St Joseph the Worker, Enchiladas & new Catholic PodCast

To send this card: Saint Joseph the Worker

More Saint Joseph Cards

Quote for the Day: What emanates from the figure of Saint Joseph is faith. Joseph of Nazareth is a "just man" because he totally "lives by faith." He is holy because his faith is truly heroic. Pope John Paul II

Today is Saint Joseph Day! Hurray! Wonder of Wonders. Expect good things and big miracles and be filled with Joy!

It's also Tasty Tuesday!

But before I share my friend Barb's "tasty" recipe I want to tell you about a wonderful mini video that I was sent. It is funny but also informative in a very Catholic way. It's the first in a series of a new Catholic podcast called, "That Catholic Show."

Here is the information that was sent to me so I could share it with you. I can pretty much 99.9 percent guarantee you will like it.

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Here's the direct link to the YouTube version:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8NFuu6W392k

Here's a link to a much better looking (but bigger) version:
http://cache.libsyn.com/rosaryarmy/TCS001.mp4

Here's the link if people want to subscribe to the show:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThatCatholicShow

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Barb Ries was over to help me today - so I got her Enchilda recipe! She said, "How I can write it down, I don't measure anything! I just make it."

I told her, "Just write it down how you do it. There are still lots of folks out there who cook that way! They will understand and the rest of us will just worry a little more but about our amounts but manage as well." I know we're a very resourceful bunch.

Barb's Turkey Enchilada

2 cups Turkey or chicken chunked (whatever you have on hand).
3 Boiled eggs chopped
green olives - as many as you like sliced– if you don’t like green make them black (sometimes I use both)
chopped Onions
1 cup cheese- mix cheddar and monetary jack
garlic powder
pepper
Flour Tortilla shells

1 8 oz can Enchilada sauce - this is where we went wrong and got the brand of Enchilada sauce that was only Mild if you like eating chili peppers like popcorn.

Mix all ingredients except shells and sauce. Pour some sauce in your pan and lay a shell in it and turn over- put mixture in side shell and roll up. Repeat until your pan is full. Then pour the remaining sauce over the top of rolled enchiladas and cover with cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 for about ½ hour.

Very, very good. Yum, yum, yum. The only thing Barb says is that the boiled eggs don't freeze well.. so omit the eggs if you want to freeze them.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Today's JoyNotes

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Miracle Monday - Memories of Saving Love

To send this card: Easter Alleluia

Quote for the Day: I have found in life that if you want a miracle you first need to do whatever it is you can do - if that's to plant, then plant; if it is to read, then read; if it is to change, then change; if it is to study, then study; if it is to work, then work; whatever you have to do. And then you will be well on your way of doing the labor that works miracles. Jim Rohn

Miracle Monday

Sometimes miracles happen through others. I don't expect this would really classify as a miracle but I remember when I was in about the third grade we lived in a big house with a big yard. At one corner of the house we kept three ducks and we had a bathtub sunk into the ground so they could swim. My little brother Tony was about three years od and was not talking very good. He was a bit behind most kids his age. Anyway it was a nice summer day and everyone was enjoying themselves doing summer kid things. When all of a sudden my little brother comes screaming around the house, just screeching his head off, his eyes wild with fright.

This was so unusual for Tony that naturally we all ran to see what was the matter. He just kept screaming and screaming and pointing to the duck bath. We ran and there my little sister had fallen in the tub. She was only a year old and would surely have drowned if Tony had not screamed so loud and come running for help.

I will always remember that. How close we came to losing our little baby sister. Tony was too little to pull her out himself, and so frightened he could not talk and tell us what was wrong... but he still managed to get the help needed to save the day!

