November greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ,

Each day, the Church sets Saints before our eyes and hearts to esteem and emulate, but we are launched into November on day one with a colossal Solemnity that represents them all to us!  The number of saints who reign with Christ is vast.  “I saw so large a number,” reports St John, “that nobody could count them.”  The Solemnity of All Saints brims with so much wonder and love that the Church affords us an entire octave to ponder, live out the graces, and, in the end, bolster our resolve to join the saints, known and unknown, that unceasingly cheer us on.  Surely His Majesty does not discount the pleas of so many of His friends for us!

St Teresa of Calcutta reminds that all are called to holiness and that holiness is assuredly linked to following God’s Will.  Each has a plan that is heaven-sent and heaven-destined.  Each has a place in that great cloud of witnesses.  Our cooperation is essential.  Despite our family of origin, geographic location, vocational call and work, St Teresa reminds that in our hearts, our authentic selves are known in an unreserved relationship with Jesus. Simply put, we belong to Him.

As pilgrims in progress it is challenging to avoid dividing our allegiance to other things or relationships versus allowing Christ to be the nucleus.  As Catholics, the sacramental life comes to the rescue.  The Holy Eucharist is, after all, the Sacrament of Unity.  Both our interior lives and external relationships can benefit. We learn first-hand from Our Lord Himself in the Blessed Sacrament.  He is the Way to rightly-ordered love and relationship with Him and others.  Yet we are dull of mind and compromised in vision. Holy Church offers more help through the closely-related sacrament of Reconciliation.  (Consider reviewing Oct 2016 Communique regarding Confession.)

A way of life through the graces of the Eucharist and Reconciliation fosters our spiritual vigor in our rootedness in Christ.  St John Paul II reveals, “The Eucharist is the secret of my day.  It gives strength and meaning to all my activities of service to the Church and to the whole world.”  St Bridget affirms the benefits of Confession: “Just as an animal becomes a stronger beast of burden and more beautiful to behold the more often and better it is fed, so too confession – the more often it is used… conveys the soul increasingly forward and is so pleasing to God that it leads the soul to God’s very heart.” St John Bosco concurs, “You can fly to heaven on the wings of Confession and Communion,” and “There are two things the devil is deadly afraid of: frequent Communion and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament.”

As Seven Sisters we seem poised to make friends in heaven and enemies in hell.  Each week we return to Our Lord to seek the holiness of another, mutually opening ourselves up to holiness for ourselves.  We beckon a whole-ness of heart for the other, a total belonging to Christ that makes the heart true to its design and destiny.  Availing ourselves to frequent Confession and Communion will hasten the removal of obstacles of resistance to God’s love and His Will, and in turn strengthen our weekly Holy Hour offerings.

Hungarian-born Ferenczy’s subject in Birdsong, appears to have a tender awareness to something above and beyond.  Even in her full and expectant maternal state, she seems to give pause to listen, perhaps to even seek intently, something more that offers an even greater fullness. Does the warble of a bird solicit an attentiveness that then reaches above it?

Seven Sisters by and large exhibit an unmistakable depth of joy, living witnesses of Christ’s desire to instill His joy – and that it may be complete (John 15:11).  However, perhaps a bit like Ferenczy’s subject, Seven Sisters understand that its completion is not in this earthly life. In St Matthew’s parable of the talents (Mt 25:23), following a statement of the master, “Well done, good and faithful servant”, the master further rewards the servant by an invitation to “Enter into the joy of your master!” Another version puts it: “Come and share your master’s happiness!”

The happiness of the saints is complete. What augments the delight of the saints most may very well be the thought that the joy is eternal.  We too are destined for this.  The priest or bishop we pray for is destined for this.  Unreservedly belonging to Jesus compels us toward this. In season and out of season until all seasons converge. The sacramental life, especially frequent Communions and Confessions, offers strength and clarity.  What a joy in the journey as we seek complete joy – for ourselves, for another!

United in prayer and mission…

that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…

 … eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day….  “One Ave Maria makes hell tremble” (St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’  (St Teresa of Calcutta)

… your kind emails and notes and phone calls and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your financial sacrifices are for 100% furtherance of Apostolate.  THANK YOU!  The letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! What glory is given to God through your writing! Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.

 Janette
+JMJ+
sevensistersapostolate@gmail.com

October greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ!

