Vocation Office E-Newsletter October 2020

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

With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:18

In this Issue: The First Dominican Pillar - Prayer Postulant Entrance - 2020

October 2020

Mission Spotlight - The Australian Missions Dominican Prayers - Ave, Maris Stella

The Four Pillars of Dominican Life Prayer

In the Gospel of Saint Mark, we learn about prayer through the encounter between Jesus and the rich young man. Jesus casts his loving look on us before we ever come to prayer. He already loves us. He loves us enough to “push” us to deepen our desires and not be afraid. From this story, four aspects of prayer emerge: desire, humility, petition, and transformation. The rich man “ran up and knelt before him, and asked him.” These three verbs: “ran,” “knelt”, and “asked” reveal essential dispositions of the heart for entering into prayer.

And as he [Jesus] was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”

James J. Tissot, 1836-1902, The Rich Young Man Went Away Sorrowful.

And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.” And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions (Mark 10:16-22).

Prayer

He “ran” to Jesus, that is, his heart was stirred with a great desire to enter into this dialogue. This desire came from God Himself. Perhaps the rich man had heard Jesus speak or seen Him work a miracle.

God always takes the initiative in prayer and we respond—we “run” to Him. How great is our desire to pray? God can always increase this desire within us.

The rich man then “knelt,” that is, he acknowledged who He was before the Lord, employing his whole self in the act of prayer. Our bodily posture in prayer can aid us in having the proper disposition of heart. Kneeling before the Lord placed the rich man in the humble disposition of acknowledging his need. What was his need?

To “ask” the one burning question in his heart: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” This question shows that the rich man was already immersed in the Word of God. His question came from meditating on the meaning of the Scriptures and their application to his own life. Jesus also wants us to read the Word of God, and to ask whatever questions come to our hearts.

Prayer The rich man came to Jesus with so many good dispositions of heart: desire, humility, and questions about things eternal.

What did he still lack? What was the essential disposition of heart for prayer that would have made all the difference?

It was a willingness to be transformed—a real openness to do “whatever He tells you” (John. 2:5).

Uncomfortable? Yes. Unexpected? Usually.

But in the end, it is the only way to true freedom and fulfillment.

Desire, humility, petition, and transformation: four dispositions of the heart that will make our life of prayer a real exchange of love with the Lord.

From one of our Finally Professed Sisters Sister Mary Xavier, O.P. final profession of vows - 2020

"Dear Sisters, in baptism you have already died to sin and have been consecrated to the Lord. Are you now resolved to unite yourself more closely to God by the bond of perpetual profession?"

"I am so resolved."

From the Rite of Religious Profession.

I am originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. I grew up attending Catholic elementary school and public high school. During college, I was blessed to become involved at the Catholic Newman center on campus.

The seeds of my vocation were planted during college through opportunities to attend retreats and visit different religious communities. This was my first time to see a religious sister wearing a habit!

However, I was not actively discerning a religious vocation at the time, and I thought I would eventually get married. After college, while serving as a FOCUS missionary, I slowly began to recognize the Lord’s call. Through daily personal prayer and time spent in Eucharistic Adoration, my heart was opened to discover the Lord’s love and his plan for my life. A question I have been asked several times is “Why isn’t religious life a sacrament?” The answer is that religious profession is a deeper rooting in our Baptism. I found myself reflecting on this mystery leading up to Final Profession. During the Easter season, we often renew our Baptismal promises at Mass by responding “I do.” For me, one of the most moving moments of the Mass of Final Profession is the “Examination” in which the Bishop questions the sisters about their intention to persevere in religious life. Together, the sisters to be professed respond, “I am so resolved.” It is by God’s grace that we are able to resolve to give our lives totally to Him in poverty, chastity and obedience; and it is his grace that enables us to be faithful.

Postulant Entrance 2020

We are grateful to God for the generosity of these ten women who have answered the Lord's call to enter our Community. They hail from nine different states, and Nova Scotia, Canada. Please pray for them as they continue their journey with the Lord!

"I have prayed that your faith may be strong..." Luke 22:32 To keep our faith strong, who better to look to then Our Lady?

During this month of October, when we remember in a particular way devotion to Our Lady through the rosary, let us ask Our Lady to help us keep our faith strong. The saints knew this secret and we look to their example of devotion to Our Mother.

"In what silence, what recollection, what adoration she must have been wrapped in the depth of her soul in order to embrace this God whose Mother she was."

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity

"I am totally poor, a poor nothing. My strength is my prayer; my leader is the will of God which I let Him take me by the hand. My security over the uneven path is the heavenly mother Mary."

Servant of God, Father Dolindo Rutolo

“I love Our Lord with all my heart. But He wants me to love Our Lady in a special way and to go to Him with my hand in Mary’s. My Mother, grant that everyone who looks at me may see you!"

Venerable Maria Teresa Quevedo

In the Kitchen with Sister Maria Clemens, O.P. Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Bread ~ 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, plus additional as needed ~~2 cups boiling water ~ 2 scant tablespoons or 2 (1/4 oz) packages active dry yeast ~ 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F) ~ 1/4 cup vegetable oil ~ 1/2 cup honey ~ 2 teaspoons salt ~ 1 cup whole wheat flour ~ 4 to 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ~ Solid vegetable shortening for greasing pans ~ 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water, for the egg wash

1. Add 1 cup rolled oats to boiling water. Stir, cover, and let sit about 45 minutes until cool to lukewarm.

2. In a large bowl, soften the yeast in the water.

3. Add the oil, honey, salt, all the whole-wheat flour. 1 cup of the unbleached flour, and the cooled oat mixture to the yeast. Beat vigorously with a dough whisk or a heavy-handled spoon for 2 minutes.

