Saturday 31 October 2015

SATURDAY OFFICE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY 31/10/2015

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24/10/2015
SATURDAOFFICE OF THBLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Optional Reading for the Period between October anAdvent
sermon of Saint Bernard*
"HAIL, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (L1,28)Notice how the angel did not say "the Loris in you," but "the Lord is with you.For God, whby the simplicity of his essence is equal
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Donald ...
Sent: Saturday, 31 October 2015, 7:33
Subject: Mary Saturday 31 Oct 205

To check Blog.

Sent from my iPad.  
  BLESSED VIRGIN MARY MOTHER OF HOPE

Feast: July 9

Devotion to the most holy Virgin under the title of Mother of Holy Hope has been practiced in the Congregation of the Passion from the beginning.    It was promoted in a special way by the great missionary, Father Thomas Struzzieri, who later became a bishop.  He carried a picture of our Mother of Holy Hope with him on missions. This picture was reproduced and placed in the rooms of our religious so that they might be re­minded to ask our Lady's assistance in their spiritual needs.  The Blessed Virgin thus became the special model and support of our hope, and she remains so. 
                        Mary always shows herself as the Mother of Hope


    One of the titles rightly attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary is that of Mother of Holy Hope.  Hope is that virtue which anchors the ship of our soul in the stormy sea of this troubled world.  It is a comfort left to us after the fall of Adam, a support in our weakness which encourages us to practice the Christian virtues.   Hope is defined by theologians as a virtue planted in us by God which enables us confidently to expect from God eternal life and the aids that lead to it.  Since Mary possessed this virtue in an heroic degree, she is appropriately called Mother of Holy Hope.

    Instead of looking to worldly patrons, as people generally do, Mary trusted solely in God.  She desired nothing and sought nothing but eternal life and the way to reach it.  The world and all those things that the children of Adam are deceived into admiring and desiring were to her as though not existing.  For her, earth seemed to be a desert, so that even the angels marveled, if one may speak in that way, that she could be so complete a stranger to created things.  They seemed to say: "Who is this coming up from the desert, leaning upon her lover?"
    Although endowed with extraordinary graces and unstained by original sin, Mary never counted on any resource of her own.  Rather, she knew that God is the author of every good thing and the source of all perfection. She confided in him amid the dangers of persecution while she was a fugitive from her own country.  She hoped in him even when she saw her divine Son die on the cross and the apostles dispersed, and she hoped in him when enemies turned on the infant Church, the loving bride of her divine Son.  Supported by this confidence, she remained firm in the midst of what seemed like disaster, and strengthened those who, in their discouragement and need, turned to her as to a mother.  She encouraged the weak, lifted up those who had fallen and urged the strong to ever greater trust.
    We must not think that Mary has resigned from such maternal service in our day. Certainly not!  Even now, from that exalted throne where she reigns in glory, Mary reaches out a mother's hand to those who have failed.  She graciously appears to them in the ways, and meets them with all solicitude, comforting them and giving them courage.  She heartens the good, praying that they may be fearless and unconquerable in the adversities of life.  She inspires pastors and inflames with love the flock they shepherd for Christ.   In a word, she never ceases to exercise her role as Mother of Holy Hope.
                     From the Mariology of Blessed Dominic of the Mother of. God, C.P.  Priest
      Read More: What is Mary's Hope?     
   http://www.passionistnuns.org/meditation/MCMShuhmann/index.htm 

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Friday 30 October 2015

Sr. Patricia FMM. Tribute to Sr. Patricia from Wm.

Site of St. Maur - arch remain
Tribute to Sr. Patricia
 
   
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: William W....
To: nunrawdonald....
Sent: Thursday, 29 October 2015, 15:04
Subject: Re: Tribute to Sr. Patricia



Dear Father Donald,
No epitaph more poignant could have been written for your Sister Patricia than the prayer of devotion of Luisa spelling out a lifetime of experience of love lived in Our Lord.
And the skies revealing the jet stream told you standing there of the mystery of a life lived in Divine Love - heavenwards! for as the skies darkened at Our Saviour's death, the morning arose with light at his resurrection, and the bright skies received him... the Lord of Creation who is so evident in our world.
The leaves in our street are copiously falling, a carpet of wonder as Autumn tells us its message, a time for reflection, and your dear Sister resting in this mystery. 
With love and prayers,
William

----Original message----
From : nunrawdonald...
Date : 28/10/2015 - 05:33 (GMTST)
Subject : Litany of Love in iPad

      Luisa P. - Litany of Love
   
 Over the grave...      Jet stream in sky of Sr. Patricia at cemetery  - arrow straight to heaven.

