Friday - I meant to do my work today

To send this card: Friendship Card

Quote for the Day: "Satan will do anything to make us timid, troubled, and ineffective servants of our Master." Fr. Michael Scanlan, TOR

Friday,

It's happening. Just a little after ten o'clock in the morning and I'm starting on the JoyNotes. My plan is to do thirty minutes before looking at email. They say you should only look at email once a day.... hmmm.... we won't discuss how many times a day we look at email. Nope.. we won't even go there.

They say, (they being all the people who are helping me to get sense out of the chaos of my life.) that email is the world's biggest time cruncher. One little email with one little request can take thirty minutes, smack out of your day before you even realize it. One little email with an interesting link can sneak you off into distraction land with no return. So .... no email till I get my thrity minutes in.

It always takes me a minimum of one hour to put the JoyNotes together.... but the later it is.. the more time it takes. If I don't get started until after 8:00 in the evening it might take me two or more hours. Not sure exactly why.. brain slows down... my procrastinator genes kick in and I keep finding little things to look at, do, read, play a game of spider solitaire while I kid myself that after that I will surely think of something interesting to write about....

Sometimes what happens and this sounds good but really isn't. I think ..."Oh my goodness, I need to make a really nice card for tomorrow. Something special to celebrate the day. There goes an hour.. crunch, crunch, crunch with no problem. After all its night... nothing else to do but sleep and who needs to do that when I need to make this really cool card? Or whatever. Brain goes flaky soft at night. Reason and common sense they don't stick around... they quit.

So.... just see what interesting stuff I write in the morning? Aren't you impressed?

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Twelve: Confession: Externalizing what is within Zorba the Greek—that earthy, raucous lover of life created by Nikos Kazantzakis—captures this loving God when he says: "I think of God as being exactly like me. Only bigger, stronger, crazier. And immortal, into the bargain. He's sitting on a pile of soft sheepskins, and his hut's the sky...In his right hand he's holding not a knife or a pair of scales—those damned instruments are meant for butchers and grocers—no, he's holding a large sponge full of water, like a rain cloud. On his right is paradise, on his left hell. Here comes a soul; the poor little thing's quite naked, because it's lost its cloak—its body, I mean—and it's shivering. "...The naked soul throws inself at God's feet. 'Mercy!' it cries. 'I have sinned." And away it goes reciting its sins. It recites a whole rigamore and there's no end to it. God thinks this is too much of a good thing. He yawns, 'For heaven's sake stop!' he shouts. 'I've heard enough of all that!' Flap! Slap! a wipe of the sponge, and he washes out all the sins. 'Away with you, clear out, run off to paradise!' he says to the soul...Because God, you know, is a great lord, and that's what being a lord means: to forgive!" To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Making a New Resolution -

To send this card: A Memorial of His Love

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

Thursday,

Today I decided to turn over a new leaf and work on JoyNotes in the morning. You know when I was wide awake, alert, brimming with enthusiasm for the day ... that sort of thing. Well, life got in the way. Isn't that just the way with good intentions? You are so sure if you just make up your mind about something... everything will cooperate and fall into place.

At any rate though, I did work on JoyNotes for about 20 minutes and it did make a big difference even that little bit. So it shows that it is a good idea.... just not always workable.

Making resolutions I think is good... even if you only make a little progress - it's better than none!

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Eleven: Confession: Externalizing what is within Look again at the parable. The father, seeing his son in the distance, runs out to meet him with an embrace and a kiss. Through one loving gesture, the father forgives his son—and the son hasn't even made his confession yet! When he does, it seems that the father hardly listens. The confession is not the most important thing here; the important thing is that his son has returned. The son need not beg for forgiveness, he has been forgiven. This is the glorious good news: God's forgiveness, like God's love, doesn't stop. In this parable, Jesus reveals to us a loving God who simply cannot not forgive! To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Feast of St. John the Baptist - Spider Solitaire

To send this card: Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist

Quote for the Day: A good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow. George S. Patton

Wednesday

I couldn't think of anything wonderfully exciting to write here.. so I went and did what one has to do when one's mind refuses to click in. Went and played a game of Spider Solitaire. I lost. I still can't think of anything to write about.

Now I'm mad that I lost the stupid game (I'm on the second level my sister Barb said she finally had to quit the second level because she won it all the time and advance to the third level even though she never wins there.) Me, I'm still stuck on level two and winning is a very rare experience. Now not only do I not win the stupid game (yes it is stupid when I don't win and please don't tell me it's not the game that is stupid!) but now I think every time I lose the stupid game, "How come she wins all the time and I don't? Can it be that there is logic or some sort of intelectual card expertise that I don't seem to have a handle on? Could it be?"

That's a very sobering thought. That's why I resort to calling the game stupid. I'm sure it must be the game. Why do they make games like that? Why does God make sisters that don't have problems with games like that? It's quite a mystery to me.

I still don't have anything to write about but I've filled up a couple of paragraphs..... so guess it will qualify for the night.