Sometimes we think we don't do much - we don't accomplish much, but if every once in a while we just do what we can with what we have. We do a whole lot.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Today's JoyNotes

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Friendship Friday - Shelley and Tobasco

To send this card: 3rd Friday in Easter

Quote for the Day: Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can. Willis Whitney:

Friendship Friday

This is late.... because .... this really is a very good reason. I decided to be a friend to myself and go to bed so I would not be cranky with everyone else today. It worked. So far I've been good. Can't guarantee it will last the whole day but at least I gave myself a fighting chance.

I have to tell you something about Shelley our dog. She naturally thinks she owns the place around here and especially when she is outside she thinks the nebulous concept of obedience to anyone but herself a pretty paltry thing. So here is the situation. We have these nice plastic tree guards around the bottom of all our fruit trees so when the lawn mowers go into action the cut grass is the only victim.

Unfortunately Shelley dear thinks she should remove each and everyone of them and chew them. Not good for the trees, not good for her digestion and not good for our temper when we try to stop her. Sooooo, Sister Colleen remembering an ancient practice from her childhood decided to douse each tree guard with Tobasco sauce.

The results are now in. Shelley does not like tobasco....she grabbed one, hauled it off and then just when she was getting in for a nice munching session decided, "Hmmm, this does not taste the same." She looked very disgustedly at Sr. Colleen because being a smart dog (or somewhat) she knew the source. She then came back in the house and pouted. Yes, dogs can pout.

Last night on my walk she tried again.... new tree guard but same flavor. I pretended not to notice what she was doing. She grabbed the guard protector off the tree, trotted away a few yards, grumbled and then pretended she really didn't want the stupid old tree guard anyway.

Life continues in the monastery.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Today's JoyNotes

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Thankful Thursday - Radio Interview

To send this card: 3rd Thursday in Easter

Quote for the Day: Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don't go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won't laugh at you. Jim Rohn

Thankful Thursday

Hey, guess what I am thankful for today? I am thankful that I am taking the radio publicity course! Yes, yes, yes, because today I got my first request for a radio interview on a regular station! Its on a large country station in central Florida. Please pray that it goes through and that the Holy Spirit speaks and that I have a fun time and help people appreciate the value of forgiveness a little bit more.

This is the station that requested an interview.... http://www.wpcv.com/index.htm Please pray a Hail Mary that the staion will be blessed in having me and not lose their ratings too badly. Course it will only be about a 3 - 5 minute interview so I shouldn't harm them too much!

I have been reading a very good book on Forgiveness - not sure if I told you before. Probably... anyway it is called, "Forgive for Good" by Dr. Fred Luskin. It is not a religious book - but so powerful in convincing me a thousand times more how much we need to forgive for our own sake as well as everyone else.

The health benefits of forgiving are huge - especially with heart. Which is amazing don't you think? Because we always think of the heart as love and when we are not loving our heart suffers. Pretty straight forward don't you think?

Now, don't think I'm putting anyone down with heart trouble - cause there are lots of other factors as well. For instance our Sister Mary Rita was the most loving person I have known and she had congestive heart failure so its not one of those across the board things.. but still a factor to look at I think. Sure made me think!

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Today's JoyNotes

Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

Tasty Tuesday - Enchiladas and Bean Dip

To send this card: Third Tuesday in Easter

Quote for the Day: The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. Robert Flatt

Tasty Tuesday -

Last week Barb came over to help us work with our roses. Then after she had done that she made us supper! Turkey Enchiladas. They were sooo good. The only little problem was that when she went to the store to get the enchilada sauce they were out of the brand she normally gets.... and so she got a new brand.... it said MILD on the can but it was HOT! Like really, really hot. The kind where your face turns red, your eyes tear up and you can't talk kind of hot.

So guess what? She made enough for us to each have two but they were big so we only had one for supper that night and the next night we had much fewer diners for the enchilada menu. So lucky me and Sr. Colleen and Sr. Rita Louise had Enchiladas for the rest of the week!

Now I have to get Barb to teach me how to make her recipe because it was sooo goood even hot. I will share it with you. What was different about her recipe was that they have boiled eggs in them! Which sounds sort of weird, or at least it did to me..but they were really great.

