current reflections...
Dear Ones, We received this email from our Carmelite Sister in the Philippines and would like to share it with you and ask that you join us in prayer for all those that are suffering and for all that are trying to help.
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2011 8:45 AM Subject: Praying with you for our Japanese brothers and sisters.
Tonight I spent some time reading news and watching some videos in BBC and CNN.
It is really horrific.
None of us can ever imagine the anguish of those who lost a family member in this calamity.
I pray that they will be strengthened by their faith in the midst of this unbelievable tragedy.
All of us are still holding our breath while we watch and pray as the nuclear crisis unfolds.
Tragedies like this make us realize that everything is passing and that our most precious treasures are really our loved ones.
You can lose your house, cars and all that you have worked hard for and none of them can compare with losing a loved one.
Our country is also in the "ring of fire." There is a widespread fear among our people. We never know what will happen. We can only hold on in FAITH that God will be with us and that Our Blessed Mother will unceasingly intercede for us.
Some are saying that God is angry, that's why all these things are happening. I personally do not believe this view of God.
I believe in a loving GOD. He is not "cruel." He will never desire to see a baby drowning in that debris-filled tsunami. The Old Testament God we know is not the God Jesus revealed to us in the New Testament. Jesus revealed to us an infinitely loving FATHER. A Father who will not harm us no matter what. A loving Father who loves us unconditionally.
Our God is a Father/Mother who loves all of us regardless of the belief systems we adhere to. No Father/Mother would kill his/her own child.
We cannot explain nor fully understand the mystery of suffering. We simply bow in surrender as we pray for each other. Events like this make us see how we are one family here on this beautiful earth. We are planet-mates as I read somewhere.
I am sure we were all in tears, maybe not in our eyes, but in our heart, as we watched videos of the tsunami. There are children, there are families in those houses, in those cars, in those streets. And we think of our Filipino brothers and sisters in those places.
As we watch those graphic videos we automatically remember our loved ones. In our silent breathing we utter those wordless prayers. For the victims in Japan and also for our own loved-ones at home.
I just watched BBC news and here I am sharing my ramblings with you. I am obviously deeply moved by this tragedy. I was in tears seeing a group of pre-schoolers who managed to survive.
At 9:30 tonight a minute of silent prayer was observed globally for the people of Japan. This info might not have reached you on time but it's okay. We can offer prayers anytime.
May God bless us all.
Assuring you of my prayers this Lenten Season.
Peace and Love,
Sr Fides
March 2011
Heaven Begins in Us
If one readily studies the writings of Karl Rahner S.J, the reader quickly comes upon the deep meaning of resurrection. Just as there is the resurrection of Jesus, there is also our personal resurrection, if we take it seriously.
This may come as a surprise to many of us as we take on the different aspects of Lent, namely extra prayer, fasting, and the like. We seem to be giving our efforts to God. Rahner speaks of God who is rising within us, and changing us. This is our resurrection, and our Easter happening.
This is not a passing event. It is an event going on in full. Easter will tell us what has happened.
Our own personal resurrection means that heaven has begun in us. Gradually, as we allow ourselves to enter into this resurrection more deeply, we may ask ourselves just how we are changing.
Through the grace of God and the gift of inner resurrection, am I willing to change who I am?
Before God, we are called to learn who we are, and to be true to ourselves. God loves us, and wants to make us happy. God also wants to come close to our true selves. Eventually, we may be surprised with the person we are and how close God is to us.
Sister Mary Jo Loebig, O.C.D
January 2011
The Tears Of God
These days, most people are wondering and concerned what they are to think of current happenings. We could say that regardless of the darkness and clouds of the day, we are called to trust God and one another. Upon reflection, there is a sense that God is crying with us. Surely, such tears will bring us healing.
Thinking and discussing recent occurrences with others, with an element of trust in the heart, has a way of bringing healing to where there is concern, fear and pain. May the tears of God heal our hearts.
It could be that along side our deep worry, there is something good and beautiful ready to make an appearance.