When a patient is roomed at my Clinic, we offer him/her a cup of water. While encouraging hydration, there’s more. Studies show that this offering actually curbs anxieties.  Everyone needs water.  The overture brings an unsaid ‘sameness’, but also a boost in what is termed a ‘feeling cared for’ factor.  Even if the cup is declined, the person exhibits a greater sense of calm.  Love generates peace. We have long known this as Catholics.  We know something else.  The smallest act done with the greatest love has benefit for the giver too.  Sacred Scriptures indicate the reward to be immense:  Paradise can be won with such a gesture!  What is done for God, finds God.

Our Lady, especially esteemed in this month, is the quintessential model of love’s recipient and provider alike. In her fiat, her own cup runneth over in the utterance of the Magnificat.  St Augustine articulates the profound receiving and giving of our Blessed Mother: “Him Whom the heavens cannot contain, the womb of one woman bore.  She ruled our Ruler; she carried Him in Whom we are; she gave milk to our Bread.”  Her maternal milk:  ever-ready refreshment to the Infant King of Kings!

Mary’s earthly life is shrouded in silence and hiddenness, but not idleness.  The Nazareth years were likely teeming with the day- to-day activities of a maturing family. Particulars remain a mystery.  A snapshot of 12-year-old Jesus lingers for our pondering – and Scripture reminds “but his mother treasured all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51b).  Our Lady is the woman wrapped in silence as one author entitles her, but not inactivity.  When Jesus emerges into active ministry, Mary is nigh.  She astutely offers that ‘cup of cold water’ when and how it is needed.  Her pondering engenders wise action. The Wedding at Cana.  Jesus’ days of preaching and teaching.  The Way of the Cross.  The foot of the Cross.  The welcoming of John.  The Upper Room.  The Ascension.  Mary supported and loved as St Therese (Feast Day, Oct 1) suggests “by little acts of charity practiced in the shade”.

Seven Sisters do well to ardently align themselves with the way of Mary – valuing our mission as a continual ‘offering of a cup of cold water’ through our sacrifices and prayers for the priest or bishop for whom we are committed to pray.  Zurbaran’s exquisitely detailed, graceful piece, A Cup of Water and a Rose, captures something of a reminder of that closeness to Mary.  In a real sense we journey with the priest as Mary stayed close to Jesus, in both the festive and intensely challenging moments.  Mary will assist.  Seek her ever-ready help!  “Only after the last judgement will Mary get any rest; from now until then, she is much too busy with her children” (St. John Vianney, Seven Sister patron). In imitation, while silence and hiddenness are our modus operandi, we learn from Mary that this is the height and depth of action. Every breath of prayer has merit. Every sacrifice has worth.

Fellow Seven Sisters teach us too – to freely offer that cup and those little acts of charity in the shade:

• “When asked, my answer was immediately “yes”. My adoration Hour is on Saturday after the 8:00 am Mass. It has become a joy filled Hour knowing I am lifting Father up in prayer and I feel so close to God in that Hour. As a Seven Sister I find St. Margaret Clitherow a great intercessor for the priest I pray for.  “Seeking a quietness in the day, in the midst of our usual routines, we steal away to pray for our beloved Pastor – unbeknownst by most – effecting eternal affairs.” This is a beautiful quote on our Seven Sister Apostolate booklet. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight…Heb 4:13a.  This will be my 4th year now and I will continue this ministry as long as I am able.” (Margaret K, Minnesota)

• “What a privilege it is to be in this most needed and amazing effort.  Our Priest prays for the Seven Sisters Apostolate by offering Masses – he is well on his way to 200 Masses that he has said for us!!  He has been so very touched by our prayers and it is his way of giving back and blessing our Ministry!!!  God is amazingly good!!!  (Jean G, Washington)

• “Throughout the day, I find myself praying for priests for whom I prayed as a Seven Sister. Once in a 7 Sister’s heart, always in her heart!  And that’s the truth!” (Barb S. Minnesota)

• “I totally LOVE being a Seven Sister and praying every Wednesday for our dear priest! More than likely this is his last year with us as he is a Dominican and will likely be transferred. He has bestowed many blessings on our parish in the time he has been given to serve us. … I am sure the Sisters we have now will continue with whoever God chooses for us next as our next holy priest!! I have been blessed to truly fall more in love with Jesus during this Adoration hour… Which I would never have known if it weren’t for being a Seven Sister” (Barb S, Minnesota – A different Barb S than above!).