Sad that on the feast of Saint Augustine I can't write anything more profound. Really sad. Oh well, I'll get over it... and as soon as I get this JoyNotes out I'll go play another game! Is that stupid?

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Nine: Confession: Externalizing what is within Confession, one aspect of the sacrament which used to receive the greatest emphasis, is now seen as just one step in the total process. Confession of sin can only be sincere if it is preceded by the process of conversion. It is actually the external expression of the interior transformation tht conversion has brought about in us. It is a much less significant aspect of the sacrament than we made it out to be in the past. This does not mean that confession is unimportant—only that it is not the essence of the sacrament. To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Tasty Tuesday - Reflections on Mother Teresa

To send this card: Saint Augustine

Quote for the Day: What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like. Saint Augustine

Tasty Tuesday

A little bit ago I had a serious case of the grumpies. I sat down at my computer and it was just not going to work. I just felt the BLAHS and the NAHS and the "GET ME OUT OF HERE" snydrome was taking over. I had to leave. So I did. I took the bird up to bed. Made my bed (was laundry day). Did the checking. It's my job to walk through the monastery every night checking for unlocked doors, irons left on, burglars hiding in closets that sort of thing.... pretty routine. I didn't see any burglars.Then I moved into the Sacristy and did a few chores in there.. and by jove after a little movement around I felt much better!

Guess the bad mood was caused by lack of not moving! Hey maybe that is why one has mood swings.. so you swing from one thing to another to change your mood? Sounds like I'm getting pretty thin on making sense doesn't it?

Oh well. I find I keep thinking about last night on the news when they had about the publication of Mother Teresa's letters. Sort of amazing. Sort of way too much. And yet in some ways it is also a bit comforting to know that such a saint had such interior struggles. The one thing we noticed that even though she talked about not having "faith" she was always talking about "not having faith" to Jesus.

Another point that occurred to me - was that when Mother Teresa first started out... God allowed her special graces to guide her in a totally new direction. Consolations and understanding that most of us never experience. Then when those were taken away - the loss would be much more severe than if she had never experienced them.

Kind of like losing a loved one. If you had never known them so intimately... the absence would not be noted. But because there was such a deep love the loss seems unbearable at times. Which to me makes sense when she says how empty receiving the "Noble Peace Prize" was to her.. because she did not have Jesus.

She did not have the "Jesus" she had experienced.... she was I think sort of like Jesus on the cross saying, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"

Boy, I sure hope I never have the dark night of the soul like that .. because I sure don't know if I could hang in like she did. I need a flashlight or something!

One thing I am assured of though is that - Mother Teresa is a saint. Amen.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Nine: Conversion: An ongoing process Lillian Hellman provides a wonderful image of this process of reconciliation in her explanation of the word pentimento at the beginning of Pentimento: A Book of Portraits: "Old paint on canvas, as it ages, sometimes becomes transparent. When that happens it is possible, in some pictures, to see the original lines: a tree will show through a woman's dress, a child makes way for a dog, a large boat is no longer on an open sea. That is called pentimento because the painter "repented," changed his mind. Perhaps it would be as well to say that the old conception, replaced by the later choice, is a way of seeing and then seeing again." To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

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Tasty Tip of the Week

from Barbara George
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Tuesday’s Tasty Tip: Peach Cobbler
August 28, 2007

To pick the perfect peach for your cobbler, feel the peach. It should feel firm, but soft, no large brown spots. You should be able to get a nice subtle peach smell when you buy it. This cobbler takes about 6 medium ripe peaches. Allow store bought peaches to finish ripening on the counter for about a day.

Wash and slice fresh peaches into a lightly buttered 8" square glass baking dish. Crumble together 2 tablespoons cold butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/8 cup flour, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle over top of peaches.

Make cobbler topping by using “Bisquik” type biscuit mix. Follow package directions for cobbler. Or use your favorite drop biscuit recipe, using butter for shortening, and adding 2 tablespoons of sugar. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto peaches.

In preheated 425 degree oven, bake for 40-50 minutes until top is browned and peaches are bubbly. Allow to cool slightly, and serve with vanilla ice cream.

This is the best of summer, simple, and makes a special end to a late summer get together.

Not low calorie because some things in life are just meant to enjoy!

Miracle Monday - August 27, 2007

To send this card: Saint Monica

Quote for the Day: To wait open-endedly is an enormously radical attitude toward life. So is to trust that something will happen to us that is far beyond our imaginings. So, too, is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life, trusting that God moulds us according to God's love and not according to our fear. The spiritual life is a life in which we wait, actively present to the moment, trusting that new things will happen to us, new things that are far beyond our own imagination, fantasy, or prediction. That, indeed, is a very radical stance toward life in a world preoccupied with control. Henri J. M. Nouwen

Miracle Monday

Well, I don't have a miracle to report - but I'm open to receiving one. Of course I know they are happening all the time...maybe I should pray more to be open to seeing them!