Sister Mary Jo Loebig, O.C.D
*St. Bernard observed: ‘God cannot suffer but He can suffer with’. God, who is Truth and Love in person, wanted to suffer for us and with us; He became man so that He could suffer with man, in a real way, in flesh and blood. To every human suffering, therefore, there has entered One who shares suffering and endurance; in all suffering con-solatio is diffused, the consolation of God’s participating love so as to make the star of hope rise (cf. Encyclical letter Spe salvi, n. 39). Quoted from:BENEDICT XVI - Message FOR THE NINETEENTH WORLD DAY OF THE SICK
Christmas 2010
When God Draws Near
Each year, I ponder the same question. If I had been allowed to be part of the First Christmas, what person would I have chosen to be? This makes for a very moving meditation. First of all, I would try to make the stable a warmer place. I would close the doors and windows of the stable and rearrange the straw to give more warmth and comfort. I would welcome the shepherds, and listen to the songs of the angels.
After conferring with Mary and Joseph, I would quietly and reverently kneel before the Infant and let happen in my heart whatever happens. I would look out the window to see if I could find a special star, somewhat in the same way we look for stars here at the monastery. I would pray in secret, and ask a star to take all my concerns to the skies.
We are told that Advent is a time of new beginning. For many of us, Christmas is one of our favorite times. There is the sense that God is gradually drawing very close to us. In the Gospel Philippians, we read: “I am confident that the one who began this work in you will bring it to completion.” Possibly, some of this happens during Christmas time. God comes to remind us and show us how to love.
Related to this, we have the love letter in the Song of Songs, 2:14: “Let me see your face, Lord. Let me hear your voice.” We need to remind ourselves that one of God’s gifts is that of God drawing near and deeply loving us. Truly, this is the meaning of Christmas.
As we await the nearness of God, it is for us to pray that our capacity for love will increase. Drawing close to us is one of God’s gifts. Truly, this is God’s desire that never ends. Christmas happens. Little by little, we come to know and believe that we ourselves are loveable.
Karl Rahner, S.J., tells us that we need not seek God beyond the stars. Because of Christmas, God is with us wherever we are, and nearest to us in the quiet room of our heart.
Sister Mary Jo Loebig, O.C.D
October 2010
Ever This Moment, Be at My Side
The other night something unusual happened as we took a photo of the setting sun. To our surprise, when we looked at the picture before us, we saw a heart in the middle of the photo. Such a surprise made us ponder what task our hearts might have in the darkness of a quiet night when the world is quietly asleep.
Upon reflection, we thought maybe it is the function of our hearts to bring us closer to the tenderness of God, and thus to quiet the fears and worries of our day when evening comes.
Gradually, we come to believe that our hearts are very much like God who takes on the upsets and troubles of our day and replaces them with comfort and love. Little by little, this love and trust changes us. Furthermore, we come to believe that this love will always be there.
Possibly, our hearts follow the rhythmic tenderness of the Lord, prompting all our fears, worries and needless concerns to leave.
Quietly, the angels whisper their soothing melody.
Sister Mary Jo Loebig, O.C.D
Easter 2010
The Consolation of GodIn my studies along the way, I have found that there are some words that actually seem to bring into existence the reality they express. The word “consolation” is one of them. Just hearing the word appears to have power to effect a consoling movement within our hearts and spirit. We may even feel it all over. The word “consolation” draws us into the heart of God and the deep love God has for us, including an awareness within of how precious we actually are.
Related to this, John English, S.J., in Choosing Life, (pp.10-11), points out that once we have accepted our personal history, (our story), it is likely that we will receive a new experience of “spiritual consolation”. Gradually, we come to know that our personal story is meaningful and that God not only loves us but is present to us in a way we could never imagine.
Sister Mary Jo Loebig, O.C.D
Lent 2010
Lenten Resolutions and God’s Longing For Us
There is something fascinating about pondering what we might give up for Lent. Could it be that, in this gesture, there is a longing to experience the nearness of God, and that somehow giving up what we really like helps bring this about?
Along this line, one of the favorite songs here at the Monastery is the one entitled: “We Belong to You”, the text of which is that of Victoria Thomson. It would appear that just as we long for God, God longs for us. It could be that attached to this longing for God is a deep need we do not know we have. Furthermore, this need may be very different from what we think it might be. Perhaps, Lent is a good time to ponder the true longing in our hearts, together with our deepest need.
Once God tells us what this need is, we might want to find a psalm or prayer that speaks to this issue. Another approach is to compose our own prayer, and then pray it every day. Truly, God longs to restore, to reveal, to comfort and to be near.
Sister Mary Jo Loebig, O.C.D