• “The fruits of long, perseverant prayer shine forth in the Apostolate. This is one of so many quiet, but efficacious ways that the Lord is working in these dark days, raising up hidden saints and saving souls. I am so deeply glad to be a part of it. “Her priests shall be clothed in holiness/Her saints shall ring out their joy.” – Psalm 132:16. May it ever be so, and may we labor gladly to do our part in its fulfillment! (Olivia S, Wisconsin).

In parting, let us lend ear to another October saint, Pope St John XXIII (Feast Day, Oct 11), who affirms our gaze toward Mary for guidance.  In his broadcast message of 27 March 1960, he asserted: “Devotion to the most holy Virgin Mary only tends to make our faith more robust, more prompt and more effective; to make our charity more ardent, and our Christian commitment more alive and more fruitful.”  Mary, most perfect companion and mentor for Seven Sisters, stay with us and pray for us!

United in prayer and mission…

that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…

… eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day….  “One Ave Maria makes hell tremble” (St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’  (St Teresa of Calcutta)

… your kind emails and notes and phone calls and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your financial sacrifices are for 100% furtherance of Apostolate.  THANK YOU!  The letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! Don’t stop writing to me. Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.

Janette
+JMJ+
sevensistersapostolate@gmail.com

Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ!  Remembering a special day this month:  Happy Birthday, Mary! (Sept 8) “Today God welcomes on earth the holy throne which He had prepared for Himself.  He who established the heavens in wisdom has fashioned a living Heaven.” – Byzantine Liturgy

Who doesn’t marvel at a flower that finds its way through the tiniest crack in the sidewalk, or a fragile pocket-sized bunny that survives despite its mother succumbing to nature’s forces?  Who can resist the draw of an electrifying espionage film or a come-from-behind victory for a peewee baseball team?  Against all odds. Our souls seem to be made to notice and marvel.  In truth, we hail from those roots.  It is our Faith. Perseverance… against all odds.  Each believer is called to the same course! Our cooperation gives testimony to the higher thoughts and ways of God. In a word, all glory be to God!

Strong convictions precede great actions. Holy Scripture teems with illustrations. A stand out is Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who together resolutely refused to worship the golden idol of King Nebuchadnezzar, knowing they would be hurled into the fiery kiln.  The furnace was so blistering that the guards died that pitched them in! God delivered the trio, however – against all odds!  And how about Esther?  Mordecai pleaded for her to plead with Xerxes to spare the Jews from annihilation.  Her answer, “Mordecai, you are asking me to sacrifice my life to just have the king’s ear.” His answer: “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Her response: “And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” Against all odds… The heart of the king was softened through Esther and the Jews spared.  The course of history changed.

St Paul dominates the New Testament annals as the quintessential figure of a life least-likely-to-convert.  With the strength of transformation, however, of this seemingly implausible conversion, even an ensuing glut of hardships and trials did not deter Saul-turned-Paul from following Christ completely – to sainthood, to be exact!  His actions and words through Holy Scripture remind us, spur us on, beckon us, even – yes, against all odds! Nothing is impossible with God.

You may be familiar with the remarkable story of the Mothers of Lu – women from a small village by that name in rural northern Italy. It is a true account always worth retelling. In 1881, with the encouragement of the local priest, a group of mothers from the town united for the purpose of praying for vocations.  A short but poignant prayer for the intention was composed and collectively prayed.  They organized adoration of the Blessed Sacrament once a week and once a month they offered their Sunday Holy Communion for the same intention.  From the families of Lu emerged an astonishing 323 vocations: 152 priests and 171 nuns. As many as three or four vocations came from some families. Truly, this abundance of fruit from such a small hamlet is against all odds.

As Seven Sisters we stand to learn something from the Mothers of Lu about simplicity and perseverance in prayer, and looking beyond what the statistics and odds may hold in a situation.  We do well to merely remain faithful to our committed prayer times and approach them, like the Mothers of Lu, with the strongest of hopes! “Do not be satisfied with the little things,” encourages St Catherine of Siena, “because God wants great things!”