4. Gradually add more of the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough forms a mass and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.

5. Kneed, adding more flour a little at a time as necessary for 8-10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.

6. Put the dough into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil.

Cover with a tightly woven kitchen towel and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.

7. Grease two loaf pans with solid shortening and sprinkle sides and bottoms of the pans lightly with oats.

8. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide it in half. Shape into loaves. Fit the loaves, seam side down into the prepared tins. Cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes.

9. Bake on 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until firm in the center.

Missions Spotlight

Sydney and melbourne, Australia Trinity Catholic College, Sydney 7 - 12 Grade L-R: Sr. Mary Helen, Sr. Cecilia Joseph and Sr. Susanna currently serve in Sydney.

In 2007, the Dominican sisters arrived in Sydney, Australia, at the invitation of Archbishop Anthony Fisher, OP, to help prepare for World Youth Day in 2008. After World Youth Day, the Archbishop of Sydney invited our community to remain in the Archdiocese and serve in such ways as teaching, chaplaincy work and hosting retreats In 2018, Archbishop Dennis Hart invited the sisters to the Archdiocese of Melbourne, five hundred miles southwest of Sydney, in the state of Victoria.

St. Anthony's Primary School and Catholic Regional College, Melton K - 6 and 7 - 12 Grade L-R: Sr. Maria Joy, Sr. Cecilia Rose and Sr. Mary Sarah currently serve in Melbourne.

Archbishop Hart requested that the community serve at the western edge of the Archdiocese where a large number of immigrant families have settled, and the Catholic Church is growing. At present the sisters serve in two schools in the city of Melton: St Anthony Primary School (K-6) and Catholic Regional College, Melton (7-12). The town of Melton, located just outside of metropolitan Melbourne, began as a sheep station in the 1830s and became a stopping point for prospectors during the gold rush of the 1880s. Melton remained a small rural town until the 1970s, when Melbournians began searching for more affordable housing on the west side.

Did you know that one of our Sisters is an alumna of Trinity Catholic College? Sister Moana Grace, O.P. was taught by our Sisters in Sydney, and afterwards entered the Community in 2016.

In God's goodness, Australia has not suffered as much from COVID-19 as other countries. Our Sisters in Sydney note: "At the height of the pandemic here, we had about 6 weeks of online learning. However, at Trinity Catholic College we have been back in school full time since mid-May. Students returned with a renewed appreciation for their teachers and for learning. While desk cleaning and hand sanitizing has become the norm (and social distancing strongly encouraged), school has provided a stable element for our students (and for us!) during a time of many uncertainties. We thank God for His protection of our small part of the world and for the gift to be in the classroom during these times."

At St. Anthony Primary School almost one third of the students speak English as a second language. Many families in the school have emigrated from India, Iraq, Malta, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and the Sudan. This creates a rich and varied learning environment. The sisters feel privileged to serve the families of St. Anthony School, who strive to raise their children in the Catholic faith amidst the complex challenges of being far from their homeland, often removed from the support of family and friends in a culture that is unfamiliar.

Sister Cecilia Rose says of the school: “Teaching at St. Anthony's is a wonderfully unique experience. The families we serve bring a rich diversity of culture and experiences which the students bring into the classroom. This makes for a very vibrant learning Sr. Cecilia Rose and Aluong, environment! The school motto, to ‘Live and Learn in Christ,’ is St. Anthony's Primary School something that the entire school community strives to live out.”

Dominican Prayers and Liturgy Prayer was the breath of St. Dominic’s life, the light on his path, the staff on his pilgrimage.He won more souls by prayer than by preaching or miracles. In traveling, St. Dominic prayed as he went, sometimes the Veni Creator Spiritus, or the Ave Maris Stella, or sometimes he recited psalms. He often reminded his companions to think of God.

Ave, Maris Stella

Click HERE to hear our Sisters singing the Ave Maris Stella.

Hail, O star of ocean, Ave, maris stella, God's own Mother blest, Dei Mater alma, Ever sinless Virgin, Atque semper Virgo, Gate of heaven confest.

Felix caeli porta.

Taking that sweet Ave, Sumens illud Ave Which from Gabriel came, Gabrielis ore, Peace confirm within us, Funda nos in pace, Changing Eva's name.

Mutans Evae nomen.

Break the sinners' fetters, Solve vincla reis, To the blind give day; Profer lumen caecis, Chase all evils from us, Mala nostra pelle, For all blessings pray.

Bona cuncta posce Show yourself a Mother.

Monstra te esse matrem May the Word Divine, Sumat per te preces, Born for us your Infant Qui pro nobis natus Hear our prayers through thine.

Tulit esse tuus.

Virgin, all excelling!

Virgo singularis, Mildest of the mild!

Inter omnes mitis Freed from sin preserve us, ,Nos culpis solutos, Meek and undefiled.

Mites fac et castos.

Keep our life all spotless, Vitam praesta puram, Make our way secure, Iter para tutum, Till we find in Jesus, Ut videntes Jesum, Joys that shall endure.

Semper collaetemur.

Praise to God the Father, Sit laus Deo Patri, Honor to the Son, Summo Christo decus To the Holy Spirit Spiritui Sancto, Be the glory one. Amen.

Tribus honor unus. Amen.

n V o i i s t i a t s c o V Minnesota