10:34 - 11:1    (2) Luke 2:49   (4)  St. Bernard, Letters, 3, 2  (5) J. Escriva, The Forge, 18 

(6) St. Thomas, Summa Theologiae, 2-2, 101, 4, 1  (14) Second Vatican Council, Apostolicam actuositatem, 11

(15) J. Escriva, Furrow, 22

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 I thought that is was a very inspiring and thought provoking meditation. Anyone care to discuss it?