In obedience to the task set before us as Seven Sisters, we sometimes are called like those aforementioned lives portrayed in Scripture… to pray in the intensityof the likes of a fiery furnace, to courageously pray for the seemingly impossible, and/or endure a number of hardships and sacrifices for the good of another, the recipient of our prayer efforts. Has it been worth it? It is worth our reflection… for in the echo of Mordecai, “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Take heart!

Our Lord will sustain us in these Hours that ask much of us.  It has been said that we sometimes need graces to live the complexity of graces being bestowed.  Let us be open to the sufficiency           and support of graces for that very purpose.  As we live the Hours and live the graces, may we also live the joy. United, we rejoice in the hope set before us – that every priest/bishop we pray for will become more Christ-like.  The graces are ample! … against all odds(phrase now repeated seven times – the complete number!) – for we can do all things through Him who strengthens us (Phil 4:13).

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercian monk, mystic and Doctor of the Church, offers fitting words to Seven Sisters, as we enter and remain in the sweet school of intercession, ever-learning to intercede afresh and anew for the priest/bishop for whom we have committed to lift to heaven through our prayers:  “Wait upon the Lord; be faithful to His commandments; He will elevate your hope, and put you in possession of His Kingdom. Wait upon Him patiently; wait upon Him by avoiding all sin. … He will Himself crown your holy hope. Place all your hope in the Heart of Jesus; it is a safe asylum; for he who trusts in God is sheltered and protected by His mercy. To this firm hope, join the practice of virtue, and even in this life you will begin to taste the ineffable joys of Paradise.”

United in prayer and mission…

that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…

… eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day….  “One Ave Maria makes hell tremble” (St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’  (St Teresa of Calcutta)

… your kind emails and notes and phone calls and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your financial sacrifices are for 100% furtherance of Apostolate.  THANK YOU!  The letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! Don’t stop writing to me. Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU!Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.

Janette
+JMJ+
sevensistersapostolate@gmail.com

Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ! On May 29th a Mass was celebrated on the Feast day vigil of St Joan of Arc beseeching graces for the July Seven Sisters pilgrimage to France.  Every Seven Sister was enveloped in the intention that evening, for every Seven Sister was destined to travel along – by foot or in the hearts of the pilgrims. The pilgrims gathered from California, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin.  Together (with you in heart!) we lived utterly transcendent days.  Your generous prayers preceded, accompanied and met us at every turn. And we reciprocated!  Many followed on Facebook too or kept in touch through emails.  All was appreciated.

On pilgrimage Day 7 on 07/07/19, following a 3 pm Holy Hour in the crypt of the Basilica of St Louis de Montfort, an unexpected blessing came in the gladsome sighting of heirloom roses called Seven Sisters. The photo above is a detail from a massive hedge in full fragrant bloom. The pilgrims were ecstatic! A splendid and distinctive feature is that the rose clusters hold multi-colored two-inch blooms ranging in hues from magenta to deep rose to pink to light pink to white. More so – the colors change on the petals themselves as they mature – moving from dark to light!  These roses experience a single bloom each year in late Spring or early Summer. Yes, we were in the right place at the right time!

As seen in the photo, coexisting on the same cluster and even on a single flower were petals of varied shades and tints.  The image hearkens to the diverse weekly prayer offerings of Seven Sisters.  The outcome is analogous too: striking beauty, fragrance and a mysterious, pleasing unity!

The Church over and again reminds us that the Eucharist is the Sacrament of Unity. “By means of the Eucharistic Sacrifice Christ our Lord willed to give the faithful a striking manifestation of our union among ourselves and with our divine Head, wonderful as it is and beyond all praise” (Pope Pius XII). Our call as intercessors in the presence of our Jesu Hostia puts us in the finest milieu.  Love unites.  What happens in our hearts and in the hearts of those in our group is not immediately recognized or perhaps even understood.  He Who is Love is our Guide.  Pope Benedict explains: “The personal relationship which the individual believer establishes with Jesus present in the Eucharist constantly points beyond itself to the whole communion of the Church and nourishes a fuller sense of the membership in the Body of Christ.”  Our Lord is accomplishing the work.  This reality can do nothing less than strengthen the priest for whom we pray, the Church, our specific Seven Sister group, the larger Apostolate, and ourselves!  For Christ’s love compels us… (II Cor 5:14).

