Newsletter #6 - Easter Alleluia
J.M. + J.T.
A letter from Mother:
Dear friends who belong to M.A.R.Y.,
The wet rainy season has given us a superabundance of fresh greenery and wildflowers to mark this “Alleluia” season! All the earth around us wears its finery while birds sing to their Maker and pollen is in evidence everywhere. Happy Eastertide to all of our dear friends in the Auxiliary.
If you ever find yourself asking, “How do I know if I’m growing in love of God?” and you can say, “I experience interior peace and interior joy,” then you are indeed likely to be growing in love. This kind of peace and joy is not always a feeling in our emotions, but is evident nonetheless to those striving to love God. Peace and joy are fruits of love. Our dear friend Saint Therese talks about the resultant state of happiness when she says in her autobiography, in chapter V, describing her Christmas grace of conversion, “I felt charity enter into my soul, and the need to forget myself and to please others; since then I’ve been happy.” Without a doubt, you members of the Auxiliary could verify that, for all of you seem to be the kind of people who want to please others and gain happiness at your own expense. The Sisters and I can vouch for your kindness to us, and we repeat our expressions of gratitude wholeheartedly.
“Every family has one” – someone who’s in trouble, someone who has gone astray, someone who seems to draw all the concern and care of others in the family. With our prayers, we Carmelite Nuns seek to support anyone with heartaches in their families, and that includes our own too! We ask the Good Shepherd to go after that one straying sheep while the other ninety-nine are safe at home…and in this year of Mercy, He’s very busy indeed!
May you always be kept close to this God of Love and Mercy, safely under the mantle of His Blessed Mother,
- Mother Mary Bethany and Sisters
AUXILIARY NEWS
As you all know, the Prayer on the Mountain series has begun with great success. We had almost 30 people in the St. John Villa to hear author and founder of the Eucharistic Institute Kathleen Keefe from New York. Kathleen has been a longtime friend of the Monastery. We are grateful for her standing in for Fr. Leatherby, who had to cancel due to illness. Kathleen spoke about the virtue of Prudence and gave us much food for thought. Listen to her radio show on Radio Maria on your computer. Go to Radio Maria and look up her show under programming. The show is called The Healing Mercy of God, and all her shows are archived.
A big Thank You goes out to all who brought a salad to share, because lunch was delicious! And to show you how distracted I can get, I forgot to put out my own salad until half way through the lunch! We did share the salads with the Sisters too.
The next talk will be on Saturday, May 14, with Deacon Mark Ruiz from Auburn. He will be speaking on prayer in our lives, and I hope many of you can come. It starts at 11:00. Please register by emailing our NEW EMAIL: carmelitehelpers@gmail.com. Thank you!
We need to have a business meeting in June to plan the October 8 fundraiser luncheon. Many hands make light work. The date will be Saturday, June 25th, which was the date almost everyone preferred. Please let me know if you can come. We will meet in the Caretaker’s House, 9 – 11:30. And if you can’t come to that meeting but are willing to help us prepare for the luncheon, can you let me know?
The little Holy Face kits we made are just wonderful. On their first exposure on April 16, we sold 20 of them. We asked a donation of $5.00 per kit. The money goes directly into our bank account for expenses for the luncheon. Since I have been made aware of this devotion, I am starting to see the Holy Face everywhere! I recently got an email from a national group who promotes this devotion. They sent a link to a talk by Fr. Mark Kirby On the Church’s celebration of the Holy Face in the liturgical calendar and its deep spiritual meanings. It is a podcast and you might have to download the podcast app called Podbean (free) to hear it. Here is the link for you to enjoy:
http://cenacleosb.podbean.com/e/feast-of-the-holy-face-of-jesus-4-march-2014/
The grounds at the Monastery have been getting a face lift. Crews have been up removing dead trees, and cutting the mistletoe out of the oaks. Several men have made up “work crews” to help with the clean up, and we are so, so grateful for their help! The daffodils have bloomed, and now the irises are blooming. There have been visitors, too, so the Easter Season has been busy.
We hope to see you at the May 14 talk. Bring your broken rosaries, because Bill Gilsdorf the Rosary Doctor will be there, and he can fix your broken rosaries. Please let me know if you plan to bring a salad to share that day. A blessed Easter Season to you all,
In Christ,
Patty MacEgan
Donations to the Sisters are tax deductible and can be made directly by sending to: Carmelite Monastery, P.O. Box 4210, Georgetown, CA 95634
Donations to the Auxiliary are not yet tax deductible, but we need the funds for mailing, printing, and upcoming events. Donations to the Auxiliary can be sent to: Carmelite Auxiliary, P.O. Box 174, Georgetown, CA 95634