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"For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
(Luke 2:11)
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Advent is:
. . . the silent slumber of the Infantwithin the Virgin Mother's womb
. . . the silent Heartbeat
within every Consecrated Host
. . . the mystery of the Treasure
revealed in Time . . .
yet Hidden until
the End Times . . .
. . . the Magnificent cry of the Church:
"Come Lord Jesus!"
to be fulfilled and completed
in
His Second Coming
Advent is . . .
His Infant slumber in Her womb . . .
His Eucharistic Heartbeat . . .
The Mystery and Magnificence
of: Emmanuel . . . God with us!
Advent: Mary Our Model
(From the Advent 2019 Circular Letter of Mother Catherine Marie, CP, Mother President of the Congregation of the Nuns of the Passion of Jesus Christ)
Thanksgiving
A most precious gift for which to be thankful . . .
THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST
"the greatest and most overwhelming work of God's love!"
(St. Paul of the Cross)
November 21--Feast of the Presentation of Mary: A blessed day for Passionists
"My heart will no longer be mine, because I am not my own anymore. My heart will belong only to God: He is my love!" (St. Paul of the Cross)
"Paul used to say that this feast was the blessed anniversary of that day on which he took leave of the world and wore the habit of the Passion for the first time. It was the day on which, in the flower of his youth, he offered himself to the Divine Majesty. Thus, he imitated the heavenly Queen who presented herself in the temple as a sacrifice most pleasing to the heart of God." (From the Life of Venerable Paul of the Cross by Saint Vincent Mary Strambi, bishop)
Make your flights of spirit into the sweet Heart of Jesus
"O my daughter in Jesus Christ! Believe me, the affairs of your spirit have never gone so well as now. I assure you that in these interior afflictions and external insults are hidden the great treasure of Holy Love; for by these means His Divine Majesty intends to prepare your soul to receive the most sublime gifts of heaven. Be strong, therefore, and constant. Bear yourself always with great meekness, patience, humility, and silence, remaining abandoned in God like a little lamb . . . Above all, I recommend to you a holy internal solitude, and I pray that you make your flights of spirit into the sweet Heart of Jesus. Lock yourself in there with the golden key of Divine Love, placing this precious key in the pure Heart of Mary, Mother of Sorrows." (From a letter by St. Paul of the Cross to Sister Maria Cherubina Bresciani, October 19, 1740)
Saint Paul of the Cross: Becoming Saints
"Let them never neglect mental prayer. Make it every day, even if you are there like a stone. Internal and external mortifications are the wings which carry us to God in holy prayer by raising our spirit to him. Read good books, be a friend of silence, do not mind others' business, . . . , and often raise your heart with holy acts of love toward God. Fortunate those souls who do this, for they will become saints. I know poor people in the world who do great things for God. Let us never leave off prayer, no matter if we are afflicted, poor, and abandoned. Fortunate those who do this, for they know the truth and flee from the lies of which the world is full." (From a letter of St. Paul of the Cross)
October 20: Solemnity of Saint Paul of the Cross, Founder of the Passionists
On October 20, Passionists in the United States celebrate the Solemnity of our founder, Saint Paul of the Cross. Respected as one of the greatest mystics and spiritual guides of the 18th century, Saint Paul of the Cross directed souls to great holiness through meditation on the Passion of Jesus Christ. He gathered companions who went forth from their lives of deep prayer in solitude to preach the love of Jesus Crucified, "the greatest and most overwhelming work of God's love."From a letter of Saint Paul of the Cross to Thomas Fossi, August 31, 1754:
"The balsam to cure every pain is the Passion of Jesus Christ and union and total abandonment to his Holy Will. . . Oh, fortunate is that soul which rests on the bosom of God without any thought of the future but strives to live for the moment in God with no other care beyond doing his Will in every event, faithfully fulfilling the obligations of one's own state!"
Saint Paul of the Cross (Paul Francis Danei) was born, on January 3, 1694, in Ovada, Italy. His parents provided him with a solid foundation in the Catholic faith. As a child, he was especially influenced by his pious mother who, pointing to the Crucifix, explained that Jesus loved him so much that He died for him. This truth of God's love in his heart was a seed that would blossom as he responded with docility to God's call at the various stages in his life. Initially, Paul felt inspired to live a life of solitude and penance; and on November 22, 1720, Bishop Gattinara vested him with a poor black habit. Thus, the Passionist Congregation was born. He made a 40-day retreat and wrote the Rule of the Congregation he felt inspired to found. In September, 1721, when his first attempt to meet the Pope and request permission to gather companions was met with a refusal by the papal guards, he went to pray at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. There, before the image of our Blessed Mother, Salus Populi Romani, Paul made a vow to promote devotion to and a grateful remembrance of the Passion of Jesus Christ. This was the vow that all future Passionists would make and is the charism of the Passionists. In May, 1725, Pope Benedict XIII verbally granted him permission to gather companions. The first retreat on Monte Argentario was blessed in 1735. From the solitude of this beautiful mountain where Paul and his companions lived and prayed, he walked down to the towns below to preach the love of Jesus Crucified. Saint Paul of the Cross also directed numerous souls with great wisdom, including the laity, religious, and priests, many of these by letter. Over 2000 of his letters have been preserved and published. As companions joined him and the community grew, he opened new retreats. At the end of his life, the Congregation had a total of ten retreats.