Our current Pontiff challenges: “What do I do with my life?  Do I create unity around me? Or do I cause division by gossip, criticism or envy?” (Pope Francis in The Church of Mercy).  Seven Sister intercessors often disclose that there is a welcomed heart conversion occurring that they link to their commitment of frequent Holy Hours.  Graces seem to be helping to curb tendencies to lean toward criticism or airing differences regarding a priest or bishop.  Disparaging tones and words are vanishing and being replaced by rightly ordered and edifying conversations. More prayer is applied where needed versus more gossip. St John Paul II links the Eucharistic life: “Were we to disregard the Eucharist, how could we overcome our own deficiency?”

The Seven Sister roses are weak against fungus, especially mildew.  Interestingly, the problem is mitigated by placing the plants in full sun. In such a setting they are vigorous growers and climbers if not pruned.   The design for us to come before the Blessed Sacrament with the full Son, as it were, is a benefit without measure.  This is where the gardens of our hearts get the best pruning and life-giving nutrients. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. – Romans 15:5-7

In a special and intentional way, the Church turns toward the Eucharist and Adoration in the month of August.  Let us join her in this orientation – and intentionally live lives more fully oriented toward both.  Such lives can only serve to boast of the unity of heart through Christ.

A Seven Sister: One holy hour/one priest/each week/one heart of prayer is a moniker-of-sorts that describes in-a-nutshell the heart of the Apostolate life. It is a proven and sure conversation starter that brings a person to a quick understanding of the simple structure. Sometimes the conversation lingers in the “how-to’ of the Apostolate. Let us not shy away from emphasizing the rich reward of this simple structure of prayer – a growing love and unity with Christ, with others and within ourselves. For Christ Himself prays it to be so: “The glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one. I in them and Thou in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me and hast loved them even as Thou hast loved Me” (John 17: 22, 23).

United in prayer and mission…

that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…

… eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day….  that ‘one Ave Maria that makes hell tremble’ (St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’  (St Teresa of Calcutta)

… your kind emails and notes and phone calls and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! Don’t stop writing to me. Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.

Janette
+JMJ+
joy2day2u@aol.com

Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ as we finish this month of ‘so much’ and enter another with ‘continued much’.  Grace upon grace – now and ahead. Truly, as Catholics, we live the richest life!  If posed the question, “Will ye also go away?”, let us trust we will ever-heartily and without hesitation echo the first Pope, St Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” (Jn 6:68).

During Spring semester, the fourth-year men of our local college seminary offer ferverinos following Mass. Each man’s charge is to consider a model that has ignited the fire in his heart – and talk about it.  Typically, it is a Saint – or one-in-the-making.  When it was our son’s turn, we fully expected a spirited exchange on either his confirmation namesake, St Thomas Aquinas, or prolific writer GK Chesterton. Instead he opened with Tertullian: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” He proceeded to expound on the treasury of our Catholic inheritance through those that held nothing back, giving all. The unexpected subject matter moved my heart into a great silence of listening.  What eventually rose was an inner awareness that almost shouted “that young man is sold out for Christ”.  Next impulse: “I want to follow him.” Then came, “Oh… I know him.”

Time seems to collapse and reality seems to lose its boundaries when the heart is moved.  The priest more than most is imbued with graces destined to move hearts: sending blazing arrows to enflame souls, to challenge one to decision, to beckon a life to shed encumbrances and live fully.  The glory of God is man fully alive (St Irenaeus, 2nd C).  As Alter Christus, a priest is set to imitate and speak goodness, truth and beauty that stirs the soul to follow. Outcomes vary.  When the depth of the Eucharistic life was verbally unfurled by Jesus Himself while on earth, decisions ensued.  First, we learn that “after this many of his disciple drew back and no longer went about with him” (Jn 6:66).  We also learn that St Peter and the twelve firmly chose to stay.  Fully abandoned, all but one found their passage to eternity through martyrdom.  Our modern-day priests have imitated the first priests and assented to a path that is not embraced by great numbers in these days.  The Church aches for more priests.

Recently I was within earshot of someone suggesting a solution: that a “prayer for vocations and the St Michael prayer” should be prayed “at every single Mass, everywhere”.  While not to dispute the value of these prayers, it dawned on me at that moment that our work as Seven Sisters in no small part also serves as a solution to rally the courage of response to the call to the priesthood.

