I am Stephanie Morris, formerly the
Director of Archives of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and an Associate
of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (ASBS). Sister Annette Marie O’Donnell
had begun this blog as “Companions on the Journey” but has retired from
actively writing. St. Katharine said we are all typewriters in the hands of the
Lord; it has been a pleasure and privilege for me to serve as St. Katharine’s
typist for many years.
There
are some special dates to recall in March. Saint Katharine’s feast day is March
3. The Feast of St. Joseph, March 19, 1889, was important in Kate’s giving of
herself to service to the Lord and to founding the Sisters of the Blessed
Sacrament. March 17, the Feast of St. Patrick, is important as the patronal
feast of Archbishop Patrick Joseph Ryan of Philadelphia, who became Kate’s
spiritual director and worked with her in organizing the SBS.
Last
month we looked at the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, with some of St.
Katharine’s observations. This month, we will look at the Glorious Mysteries,
which begin with the Easter sign of Christ’s Resurrection.
GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
1.
RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD
St. Paul
wrote to the Corinthians that “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is in
vain.” But Christ did rise, and our faith is not in vain. St. Katharine knew
that “the Resurrection of Our Savior is the very first fact on
which our faith rests.”
2. ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN
“This
is the Feast of the Ascension and the day on which our Lord Himself blessed His
apostles as He disappeared from their sight in the clouds. I have begged Him very specially to bless
each one of you and to give you that particular place and throne in Heaven that
He intends and has prepared for you amidst eternal joys. We will all get that throne provided we are
faithful to our call and to our Lord’s inspiration of grace to each one.”
Men in white robes told
the apostles not to stand around doing nothing. The apostles “went forth
…while the Lord worked with them.
Just as the apostles were
called to go forth, so too are and were the SBS, and the ASBS called to “go
forth” and do whatever Our Lord asks of us. As St. Katharine said, “provided we
are faithful to our call,” we can hope for eternal salvation, What is our call?
To use the gifts God gave us for the glory of His name. Whether as teachers,
parents, religious, or called to a quiet ministry at home, we are each called
to do something.
May we always remember that our lives
will not end on earth; we are called to ascend with our Lord to our eternal
home.
3.
DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Acts of the Apostles tell us that “suddenly a
sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the
house where they were sitting. … And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit.”
"The Holy Ghost is ever within
me—the presence of God."
The Holy
Spirit came to us in a special way in Confirmation. There may not have been a
sound like the rush of a mighty wind, but the Holy Spirit came just as strongly
as it did on the first Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit is ever with us, to
provide the grace we need to be the person God wishes us to be.
4. ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY INTO
HEAVEN
“During
this Octave of the Assumption often think
of the joys of heaven and that these are to be yours.”
“Make it yours by corresponding with every
grace.”
Clearly, Jesus did not want to leave His Mother
alone on earth; He brought her home to Him in heaven. This privilege can be
ours, if we are faithful to our prayers and to the graces given us.
Can
we imagine the joys of Heaven? Pray that we will never lose sight of the graces
that enable us to reach our heavenly home.
5. CROWNING OF OUR LADY QUEEN OF
HEAVEN AND EARTH
"Contemplate Our Blessed Lady,
with what unspeakable gladness she beholds all these things, - seated
familiarly beside her Son, ministering to His needs with great joy."
Mary
is our Queen and advocate; go to her with your needs and fears. In heaven, Mary
received the recognition of her life of faith and loyalty to God’s call. We may
never be crowned kings or queens, but we are crowned daily by the love,
respect, and cooperation of family, friends, and co-workers.
Stephanie
Morris, ASBS
February 20,
2024