The boiled egg part was really how Barb got roped into making supper. I asked her if she had any suggestions on how to use boiled easter eggs in a dish for supper! Her suggestion was followed up by actually cooking it.

So now does anyone want to share their great recipe or suggestions for boiled eggs? Of course our easter eggs are gone now but its fun to get new ideas and try new dishes.

Peace and Joy!
Sr. Patricia and all the Sisters


P.S. The Barb above is my best friend Barb who helps me out big time all the time! The Barb below is my blood sister who is also my best friend but she lives in Corvallis, Oregon. Both Barbs like to cook and I like to eat so you can see I pick my friends well.

Tasty Tip of the Week

from Barbara George
Tuesdays’ Tasty Treat

Tasty Tip #3 April 23, 2007

This quick and easy dip will be a crowd favorite. Easily adapted to low-fat tastes if you prefer.

Recipe:
1 15 ounce can refried Black Beans
4 small sweet peppers, diced
½ c Monterey Jack and Colby cheese, shredded (or low-fat shredded cheese)
½ c Salsa (mild to hot)

½ cup lite (or low-fat) sour cream
½ cup salsa (mild to hot)
(additional garnishes: chopped black olives, chopped sweet onion)

Tortilla chips for dipping (or low-fat baked tortilla chip)..

Combine black beans, salsa and shredded cheese in microwave safe dish suitable for party service.. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stir, heat again for 2-3 more minutes until bubbly. Make sure to cover dish when heating.

Remove and while hot, sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of cheese, put whipped sour cream in center, decorate edge of dish with salsa, and sprinkle garnishes as desired. Garnish sour cream with parsley flakes for color.

This dip should be heated right before serving. Enjoy!
Black beans are an excellent source of fiber, tortilla chips are lower in fat than potato chips, and salsa is a fat free vegetable. Using the above cheeses decreases the fat in this dip.

This dip may be a little high in sodium (salt) for those with salt sensitivity.



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Miracle Monday - Today's Gifts for Tomorrow Use

To send this card: 3rd Monday in Easter

Quote for the Day: There are no miracles for those that have no faith in them. French Proverb

Miracle Monday

Father Jim Van Vurst, OFM (the priest who gave us our retreat and did the radio program with me on Death and Dying) reccommended a great book to me when I told him I was into miracles. He said I should read the introduction from this book called, "Small Miracles" by Jitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal. So I went to the bookstore and they didn't have their original book on hand but they had a couple of others that these two authors had done. Boy are they wonderful!

I am still going to get the original book but I think any of their books are really great to read if you like miracle stories. Really, really neat ones. And one thing I particularly like about these books is that because the two authors are Jewish many of the stories are about Jewish people. I love that, because I don't really know too many Jewish people and so it is also a beautiful way to learn some of their culture and beliefs. They have miracle stories from other religions too.

As for a personal miracle I think what is neat is how God somehow always has the next step planned for us to take. If we ever think we are on our own all we have to do is look back and see how this happened which led to that happenening which meant we did this and got that! Amazing.

I think my prayer today shall be, "God, help me to accept and use fully the gifts you give me today, whether it is a new thought, a new understanding, or new opportunity so that I may be ready to use them for others tomorrow."

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Today's JoyNotes

Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

Friendship Friday

To send this card: 2nd Friday in Easter

Quote for the Day: Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday Don Marquis

Friendship Friday

Friends are people who like us and we like back. It occurred to me today that sometimes we find wonderful friendship in those whom we also go to for certain services and things like that. Maybe not close friends but still friends. You know like your favorite clerk in the grocery store, or your doctor, or all sorts of people like that whom we develop friendships with after we go to them for a specific need.

Isn't that kind of neat. So when you think about it.... we shouldn't put ourselves down for discovering God when we are in need and then finding out he becomes our best friend. When I think about it - a lot of friendships start that way.