I just found this video yesterday about a young lion who was raised by two young men. When he got too big for them he was put in the wild with a pride of lions. The video is a clip of their "Reunion" a year later.



Christian the Lion Reunion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmc8gDzk2sg&mode=related&search=

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Eight: Conversion: An ongoing process For many people in the past penance connoted "making up to God" by punishing ourselves for our sins. But true reparation is not punishment. At its root, reparation is repairing or correcting a sinful lifestyle. In the past we were told to do penance as temporal punishment for our sins. Now, however, we understand that our real "punishment" is the continuing pattern of sin in our lives and the harmful attitudes and actions it creates in us. The purpose of doing penance is to help us change that pattern. Penance is for growth, not for punishment. "Doing penance" means taking steps in the direction of living a changed life: it means making room for something new. To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Friendship Friday - Our little bit . . .

To send this card: Saint Bartholomew

Quote for the Day: Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work." H. L. Hunt

Friendship Friday

When thinking about friendship - it occurs to me what powerful friendships we have in sharing with one another our life of faith. To have a friend one must share one's self. And of course that sharing takes place on all sorts of different levels - but the bond of a common faith - links across nations, race, economics - almost everything.

Pretty awesome. Something I don't think I have noted with enough gratitude. One of my most favorite stories in the whole world ( probably shared it with you before) was one I read in an old Catholic Digest magazine. It was about this elderly Mexican lady who had just arrived in the United States, could not speak a word of English and needed surgery.

They had put her in a hospital bed and she was frightened to death. They could do nothing to calm her or assure her that she would be all right because no one knew any Spanish. Finally they called upon one nurse who they thought knew some Spanish. She didn't. Well, not much. The only thing she knew in Spanish was the "Hail Mary." But since there was no one else with anything better to offer she went to see this very sick and frightened patient.

She walked quietly into the room but the poor lady was so afraid of all these American doctors and nurses (probably had heard all sorts of strange tales) that she practically jumped out of the bed when the nurse walked in. The nurse smiled at her to reassure her - it did nothing to help her.

So at a loss of what to do to help... and praying quite desperately herself to think of what to do, the nurse reached into her pocket, pulled out her rosary and started to pray the one thing she knew in Spanish, the "Hail Mary."

The poor, sick lady was so surprised, that tears started streaming down her face and softly she joined in with her to pray the Hail Mary. She was totally transformed, her fears quieted and she calmed down to a point that the other nurses were able to help her get ready for her much needed surgery.

We never know how much our "little" bit can make a "BIG" bit of difference to someone else. I love that story. It's true - though I cannot remember how many years ago I read it so as to find it again. It just speaks so powerfully to me.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Seven: Conversion: An ongoing process Let's look again at our story. The young man takes the first step in the conversion process when he "comes to his senses," overcomes his blindness and sees what he must do. "I will break away and return to my father." Before he ever gets out of the pigpen, he admits his sinfulness. And in this acknowledgement of sin he both expresses contrition and determines his own penance. "I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against God and against you...Treat me like one of your hired hands.." Contrition means examining our present relationships in the light of the Gospel imperative of love, and taking the necessary steps to repent and repair those relationships with others, ourselves and God. The repentence step in the conversion process is what is commonly called "making satisfaction for our sins," or "doing penance." To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Saint Rose of Lima

To send this card: Saint Rose of Lima

Quote for the Day: If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! " St. Rose of Lima

Thursday

This evening I am almost in "Book Heaven." The heaven part is that I got several new books to read and they look great and I love to read. The "almost" part is that its hard to find "time" to read. Sigh. But never fear, I do find little minutes tucked in here and there and get my reading done. When one is addicted to reading like I am .. one always finds a way.

Sometimes I have been resorted to having to read the toothpaste tube or the underside of the kleenex box.... but I do find things to read wherever I am.

But today was an amazing day. Today was the day I could bring my mom to the monastery for a couple of hours and to have dinner with us. We sat outside on the swing and enjoyed the beautiful day. I think I talked about this the last time we did this... but its such a blessing. Even in the monastery sometimes we don't slow down enough to just sit and stare at the beauty God provides for us!

And it was amazing... it was hard.. but I didn't even take a book with me to read!

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Six: Conversion: An ongoing process When we discover in the examination of our values, attitudes and style of life that we are "missing the mark," we experience the next step in the converstion process—contrition." This step moves us to the next leg of our conversion journey: breaking away from our misdirected actions, leaving them behind and making some resolutions for the future. To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Queenship of Mary - Reaching out a helping hand

To send this card: Queenship of Mary

Quote for the Day: He who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy and happy life. William Law

Wednesday,

Whew, you have no idea how close I came to not sending a card out tonight as it is getting late and I am just starting. But I took a look at the calendar to see what tomorrow would be and found out is the feast of the Queenship of Mary.

Well, that settled that. Certainly can't pass that one by.... Sr. Colleen said I would surely get a lightening bolt!

