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+
[email protected]

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+
[email protected]

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+
[email protected]

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+
[email protected]

Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ as we resound with the Alleluias of Eastertide!  This year the entire month of May is within the happy influence of Eastertide, which St Athanasius rightly dubbed “the fifty-day Sunday.” Leave your umbrellas down and receive the full shower of graces!

We are still within hearing distance of that ever-beautiful opening Gospel (Luke 19) of Palm Sunday where the disciples are directed by Jesus to untether a colt and bring it to Him.  If asked why they were untying it, the simple and poignant answer: “The Master has need of it.”

My prayers heartily join yours as you commit in this month of May to discern (see Guidelines) your continued commitment or departure from the weekly Holy Hours as part of a Seven Sisters group.  In a word you seek to be untethered so as to ask, “Master, where do You have need of me?”

When you have a clear sense as to your call for the coming year, inform your Anchoress. Kindly allow plenty of time if the Anchoress needs to secure a replacement for your day.  No matter when your group commenced, each June is the uniting, universal time to re-commit your prayer efforts within the Apostolate.  Re-commit together as a group using theCommitment Prayer composed by Apostolate Chaplain, Fr Joseph Johnson, as near as possible to the Feast of the Sacred Heart (this year: Friday, June 28). The prayer: on the Web site in both English and Spanish.

Like it or not, ready or not… discerning such a commitment is apt to stir additional annoying distractions, unanticipated interference, even bouts of robust spiritual warfare. As the Apostolate continues to grow, resistance from our adversary will likely do the same.  Several Seven Sister intercessors have noticed such things both preceding and within their weekly Holy Hours.  Enough occurrences have been mentioned that this Communique will address the reality.  The tried and true solution without a flinch:  prayer, and more of it!

Especially in this Easter season we are reminded to not lose heart, but rather remain mindful that to this end the Son of God appeared, that He might destroy the works of the devil (I Jn 3:8).  So too that the Lord is faithful, who will strengthen you and guard you from evil (II Thes 3:3) because, after all, you shall not fear… for it is the LORD your God who fights for you (Dt 3:22)… to give you the victory (Dt 20:3-4).  In our times of discernment and prayer offerings, Scripture emboldens us, helps us see clearly. It is laden with words that are living and active that find themselves not merely for our ears but as active guides to heart and mind.  Truth. Plan. Peace.

The saints are specialists of spiritual battles.  Their examples and insights serve to impute wisdom and strength in our own battles.  Our Lady is the quintessential model for she is the devil’s greatest and most hated enemy, and the Lord has given her crushing power against him.  St Bernard of Clairvaux firmly assures us: “If you follow her, you won’t go astray.  If you pray to her, you won’t despair.  If you think of her, you won’t be lost.  If you cling to her, you won’t fall.  If she protects you, you won’t fear.  If she’s your guide, you won’t grow weary.  If she’s favorable to you, you’ll reach your goal.”  St Bonaventure concurs: “Men do not fear a powerful, hostile army as much as the powers of hell fear the name and protection of Mary.”

The Church has preserved many beautiful prayers with special relevance to spiritual warfare: Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, St Michael prayer, Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Anima Christi.  “Even just one Ave Maria makes all hell tremble,” says our patron, St John Vianney. Simply repeating the name of Jesus, slowly invoking the Holy Family – Jesus, Mary, Joseph – or singing hymns brings peace and order to turbulent or confusing thoughts or situations.  “I don’t understand those fears that make us cry, “The Devil!  The Devil” when we can say, “God! God!” (St Teresa of Avila).  “Let the Enemy rage at the gate, let him knock, let him push, let him cry, let him howl, let him do worse; we know for certain that he cannot enter, save by the door of our consent” (St Francis de Sales).  Sacramentals assist: holy water, Crucifix, St Benedict medal (“devil-chasing medal”).

We are covered on all sides and inside too!  Let us go wisely forward in confidence in our discernment.  Step over any ‘barbed wire’ that may present itself to distract, and move ahead, trusting.  Be open to the call that might be to remain in the Apostolate, but also serve in an additional or different (or new!) group (i.e. Hospital Chaplain, retired priest/bishop, parochial vicar in parish where pastor already has a group, priests serving in Seminaries, Chaplains/professors in High schools/Universities, Canon lawyers, priests who serve in the Chancery, priests in religious orders, Military Chaplains, Exorcists). Every priest deserves our prayers!  Be assured, if you ask, you willknow where/how you are called.  And likewise, be assured, that God’s graces are sufficient for the task!

Let me encourage you to continue with holy fidelity and focus to your Seven Sister commitments through May.  It may take extra planning and efforts in this month of ‘so much’. Let us be sensitive and remember that many of our parish priests and bishops are on ‘double duty’ in this merry, merry month as we celebrate so many events in our sacramental life and special Feast Days, as well.  Likewise, many priests will be learning of new assignments and needing our extra sacrifices and prayers as they anticipate transition.

Recommendation of an excellent, concise (4 X 7) resource regarding spiritual warfare packed with Scripture references, help from the Saints, prayers/devotions/hymns for battle: Manual for Spiritual Warfare, Paul Thigpen (Editor, TAN books).  Imprimatur. TAN books, 2014.