It works the other way as well. Sometimes those who come to us for help in some way... may become our next best friend. God works in surprising ways.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Today's JoyNotes

Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

Friendship Friday

To send this card: 2nd Friday in Easter

Quote for the Day: Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday Don Marquis

Friendship Friday

Friends are people who like us and we like back. It occurred to me today that sometimes we find wonderful friendship in those whom we also go to for certain services and things like that. Maybe not close friends but still friends. You know like your favorite clerk in the grocery store, or your doctor, or all sorts of people like that whom we develop friendships with after we go to them for a specific need.

Isn't that kind of neat. So when you think about it.... we shouldn't put ourselves down for discovering God when we are in need and then finding out he becomes our best friend. When I think about it - a lot of friendships start that way.

It works the other way as well. Sometimes those who come to us for help in some way... may become our next best friend. God works in surprising ways.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Today's JoyNotes

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Virginia Tech Tragedy and Eternity

To send this card: 2nd Thursday in Easter

Quote for the Day: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Thankful Thursday

It is hard at first to think thoughts of thankfulness after such a tragedy with the Virginia Tech massacre and yet somehow in time I know God will bring something good. The young people and all who died - may have died very suddenly and violently but God was there for each of them. I do believe their Guardian Angel was at their side - guiding them to a beautiful eternity that we cannot comprehend.

Last week I did a beautiful interview with Sr. Marianne Van Vurst who is the director for a home that cares for severely disabled children. Children who at the most will never grow mentally beyond 18 months and physically often can't move but maybe their head a little or an arm. Beautiful children of God who die young and yet I truly believe only in heaven will we know what mission they accomplished in the world. What lives were saved by their struggles and suffering and those of their wonderful parents and all those who so lovingly care for them.

Death comes for each of us - sometimes soon - sometimes late. But always and everywhere our loving God who gave us this life has a beautiful eternal life for us that is beyond our biggest dreams and expectations.

If this life indeed was all that there was - than our tears and despair would never end... but life is forever with God and perhaps we can be thankful that this happened in the beautiful season of Easter when God's own son arose from the dead so that we might do so as well.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters


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Miracle Monday - Part One

To send this card: 2nd Monday in Easter

Quote for the Day: “The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him.” Pablo Casals

Miracle Monday (part one)

I am having the most exciting time. I told you a while back about this radio publicity course I was taking. Absolutely fantastic. Truthfully, I feel it is a miracle that I found this course and that I have been given permission to take it. Because it has been so huge in developing a new part of me.

This is what is happening. In the course we have to talk about what we are an expert on.... so that we can go on the radio and talk about this subject as an expert. Well as you can imagine, this has put me into a tailspin trying to figure out what in heaven's name I was an expert on! I mean come on... what could it possibly be? Sister Colleen said Wayne (the guy that gives the course) was going to have to pay for my mental stress breakdown over this!

The reason I started in the course in the first place was that I wanted to promote "confession" but I knew I wasn't an expert on the subject. I knew it was powerful and valuable - to some extent - but I didn't even feel totally convinced of it to the point where I could go on a secular radio station and tell people, "Yep, if you would just go to confession, you would be in a whole lot better place."

I mean I knew they would get value from it .... and I knew it was important but I didn't have the "umption and gumption" to actually tell people that! My shrinking violet complex was very healthy and strong.

So guess what I did? I waffled. I thought hmmm, people don't really want to hear about confession, that will make them uneasy and uncomfortable, and nobody, absolutely nobody will ask me to come on their radio program to have a nun tell them "get with it and go to confession!"

I put on my thinking cap, and I thunk and thunk and thunk. Finally I decided. MIRACLES! I would talk about miracles. Everybody loves a miracle story, and I am a huge lover of miracle stories and what could be nicer than to get on the radio and tell everyone to "step right up and get your miracle!" That, they would probably take from a nun right? No pain, no stress, just put in your quarter and get a miracle. What could be easier.

