Goods 4 Girls

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. Mark 5:24-29

The story of the woman with the hemorrhage has always touched my heart. First of all because I think that the woman was very gutsy. She dared touch a man, when her bleeding rendered her unclean, more than that, her 12 years of bleeding had turned her into an outcast. But she pressed through the crowd and touched Jesus who felt immediately that powered had gone out from him. When he starts asking, "Who touched me?" The woman must have been petrified. She was not supposed to be out in public, she was not supposed to touch anybody, much less a rabbi!

But Jesus kept asking. He wanted to know who had had such faith. He forced the woman to acknowledge her act. I think Jesus wanted to make sure that it was her faith which had cured her. Perhaps to give her back the dignity she had lost many years ago when she had been ostracized from society.

She was healed! But she was terrified. And even trembling, she fell at the feet of Jesus and told him the whole truth.

I wonder how many of us are afraid not of looking for healing but of actually being healed? How would our lives change?

Jesus then says: "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Freed from suffering! Not only of the physical suffering, but also of the emotional and the social, I imagine the spiritual (since she couldn't attend religious services.) She was free! But now her life had to change.

Jesus know, of course who it was that touched him. But He wanted to make her stronger, to heal her publicly, to restore her dignity publicly.

In our days, these things are still happening. I keep on seeing these TV commercials where we're told that girls in Africa can't go to school because they do not have menstrual pads. These girls also suffer because it's a social and public humiliation. And there are many more women throughout the world who suffer like the woman in Jesus' time.

(The following is taken from http://www.goods4girls.org/)


"In many areas of the world, access to adequate menstrual supplies is difficult to come by. Many women and girls rely on rags, newspaper, camel skin or nothing at all for their menstrual needs. A lack of sanitary pads can be a big barrier to a girl's education.


It may seem difficult to comprehend for many women who have easy access to a varied source of supplies, but we can all appreciate how difficult life would be without them. Imagine trying to go to school or work without protection. For many, it brings life to a halt.

Providing disposable supplies creates an additional burden on some communities where solid waste disposal consists of burning the garbage. Since many disposable feminine hygiene products contain plastic, incineration potentially creates an environmental and health hazard.
Goods 4 Girls was started to seek out donors to sew or purchase new, reusable menstrual pads for donations to areas of Africa where these products are needed most. Providing reusable supplies not only provides a more environmentally friendly alternative for these young women (in areas of adequate water supply for washing), it reduces their dependence on outside aid organizations to continue providing for their monthly needs.

It's easy to donate, even if you don't know how to sew. For more information about why you should donate, read the About Us page. For more information on what agencies we (they) are working with, please visit the News page."

So, I started sewing to contribute a little bit to give women some dignity. The other night I was watching a PBS program about Fistula Patients in Africa. Well, basically this women have a ruptured birth canal because of difficult births which leaves them unable to control their bladders. Often, in their small villages, they suffer humiliation and become outcasts. It is very prevalent, the most common estimate is that 100,000 women worldwide develop fistulas every year, though some estimates put the number closer to 500,000.

In Africa, after a difficult labor (in most cases the baby is stillborn), the woman is left with constant leaking of urine and, in extreme cases, feces, and she is often abandoned by her family and community because of the smell, which is sometimes linked to superstitious beliefs.

One girl, seventeen years old, said that she was in labor for a week and then finally the baby was yanked out of her and since the baby was born dead, her husband left her. She was no longer a woman. You can read some more about the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital and the Fistula Foundation.

It is incredible what one simple operation can do. It is incredible what a well made pad can do for a girl's dignity. And it is incredible what the waste of disposable pads can do to people's health (especially in Africa where they incinerate because of lack of landfills, exposing the community to the breathing of all those chemicals and toxic materials.)