In the priestly Ordination Mass, when the presiding Bishop presents the bread and wine to each newly ordained priest he says, “Receive from the People of God the gifts to be offered to God.  Know what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross.”  Our offered Holy Hours fortify this promise.  Our prayers do nothing less than strengthen the character of the priest, enhancing a growing virtuous attractiveness that appeals to the those in the pew, the confessional line, the street, to those asking the question, “Am I being called to be a priest?”

While the graces of prayer soften one to listen and attend to the ear of the heart (St Benedict), responses to God’s call to the priesthood are invigorated with the appeal of the character and witness of a rightly-ordered priestly life.  Our patron, St John Vianney, is a quintessential example.  He drew thousands to him because of his holiness. God chose him to show us how far the influence of the transcendental can extend. “The priest is another Christ: Alter Christus, he is Jesus Himself; he has the same work as Jesus to accomplish; he must be the same” (Dom de Roton, OSB ).  It is the whole raison d’etre of the priesthood.

The impetus to pray for Fr Joseph Johnson in the summer of 2010 was the witness of Christ evidenced by his extreme generosity. My query was how can I help fuel what I am witnessing?   Canon Jean Paul Trezieres (in Heidemann’s The Catholic Priest, Image of Christ) expounds, “The most vital element will certainly be generosity, the giving of one self, and it is this which identifies the priest with his Divine Model, as, like Christ, he has charge of souls.  Whether he be a parish priest, an almoner, a curate, a teacher, the superior of an Order or a bishop, following the example of the Good Shepherd, he must forget himself and give of himself without letting up for one moment if his life is to be acceptable in the sight of God.”  Our charge as Seven Sisters is a privileged one.While the world today wants to do without God, we foster the opposite.  We pray forth His Goodness through His chosen vessels, the priests! We call forth the bloom and growth of the priestly nature forever imprinted on these souls.   As the life of Christ matures within them, how unencumbered they may then speak to the heart of another that, in turn, prompts that heart too, to want to follow… as a priest…

Our prayers then, can be seen to serve as a viable solution to the Church’s need for more priests. “The priest… is always suspended in space: He does not touch heaven, but he must make heaven descend to the earth and the earth climb to heaven” (Pere Lamy).  This is the sweet essence that attracts souls to follow with abandonment!  We have a great honor set before us as Seven Sisters intercessors.  We offer not a favor to the priest for whom we pray, but rather recognize our weekly offerings as essential fuel for the life of the Church and its perpetuation.  What a JOY indeed!

Barb Y, an Anchoress from Minnesota to one of the original groups started in 2011, offered a simple outline this year to her group of Praying a Virtue a Week for their Pastor.  She emphasized to her group members that the suggestion was completely optional. Each week is a one sentence prayer that can be enfolded into the weekly Hour. Find the attachment here and on the Web outlining this.

As we pray for growth in virtue and strength for the recipients of our prayers, it happens that Divine economy blesses us, as well.  We too become more attractive in the living out of our rich sacramental lives and may be used to challenge others to come alongside.   “Lord, to whom shall we go?”  We have found the pearl of great price, dear Sisters in Christ!   We can do nothing but share it!  And you have:  At this writing, there are over 1000 active Seven Sisters groups! What a fitting offering to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 28th!  Together let us make this offering with gratitude to God for His call on our lives to cooperate in His work through this Apostolate!

United in prayer and mission…

that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…

… eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day….  that ‘one Ave Maria that makes hell tremble’(St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’  (St Teresa of Calcutta)

… your kind emails and notes and phone calls and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! Don’t stop writing to me. Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.

Janette
+JMJ+
joy2day2u@aol.com

Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ as we continue in this Eastertide jubilation – all the way to Pentecost Sunday, June 9.  It is not easy to keep celebrating!  Yet as Seven Sisters we trust for the stamina to press on further still – to meet the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 28) with happiness, tender souls and indescribable JOY (St John XIII).

 As Seven Sisters we find ourselves in the sweet spot: at the close of our discernment in May moving into our profession of God’s Will for us in June (on or near the Feast of the Sacred Heart). Please inform your Anchoress TODAY (if you haven’t already) whether you will continue with your group another year or depart from its schedule and commitment.  We hope to keep the Holy Hours seamless, as we have guaranteed them, for each priest and bishop.  Keeping your Anchoress updated is vital.

