“Dear Jesus, shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with will see Your presence in my soul…. Let them look up and see, no longer me, but only You.”
All of you know how dear to our hearts the elderly Sisters of our Community are. We are always seeking ways to improve the experience of aging for them, for they have served so faithfully in the apostolates of teaching, health care, social service and domestic work in our convents. Now they serve through the ministry of suffering, and they bring countless blessings upon the Church, our Congregation and the people whom the active Sisters serve
each day. Their prayers also follow you, our generous friends, as they are pleased to support you through the Masses, rosaries, sacrifices, holy hours, and their personal, fervent prayers of each day. Because of their increasing needs, we felt the pressing importance of expanding and renewing the common gathering space in our small health center.
We turned to our benefactors for help in building this addition which involved a great deal of very expensive excavation since the center is built into a hill behind our Motherhouse. It took very much longer than we hoped — a full year of designing, drilling, digging, carting, building, inspections, and, finally, decorating. But our new space, called Nazareth, is now complete! We also included an area for therapy, much needed by the wonderful
professionals who assist our Sisters after surgeries or illnesses. But from day to day, the Sisters love to gather there, to watch EWTN or Bishop Barron’s DVD’s on the big screen television, listen to music, nap, pray together or simply sit before the fire and reflect. It has become an immense blessing for our elder Sisters. Sister Bernadette says, ”I think I might forget to go to meals, it’s so beautiful here!” And Sister Daniel: “This is just the BEST!”
Lord Jesus, You have chosen to enter our lives so that we may enter the life of the Trinity. This indwelling is a gift that only Your love could have designed. From dawn to dusk, from sunset to sunrise You and the Father and Your beloved Holy Spirit live and move and breathe within us. And too often we are unaware of this mystery.
Today, on this Advent Day, we ask for one more gift of You–the grace of a continual awareness of Your Presence within us. Unworthy though we are, You have chosen us to be the Bethlehem where the world may find You, the tabernacle where our sisters and brothers may come to warm themselves in Your mysterious presence. Make us so like You, so full of the richness of Your indwelling, that people “will look up and see, no longer us, but only Jesus.” Enkindle within us a flame so tender and so bright that we may become, for all the world, a living of Your radiant beauty. Amen.
Praise God for the warmer weather that has allowed the workmen to make progress on the Perpetual Help Center addition for our elderly Sisters. Thank you for your contribution through your prayers and financial support. We offer you our prayers and sacrifices in return for your great love.
We are so very grateful to all who have helped contribute to the new roof for the young sisters and to the renovations in the living area for our dear elderly sisters by your prayers and donations. The contractors will be coming soon to look at the situation with the novitiate roof. We hope to be finished with this project before the cold weather comes. The workmen are currently in the process of renovating the old building of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Center. Much has been done in the last month. Praise God for the warmer weather so that the work can progress. We thank you for your support and we promise you our prayers and sacrifices. Please check back here for updates on the renovations!