Only thing is I knew that miracles don't work that way. They come from God and HE is the one who determines when you are going to get one and what shape it's going to come in (probably not in the shape and size you ordered) and hardly ever in the time limit you want them!

So of course that put me back into the valley on undecision. What to do ... what to do.....

(this is going to be way too long so I will share part two with you tomorrow on Tasty Tuesday!)


Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters


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Friendship Friday and Cartoons

To send this card: Easter Friday

Quote for the Day: "May there always be work for your hands to do, may your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine on your windowpane, may a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you, may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you." - Irish Blessing

Friendship Friday

There are many ways of being a friend. Sometimes I think God gives us friends that we will never meet and yet they touch our lives in a very friendly and important way. Do you know who I am thinking of? Charles Schulz!

I have so often been picked up from the doldrums by looking at cartoon books. There is something warm and comforting about cartoons. Everyone has their own likes but I have a whole set of Charlie Brown books and I never tire of reading them.

I also like Calvin and Hobbes and For Better or Worse and Zits! I don't really read cartoons much from the paper (although we do get a daily newspaper) mostly I just read a few pages at nights sometimes from my old books when I feel a need to just be.

Wonder if reading cartoons can be a prayer? I'm sure they must be. Anything that is good and makes one happy in a warm friendship sort of way... must be from God.

Of course some cartoons are definitely not from God and we're not going down that road!

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters


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Thankful Thursday and Radio Fun

To send this card: Easter Thursday

Quote for the Day: Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently. Henry Ford

Thankful Thursday

Today was a really nice day for which I am very thankful. It started out with the usual round of prayer, adoration, Mass and then the Bishop came over to record his piece for the radio and then somehow after that the day just seemed to go into overdrive. I actually got things done - its that they were things that don't really give one a sense of making headway sort of things.

But then again in reflection some of those things are the ones that often have greater results in the Kingdom than other things. So hard to judge even oneself when you think about it.

I sort of feel snowballed by all the things that shoulda been done! But one thing I did today that was totally, totally fun and actually has been worthwhile was that I did some radio practice for being interviewed. First I taped a whole half hour of myself interviewing my self about forgiveness. It was kind of silly but fun and then when Barb came over to help me out with different things, I made her interview me for five minutes with any questions she could think up about forgiveness.

I was amazed I actually could come up with some answers! What do you know? Sometimes we know more than we think. Than I interviewed her and it was just a blast! We had so much fun and what was great about it was that we both learned to be up and relaxed about being interviewed. Which just goes to show - if you can make something that could be work into fun you make more progress than if you make it just work!

Isn't it just amazing what wonderful revelations I get? Think I first heard about that from Mary Poppins when I was six years old,,, but hey it's still just sinking in at fifty!

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters


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Wonderful Wednesday - and Wonderful Shelley

To send this card: Easter Wednesday

Quote for the Day: Never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of the Christ risen. Mother Teresa

Wonderful Wednesday

As I look out my office window, I should be seeing the nice rush of water cascading over the rocks into the koi pond. It's been off since November becuase of the weather but it was finally close to being turned on today except for one small problem.

The problem is yellow, has four legs and loves to chew anything it can find to chew. What it found to chew was a little plastic screw that fits on top of the pump lid so it could be fastened down tight and not let any air into it.

Leon the guy who came to start the pond said, "Unfortunately it does not hold so well when the little plastic screw has been chewed."

I say what my dad would have said on such occasions. "Well, bless her little heart."

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Tasty Tuesday

To send this card: Easter Tuesday

Quote for the Day: The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. Robert Flatt

Easter Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday - Do you think a bowl of dry cereal with milk counts as a tasty dish? I hope so because as a matter of fact this is what I am having right now.

There are some definite pluses to a dry cereal snack.

