Delight in the Lord

This is one of my favorite times of the year. It is also one of the busiest times. There is so much that is happening: the Easter season, Renewal of Vows, the newness of life, Confirmation, graduations, the anticipation of summer. With all of these occasions the celebration of life occurs around us each day and it also occurs within us! It is an experience of beauty that brings joy, peace, and new life in a particular way. We know that something that is beautiful is attractive. We have a desire to be a part of it and are drawn to it. Examples that come to my mind are the flowers, the sunshine, a heartwarming conversation, an act of mercy, which are gifts of God’s beauty at work in our daily lives. We also find this invitation to beauty in Scripture, “I will allure her to me in the desert.” And “When I am lifted up [on the cross] I will draw all people to myself.” Where are we being drawn? Into the desert? To the cross? We may ask where is beauty here? How is this attractive? It is because we are attracted to the person of Jesus Christ Who is Love and Love is beautiful! Love is attractive! Living from this awareness brings new life found in the promise of Easter and it is here that Jesus turns to you and says that you are beautiful and He “delights in you”. It is wonderful to allow Him to delight in us, and for each of us to offer our hearts to Him and share all those little things that bring us joy, that are good. For He created the world and God “saw that it was good”. During this time of year, I hope that you can take a moment to slow down, and not only “smell the roses” of God’s creation, but enter into your own heart and hear the voice of Jesus: the One who desires to encounter you and reveal the beauty of His love totally poured out for you.

- Sister M. Caterina, FSGM

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Welcome to our Family, Postulants!!!

Today, on the Feast of the Birth of Mary, our new postulants entered the postulancy of our American Province of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George! We thank God for the gift of these vocations. Pictured above - on their very first full day in the convent - are (from left) Ashley Vola, Samantha Goodson, Miranda Edgar, Jennifer Clark and Erin Leis. Welcome, Postulants! We Sisters are grateful that you have accepted Christ's invitation to belong totally to Him in our Franciscan community, and we support you wholeheartedly with our prayers and help! If you would like to send a word of welcome and encouragement to these new postulants, we will pass the greetings along to them. Just leave them as a "comment"!

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