Today has been a radio day... did four interviews. Surely a record for me! Three of them were with Dale and Susan Recinella about working with the prison ministry. I totally cannot believe their courage and committment in doing this. Totally God's grace. I will be putting up their interview on their web site soon. I cannot begin to tell you how much I have been affected by their talks. A ministry of healing for the hopeless.

To me it has been so inspiring to be open to God working in my own life - to be open to helping someone who is suffering with greater compassion and sympathy. So often I don't look beyond the surface with others pain. What they shared the most was not so much the pain of the victim or the murderer.. but the pain of the families left behind. The tremendous suffering to have a loved one die at the hands of another.

They also presented some ways to reach out to help these families. Prayer being one.... and part of that prayer to ask God, "How do you want me to help someone in need?"

It doesn't have to be someone on death row... but I know in our own families, and circle of friends and work... there are people who need help, understanding and compassion in suffering.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Five: Conversion: An ongoing process The need for conversion does not extend only to those who have made a radical choice for evil. Most often metanoia means the small efforts all of us must continually make to respond to the call of God. Conversion is not a once-in-a-lifetime moment but a continuous, ongoing, lifelong process which brings us ever closer to "the holiness and love of God." Each experience of moral conversion prompts us to turn more and more toward God, because each conversion experience reveals God in a new, brighter light. To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

this is a test

this is my news for the day

JoyNotes - Tasty Tuesday - August 21, 2007

To send this card: Saint Pius X

Quote for the Day: "Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to heaven." . St. Pius X

Tuesday

"Tut, tut.. looks like rain." In case you didn't know this is from Winnie the Pooh.... when Christopher Robin was trying to pretend that it was going to rain so that Pooh could sail up to the honey tree (via his balloon) and sneak some honey. At any rate as I look out my window it looks like rain. We've gotten some good soaking already.. .but not complaining. A day or two more of rain is certainly welcome.

This afternoon has been one of those crazy days where I seem to have gotten on a tread mill that was set way too fast to keep up with. Or maybe its more like being lost in an endless maze. I just can't seem to solidly focus on what to do and move forward in a direction that makes sense. Too scattered I guess.

Oh well, time for prayer...hopefully God will straigten things out for me.

Later.. . I see on the headlines that Hurricane Dean is now a Category Five. Very scary. We are going to night prayer soon and will be praying for everyone in its path.. may our dear Lord soon calm the winds.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Five: Conversion: An ongoing process Moral conversion means making a personal, explicitly responsible decision to turn away from the evil that blinds us to God's love, and to turn toward God who gifts us with love in spite of our sinfulness. Persons who turn to God in conversion will never be the same again, because conversion implies transforming the way we relate to others, to ourselves, to the world, to the universe and to God. Unless we can see that our values, attitudes and actons are in conflict with Christian ones, we will never see a need to change or desire to be reconciled. To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

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Tasty Tip of the Week

from Barbara George
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Fresh zucchini, italian style:

This side dish is served hot, and makes a delightful accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish.

Cut up 2 small zucchini’s in 3/4" thick slices. Chop one large onion in 3/4" chunks. Chop two sticks celery into ½" slices. Stir fry quickly in a small amount of olive oil and fresh diced garlic (1-2 cloves, depending on your tastes). When zucchini is barely cooked, add 12 ounce can diced tomatoes (or fresh peeled tomatoes skinned and cut up) and simmer for 20 minutes. That’s it! You’re ready to eat. Serve in a sauce dish and top with fresh grated Parmesan

You can alternate the recipe by adding fresh green beans or greens.

This summer medley can be frozen and enjoyed in the winter. If freezing, be sure to undercook all the vegetables slightly.

Enjoy!

Barbara George

Monday - Prison Ministry and Death Row

To send this card: Saint Bernard

Quote for the Day: "In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. . St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091-1153.

Monday

At present we have three wonderful guests staying with us. Dale and Susan Recinella and their daughter. Dale and Susan both work in prison ministry for the death row in Florida. I am one hundred percent and a bit more in awe of their ministry and their answer to such a very hard vocation. Dale is the Prison Chaplain there and visits each cell on death row. At times he is called to be the spiritual minister for those who are executed. Being with the person all through the terrible, terrible process. Susan is a trained psychologist and volunteers to be with the families of the executed or the vicitim. (never both at one time of course).

It is so beyond me... how we can kill someone - because they killed someone. I must admit though at one time I thought nothing of it and just thought they were bad people and deserved it. Now, I believe much differently and I can truly say...as Saint Francis did, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."

In God's eyes whether we will an action or do an action... it is the same sin. And truthfully I can say there have been moments when I was so full of anger at someone I did not wish them a very long life! I also think of the many stupid things I did in my youth, and my Navy days with drugs and everything else and I can see how easily I could have ended up some place very differently than a monastery.

What I find the saddest of sad.. is that a moment's anger, or drugged moment can affect some people for ever and ever.. and others of us.. simply live through it and grow up to move beyond such things. Imagine doing something stupid, totally stupid when you were 18 or 19 and paying for it by living fifty years in a 9 x 6 cell. I wouldn't wish that on an animal... much less a human being.