In 1771, Saint Paul of the Cross and Mother Mary Crucified opened the first monastery of Passionist Nuns in Corneto, Italy. The nuns share the same charism as their brothers, to proclaim the gospel of the Passion. However, they live intensely the contemplative aspect of the charism in solitude, prayer, poverty, and penance, dedicating their lives to the "holiness hidden in the cross of Jesus Christ for the sole and pure glory of God" (Letter of St. Paul of the Cross). Saint Paul of the Cross died on October 18, 1775. He was canonized by Pope Pius IX on June 29, 1867.
Blessed Isidore DeLoor, Passionist Brother
Blessed Isidore DeLoor was a true "son of the Passion," who was born on April 13, 1881 in a small farming town in Eastern Flanders. At the age of 26, he left home to enter the Passionist novitiate as a lay brother. He exemplified the Passionist spirit of charity, humility, simplicity, and recollection in his daily service to his religious community. Much loved by his fellow religious and the laity, many called him "the good brother" or "the brother of the Will of God." He was only 35 years old when he died from cancer. Pope John Paull II beatified him on September 30, 1984. We celebrate his Feast Day on October 6. From a letter he wrote to his family:
"I cannot begin to describe for you the treasure which the Lord has given me by calling me to this state of life. . . It is my total submission to obedience--whether I am praying or working or sleeping--that is most meritorious before God, who never abandons his own who want to love him fully. . . Although it is true, my dear parents, my brother and sister, that you have not been called to my state of life, you may nevertheless, still sanctify yourselves and serve God faithfully by fulfilling completely what the Lord asks of you. Do not become attached to the vanities of this world, since all will pass quickly." (From the Proper Offices of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, 1985).
St. Vincent Mary Strambi, Passionist Bishop
On September 24, we celebrated the memorial of our Passionist Saint Vincent Mary Strambi. He was born on January 1, 1745 in Civitavecchia, Italy. Greatly impressed by the holiness of Saint Paul of the Cross, he decided to enter the Passionists shortly after his priestly ordination. Saint Vincent was renowned for his eloquent preaching on the Passion and greatly loved by the faithful throughout Italy. His life was given totally to Christ Crucified. When Pope Leo XII became seriously ill, he offered his life to God in place of the Pope. He died on January 1, 1824, but the Pope recovered."My brothers and sisters, through the wounds of the Lord, let us plunge into the boundless ocean of God's Love." (Saint Vincent Mary Strambi)
Keep Mary company at the Foot of the Cross
On September 15th, we celebrated the Solemnity of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Patroness of our Congregation and our Monastery. The original rule states that the Passionist Nuns shall go "to the feet of the immaculate Mother of God, and invoke her in all their wants. Every day they shall accompany her in spirit to Calvary, and shall compassionate her in the sorrow which pierced her soul during the death-agony of her only Son."St. Paul of the Cross reflected, "If we go to the crucifix, we find our Mother of Sorrows, for where the Mother is, there also is the Son. Dear Mother, what sorrow you experienced in receiving your dead Son into your arms! We beseech you, Holy Mother, grant that the Passion of our Lord may be for us a fountain of sorrow, of pardon, of love, and of life."
Perhaps the greatest love that
I can
Ever give You, Lord Jesus, is
To imitate Your Holy Mother
And hold Your Suffering within my heart.
St. Paul of the Cross: "Humble yourself much"
"Humble yourself much when it seems you receive graces from God. At times it may seem that we are receiving, and it is because other servants of God are praying. . . . Oh, how many who seemed strong as the cedars of Lebanon and are now fallen! A grain of pride can ruin a mountain of holiness; therefore, be hidden from all. Retreat into the strong fortress of the pure Heart of Jesus, and you will be freed from every evil." (From a letter of St. Paul of the Cross to Agnes Grazi, March 15, 1736)"Pray to the gentle Jesus to teach you how to pray."