In the United States we do not have that problem. I can not help but be so full of gratitude for all the privileges we have in this country. So, let us continue to pray for all the people that suffer around the world. Especially the victims in Myanmar and in China and here in the United States. And let us pray for all the women around the world who do not even have the dignity of protection for their periods. And if you can, please donate to either foundation so that they can also hear:

"Go in Peace and be freed from your suffering"

¡Sin rama no hay uvas!

El evangelio del miércoles nos presenta la imagen de la Vid. Jesús dice: "Yo soy la Vida verdadera, y mi Padre es el que la cultiva." Esta imagen me remonta a mi infancia, a la viña en el patio trasero de mi abuela. Las uvas eran verdes y tenían un sabor agridulce.

De niña, el proceso de podarlas siempre me causaba tristeza. No podía comprender por qué si mi abuela quería que la viña diera uvas, podaba las ramas. A mí me gustaba ver la viña, creciendo a lo salvaje y enredada en las rejas de la ventana. Me gustaba ver sus hojas grandes y sus ramas de resorte. Mi abuela me explicaba que a la viña no le dolía cuando la podaban sino que al contrario de esta manera ella se sentía más libre y podía concentrar sus nutrientes en producir fruto.

Después, separaba las ramas que había cortado. Algunas ramas iban a la basura (siempre me daba mucha tristeza ir a tirarlas) y algunas otras, las más sanas, pasaban a su labortatorio-vivero-cocina donde las embolsaba con un poco de tierra, un poco de agua y un poco de aire, esperando que le crecieran raíces para así plantarlas o regalarlas plantadas en latas de legumbres decoradas.

Después de la muerte de mi abuela vendimos la casa y las viñas se quedaron atrás pues pertenecían ahí. Yo no tengo mano para las uvas como mi abuela pero soy aficionada a las rosas. Gracias a mi abuela sé como podarlas para infundirles vida nueva.

Así mismo nos dice Jesús: "Si una de mis ramas no da uvas, mi Padre las corta, pero si da uvas, la poda y la limpia para que dé más. Ustedes ya están limpios por las palabras que les he dicho. Sigan unidos a mí, como yo sigo unido a ustedes." (Juan 15:2-4)

Que el Señor me permita la gracia de producir fruto y que cuando el Jardinero necesite podarme, que pueda yo aceptarlo como parte del proceso de amor para ayudarme a crecer y a producir fruto.

¡Alabado sea el Verbo Encarnado!

To pray unceasingly

I watched half of the youth rally on TV yesterday. I wanted to read the Pope's talk to the young and went to the Vatican website. It's already there. How cool is that?

I liked the following part:

"There is another aspect of prayer which we need to remember: silent contemplation. Saint John, for example, tells us that to embrace God’s revelation we must first listen, then respond by proclaiming what we have heard and seen (cf. 1 Jn 1:2-3; Dei Verbum, 1). Have we perhaps lost something of the art of listening? Do you leave space to hear God’s whisper, calling you forth into goodness? Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness, listen to God, adore him in the Eucharist. Let his word shape your journey as an unfolding of holiness."

I like what he says about first listening, then responding by proclaiming what we have heard and seen. "Let God's Word boil within before it boils over. " That image is going to be with me for a long time.

But what Pope Benedict says is so true, it does take some courage to be silent and still. When I first came to the convent I already had a history with God. I always prayed but my prayer was this ongoing conversation...while driving, while working silently... (O.K, it was more like me talking at God.) I was not used to Adoration (which is very important for us as Sisters of the Incarnate Word AND Blessed Sacrament.) The stillness made me feel uneasy. I had no problem talking to God, but I don't think I was listening long enough, lest He thought of answering. He might have even told me He wanted me to become a nun, no way!

After I came I started to get more used to it...Praying to God helped me with my prayer to God, if you know what I mean. I keep on keeping on and God's word has helped me...softening the process, and now I know I couldn't be without Adoration, without the privilege of sitting before Jesus. Reading scripture, listening to God, all these things are necessary in my life.