Sent from my iPad
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Franciscan Missionaries of Mary - WELCOME

www.fmmii.org/

England, Ireland, Scotland and Malta constitute a Province of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Institute. They share the Franciscan and missionaries ...
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Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com.uk (Website)     Blogspot :http://www.nunraw.blogspot.co.uk, Doneword :http://www.donewill.blogspot.co.uk    |domdonald.org.uk,   Emails: nunrawdonald@yahoo.com, nunrawdonald@gmail.com

Sr. Patricia FMM St. Joseph's Convent, Rush


  
   
   



Death Notice:
McGLYNN (Rush, Co. Dublin) - October 13, 2015, (peacefully), after a long illness, Sr. Patricia (FMM); 
deeply regretted by her religious community, 
her brothers Fr. Brendan-Nivard and, Fr. Donald (OCSO), her sisters Sr. Noreen, Sr. Mary, Sr. Josephine and Sr. Christina (FMM's), 
extended family and friends. 
R.I.P.
Funeral Mass tomorrow (Friday) in St. Joseph's Convent, Old Road, Rush at 11.30 o'c.  
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Obituary by Sr. Josephine McGlynn, FMM.


SR. PATRICIA MCGLYNN, F.M.M.
R.I.P.

Patricia was born On 27th February, 1937 in Glasgow. She was 'sandwiched' between myself, Jo, and the baby, Christina, so we became known as the three 'wee ones' while Brendan, Noreen, Mary and James were the 'four big ones'In 1939, Mum and the seven of us had to move to West Donegal to avoid being split up and sent to different parts of Scotland during the war. Dad had to stay in Scotland to work and to help in the war effort. We lived in a simple two roomed cottage in the beauty, peace and tranquillity of a small village, Ballykillduff, not far from the breathtaking Atlantic coast. It had two essentials - a Church and a Primary School. We spent 6 very happy years there before returning to Glasgow in 1945 to continue our education.

As I reflected on Patricia's life, the Scripture passage which came to mind was Phil. 3:10-15.

" All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of His Resurrection, to share in His sufferings and become like Him in his death, in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to Life. I do not claim that I have already succeeded, or have already become perfect, I keep striving to win the prize for which Jesus Christ has already won me for Himself. Of course, my brothers, I do not think I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above."

For me this passage sums up Patricia's life andher deepest desires and now- "IT IS FULFILLED", her  deepest desires have been granted. 

She was a lively, outgoing, high spirited lass but was also quick tempered and stubborn at times! She loved sports, games .athletics, dancing etc. I have a lovely photo of her proudly holding a silver cup she won in the championship High Jump at school. We never tired teasing her about an incident which happened when we were quite small.

"The local boys, including our 2 holy monks decided to collect stingy nettles and to chase the girlsWe all scattered, helter skelter screaming - except one - our Patricia!! She bent down quickly started collecting pebbles and started pelting the boys with them! At this point they decided to give up and went away."

She had a beautiful voice and loved music and singing and was always the one who would lead us in song. When the Charisrnatic Renewal came much later, she was in her element. One day Mum realised that Patricia was missing and asked where she was. The answer was "Over the road with the Boyles entertaining them with singing and dancing!" While preparing for her First Holy Communion she was seen distributing 'Holy Communion' i.e. bread to a row of little friends! That was a long time before Vatican II or mention of women's ordination.

As a late teenager, she was an enthusiastic member of the Legion of Mary and delighted in the opportunity to spread God's Word and to encourage people in their Faith. On finishing school, she helped Dad in his business for a few years before entering our Novitiate in Coldash in March 1957. After her First Profession, she did her Nurses Training in London and after her Final Vows, she was missioned to PakistanBy nature Patricia was very caring and compassionate, so she was very happy nursing the poor in our Hospital, St Raphael's in Lyallpur and in St. Joseph’s Hospice for the seriously, physically handicapped of all ages. I believe these were among her happiest and most fulfilling years.

Sadly after twenty years in Pakistan, she had to return to the Home Province due to health problems. A new battle began, not a "battle with the boys" but a battle with ill health due to 'Bipolar' and depression which she faced with the same courage and determination.
visit to Sr. Patricia. Dec 2013
  She was determined to remain faithful to her life of prayer, the active Apostolate and the living out of her "Ecce and Fiat" - come what may! This was evident especially in her' years in Aberdeen. Helen, a good friend from there gave a beautiful testimony during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the "three wee ones" in Nunraw Abbey in 2008. I don't remember her exact words but they went something like this:
"Patricia is a great Missionary. She regularly visits the elderly and helps them in many ways. She is active in our Parish, is a woman of prayer and is a great inspiration for all of us. She is not afraid to reach out to people, even strangers, if she thinks they are in need and often invites them to our Charismatic prayer. We love herWe treasure herWe need her. Please Sisters, whoever your superiors are, tell them not to move Patricia but to leave her with us in Aberdeen."