When St. Paul of the Cross wrote this letter, Teresa Palozzi was 18 years old. Teresa later became one of the founding members of the first foundation of Passionist Nuns in Corneto, Italy. Also, she became the second superior of this first foundation. The first superior was Mother Mary Crucified Costantini.
St. Paul of the Cross: Interior Solitude and Prayer
"Never cease staying in the Holy of Holies in the Heart of Jesus; love him with his own Heart. Allow yourself to be penetrated with lively sorrow for the outrages of others done him in the most adorable Sacrament and make reparation with humiliations, adoration, affections, praise, and thanksgiving. Make yourself always smaller with knowledge of your nothingness and then allow yourself to be carried by that loving breeze wherever it pleases the Divine Majesty." (From a letter of St. Paul of the Cross to Agnes Grazi, July 22, 1741)"Accustom yourself to making your meditation in the interior church of your soul. It is of faith that our soul is the temple of the living God; it is of faith that God dwells within us. Therefore, enter within yourself, and there adore that Most High in spirit and in truth, there speak to him of his pains, of his love for us, having given you so many graces. That great God, who for love of us made himself human and wished to suffer so much for us, you have closer than the skin of your flesh, closer than you are to yourself. Therefore, my blessed daughter, speak to him heart to heart." (From a letter of St. Paul of the Cross to Teresa Palozzi, June 19, 1757)
August 10th Vocation Retreat: Solitude and Silence Were Much Appreciated!
An early divine inspiration that St. Paul of the Cross received was the call to solitude. He wrote in the preface of the Primitive Rule for the Passionists, "I, Paul Francis, . . . was traveling west along the Genoa Riviera, when I noticed, on a hill above Sestri, a small church dedicated to our Lady of Gazzo. As soon as I saw it, my heart longed for it because of its solitude. For some time after that I continued living as I had been, but with a growing inspiration to retire into solitude . . . ." After the Congregation was established, St. Paul of the Cross continued to encouraged all members, especially the superiors "to preserve and foster in the Congregation, the spirit of prayer, the spirit of solitude and the spirit of poverty. You can be confident that, if these values are maintained, the Congregation shall shine like the sun before God and men" (St. Paul of the Cross).
A major theme in St. Paul of the Cross' life was the presence of God in the soul. He repeatedly advised recollection which allows us to hear God speaking in the depths of our hearts. Therefore, silence is necessary for conversing with God in prayer. True religious silence, a healthy and calm interior, allows us to meet all reality, natural and supernatural, just the way we are. There is room for Christ to grow and reveal himself to us (From a conference on the Theology of Silence, presented by Father Silvan Rouse, CP, 2000).
Our next Vocation Discernment Retreat Day will be Saturday, November 9, 2019!
Saint Gemma Galgani
Saint Gemma was born on March 12, 1878 near the town of Lucca, in Italy. Even from her earliest childhood, she loved the gospel stories of the Passion that her mother would tell her. She lost both her parents during her youth and was lovingly welcomed into the Giannini home, a good Christian family, fervent in the Catholic faith.
As a young woman, she consecrated herself by vow of virginity to God. Saint Gemma was blessed with the visible presence of her guardian angel throughout her life, and she spoke with him as with a dearest friend. She also had visions of Jesus, Our Lady, and St. Gabriel, CP. Her intense love for Jesus Crucified prepared her to receive the great grace and gift of the stigmata--she bore the wounds of Jesus in her body.
Saint Gemma died on Holy Saturday, April 11, 1903. She showed us how to fulfill the call to holiness in the midst of the world.
From Saint Gemma's writings:
"I wish that my heart could beat, that I could live and breathe only for Jesus. I wish that my tongue could utter no other name than that of Jesus; that my eye could see only Jesus; that my pen could write only about Jesus, and that my thoughts could soar to nothing but Jesus. . . . Let us recall, my dear Sister, that we are disciples of this Jesus who suffered so much. It is not enough to look at the cross, or wear it, we must carry it in the depth of our heart. . . . May it never be said that we would fail Jesus and leave him alone on the road to Calvary. Let us stay with him, not only as far as Calvary but to the cross and death. . . . I am the fruit of your passion, Jesus, born of your wounds. O Jesus, seek me in love; I no longer possess anything; you have stolen my heart."
As a young woman, she consecrated herself by vow of virginity to God. Saint Gemma was blessed with the visible presence of her guardian angel throughout her life, and she spoke with him as with a dearest friend. She also had visions of Jesus, Our Lady, and St. Gabriel, CP. Her intense love for Jesus Crucified prepared her to receive the great grace and gift of the stigmata--she bore the wounds of Jesus in her body.Saint Gemma died on Holy Saturday, April 11, 1903. She showed us how to fulfill the call to holiness in the midst of the world.