Through this listening, through the prayer life, personal, communitarian and liturgical, I am nourished, and like Pope Benedict says I "find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord." May others in the United States and throughout the world be encouraged to pray and to trust that God will show them the particular vocation he has for each one.

Meanwhile let us continue to pray unceasingly.

Thank you, Pope Benedict!

Poverty, the border and Psalm 8

I just came back from laredo, Texas where I attended the last meeting of the Inter-Congregational Novitiate. This last meeting-conference was on the Vow of Poverty. The presenter was Fr. Don Goergen, OP.

The Inter-Congregational Novitiate this year included the Dominicans Friars of the Province of St. Leo the Great, The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, the Cordi-Marian Sisters and us.

Of the many wonderful things Fr. said, I picked one that remained with me. He said that to truly live out the Vow of Poverty one must become a contemplative to let God "boil within" before it "boils over." I find this very touching, very close to my experience because as I said in the previous post, it's been almost ten years sice I first met the Sisters...I think if anybody would have said to me that it would be ten years before I made first vows I would have gone to look somewhere else, but nobody did (here I smile.)

I believe that God wanted to use this time to "boil within me," to prepare me, to whisper to my heart before sending me out to extend the wonderful mystery of his Incarnation, before His love would boil over...but I am such an impatient creature! It is easy too see it now, but it wasn't so easy then...Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him (Psalm 37:7) Easy to say, not easy to do...

Fr. Don also used the Beatitudes in his talk about Poverty. "Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 5:3) Fr. then also asked us to write one Batitude according to what we were learning and where we were at this time. Since waiting has been my theme these last days my Beatitude was: "Blessed are they who wait in darkness for God will arrive and shed His Light on them."

Poverty was experienced first hand during this time. on Thursday morning we went to the border between Mexico and the Us to pray for the immigrants, the ones who have died, the ones who will, the ones who have crossed, the ones who will, and while we were praying we noticed two men who were swimming to the American side. The waters were very high and very strong. The river is known in English as "the Rio Grande River" in Spanish is known as the "Rio Bravo" which means the "Fierce River." Many people have died trying to beat its fury, trying to find a better life for their families. It's a sad story. So, the two men, either because of the fury of the water or because they saw us and got scared swimmed back to the Mexican sad. The whole experience left a wound in my heart. This is the kind of poverty that's hardest to live. There's nothing I can do for them.

So, I prayed. I prayed. I prayed. I wished God would part the waters for them like He did for the Israelites. But God calls me to something else. "Trust me", He says, "for I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD...

And although my heart is still unsettled and rowdy over the border scene I pray that God allows me to continue to trust, to tame the high and fierce waters of my heart.

Meanwhile, I leave you with Psalm 8, written and sung by my own Sisters.

Praised be the Incarnate Word!

Big, Big News!

I had been impatiently waiting to be able to give you my big news. I have been accepted to profession and I have a date!

I am so full of gratitude I could not fully express it. It has been a long time. From the time I met the Sisters (May 1999) to the time I entered (Jan. 2004.) It's been long and throughout that time I often asked God, "Lord, how come other people get to enter, how come other people seem to have what I don't?" I had college loans and was supporting my family, I had a few things to work through. It seemed like I just couldn't enter.

My mom told me if I wanted to enter I needed to finish college first. That was something I didn't want to do. Like other people in this crazy "instant" age, I wanted to drop everything and enter (I coined it "giving everything up for the Lord") truth is, I didn't want to wait. It is true I wanted to give God the best of my years but God was also preparing me, teaching me patience and surrender.

The day I finished college was a happy one. The Sisters went to my graduation.

They sat for the 4+ hours. I even had a bishop there for me! The wonderful Bishop Fitzpatrick who has gone to heaven since. Some of you may know that I have a sick addiction to dictionaries, well, Bishop gave me a Merriam-Webster 11th edition as a graduation gift. Another group of friends (band directors and self-appointed young-nuns' cheerleaders) gave me the two volume Diccionario de la Real Academia Española 22th edition. It was a happy day, more than anything because I was getting closer to my dream (the dictionaries are great too.)