One: Very little preparation
Two: Very little clean-up and
Three: I like it!

What more could you ask for?

Peace and Joy!
Sr. Patricia and all the Sisters

Tasty Tip of the Week

from Barbara George
Chocolate lover? If chocolate is your downfall, a better way to limit yourself is to buy good dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate is harder and melts slower therefore taking you longer to eat.

The richness is more satisfying so a little bit goes a long way.

Of course, you still need to limit yourself. One ounce of dark chocolate has about 150 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrate. This compares to 1/2 cup of ice cream or a large apple. Take a piece, enjoy it, don't go back for more.


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Easter Monday -

To send this card: He is Risen!

Quote for the Day: You have been enlightened by Christ. Walk always as children of the light and keep the flame of faith alive in your hearts. From the rite of Easter Baptism

Easter Miracle Monday

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!

We had a beautiful Easter liturgy and the miracle was I didn't get stressed over it! Okay, maybe a bit towards the end - but really miraculously I was peaceful and calm throughout and enjoyed every minute of it.

Sometimes you know I'm thinking, "Oh my, how long is this going to go on?" I get so time conscious sometimes, it's reall horrible. Let's see, it's five minutes for this, ten minutes here... sad. Maybe a bit of this is inherited, my dad was a wonderful, full class worrier. When someone was supposed to be traveling or something he would figure out just how long it would take them and if they were over the mark... uh-oh, he had to get to worrying!

I would like to share with you three books that I am reading. I absolutely love them and you may absolutely not - but I want to share anyway. The one I may already have shared with you.. not sure. .. memory doesn't hold much these days.

The first book has nothing to do about religion but I get tons and tons out of it and the other two books are written by Protestant Pastors, both of whom are just so awesome. I'm still reading them but so far so good. I figure it goes right along with the prayer of the Church in which we pray that we may "all be one." If any of you get one or another of these books you will be blessed.

The first is called - "Made to Stick ..... Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

The second is called, "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day..... How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars," by Mark Batterson

and the third is "Confessions of a Pastor" by Craig Croeschel (I don't think related to Father Benedict Groeschel but who knows maybe he is?)

Well, I'm off to the movies. We are going to watch, "The Sound of Music" as our Easter treat. Have a beautiful Easter Monday with many, many blessings.

Peace and Joy!
Sr. Patricia and all the Sisters


Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

Thankful Thursday - New Radio Program

To send this card: Holy Thursday

Quote for the Day: "...In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood." St. Francis of Assisi

Thankful Thursday

Today I started a new radio program called, Faith, Hope and Action. I really, really love the interview I did with Father Jim Van Vurst, OFM the friar who gave us our retreat. The topic is "Death and Eternity." Now you may think that topic sounds like a heavy subject but Father approached it is so full of love and joy that it almost has me ready to pack up my bags and head on out! If you or someone you know has recently lost a loved one - I think this interview would be very comforting for them.

It's a 30 minute program but if you would like to listen to it.... Faith Hope and Action Note: This will probably take at least a full minute to download.. so patience please.

I would love to hear what you think of it, if you have time to listen. You can right click on the link and save it to your computer for listening later as well.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day so I may not be able to get the JoyNotes out for Friday. I hope so.. but at least you are aware if they don't come through!

Blessings of Peace and Joy,
Sister Patricia

P.S. Do you know of someone who would make a great guest for my program? Someone you can give me actual contact information for and who is a warm and friendly person! They don't have to be well known.. but someone you think has a good faith story to share, who is upbeat and positive about their Catholic faith and puts it into action! Some of my best interviews are people who are just ordinary folks but are fun to be around and always leave you with encouragement and enthusiasm for living your Catholic faith.

And yes if you would like to be a guest - why not give it a try yourself! Send me an email about what you would like to share!

Send your suggestions to Sr. Patricia with a subject heading of "Radio Guest." Not going to promise I will be able to use all the suggestions but I will carefully consider each one.



