This prayer has been sitting on my desktop. The Spirit prompted me to open it this morning and I share it with you. It seems like a most appropriate prayer for these days, written by an RSCJ who is preparing to go to God and who has devoted her life to championing the marginalized, the downtrodden, the nonviolent, the victims of injustice.
Prayer at this Kairos Time

In this Kairos time of crisis and challenge, may we, like Mary of
Nazareth, be open to the Spirit who calls us to new ways of in-
carnating the Word of truth and love.



In the face of harsh judgment even by those closest, may we,
too, ponder deep in our hearts a response inspired by the nonvi-
olent Christ who went beyond traditional teachings to grow to
maturity in wisdom and grace.



May we invite the servants in the house of our Church to re-
spond in trust to the faith that turns water into new wine,
bursting the old skins of paternalism and outgrown legalistic
structures,



May we, in the bold meekness of the Syrophoenecian woman,
challenge our Church to an inclusivity that dissolves fear to en-
rich and fill up the Body of Christ.



May we, by nonviolent and creative actions that speak louder
than words, pour out whatever gifts we have, remembering the
promise to the woman at Bethany: "Wherever the gospel is
preached throughout the world, what she has done will be told
in memory of her." (Mk. 14:9)



May we have the courage to leave our securities and publicly
follow the way of the cross to stand by the One who rejected
the sword, healed the enemy, and challenged the perversion of
truth by fidelity to it.



May we stand firm, even when darkness and chaos seem to fill
our threatened earth, and express hope in the hidden energy of
creative hope and love.



May we carry the message to the fearful disciples of the resur-
rection of a new humanity, birthed by the Spirit in the heart of
a creation that groans " in the pains of childbirth right up to the
present time." (Rom. 8:22)

~ Anne Montgomery, RSCJ


peace and love,
capecodcathy

As I sit here by my window  this morning attempting to meditate on the reflection from the English website "Give glory to God with a quiet mind", I am struck by an awareness coming from the flowers on my deck. They symbolize the ever present love of my God. My pink New Guinea impatiens live even when I forget to water them; they look dead, but the minute they are watered they spring back to full life again. So when I forget to nurture my relationship with Our Lord, my connection droops, but springs back to life because God's love is still present. The lavender and white petunias give off blossoms continuously, just as God gives me gifts always and ever. I need to be mindful of them. A recent gift is the opportunity to put sacred music back into my life. At the Methodist Church down the street, there is a monthly Taize practice and worship service. Sunday I attended the worship service at the invitation of a friend. What a gift. I left, with my soul singing Jubilatae Deo ! I will return. A strange plant the name of which I do not know :-)  is growing in one of my flower boxes. It has a very thin stem topped by a large leaf of pink ringed with green. Last night we had a  storm complete with high winds, thunder and lightning. This morning the stems are not broken, just as when the are large storms in my life, God's love can withstand them.
So now I go out about my day more aware of God's love, in gratitude for the new insight into God's creation. Hope your day is similar.
cape cod cathy

Our two Feast Days the end of last week, The Feast of the Sacred Heart and the Feast of the Immaculate Heart brought with them a great gift. Starting early in the morning of the Feast of the Sacred Heart  every fiber of my being felt a connection with all the RSCJ and Associates with whom I am connected and have been connected. During Mass there was the realization that somewhere in the world others were also celebrating the Eucharist with the same focus on God's love poured out for us. All day small reminders of our connectedness with His Love and with each other kept popping up. Reminders that God's love is everlasting and surrounds me all the time. Remembrances of connections with people I have not seen for many moons and yet still feel in touch with. As I clean out boxes and corners for a yard sale coming up, items, notes and pictures show up unexpectedly that remind me of a funny time, a sad moment, a happy occasion - all signs of connection. For one who used to worry about abandonment, Our Lord has certainly filled my life with signs of love and caring, pouring from the wellsping of his heart.
cape cod cathy

Today is a beautiful day.A spring-summer day. warm sun, cool breezes, the scent of blooming flowers on the air, a sense of freshness all about. It makes me wonder if Jesus experienced days like this? How did He see them, feel them?
These days are God's gift to us-out of God's love for us. The Eucharist is also God's love for us,a way of uniting us with God, with Jesus. Yesterday at Mass we sag-"Here I am, Lord". I always sing this hymn with my heart as well as my voice. This is the only way of saying "thank you" for the gift of the Eucharist and for all the gifts God gives me on a daily basis.
cape cod cathy