How greatly we need to grow in forgiveness ... and accept forgiveness. Susan told a story of when one of her children was about five years old and hit his sister, she gave him a swat and put him in the corner. (Normally she did not believe in spanking) but anyway this time she did and her little son said to her, "I don't see how its not okay for me to hit someone and okay for you."

Which is how it is with the death penalty. It's not okay for someone to kill someone but its justice to kill them for doing it.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Four: Conversion: An ongoing process The conversion process begins with a "coming to one's senses," with a realization that all is not right with our values and style of life. Prompted by a faith response to God's call, conversion initiates a desire for change. Change is the essence of conversion. Shuv, the Old Testament for conversion, suggests a physical change of direction; metanoia, the term the New Testament uses, suggests an internal turnabout, a change of heart that is revealed in one's conduct. The Gospel vision of metanoia calls for an interior transformation that comes about when God's Spirit breaks into our lives with the good news that God loves us unconditionally. Conversion is always a response to being loved by God. In fact, the most important part of the conversion process is the experience of being loved and realizing that God's love save us—we do not save ourselves. Our part in this saving action is to be open to the gift of God's love—to be open to grace. To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

To Do or Not To Do -

To send this card: Remembering You In Prayer

Quote for the Day: Every time you meet a situation, though you think at the moment it is an impossibility and you go through the tortures of the damned, once you have met it and lived through it you find that forever after you are freer than you were before. . ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Friday

You know what is discouraging? It's to find a "To Do" list from a year ago and find out that most of the same "To Do" things still apply. If some of the things actually did get done... they need to be done again... and if they didn't get done.. in a whole year... well that's discouraging.

But then again, what the heck. Life is too short to worry about getting all the "To Do's" done..... and it just goes to show... somehow one survived without getting them done anyway. Maybe things would have been better - maybe not.

My new motivational force is set to spend the next eight weeks working with the radio station. For the last few days I've been brainstorming what to do and when and all sorts of exciting things like that. Then will come the actual doing of them. Is that any fun?

Will have to work in some fun - that is one thing I have learned with this goal setting stuff.. if you don't put in a system of rewards.... then the system doesn't stick! At least with me.... kind of like training a dog.. you periodically need a few treats to keep on target. Got to be something better than those smelly things Shelly eats though.....

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Three: A Journey home to God The parable of the prodigal son can help us understand the stages in our journey to reconciliation—and the order in which they occur. This helps us see why the theology of the new rite of reconciliation suggests a reordering in the pattern that we were familiar with in the past. The journey for the young man in the parable (and for us) begins with the selfishness of sin. His sin takes him from the home of his parents—as our sin takes us from the shelter of God and the Christian community. His major concern in his new self-centered lifestyle—as is ours in sin—is himself and his personal gratification. None of the relationships he establishes are lasting. When his money runs out, so do his "friends." Eventually he discovers himself alone, mired in the mud of a pigpen, just as he is mired in sin. Then comes this significant phrase in the story: "Coming to his senses at last..." This is the beginning of the journey back, the beginning of conversion. To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Thursday - God is in Control

To send this card: Wait for the Lord to Lead

Quote for the Day: A thousand experiences have convinced me beyond room of doubt that prayer multiplies the strength of the individual and brings within the scope of his capabilities almost any conceivable objective. . Dwight D. Eisenhower

Thursday

As I look out the window this evening it is very quiet. There is a pale pink haze in the sky which is the only lingering reminder of a hot summer day. It is very still.

I looked at the headlines in the news and was struck by the huge tragedies all over - terrible earthquakes in Peru, suicide bombings in Iraq, forest fires all over - so much trauma taking place and yet how quiet the world seems from my window.

A dear friend of our community lost his father today. What a hole he shall leave behind even though his father was a holy man and was surely welcomed into heaven. All these things take place about us and we know about them because of communication.

Instant and far reaching communication that ties all the threads of life about the globe into our own. In some ways it is beautiful and in some ways it is overwhelming.

How can one deal with the immensity of life - that is taking place in every single soul?

I think in some ways - although we are called to be our brothers keeper - we are also called at these moments of reflection - to give all to God. To our great God who can keep each blade of grass and grain of sand in his hand with total control and total peace.

Give all to him. Surrender control and worry and anxiety - for all the needs of the world to God. Whew. What a relief NOT to be God - to just be God's child and leave all in HIS hands.

"Jesus, I love you - I trust in You" .... for all and for everything.

I can now soar like a kite in the breeze - our God is here - there is nothing we need fear.

Which leaves me free to enjoy the small things of life that take place in my own little world. Silly, simple things, like Shelley (our dog) getting her first bath today! Don't be shocked.... she's two years old and her first bath! Sister Colleen who did the honors says she was a jewel. She just sat in the tub and let herself be sprayed with water, shampooed and then dried and fluffed and combed with quiet decorum.