Even when I entered, I was still helping to support my mom's studies. My mom is a registered surgical nurse in Mexico. She had been studying English to be able to become an RN here. My mom is now working in the United States, in nursing, though she's not an RN yet but continues to study to achieve her goal. She's working, enjoying it and I see her happy, healthy and fulfilled. God couldn't have given me more.

The college loans are gone. I had an angel to help me finish paying them off, or rather, many angels. Then, there was the question of certification. Some of you know that I have a degree in Spanish Literature with a minor in Translation Studies (big deal, what can I do with a degree like that?) So, I needed to study more in order to share in the ministry of my Sisters. Pope John Paul II has been instrumental, every step of the way, his words:

"Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."

have always been with me. Do not be satisfied, God wants more!

So, I went back to studying. I am now a certified generalist teacher with a kinder endorsement and a bilingual certification. I am halfway through a masters in theology and will become certified in Montessori Education. I am prepared for ministry, I am ready and willing. I want to give it all to God and He is taking my word.

I no longer look at other people and ask, "why can't it be me Lord?" My time has come. On Agust 9th, 2008 I will say YES! to God. I will say like our Foundress Jeanne Chezard de Matel:

"O my Gentle Love...choose me as your friend. Make your intimate hiding place in me, as I do in You. Make me a chanel through which You can pour out Your graces on all those whom You want to favor."

Today's readings speak to me greatly. When I was a child my grandmother had me memorize the Psalms to repeat in moments of anguish or fear. Psalm 23 was the first one I learned; "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want..." Today, I can say that I recognized the voice of the Shepherd and I follow Him. My cup is overflowing. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the day of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER! My grandmother is surely smiling down from heaven.

Praised be the Incarnate Word! Now and Forever more. Amen!

Easter updates

It's been a long time. It has been busy here at the house these days. I did not post much during Lent. I wanted to keep more silence than usual, saving my thoughts for God, trying to hear Him more. Then the Triduum came and there was a lot of work at our Chapel, linens, ironing, flowers, Cross, etc.

Our services were beautiful. On Thursday the Superior General and her council washed feet before the Agape. It was a beautiful experience, not only the washing but the experience of family, the intimacy of washing feet and breaking bread together, as Jesus and the apostles. Then, after the supper, our Triduum retreat started. We had Mass, the transfer of the Blessed Sacrament and adoration.

Friday was a sad day. Even knowing that Saturday night the world will resound with Gloria's and Alleluias, the day is sad. I have a tape of the Stations of the Cross. It really is poetry, a romance, depicting Jesus' great love for us. It was written by Fr. Benjamin Sanchez Espinoza, a Mexican priest who first published his poetry under the pseudonym of Fra. Asinello (which I believe it means little donkey in Italian) I used this tape for meditation often during Lent and Good Friday. There is a frase that says in the first station: "You were condemned by two silences, one a silence of fear, one a silence of love" ....) I had a hard time moving on to the second station because the great love of Christ for us becomes so much more evident on Good Friday.

Saturday was again busy with preparations for Chapel. This year it was my honor to glorify the Cross. I chose to use birds as a theme for resurrection because to me they represent the freedom that through his death and resurrection Jesus gifted us with.

The music for Saturday night and Sunday was beautiful thanks to Sr. Kathleen, our choir director. One of these days I'm going to learn how to record digitally and how to upload so that I can brag about the beautiful voices of my Sisters.

Easter is here! Happy Resurrection time! May the words of the Exultet continue to make our hearts dance and to make us free to love and to serve our living Lord!

Happy Easter!

Incarnate Word Formation Symposium 2008

I have been away for quite a long time. I had been busy preparing for our annual formation symposium. This is a gathering of all the Sisters in formation in our order.