She did remain for a few more years but a time came when she needed care so she moved to our Rush Community four years ago and was very happy to do so - feeling she was COMING HOME. Only God knows how much she has suffered from her illness but a big consolation is that she was always surrounded by LOVE. She died very peacefully on Tuesday is" October. Deo Gratias. MAY SHE REST IN PEACE.
   
I can imagine Patricia saying to me now:- "Too many words Jo! It's not like you! Please say the words I want you to say for me, the ones I was not able to speak these past months, the ones I longed to say but could only express with my eyes or a smile!"
What are those words?
"THANK YOU, THANK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!
                                                  THANK YOU MY BELOVED FMMS, THANK YOU MY BELOVED SISTERS, BROTHERS AND ALL
FAMILY MEMBERS! THANK YOU FAITHFUL FRIENDS!
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY INCREDIBLE CARERS AND STAFF here in St Joseph's for you’re never failing thoughtfulness, your unbounded love and tender care and compassion Words cannot express how much I love you all!        I will certainly continue to pray for you all in Heaven".
In the race for eternal life, Patricia has crossed the finishing line, so as we praise and thank God for her life, we rejoice with her in winning the prize to which God has now called her and in her new found happiness - fully united with the Lord, the Saints, the Angels and of course our beloved Mum and Dad.

AMEN      ALLELUIA      ALLELUIA

   
 
Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com.uk (Website)     Blogspot :http://www.nunraw.blogspot.co.uk, Doneword :http://www.donewill.blogspot.co.uk    |domdonald.org.uk,   Emails: nunrawdonald@yahoo.com, nunrawdonald@gmail.com

Thursday 29 October 2015

The Lord of History by Jean Danielou

Monastic Lectionary of the Divine Office, 
      
THIRTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
The Lord of History www.answersaboutfaith.com  
THURSDAY 26/10/2015
First Reading
Jeremiah 27:1-15
          Responsory Is 55:8-9; fer 27:5
My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. +As the heavens are high above the earth, so are my ways high above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.
V. It is I who by my great power and outstretched arm made the earth, with the people and animals that are on the earth, and I can give it to whomever I please. + As the heavens ...

Second Reading     From The Lord of History by Jean Danielou
If a missionary is to testify before the world concerning the mind of God, he must first enter into that mind himself, he must be led by the Holy Spirit into the depths in God's nature, he must contemplate with awe the scale and boldness of the divine plan. The soul of the Blessed Virgin was enlightened at the time of her visitation by such a spiritual vision of the ways of providence, so that she cried out, in the Magnificat, My soul magnifies the Lord ... because he who is mighty ... has wrought ... wonders. "Magnify" means to recognize the greatness of God's works, to stand amazed at the magnificence of his operations. Generally, people fail to see these things, being blinded by the spectacle of earthly grandeur, and unaware of the glory of God. They are readily moved to admiration of temporal achieve­ments: the power of the great nations opposing one another in our time, or the dynamic influence of the human mind evinced by such as Nietzsche, or Marx, fills them with astonishment, even while they forget the immeasurable might of God's activity.
What the Holy Ghost does for the apostle is to raise up his understanding from the plane of human activity to the level of the divine working. For, indeed, as the Lord said to Isaiah, he does not think as you think, deal as you deal. Men and women have their own ideas, but these are not God's; they would like to organize the world in a certain fashion, but this is not God's fashioning; they pursue a goal which is not God. There is some relationship between these two distinct worlds, but it is not one of identity. The apostle is a person whom the Holy Spirit has taken up into the ways of God, and whom he will help to cooperate in them, making him instrumental in their fulfilment, as we may see in the case of the prophets throughout the ages of Old Testament history.
Today the Holy Spirit still affords us the same religious understanding of the historical process, the same spiritual insight into the realities of our own time. Thus when we look at contemporary events we may see further than the children of this world, who perceive only the outward husk of things; we need not explain everything in terms of the conflicting material interests of classes and nations. Behind the scenes, another conflict is engaged, between Christ and the powers of evil, for the possession of nations and of souls. It is only the Spirit of God that enables us to transcend the limitations of human insight, and to read the unanswerable riddle of our times.

Responsorv Eph 6:10-12
Be strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. + Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles
of the devil.
V. Our struggle is not against human adversaries, but against cosmic powers, against the rulers and governors of this dark age, against the superhuman forces of evil in the heavenly realms. + Put on ...