Vocation Office E-Newsletter December 2019

laudare, benedicere, praedicare TO PRAISE, TO BLESS, TO PREACH

December 2019

Awaiting the Light INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Re lection: Saint Dominic, Day S ar of the World Recommended Reading: Admirabile Signum- On the Meaning and Impor ance of the Nativity Scene by Pope Francis

Nativity by Fra Angelico. 1441. Located in SanMarco Cell 5.

Feast of Saint Cecilia and Thanksgiving Recent Travels and Events

Awaiting with Joyful Hope A Reflection on Saint Dominic, Day Star of the World Advent is a season of waiting, of hoping amidst the darkness for the dawning of the world’s one true Light. We all experience some form of darkness before the dawn, not only physically but also spiritually. The unanswered uestions, hidden challenges, and seemingly unexplainable happenings of life leave us longing for the light of truth, especially of the meaning of life and its mysterious paths.

One of the titles of Saint Dominic is Day Star of the World. This title points to Jesus and Mary most fully. Christ is the eternal Day, the Light of the World, who sheds the light of truth and love on every aspect of being. He is God’s Word, whose truth alone can make sense of all that seems senseless. So often in his years on earth, Jesus was a Teacher, explaining the mysteries of the Kingdom of God by use of parables and examples and by the radiance of his lived virtues.

Mary is the bright morning star both re lecting and pointing toward the fullness of light found in her Son. Advent is an exceptional time of waiting with Mary for the coming of her Son to illumine every mind and heart.

In those months when she bore him beneath her heart, she was adoring in silent patience the Answer to her heart’s longings also.

Saint Dominic had an intense love for Mary, the Mother of God. He pondered the mystery of Christ through the eyes and heart of His mother. That the Order of Preachers was entrusted with the preaching of the Rosary points to the mystical reality that Dominicans have an Adventhearted charism. Saint Dominic dedicated his Order to preaching for the salvation of souls, a work especially entrusted to the intercession of Mary. The Word that took lesh in Mary is the same Word preached by the children of St. Dominic, to become incarnate by divine grace in those we serve.

Detail of an icon of Our Lady and Saint Dominic.

Saint Cecilia Motherhouse

Throughout the dark, uiet days of Advent, may we ponder with Mary the growing Christ-life within us. May we await with joyful hope the dawning of the Word made lesh in the newness of Christmas grace.

Saint Dominic, Day S ar of the World, pray for us.

New England Trip College of the Holy Cross | November 12 Father John Gavin, S.J. invited Sister Peter Marie and Sister Bernadette Marie to visit the students at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. While they were there, they had dinner with a wonderful group of women and Sister Peter Marie spoke to their Pro-Life club about how we, as Dominican Sisters, promote a culture of life.

University of Rhode Island | November 13 Father Carl Fisette, Chaplain of the Catholic Campus Ministry Center at URI, invited us to attend their weekly Wednesday Dinner Event. After attending Mass with the students on campus, Sister Anne Frances, Sister Peter Marie, and Sister Bernadette Marie participated in a vocation panel along with a seminarian from the Diocese of Providence.

New England Trip cont.

Providence College| November 14-18 Sister Peter Marie and Sister Bernadette Marie enjoyed visiting with many students during their time on campus at Providence College. Along with Father Micheal Mary and Sister Anne Frances, they spoke during several theology classes about God's plan for our lives and their own vocation stories. The sisters also attended various events on campus and enjoyed praying with the students during adoration, Compline, and Mass. Sister Bernadette Marie presented a reflection entitled: "Seeing the Beauty of God's Grace in the Life of Servant of God Chiara Corbella Petrillo" with the Women's Studies Group on campus.

On Saturday, November 16, Father Peter Martyr, several of the sisters and students from three of the universities in the area enjoyed a time of fellowship followed by Vespers with the Dominican Friars and Mass.

Saint Cecilia's Feast Day

Joyful music and beauty filled our celebration of the Feast of our patroness Saint Cecilia. Above, the sisters in the Novitiate sang two lovely songs as we gathered together with some faculty from Saint Croix Catholic School in Stillwater, Minnesota where several of our sisters serve. After the musical performance, all enjoyed each others company.

Grateful for Community It was a blessing to have extra time with our sisters over the Thanksgiving weekend as everyone pitched in to help with the cooking and cleaning. The sisters also enjoyed much time outside in the beautiful fall weather.

Advent Wreath Blessing On the Feast of Christ the King, our sisters in Chattanooga, Tennessee hosted an Advent wreath making party for some of their students. Afterwards, Father Christopher Manning blessed the wreaths in the convent chapel.

Advent Wreath Blessing Prayer Lord our God,we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ:he is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples,he is the wisdom that teaches and guides us,he is the Savior of every nation.Lord God,let your blessing come upon usas we light the candles of this wreath.May the wreath and its lightbe a sign of Christ’s promise to bring us salvation.May he come quickly and not delay.We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Recommended Reading

Admirabile signum

On the MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF THE NATIVITY SCENE

By: His Holiness Pope Francis Pope Francis recently wrote an Apostolic Letter to all the faithful on the meaning and importance of the nativity scene. He signed the letter during his visit to the Shrine of the Nativity the Italian town of Greccio, on the irst of December, where the irst nativity scene was created by Saint Francis of Assisi.

The beginning of the letter is below. For the full letter, please click here.

The enchanting image of the Christmas crèche, so dear to the Christian people, never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder. The depiction of Jesus’ birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. The nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture. As we contemplate the Christmas story, we are invited to set out on a spiritual journey, drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman.

We come to realize that so great is his love for us that he became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with him. With this Letter, I wish to encourage the beautiful family tradition of preparing the nativity scene in the days before Christmas, but also the custom of setting it up in the workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares. Great imagination and creativity is always shown in employing the most diverse materials to create small masterpieces of beauty... It is my hope that this custom will never be lost and that, wherever it has fallen into disuse, it can be rediscovered Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Mass in St. Peter's Basilica Dec. 24, 2018. and revived.

Photo Accessed from Vatican Media.

If you are planning to attend the FOCUS SLS Conference in Phoenix, we would love to see you!

Visit us at our Booth #215 in Mission Way.