This year the symposium was held in Mexico City. Some of you may have read a post from August of last year where I speak of spending a whole month in Mexico City studying at the Center for Incarnation Spirituality in conjunction with the Pontifical University of Mexico City. So, this year the symposium was held at the same place, the Retreat House of our Incarnate Word Sisters of the Tlalpan Generalate.

The Symposium opened February 15, 2008 with Vespers.

If there is something our Sisters are known for that is being great teachers and great singers. The music for liturgies was awesome! I had such a warm feeling being in chapel, praising God with some many other Sisters. I can not do a good job of describing the experience.

We arrived in Mexico City on Thursday to have some time before the opening. I have a cousin who lives in the city but unfortunately I wasn't able to see her that morning due to her work schedule. However, the Sisters took us for a tour of the City in one of these "turibuses". We all went to the second floor to be able to get some sun and feel the cool breeze and watch everything. The buses provided each person with these cool earphones which we connected to the back of the seat in front of us to hear a narration of the places where we went by. The city is so large that I believe the bus takes eight hours to show you the whole city. We only rode for about three hours and then had lunch and headed back to the house for the opening.

One of the places we visited was downtown Mexico City. I love the old buildings with their baroque beauty (they might be older than that, though.) Right next to the Metropolitan Cathedral there are the ruins of the ancient "Templo Mayor." In that place, last year, sometime in August a group pf Mexican archaeologists detected the presence of a sort of funeral chamber that could contain the mortal remains of Emperor Ahuitozl, who governed the Aztecs when Christopher Columbus came to the New Word. If they can prove that then it would be the first tomb of an Aztec governor ever found. Anyway, I find these things very interesting.

While at the Zocalo, I saw this organ grinder

(is that what they're called?) I saw some others in the city

dressed just like her. I snapped the picture before thinking of asking her, and then her assistant came immediately to ask for the "picture fee." That was cute. I gave her a good tip.

On Saturday we started with the recitation/ chanting/ singing of Lauds. Then we had breakfast and then moved into the morning work. We had a wonderful conference by Fr. Alex Zatyrka on being Mystics. Then after some process we had Mass, lunch and then the afternoon session was on being Prophets. That evening we presented our theme. Each congregation had to prepare either a PowerPoint, talk or some other creative way to speak of how we are Mystics and Prophets: Disciples of the Incarnate Word in our congregations. We chose to prepare a PowerPoint. I had been taking pictures of the hands of my Sisters for a couple of years. This was the time to use those pictures! So, using only pictures of their hands I showed how we live our call to Discipleship in Corpus Christi. If I find out how to put it here I will. Does anybody know? I know I can put post videos, but, how do I make a video out of a PowerPoint? Any help is appreciated?

On Sunday we were divided by stages. I went with the other novices to pray and reflect on our call to Discipleship. At the end of the time given, we came all went back to the conference room and spoke of our understanding, our hopes and dreams for our life as Incarnate Word Sisters. It was very inspirational. I must add that those of us who were bilingual helped with the translation. At some point I started talking a thousand miles a minute to this Sister who kept on staring at time with her bright blue yes. It happened to be one of our American Sisters and she did not know ANY Spanish. But at that point my cables were more than crossed.


After that we had some pictures taken. I took a picture of the picture takers (here they are pretending to be models, aren't they cute?) Then we closed with a Mass at the Basilica of Guadalupe. The frunny thing is that they have this little chapels on the second floor looking into the main Altar but they are not divided by walls (sort of like a VIP box at the theater.) So, when we were having Mass we were looking into a different Mass. It was hard to concentrate but it was beautiful.

I think we all came back energized, full of life and hopes for our future as Sisters of the Incarnate Word. What a beautiful experience that was.

On a side note I want to ask for prayers as I prepare to ask for First Vows in this congregation. That God may allow me to fall more and more in love with Him and as our Sister of Cleveland say, may I become a Gospel of Love.

Praised be the Incarnate Word!