The only one who was upset was Jeremiah the cat. After all, Shelley was in "HIS" bathroom. Get that dog out of there. Where are my rights?

A friend asked today for pictures of Shelley (the dog) Jeremiah (the cat) Pia (the bird). A good idea. I will try and take some current ones tomorrow.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Two: A Journey home to God God's reconciling work in us doesn't happen in an instant. Reconciliation is often a long, sometimes painful process. It is a journey not confined to, but complete in, sacramental celebration. It is a round-trip journey away from our home with God and back again that can be summed up in terms of three C's: conversion, confession and celebration—and in that order. In the past the order was different: Receiving the sacrament meant beginning with a recitation of sins (confession). Then we expressed our sorrow with an act of contrition, agreed to make some satisfaction for our sins by accepting our penance, and resolved to change our ways (conversion). Celebration was seldom, if ever, part of the process. To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Wednesday - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

To send this card: Assumption of Mary

More Cards of the Assumption

Quote for the Day: Personal prayer, it seems to me, is one of the simplest necessities of life, as basic to the individual as sunshine, food and water-- and at times, of course, more so. By prayer I mean an effort to get in touch with the Infinite. We know that our prayers are imperfect. Of course they are. We are imperfect human beings. A thousand experiences have convinced me beyond room of doubt that prayer multiplies the strength of the individual and brings within the scope of his capabilities almost any conceivable objective. . Dwight D. Eisenhower

Wednesday

Miracles of miracles. I think they happen when we turn ourselves completely over to God. The more we surrender the outcome of things to God - the more we will be amazed at what God does.

It is very funny. I love reading marketing books. Because they are mostly positive and give one all sorts of ideas to try new things. But lately I have found that one thing they advise doesn't work so well for me.

It's called planning. I love to plan. Its sort of a game... but most of my plans fizzle...YET... when I pray in the morning and let God have complete, overwhelming control of my day.... when I allow myself not to plan but to live in God's plan.

Then...

amazing, wonderful things happen.

Today, I had a journalist call about a story she is working on for confession. She found my web site and wanted to ask me some questions. She asked me about the Confession workbook and if I knew anyone who had used it and would be willing to talk to her about the results. Hmmm? Anyone interested? Send Me an Email.

Even if you don't want to talk to the journalist.. I would surely love to hear from anyone who likes the book or workbook on Reconciliation and would be willing to share their thoughts on my website. ..Please.. and Thank you and God Bless You and Oh.. now it's time for night prayer....How did it get to be this late?

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day One: Introduction The well-known parable of the prodigal son is perhaps the most strikingly powerful illustration of the human process of reconciliation, and of the theology inherent in the new rite of reconciliation. But many of us find it difficult to believe the story (see Luke 15:11-32). The father welcomes the son back instantly—doesn't even wait for him to get to the house. And he isn't at all interested in the young man's confession, only in celebrating. This is not the way we Catholics have viewed the sacrament of reconciliation. Even with the new rite, most of us tend to view this sacrament with the attitude of the older son in the story: Forgiveness comes only after you recite your list of sins, agree to suffer a bit for them, do something to make up for your offenses, give some guarantee you won't commit the same sins again, and prove yourself worthy to join the rest of us who haven't been so foolish! But God really is like the merciful parent in this parable: not out to catch us in our sin but intent on reaching out and hanging on to us in spite of our sin. Reconciliation (and the new rite is careful to point this out) is not just a matter of getting rid of sin. Nor is its dominant concern what we, the penitents, do. The important point is what God does in, with and through us. To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Tuesday - Shelley has an unlisted number

To send this card: Saint Maximillian Kolbe

Quote for the Day: One gets to know the Immaculate better through "humble prayer" than through "definitions and distinctions" . Saint Maximillian Kolbe

Tuesday

Monday was Recover day..... a time out day to catch one's breath. Shelley decided to catch something else. Our phone. Seems that Sister Rita Louise was outside watering part of the garden and she took the phone out with her and laid it down in what she thought was a safe place. It wasn't. When she looked up Shelley was digging a nice hole to bury it.

This actually is not the first time that Shelley has grabbed the phone and run off with it. Just the first time she tried to bury it. Burying phones do not do good things for them, it doesn't say that in the manual but it's true. It also doesn't help if you take a few nice healthy crunches and munches on it beforehand.

It looks like we will be shopping for a new phone soon.

Oh, and lest anyone write and tell me that our dog should go to obedience school and be better managed? Shelley is an honor graduate of several obedience classes. And truly, she is pretty obedient "most" of the time.... just not "all" the time.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

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Tasty Tip of the Week

from Barbara George
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Here’s a quick a pretty summer salad I borrowed from the CIA (that’s culinary institute of America).

The summer squash and zucchini are in full production, and what do you do with all of them you ask? When I was an intern, I took a tour of the Culinary Institute of America in upstate NY. We had a wonderful lunch with this tasty salad that is barely there in calories, high in fiber, and such a fancy way to make use of some of those vegetables.

