Are You an Eve or a Mary?

photo: Google Images

by Sr. Pia Ignatius, O.Carm.

Poor Eve really gets a bum rap in the Bible.  In a moment of weakness she succumbs to peer pressure and eats from the tree of knowledge.  We’ve all had our Eve moments.  Most of those moments probably happened in school when we were struggling to fit in and not be different.  But we can all look back on our lives and remember times when we did something, with full knowledge of it being wrong, just to not be different or cause waves.

Let’s take a second look at what Eve really did.  She was told by our Lord not to eat from the tree of knowledge.  That sounds familiar doesn’t it?  How many times have we been told by our parents or loved ones ‘don’t touch that’?  And how many times has someone come up to you and said ‘forget what they said, I know better.’  And we believe them, only to regret almost immediately our actions.  But what did Eve really do?  She decided to believe a stranger over Our Lord, our Creator who loves us dearly.  Again, sound familiar?  Think back to a time when your mother said to you, ‘I don’t like so and so, you shouldn’t hang out with them.  They are bad news.’  And what did you think or say in reply?  Probably something along the lines of ‘you don’t know what you are talking about I know better’.  And in the end what happens?  The whole thing blows up in your face.  This scenario plays out countless times throughout our lives.  It just changes location, from the school yard, to work, to the local bar.  Same premise just in a different wrapping. 

Now dig deeper.  What did Eve fail to do?  What is the one thing she could have done to help her learn and give her the strength to say no?  She could have gone back to our Lord and talked to Him.  And now we come to Mary, the new Eve.

The Archangel Gabriel presents to Mary a proposition.  She had free will, as we all do, and she could have said no.  In Luke 1:29 Mary was perplexed and pondered.  She thought about what Gabriel said.  She even questioned it! In Luke 1:34 she doubted and basically said (in modern layman terms) um, you’re crazy I can’t be pregnant I’ve never had sex.  Gabriel doesn’t yell at her or demand that she blindly obeys.  No, he explained exactly what was to happen and not only that but told her that she will not go through it alone.  Luke 1:36 tells us that Elizabeth, her relative is also pregnant.  So now this scary thing isn’t so scary anymore because she has a friend to travel on this journey with.  And Mary said yes.

When in your life have you reached a cross road?  A life changing decision must be made.  Picking what college to go to, accepting a job promotion, or getting married.  Did you turn to the Lord asking for guidance?  Or maybe something negative happens in your life and you turn to our Lord and ask why did you let this happen to me?  Either way you asked.  And then you look around to find your Elizabeth.  Ever hear the expression ‘God only gives you what he knows you can handle’?  Mary was about 14 years old.  Just let that sink in for a bit.  Mary like Eve had a choice to make.  And unlike Eve, Mary questioned and asked for an explanation before she made her decision.  

AMICITIA ("Friendship")

by Sr. Pia Ignatius, O.Carm.

On December 3^rd, we celebrated the feast day of Saint Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary and best friend of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.  These two great men met in college, in fact, they were roommates at the University of Paris.  Francis didn’t much care for Ignatius at first.  He thought of him as over pious and Francis was more interested in being a “wild” college kid, keep in mind he was only 19, and Ignatius was 24 and an accomplished military officer at the time.  With much patience, time and prayer Ignatius won over Francis and helped him with his conversion.  The two men grew to love each other through the love of Christ. 

As time went by and the Society of Jesus grew, Ignatius needed to send missionaries to the Far East.  Francis volunteered when the original Jesuit fell ill and the two men had to make a huge sacrifice.  Later Ignatius would tell his best friend, "Go, set the world on fire!" After Xavier left for "the missions" the two would never see each other again. “I believe that in this life we cannot see each other anymore except by letters,” Francis writes Ignatius in one of his first letters. “To see each other face to face with many embracing—that will be for the other life.”  

Many letters were exchanged between the two friends but unfortunately Francis became gravely ill and died before Ignatius could call him back to Rome. In one of his final letters to Ignatius, and his fellow Jesuit brothers, he wrote: "So that I may never forget you and ever have a special remembrance of you, I would have you know, dear brothers, for my own consolation, I have cut your names from the letters which you have written to me with your own hands so that I may constantly carry them with me together with the valid profession which I made....I give thanks first of all to God our Lord, and then to you, most dear brothers and fathers, for the fact that God has so made you that I derive such great consolation from bearing your names. And since we shall soon see each other in the next life with greater peace than we have in this, I say no more." 

 Around his neck and close to his heart, Francis wore the signatures of his dear friends. “Let us ask God for the grace of seeing each other joined together in the next life,” Francis had once written Ignatius. “Whoever will be the first to go to the other life and does not there find his brother, whom he loves in the Lord, must ask Christ our Lord to unite us all there in his glory.”

In 1622, Francis and Ignatius were both declared saints. Bound together for eternity in mutual love for the God who brought them together, Francis and Ignatius are a powerful witness to the inexhaustible and transforming possibilities of friendship in the Lord.  An amazing testament to God’s love for us that He provides us companions for our Earthly journey.  