Our perseverance in prayer continues to reap benefit.  From one who lived this way, timeless words from St Padre Pio spur us on and invite us to do the same, “Never tire of praying.  It is what is essential.” Seven Sisters: Prayer. Never tire. Essential.

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+
[email protected]

Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ as we together reap the graces of these Lenten hours into days into weeks – in anticipation of the celebratory heights of Easter and its octave finale of Divine Mercy Sunday, a day of a second Baptism.  Enhancing the outpouring of graces in the Paschal-tide are more – through the devotional orientation of the Church in this month of April toward the Eucharist and the Holy Spirit.  Who can knowingly turn from this blessing-laden treasure trove of our Faith! Grace upon grace…

 A privileged time in my life one Easter was sponsoring my friend, Faith, to come home to the Catholic Church.  As an unwavering life-long Protestant she was relentless in her questions about Mary and purgatory. The wisdom of a priest quelled the torrents of reservation when he assured her to be at peace if she didn’t completely understand, as long as she didn’t oppose.  “Come in and receive the sacraments.  What would be gained from waiting?  The learning is lifelong. Graces await!”   

 Several months later Faith told me that living the sacramental life she experienced inner healing she was convinced she could not have received in any other way.  “The rhythm of the Liturgy and the graces of the sacraments have given me a wholeness that I never imagined possible.” It hearkens to convert GK Chesterton’s discovery that the Church was “larger on the inside than it is on the outside”.

 As Seven Sisters we poise ourselves weekly at the crux of what is most important to the Church – its source and summit – the Eucharist. Intimately entwined is the ministerial priesthood.  Holy Thursday reminds that both were instituted on the same evening.  Two sides of a coin, inseparable. God’s perfect design.  Our particular summons to prayer affirms the inseparability.  And graces abound for whoever is willing to receive (St Francis de Sales).  Are we asking for them? Open to them?

 Consistently upholding the demands of the priestly vocation in prayer boosts a mindfulness of our inheritance as Catholics – and our clear dependence upon priests for the fullness of that inheritance. This awareness should do nothing less than spur us on to still more prayer! In strengthening the priest, you strengthen the whole Church… (Fr Gerald Fitzgerald). The Liturgy itself in its rhythm within the liturgical seasons moves us toward personal and collective remembrance, conversion, untold graces that await and assist!  As Seven Sisters, we open ourselves to an additional gift: to grasp a fresh understanding of the work and life of the priest and in so doing, beseech a lavishing of graces for him.  Graces enough for his sanctity! As we pray before the Blessed Sacrament our inner eyes are enlightened.  Our hearts are tenderized.  Our prayers take on new wings.

The priest is steadily called to a deeper identity with Christ through the Liturgy, sacraments and liturgical seasons.  Over and again, with Christ and through Christ, he brings together Heaven and earth for our benefit. “For the priest in particular, everything starts from the Eucharist and everything returns to it. … Leading men to Jesus and giving Jesus to men, that is the vocation of the priest.  At the summit just as at the beginning of this wonderful ministry, shines out the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, the Sovereign Priest, prayed to, adored, contemplated by the priest, his minister” (Canon Tancrede Guillard).

Perhaps both most challenging and fulfilling for a priest is the intensity of call of alignment to the Passion of Christ. While this is the essence of each Mass, during the Lenten season the priest is beckoned to offer more liturgies, more sacrifices, more times of confession, more prayer, more suffering, more love.  Our prayers as Seven Sisters during Holy Week especially must intensify to call forth the necessary graces.  “The greater perfection a soul aspires after, the more dependent it is upon Divine Grace” (Brother Lawrence).  With this awareness, may we not relax our prayer efforts during Holy Week, but instead utilize the graces we have been afforded this Lenten season and strengthen our efforts.  “You can do more with the grace of God than you think” (St John Baptist de la Salle).  The Adoration Chapels may have limited or no access during Holy Week.  Seek the Lord as to how you might offer ‘the Hour’ that week in perhaps a departure from your norm, but do dedicate and offer an Hour at all costs!

Let us continue to avail ourselves to the plentitude of graces Our Lord offers us.  Yes, he is looking for ones that are willing to receive.  The joyful women in Magsaysay-Ho’s painting offer hints.  They have left their homes for the bountiful fields.  They fill and carry baskets of a size meant to be shared.  Yet the fields seem to retain a fullness of the fruit of the earth – more to share.  Let us awaken to the great gifts that the Vineyards of Our Lord offer that serve as conduits of graces:  through His priests, liturgy, the sacramental life, liturgical calendar (daily and monthly themes of devotion), offerings of sufferings and united prayers and works with one another.  Let us embrace the words of the priest counseling my friend, Faith, “What would be gained from waiting? … Graces await!”  Indeed.  Grace upon grace, glory to glory. We are blessed to in turn be a blessing.  “Christ made my soul beautiful with the jewels of grace and virtue.  I belong to Him whom the angels serve” (St Agnes).

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….  Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’  (St Teresa of Calcutta)

… Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.

 Blessed Triduum, Easter, and all 50 days of Eastertide – feast upon feast – like “fifty Sundays”! Rejoice!

 Janette
+JMJ+
[email protected]