Grate 1 cup each of zucchini, yellow squash and fresh carrots. Arrange red leaf lettuce on a small salad plate, preparing 4 individual servings. Arrange 1/4 cup each of the grated vegetables in 3 small mounds. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and a light sprinkling of olive oil. Top with a fresh parsley sprig. Salad’s done! Your guests will think you fussed all afternoon.

Next week: fresh zucchini side dish Italian style!

Happy eating,

The Confession Connection Dad's Return by Jacqueline D. Henry - Carolina Shores, North Carolina In the summer of 1979, I was visiting my mother and father in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. During a conversation with my dad about the changes happening in the Catholic Church, he asked me if the prayers and format of the sacrament of reconciliation were still the same. My dad had not been to reconciliation in many years. We talked about the different steps: examination of conscience, initial blessing, telling how long it has been since the last confession, confessing our sins, receiving absolution, getting our penance, and making an act of contrition. We practiced the act of contrition several times until he felt comfortable. Later in the afternoon he announced he was going to church for a while. I asked if he wanted me to go along with him. He said, "No." He returned an hour later with a broad smile on his face, saying he was greatly relieved, "Do you know what that lovely priest did? When I was finished, he actually came out of the confessional, put his arms around me, and gave me the warmest hug." The next day my dad was beaming when he received Holy Communion. The End.... new story tomorrow A selected story from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Monday - St. Clare Celebration News

To send this card: Saint Clare of Assisi)

Quote for the Day: Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me. . Saint Clare of Assisi

Monday,

We had a beautiful Celebration of Clare! The weather was beautiful - blue sky - not too hot - nice breeze. Perfecto. We had about 210 people which was a perfect amount for our garden area. The Mass was great, Father Franklin Fong, OFM gave a joyful, uplifting sermon with inspiration and plenty of laughter. Just wonderful.

Afterwards we had time to meet and talk with everyone who came and it was just fun. The little kids played with the fish...they had little twigs and they held them in the wqter like they were fishing.. and my little fish (Zachary, Sadie and Johnny) are so tame that they came up and nibbled on their twigs to see if there was any food connected with this new game. There wasn't. I went and got some though so they could feed them. They had a fun time - both the fish and the kids.

The real loser for the day was Shelley. She was confined to quarters because unfortunately her idea of greeting people is to jump up and greet them with 80 pounds of Joy on their chest. She is getting better... but the exuberance of having 200 new friends all at once would have been over the top for her... perhaps next year as the puppy stage levels off she can handle it.

It was just a very nice day. The best thing I was totally without stress - or at least a very low version of it. That, I think can be likened to all the prayers said for us. We even had a special novena prayed just for us from our dearest community friend. So hey, we were totally covered!

I am already looking forward to next year!

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection My Own Disbelief byAnne B. Caron Day Three: I approach the sacrament of reconciliation very differently now. It's still not easy. It's still humiliating to admit my faults and deliberate actions, but knowing that there is an ocean of mercy that I can throw those sins into fills me with deep gratitude. Now I know that God's loving heart is always there to lean on and whisper my sorrows to. I haven't yet been able to live up to my desire to live the perfect life out of love for Him, but I know that this is where I receive the grace to keep trying. The End.... new story tomorrow A selected story from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Preparations for the Feast of Saint Clare

To send this card: Saint Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein)

Quote for the Day: The limitless loving devotion to God, and the gift God makes of Himself to you, are the highest elevation of which the heart is capable; it is the highest degree of prayer. The souls that have reached this point are truly the heart of the Church. . Edith Stein

Thursday

Two days till the feast of Saint Clare. It's about this time that we realize we really need at least two weeks more to get everything in order...but of course that probably wouldn't happen either. At any rate things are getting spiffed up. Sister Rita Louise has been baking in the kitchen for treats afterwards - along with several friends and Sr. Colleen's mom who even though she is hundreds of miles away in Montana - manages to bake up a storm and send us a box of goodies a number of times throughout the years.

So this whole fun Celebration of Clare is made possible as the old Beatles song, "With a little help from our friends."

Even Miss Shelley (our golden retriever) has been trying to help. Unfortunately not help of the best kind. Today she picked our one big cantaloupe out of the garden (it was not ripe yet... but showed the most promise) .. snapped it right off its little stem and rolled it with great glee down the sidewalk. Cantaloupe Soccer! What fun. Keep that up and we might be playing Shelley Soccer - rolling her down the sidewalk!

Jeremiah the cat is blithely unconcerned with all the extra bustling about but Pia was annoyed that I was late taking her to bed and by the time I came into my office tonight I found her sitting on top of my walking shoes... "Let's Go!"