Upon reflecting on this great Saint, I couldn’t help but think of a dear friend of mine.  Tragically she was killed in a helicopter crash last July.  We were very close for a time but God called us to different paths.  She became a flight paramedic in New Mexico and I entered religious life with the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm.  We both had a zeal for being servants to others and caring for those in need.  For a time our paths were in sync and we traveled together with great joy.  But as we grew to follow our hearts we had to say our goodbyes and blaze new trails.  Like Francis and Ignatius, we never dreamed that we would not see each other again.  Friends may come and go in our lives but they will always leave a mark on our hearts.  It is God’s way of showing us how much He loves us. 

           

LIFE IS PRECIOUS: AN ADVENT REFLECTION

by Sr. Pia Ignatius, O.Carm.

It was the year after I graduated high school when I heard the news.  A fellow classmate took her own life.  She had just finished family dinner, when she excused herself from the table, took her father’s gun and used it to kill herself.  She was still alive when EMS arrived but was pronounced dead at the hospital.  She left behind a 3 year old daughter.

One sunny September morning, I was at work and my boss shouted down the hallway calling everyone into the conference room for a meeting.  This was not a good sign, an unannounced meeting.  We all sat down and noticed a grim look on his face.  He informed us that a fellow colleague and friend had taken his own life sometime in the early hours of the morning.  He lived alone, having been recently divorced with no children.  It was about a week before he was supposed to be his older brother’s best man.

As Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, we take an oath to protect all life in every stage.  But how do you come to terms with someone who makes such a finite decision?  It is easy to say, “Oh that person was so selfish” or “That’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem” or “They must have been on drugs or drunk”.  No, that is not the case.  Suicide is often the unfortunate result of a battle with depression, just as a person who has a heart condition dies of a heart attack.  And for those who remain there is often the guilt of having survived.  Questions start to pop up.  Why didn’t I notice the warning signs?  Why didn’t this person reach out?  Why didn’t I reach out?  What could I have done differently?  Why God?  I don’t understand. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2280) states: “Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of.  (2281) Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.  Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.  (2283) We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.”

How can we who are alive process this type of tragic event and help others to heal?  By listening.  St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross have said that it is through silence that God speaks to us.   People want to be loved and want to know that they are loved.  Love thy neighbor.  Love others as God loves you.  Be silent and listen. We are not God, we cannot be everywhere, we cannot see everything, or hear everything.  But we can be more aware.   We can make ourselves available.  We can take a moment out of our day and reach out to others.  A simple text message, a warm smile, grabbing a cup of coffee together, or inviting someone to Mass- these are just few examples of little things that can go a long way for someone who is at the end of their rope.  And above all PRAY. 

If you need someone, or know someone who needs someone, pick up the phone and call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255).  During this holiday season remember those who are alone or who feel lost and show Christ’s love to them. 

A SISTER'S PAGE: "The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns"- A Carmelite Review

by Sr. Jean Davis, O.Carm

The Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm can be so proud of their part in the Lifetime Channel show “The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns.”  I am personally so very pleased that my religious community reached out courageously to participate, along with two other communities, in a reality show that could re-define future reality productions. 

Courage was a key element when our Foundress, Venerable Mary Angeline Teresa, stepped forward to found a new religious community devoted to the care of the aged and infirm.  In 1929, the Congregation was the first American community founded solely to care for the elderly.  Now, eighty five years later, our leadership has courageously stepped forward to accept the challenge of a reality show- something never before attempted by a religious community. 

The hope that our Sisters could demonstrate the joy, peace, love and support to be found in religious life is enhanced by the words of Pope Francis who encouraged us to evangelize at every opportunity, and by the courage of our Superior General, Mother Mark, who believes in moving beyond our personal “comfort zone.”

After discussion, reflection and prayer, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm committed to a TV production with unknown outcome.  Members of our religious community supported the decision to proceed with the courage that has carried us since our foundation, knowing that the benefit of sharing our daily life with all its ups and downs, may be the needed resource during this Year of Consecrated Life that might awaken in the heart of a young woman the urge to ask “What does God want me to do with my life?”

Pumpkins and Glad Tidings!

Sr. Pia Ignatius and Sr. Julie Michael spent some time carving out pumpkins and getting into the spirit of the season! The Novitiate has been quieter with the departure of the four newly professed Sisters to their Missions- but with Advent and Christmas just around the corner- the spirit of good cheer became alive as the Formation team organized a food drive, collected food items and brought packages to those in need at the local parish!

Watch those knives, Sisters!

 

                                                               Baked pumpkin seeds!

                                   Sr. Lois, Sr. Julie Michael & Sr. Pia Ignatius at St. Christopher's Church

Vocation Weekend Discernment

The Carmelite Sisters hosted a Vocation Weekend Retreat on November 7-9, 2014 at St. Teresa's Motherhouse in Germantown, NY.  Monsignor Kieran Harrington gave  powerful homilies on the need for  radical conversion of heart leading us to a full encounter with the person of Jesus.  The Saints of Carmel talk about this same radical call to discipleship which purifies us from petty attachments and false understanding of our religious calling.  The participants spent their two days of discernment enjoying the silence offered by St. Teresa's Motherhouse, inspiring talks, liturgy, and encounter with the Sisters.  Please   pray for the young women who continue to seek God's Will in their lives. May they find Him whom their hearts seek! 

FOR MORE PHOTOS

Sr. Pia's Visiting Day

On October 15, 2014, Feast of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Sr. Pia Ignatius received a visit from her mom and Fr. Pat Kelly, SMA (shown in photo above).  Fr. Kelly is a close friend of the family and has known Sister prior to her entrance to Carmel.