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Tasty Tuesday and Cold Remedy

To send this card: Holy Week Card

Quote for the Day: Christians must lean on the Cross of Christ just as travelers lean on a staff when they begin a long journey. They must have the Passion of Christ deeply imbedded in their minds and hearts, because only from it can they derive peace, grace, and truth. - St. Anthony of Padua.

Tasty Tuesday

First thank you for everyone who sent their delicious chicken recipes. To tell you the truth after my retreat I forgot to go and check them out! Sad, I will do that after I send out JoyNotes and hopefully try some after Holy Week. Something delicious to look forward to.

Also I would like to introduce my sister Barb to Tuesday's JoyNotes. Barb is a dietician/nutritionist and has some wonderful tips and ideas for encouraging healthy but good tasting eating. I'm often much more worried about the "tasty" rather than the "healthy" but I thought a Tasty Tip of the week would be good for all of us.

Right now I am fighting a cold. It is very funny. The reason it is very funny is that I am the Sacristan and nobody, but nobody wants the Sacristan to be sick during Holy Week. Because if the Sacristan gets sick then someone else has to go through all the trials and woes and lamentations of preparing for all the Special Holy Week services. So they have me popping pills and spraying stuff in my throat and doing everything possible to keep me healthy and well.

I took my own special remedy which is a burrito with hot sauce on it. The hotter the sauce the better. So, I ate my tasty burrito and my eyes watered, my nose ran, my tongue needed a fire extinguisher and now I should be completely cured!


Tasty Tip
I mix my favorite blue cheese (high fat dressing) with plain low fat yogurt and it goes twice as far and cuts the calories in half.
Barbara George (aka. Sr. Patricia's sister - Nutritionist)

P.S. Barb is my real sister - but I don't know where in the world she got a liking for Blue Cheese! Eeeckkk.

Blessings of Peace and Joy,
Sister Patricia

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Miracle Monday in Holy Week - My Retreat Review

To send this card: Holy Week Card

Quote for the Day: When a man really gives up trying to make something out of himself - a saint, or a converted sinner, or a churchman, a righteous or unrighteous man,...when in the fullness of tasks, questions, success or ill-hap, experiences and perplexities, a man throws himself into the arms of God...then he wakes with Christ in Gethsemane. That is faith, and it is thus that he becomes a man and Christian. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Miracle Monday

Miracle Monday in Holy Week. This is perhaps the beginning of the week of the greatest of all miracles. God's love for us proved to the highest degree. Hosannah in the Highest.

First I want to let you know that we had a very beautiful retreat. On Sunday morning (not Palm Sunday the one before) I had a most beaufiful relevation that carried me through the whole week and opened a new line of discovery. In explaining it I am sure I will fall short of sharing its impact and you might even think, "Oh gosh, I've thought that lots of time." And you are right because we all get these "moments" of truth for ourselves at different times.

At any rate this is the beautiful grace I received, I think it could very well classify as a miracle for me.

. During Mass the Gospel was about the women caught in adultery. Father Jim our retreat master had a beautiful way of opening this event in story that somehow touched me in a very profound way. As he was retelling the story in his homily I got an image of myself. Not so much as the adulterous woman but as one of those who condemn her. Only it wasn't condemning other people that I saw, but I saw myself constantly condemning myself.

Constantly going over each and every little mishap and dragging myself before Jesus and saying, "Look here, see what she has done now!"

It came to me so powerfully, that if I would only stop condemning myself, stop accusing and pointing out every little wrong - there would be no one to condemn!

Because Jesus certainly wasn't going to do it. And other people condemning could all be brushed away by Jesus writing his messages in the sand for them until they would all fall away one by one.

The only person left would be me. Both as the accused and the accuser.

Jesus said to the woman, "Is there no one left to condem you?"

"No one, sir."

"Then, neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."

Blessings of Peace and Joy,
Sister Patricia

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