From Saint Gemma's writings:
"I wish that my heart could beat, that I could live and breathe only for Jesus. I wish that my tongue could utter no other name than that of Jesus; that my eye could see only Jesus; that my pen could write only about Jesus, and that my thoughts could soar to nothing but Jesus. . . . Let us recall, my dear Sister, that we are disciples of this Jesus who suffered so much. It is not enough to look at the cross, or wear it, we must carry it in the depth of our heart. . . . May it never be said that we would fail Jesus and leave him alone on the road to Calvary. Let us stay with him, not only as far as Calvary but to the cross and death. . . . I am the fruit of your passion, Jesus, born of your wounds. O Jesus, seek me in love; I no longer possess anything; you have stolen my heart."
"Do you love me? . . . Follow me"
In today's gospel, Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" (Jn 21:16) He has a mission for Peter, "Tend my sheep" (Jn 21:16). Peter loves Jesus but is also aware of his weaknesses and previous failures. Jesus insists, "Feed my sheep" (Jn 21:17). Jesus knows well our fallen human nature, and He still entrusts each of us with a unique mission to further His Kingdom. He calls us to a particular vocation not because we are worthy but because He loves us.Jesus speaks to us today in the depth of our souls. He loves us more than we love ourselves and has a beautiful plan for our lives. How do you know His plan? Listen!
On May 18th, we will have a Vocation Discernment Retreat at our monastery from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM. The purpose of the day is to provide women who are discerning their vocation the opportunity to enter into silence, listen, pray, and learn more about religious life. The day will begin with Holy Mass. Participants will follow the monastic schedule, pray the Divine Office with the Sisters, and have the opportunity to hear vocation stories. There will be discussion about the discernment process and the similarities and differences between the three vocations--married, single, and religious life. We will also talk specifically about the contemplative Passionist vocation. Participants will have opportunities for individual questions and guidance.
We entrust to our Blessed Mother all women whom God is calling to a religious vocation. May she grant them a share of her silent spirit that listens and trustingly surrenders to God's loving plan.
He is Risen! See His wounds?
A recurrent theme in the gospel readings during the Easter Octave is the disciples' inability to recognize Jesus. Mary Magdalen "did not know it was Jesus" (Jn 20:14). On the way to Emmaus, the eyes of the disciples "were prevented from recognizing him" (Lk 24:16). However, when Jesus appeared at the Sea of Tiberias, one disciple did recognize Him. It was the beloved disciple who pointed Jesus out to the others--"It is the Lord!" (Jn 21:7)The beloved disciple was the one who rested his head on Jesus' chest at the Last Supper. He remained close to Jesus. Could it be that his intimacy with Jesus allowed him to see beyond the surface and recognize Him? As contemplatives, we too remain close to the Heart of Jesus to listen and receive His love. As Passionists, we contemplate His wounds, the wounds that the Risen Christ invited Thomas to touch and examine--the Sacred Wounds from which flows His Love and Mercy!
"The Cost of His Redeeming Love"
Contemplate these
Precious Wounds
inscribed upon
His Hands, His Feet, and Side
Here one sees
the Cost of His Redeeming Love
and
What return can my heart make
for such a Gift Sublime?
I put my life and all my love
within His Wounds
The cost of His Redeeming Love.
Let us run to meet Jesus--meek, and humble!
In our Divine Office today, the antiphon for morning prayer
encourages us to run to meet Jesus!"With Palms let us welcome the Lord as he comes, with songs and hymns let us run to meet him, as we offer him our joyful worship and sing: Blessed be the Lord!"
We begin Holy Week with confidence and joy, running to meet Jesus who has come to accomplish “the greatest and most overwhelming work of God’s Love"--His Passion! (St. Paul of the Cross)
In 1727, St. Paul of the Cross wrote to Marchioness Donna Marianna Della Scala Del Pozzo: “Let us run, let us run, Signora, after this dear Lover of our souls, casting ourselves more and more completely into the bosom of his most holy love! Let not the difficulties frighten us, our daily faults, our great miseries, for these are but the throne of his mercies” (St. Paul of the Cross, April 15, 1727).
We ask Our Sorrowful Mother for a share in her contemplative spirit that remains close to Jesus even to the Foot of the Cross.
“Walk With Me”
Let me remain
With you
O my broken-Hearted God.
Your silent companion,
walking too,
towards Jerusalem.
I pray the journey
will not be so hard
if I be at Your Side.
Your friend and spouse
for I am determined
ever to remain and be
your
ever-vigilant
bride.