 Whether remaining or leave-taking – eternal gratitude!  Every sacrifice, every prayer bears eternal worth, for love is the lasting thing.  New beginnings and renewals alike hold great graces – each entering the Will and vivacity of the infinite love of Christ through His Sacred Heart for you!                                                  

 My return to the Catholic Faith (03/20/99) is intimately linked to the Sacred Heart. The first religious image I purchased for my home was that of the Sacred Heart. It was affixed to my bedroom wall near my bed.  Those early morning moments were oft spent gazing on the image.  Grace upon grace in those days, I sensed a deep assurance – then deeper still – of the truth and love of God through His Church, specifically through the Eucharist.  “In the Sacred Heart every treasure of wisdom and knowledge is hidden. In that Divine Heart beats God’s infinite love for everyone, for each one of us individually” (Pope St John Paul II).  All told, everyone is intimately linked to the Sacred Heart for the defining assurance of the full truth of the Eucharist as source and summit of our life, our Faith.  It is fitting then that the Apostolate universally renews its commitment in this month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Its Eucharistic and pastoral themes are the firm influence.  Many Seven Sisters (myself included) use the Novena to the Sacred Heart (pg 10 in Guidelines Booklet) every offered Holy Hour for their priest recipient.  St Padre Pio prayed it for everyone asking him for prayer.

 According to the Directory on Popular Piety (written for bishops and their collaborators as a pastoral guide linking the relationship between liturgy and popular piety), devotion to the Sacred Heart has been a vital part of Christian devotion since the beginning. When viewed, “in the light of the Scriptures, the term ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus’ denotes the entire mystery of Christ, the totality of his being, and his person considered in its most intimate essential: Son of God, uncreated wisdom; infinite charity, principal of the salvation and sanctification of mankind. The ‘Sacred Heart’ is Christ, the Word Incarnate, Saviour, intrinsically containing, in the Spirit, an infinite divine-human love for the Father and for his brothers.” Every word seems to dovetail into the heart of our Apostolate!

 “There is in the Sacred Heart the symbol and express image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love in return” (Pope Leo XIII).  Recommitting our work of prayer in this month of special meaning and special graces fortifies our mission.   As we take hold of the truth of the immense individual love that the Sacred Heart of Jesus bears for us and rightly remain open to learn and pray forth the immense individual love Jesus bears for the priest/bishop for whom one prays… we can do nothing short of persevering in prayer – and rejoicing.  “Love overcomes, love delights, those who love the Sacred Heart rejoice” (St Bernadette Soubirous).  It (super)naturally flows   that we beseech sanctity and nothing less for the recipient of our prayers.“I must become a great saint – my Jesus wants it” (St Bernadette Soubirous).

 As the Apostolate grows in height (number) and width (globally), there presents a call for a challenge to growth in depth.  Many Seven Sisters have given testimony to that very thing:  to the joy of increased focus and discernment in prayer, and greater liberty and peace in relying on the Holy Spirit for development in prayer during the Hour.  Others share they are motivated to additionally offer sacrifices for the priest during the day they are committed to the Holy Hour.  All these movements seem the marvelous fruit of obedience and fidelity to these prayer endeavors.

 Through Valerie G, a Seven Sister in North Carolina (Charlotte diocese), I learned of an initiative that grew out of an observance of the positive influence of a Seven Sisters group (initiated 10/2018).  Men in the parish were inspired to join in the prayer efforts in their own way.  What bloomed forth was a desire within each of these men (seven in total, of course!) to fast on distinct days of the week, every week, specifically for the pastor whom the Seven Sisters were offering Holy Hours. Each man fasts to different degrees, “Holy Spirit driven”.  They call themselves theFasting Brothers. Their work is quiet and supportive and welcomed by both the pastor and the Seven Sisters group.  So, we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer (Ezra 8:23).  I wholeheartedly encourage you to be open to this type of prayer enhancement to your Seven Sister group in this coming year. Gratitude to the North Carolinians for this generous example  and their unreserved encouragement to us: to support “all priests” in this way.

In closing: a prayer of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in this month of June. “Let the soul who is desirous of advancing in perfection hasten to my Sacred Heart” (Jesus to St Gertrude).

 O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

United in prayer and mission…

that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…

… eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day….  that ‘one Ave Maria that makes hell tremble’ (St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’  (St Teresa of Calcutta)

… your kind emails and notes and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! Don’t stop writing to me. Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.

 Janette
+JMJ+
joy2day2u@aol.com