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection My Own Disbelief byAnne B. Caron Day Two: At one point during the mission, the priest pointed to the crucifix. He said to us in a firm and solemn voice, "If you don't think this is enough to forgive what you've done, then there's no way you can be forgiven." It hit me like a ton of bricks! My feelings of unworthiness could prevent Our Blessed Lord from forgiving my sins? Not because Jesus was unwilling, but because of my own disbelief! I was stunned. Could I actually prevent God from forgiving me? (to be continued) A selected story from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Saint Dominic - Radio Interview Report

To send this card: Feast of Saint Dominic

Quote for the Day: Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes. St. Dominic

Happy Wednesday,

I made it through the interview. I was very nervous - which was probably good for me as nowadays I am mostly on the side of interviewing rather than being interviewed probably good to get a taste of my own medicine.Sigh.

I think it went pretty well. Once I calmed down. The pace was a little faster than I was ready for but then maybe lack of sleep and anxiety attack had something to do with that. Hard to judge time when you're in the panic zone.

I guess anxiety sometimes come when one is too worried about self. Poor self. I do worry about it alot. Seems like its always doing things to make me worried. And it's always hanging around with me... everywhere I go - there is self. What's a person to do?

In the meantime now that that is over, I can move onto the next big agenda which is our Celebration of Saint Clare this Saturday. Lots to do... don't be surprised if I take Friday off from JoyNotes. Just have to see.

Next week for sure and by golly though I will have the page up to collect prayer stories. This time I will have to include some of my own... funny, but I have never included any stories of my own in these books. Kind of weird huh?

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection My Own Disbelief byAnne B. Caron Day One: A few years ago our parish held a Lenten Mission. I was not planning to go, but a friend didn't want to go alone, so I went to accompany her. I think God used her to get me to go! The Passionist priest giving the mission was very fervent and very much in love with the Lord. I drank in every word he said and thrilled to the truth of it. It had been awhile since I'd gone to confession because I felt very unworthy. Sometimes I would imagine that God was impatient with me for repeating the same sins over and over. (to be continued) A selected story from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

Feast of the Transfiguration - Miracle Monday - August 6

To send this card: Feast of the Transfiguration

Quote for the Day: Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better things. Henry Ward Beecher

Miracle Monday!

Well, its definitely time to get back into miracles. I was reading a book over the weekend called, "Let the Fire Fall" by Michale Scanlan. It's an old book published in 1986 but I love it. I read it every so often when I need a spiritual pick-up.

One of the stories I read in the book was about the cure of a small child who had Downe's snydrome! He was actually, totally cured. Totally amazing. But I do believe miracles as big as that do happen. Once we were asked to pray for a baby who although not yet born was diagnosed to be severely brain damaged. When the child was born he was placed in a potential adoptive home with parents who could take the best care of him. The father was a doctor and I think the mother was a nurse.

Guess what? The little boy grew up with brothers and sisters and learned to read and become a very normal child.

Another time a friend of ours was telling us about a parent who had a heart attack on a major freeway. He pulled over to the side before and passed out. Guess who was the first person on the scene? A heart surgeon. Miracles do happen in all shapes and sizes. It seems the bigger the tradedy the bigger the miracles happen to meet the needs.

I think many of us often forget that we need to play a part of intercessory prayer for many miracles to happen. God doesn't step in front of our free will, we must ask.One line I read in the above book mentioned that often people pray for about as long as it takes to get an aspirin and then they are off to other things. That hit me hard. How long and hard do I pray? Certainly I have my structured prayer life which is throughout the day - and I also am talking to God quite a bit... but actually, deep down prayerfully interceeding... I think I could do a lot better.

Wouldn't it be grand if we all became much more fervent in our prayers and started seeing miracles happen much more? I think it would. I am getting excited about this new book on prayer.... because I think God wants me to become much more committed and fervent in my prayer life. This is how each book has been for me. Not a work to do for God but rather an opportunity for God to teach and heal and do great things for me. Funny, whenever we try to do something for God we always come out the winners. Every time.

Now for two apologies.

I really wanted to get the book page up last week to start collecting stories but I just wasn't able to. This week as we prepare for our big celebration of Saint Clare on Saturday, I may not be able to get to it either.. but I definitely will do it right after that!

OH... and I have to tell you that my hopeful plans to sell the Reconciliation book for a low, low price throughout August, fell through. Because I want to continue to put my books in as many Catholic and other bookstores as possible I was told it would not be fair to undersell the book on my own site. So - what we are doing is planning a campaign in which we can sell the book at a low price - but go through the bookstores! Unfortunately it will take longer to work out the details than just selling myself... our plan at this moment is to have this special sale just before lent of 2008. A long time away I know.. but at least know that it will happen!

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia

The Confession Connection O Happy Fault: A Confession of Hidden Sin by Vinny Flynn Day Nine: What this teaches us is that happiness isn't a feeling. It's a chosen attitude, an inner peace that comes from trust. Joy isn't the absence of sorrow. It's the presence of God. And if we allow the presence of God to penetrate deeply into us, even in the midst of great pain, we will be happy. (to be continued tomorrow) From one of twelve articles on confession found in the book, "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation."