Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver

On the various trips I take to give parish missions, retreats, and talks I make new friends and meet new groups. This morning I concelebrated Mass at a convent of the Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver. Before meeting the Sisters I learned a bit more about them and what I learned made me look forward to our meeting.

First, they publish a very good bi-monthly magazine called "Echoes from Africa and Other Continents." In it they publicize the monthly prayer intentions of the Holy Father.

Secondly, they are named after the Jesuit saint who ministered to African slaves in Colombia.

Thirdly, their foundress, Blessed Mary Theresa Ledochowska, was the sister of Fr. Wlodomir Ledochowski who as the General Superior of the Jesuit Order from 1915 to 1942.

These Sisters promote mission awareness and I look forward to working with them to do the same through the monthly mission intentions of the Holy Father.

Mother Knows Best!

That's the title of Emily Stimpson's "In Focus" section in the March 15, 2009 issue of Our Sunday Visitor. What caught my eye was the title that appeared on the cover: "Offering it up." What many have thought to be an outdated spiritual practice made the cover of a popular Catholic periodical!

Here's what Emily Stimpson had to say about the expression "Offer it up"...

"Believe it or not, this isn't Catholic code for "Get over it." Although Mom might have occasionnally used it that way, more often than not, when she pulled this one out of her repertoire of cliches, she was calling you to practice the daily habit of self-sacrifice, a prerequisite for sainthood. "

The entire four page "In Focus" section of the March 15 issue is on "Sacrifice" and has some very worthwhile suggestions to help you see the value of making little sacrifices that with God's grace become powerful prayers. I think extra copies of this section are available through the Our Sunday Visitor web site: www.osv.com .