Friday before Palm Sunday: Honoring Our Sorrowful Mother
With
gratitude to Our Sorrowful Mother, our community celebrates the Friday before
Palm Sunday in her honor. Our Lady shows
us the beauty and fruitfulness of a life totally surrendered to the Father’s
will in the service of her Divine Son. We
thank her for her fiat, even to the
Foot of the Cross. What deep sorrows she
accepted for love of us! With what great
charity she
received us as her children from the Heart of her Crucified Son!As we approach Holy Week, we ask Our Sorrowful Mother to show us how to love and compassionate Jesus in his Passion. May she obtain for us the gift of a silent heart that attends to the voice of her Divine Son: “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me” (Mt 26:38).
In today’s collect for the Mass, we rely on Our Blessed Mother's help to draw us closer to Jesus.
O God, who in this season give your Church the grace to
imitate devoutly the Blessed Virgin Mary in contemplating the Passion of
Christ, grant, we pray, through her intercession, that we may cling more firmly
each day to your Only Begotten Son and come at last to the fullness of his
grace. Who lives and reigns with you in
the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever (The Roman Missal).
A Lenten Journey
"Lent is a time when we relive the Passion of Christ. Let it not be just a time when our feelings are roused, but let it be a change that comes through cooperation with God's grace in real sacrifices of self" (Mother Teresa of Calcutta).
Portrait of a Lenten Journey
the atmosphere which fills the heart
with His Presence
Fasting . . .
the "meal" prepared daily
for others
through sacrifice and charity
Almsgiving . . .
the gifts which reach
into one's heart
and are poured out for needy souls
Penance . . .
the Lenten desert road
that silently leads one
to purity of heart
and union
with Our Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus.
Into the Desert
"Prayer and converse with God is a supreme good: it is a partnership and union with God. As the eyes of the body are enlightened when they see light, so our spirit, when it is intent on God, is illumined by his infinite light. I do not mean the prayer of outward observance but prayer from the heart, not confined to fixed times or periods but continuous throughout the day and night.Practice prayer from the beginning. Paint your house with the colors of modesty and humility. Make it radiant with the light of justice. Decorate it with the finest gold leaf of good deeds. Adorn it with the walls and stones of faith and generosity. Crown it with the pinnacle of prayer. In this way you will make it a perfect dwelling place for the Lord. You will be able to receive him as in a splendid palace, and through his grace you will already possess him, his image enthroned in the temple of your spirit" (St. John Chrysostom, Bishop).
Into The Desert
Into the desert . . .
I keep within my heart
a Lenten vigil
of silence and prayer
The contemplation
of Christ's Suffering Face
become the atmosphere
for new growth in virtue
and blossoms into
His Love, Humility and
a charity
that branches out
into
an embrace of all the world
filling it with
the Fragrance of Christ
Behold . . .
how the Lenten desert
brings forth new life
each tender "bud" -- the virtues
blossoms forth
beneath the Sacred Gaze of Jesus
from the Wood of His Cross.
Ash Wednesday
"Sacred Silence"
Silence
is a wondrous thing
a gift from God's Own Heart.
It's Beauty lies in that
the language spoken
is both mystery
and revelation.
Mystery . . .
because it's like stepping
into another world . . .
Revelation . . .
because in silence
we can hear
the Heartbeat of God
that speaks
the
Language of Love.
Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane
Throughout the world, many are celebrating Mardi Gras . . . while we observe a special Passionist memorial in our Liturgy--Jesus at Prayer in Gethsemane. Gethsemane . . . the curtain which opens the beginning of Christ's Hour of Suffering. So . . . we seek to pray beside Him, in spirit, and with the Angel, offer Him our presence of love and compassion.
Gethsemane
"My Heart is
nearly broken with sorrow . . ."
In prayer, I seem to see
the Lord Jesus
on the ground before me.
. . . "Stay here and
keep watch with Me."
Though centuries have past . . .
His request has
touched my heart,
So I choose to remain
To bring comfort
to His Broken Heart
and compassion to His Pain
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The Contemplative Passionist Life
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". . . our perfection does not consist in doing big and exceptional things, but in doing well the common things . . . and those which ... -
-- "With regard to your vocation, wait on the loving breath of the Holy Spirit and live entirely abandoned in the divine ... -
Saint Gemma was born on March 12, 1878 near the town of Lucca, in Italy. Even from her earliest childhood, she loved the gospel stories of ... -
On September 15th, we celebrated the Solemnity of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Patroness of our Congregation and our Monastery. The original ru... -
On September 24, we celebrated the memorial of our Passionist Saint Vincent Mary Strambi. He was born on January 1, 1745 in Civitavecchia, ...