As I was praying this morning, I suddenly realized (inspiration from above!) that today begins the Novena for the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Immediately the Novena of Confidence also came into my thoughts:
                   "Lord Jesus, to your Sacred Hear we confide this intention.
                   Only look, then do what your heart inspires.
                    Let your heart decide. We count on it. We trust in it.
                   We throw ourselves on its mercy.
                    Lord Jesus you will not fail us."

When I was at Oakwood Sister Clare Pratt suggeted for the Novena for St. Madeleine Sophie that we "confide all our sisters and brothers who are ill". I am going to do that again, since there are relatives, friends and acquaintances all dealing with various stages of illness.

On another note my prayers are very much still with the LCWR. What brave women to make the statement they did in response to the Vatican. Again in prayer, Mary and her role as Mother of God was the focus on Saturday. Images of her confronting Jesus in the Temple when he was a child, "telling" him what to do at Cana, calling for him in Galilee and staying with him through the whole passion and death and holding him in death, came to mind. Our Lady is our role model. The Board of the LCWR is following in her footsteps and drawing on her strength, as I see it.

Love and peace to all,
cape cod cathy

An attitude of gratitude - that is what is on my mind today as I review the last month. School ended! I left for a week at Oakwood with my beloved Sisters in retirement. What gifts of love and acceptance and warmth they give to me. There is a tinge of sadness as I watch them fade as they grow older-some I have known since they were first professed and came to teach at the Sacred Heart school in Cincinnat-62 years ago. However it is balanced with the joy of long term friendships and the mutual exchange of love and prayers.
And now I am home for a month until I go to celebrate success with Casey my oldest. She will host her agency's annual Tribute to Change in Philadelphia and I am able to be there to cheer her on. How grateful I am for that and for her in my life.
In August I go to England to visit my other blessings, daughter Trish, Ian and baby Jack for two blessed weeks. They too are such a grace in my life and give me  much joy.
God is very good to me and has been all through my life - even when I have not noticed it. Today I am very aware of it every day and thank God frequently throughout the day for the many blessings with which I am showered;my sobriety, the beauty around me, loving family, loyal friends, opportunities to grow, interesting students - and I could go on and on.
Today I am also praying for the Board of the LCWR who are meeting in D.C. They have much to think, pray and talk about. May our loving God surround them with care and protection.
Cape Cod Cathy

It has been awhile since I wrote here. Mostly because I had conflicting thoughts and feelings about what I wanted to write and no clear sense of it. But today being Mothers' Day there are several feelings that come to the surface.
First I just read that a good RSCJ friend of mine died this week. This is the third one that has gone to God in a short period of time. These women were friends, not mothers. But there were many like them who were "mothers" to me and who are gone now. They made my life safe when it wasn't, gave me comfort when I was sad, made me walk straight when I wanted to go crooked, laughed with me, prayed with me and did  many of the things a mother does.
My own mother did the best she knew how. We developed a deep strong relationship in the years before she died. She was able to tell me how proud she was of me and that she loved me- large accomplishments for her. She has been gone 16 years and every Mothers' Day I miss her.
My own children remind me of what it is to be a mother. And I look to Mary, the universal Mother for guidance in dealing with them, particularly today when they are adults. Last Saturday I heard a speaker talk about Mary and how she must have felt when Jesus was an adult. And I thought about my own conflicted feelings, pride in my girls because of what they are accomplishing and the wonderful strong women they have become. I am delighted that they have found life partners whom they love and who love them in return. And my one daughter who is such a good momma to her year old-how happy I am for her. And yet sometimes I miss them, the geographic closeness we used to have, their need for me. And I think of Mary when Jesus was 12 and stayed behind in the Temple and later as an adult when he said,"And who are my mother and my brothers?" When I am in pain not knowing where my son is, I turn to Mary. And I ask her to keep me steadfast with my eyes on her and her Son. And to learn from her. Salve Regina.