“People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway. ”
— Mother Teresa
![Countdown to St. Joseph’s Day: 9 days (begin novena today)
We are soon approaching the Solemnity of my co-patron, St. Joseph, Husband of Mary. To prepare for this great celebration of my beloved guardian and father, here is a little reflection by the original Mother Teresa in her autobiography on perhaps her favorite saint (other than Our Lady, of course!).
“I took as my lord and advocate the glorious St. Joseph, commending myself earnestly to him, and I clearly saw that out of…troubles involving my honor and the salvation of my soul, this my lord and father delivered me, doing me greater benefits than I knew how to ask for.
I do not remember to this day ever having asked him for anything that he did not grant me. I am amazed at the great mercies which the Lord has done me through this blessed saint, and from what perils, both of body and soul, he has delivered me.
The Lord seems to have given other saints grace to help in some troubles, but I know by experience that this glorious saint helps in all. For His Majesty wishes to teach us that, as He was Himself subject to him on earth—for having the title of father, though only his guardian, St. Joseph could command him—so in heaven the Lord does what he asks. This has also been the experience of some other persons whom I have told to commend themselves to him; and there are many more who have lately come to revere him, through having newly discovered that this is true…
I only beg for the love of God that anyone who does not believe me shall try for himself. Then he will learn by experience what great good comes of recommending oneself to that glorious patriarch, and paying him service.
Persons who practice prayer, in particular, should always be his devotees. I do not know how anyone can think of the Queen of the Angels, during the time when she suffered so much with the infant Jesus, without giving thanks to St. Joseph for the help he then gave them. If anyone cannot find a master to teach him prayer, he should take this glorious saint for master, and he will not go astray on the road.
May it please the Lord that I have not done wrong in venturing to speak of him. For though I publicly profess my devotion to [St. Joseph], in serving him and imitating him I have always failed. But he was true to his nature when he cured my paralysis, making it possible for me to rise and walk; and I was true to mine in making but poor use of this benefit.”
- St. Teresa de Jesús (de Ávila)
Ite ad Ioseph (“Go to Joseph”, Genesis 41:55)](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0pe1uaBmy1qme924o1_500.jpg)
Countdown to St. Joseph’s Day: 9 days (begin novena today)
We are soon approaching the Solemnity of my co-patron, St. Joseph, Husband of Mary. To prepare for this great celebration of my beloved guardian and father, here is a little reflection by the original Mother Teresa in her autobiography on perhaps her favorite saint (other than Our Lady, of course!).
“I took as my lord and advocate the glorious St. Joseph, commending myself earnestly to him, and I clearly saw that out of…troubles involving my honor and the salvation of my soul, this my lord and father delivered me, doing me greater benefits than I knew how to ask for.
I do not remember to this day ever having asked him for anything that he did not grant me. I am amazed at the great mercies which the Lord has done me through this blessed saint, and from what perils, both of body and soul, he has delivered me.
The Lord seems to have given other saints grace to help in some troubles, but I know by experience that this glorious saint helps in all. For His Majesty wishes to teach us that, as He was Himself subject to him on earth—for having the title of father, though only his guardian, St. Joseph could command him—so in heaven the Lord does what he asks. This has also been the experience of some other persons whom I have told to commend themselves to him; and there are many more who have lately come to revere him, through having newly discovered that this is true…
I only beg for the love of God that anyone who does not believe me shall try for himself. Then he will learn by experience what great good comes of recommending oneself to that glorious patriarch, and paying him service.
Persons who practice prayer, in particular, should always be his devotees. I do not know how anyone can think of the Queen of the Angels, during the time when she suffered so much with the infant Jesus, without giving thanks to St. Joseph for the help he then gave them. If anyone cannot find a master to teach him prayer, he should take this glorious saint for master, and he will not go astray on the road.
May it please the Lord that I have not done wrong in venturing to speak of him. For though I publicly profess my devotion to [St. Joseph], in serving him and imitating him I have always failed. But he was true to his nature when he cured my paralysis, making it possible for me to rise and walk; and I was true to mine in making but poor use of this benefit.”
- St. Teresa de Jesús (de Ávila)
Ite ad Ioseph (“Go to Joseph”, Genesis 41:55)
Many of you know that Mother Dolores Hart, Prioress of the Abbey of Regina Laudis, and former movie star who gave Elvis Presely his first on-stage kiss, returned to the Academy Awards tonight and walked the red carpet since God is the Bigger Elvis, a film about her past and present life, was nominated for Best Documentary (short subject). Although, she didn’t win, I suppose it is an honor just to be nominated.
And who helped this former movie star discern her vocation to the religious life? None other than Bl. John XXIII! This is what she in an interview about hearing God’s call to become a nun:
In 1959, I was in a play in New York, The Pleasure of His Company. A friend invited me to meet some nuns and she said, “They are very special. I exclaimed, “NUNS! No, I don’t want to meet nuns.”
But my friend said, “Did I ever steer you wrong?” and I said, “No.” So, I came to Regina Laudis — after a few hours here, it has a definite call. You feel you’re in a special place. Well, after the first visit, I kept coming back in between shows. Eventually, I asked the Reverend Mother if she thought I had a vocation. She said, “No, no; go back and do your movie thing. You’re too young.”
I did, and then did some more films: Where the Boys Are and St. Francis of Assisi which took me to Rome. I met Pope John XXIII and he was very instrumental in helping me form my ideas about a vocation. When I was introduced to the Pope, I said, “I am Dolores Hart, the actress playing Clara.” He said, “NO, you are Clara! (“Tu sei Chiara” — in Italian). Thinking he had misunderstood me, I said, “No, I am Dolores Hart, an actress portraying Clara.” Pope John XXIII looked me square in the eye and stated, “NO. You are Clara!” His statement stayed with me and rang in my ears many times.
Here is a video about this simple nun and the adventure of saying “yes” to God. What struck me is that it is quite a romantic tale. It is truly a great love story between Christ, His bride, and her ex-fiance, Don Robinson.
Even though God is the Bigger Elvis, the Academy Award nominated movie for Best Documentary (short subject), didn’t win the Oscar, here’s to Mother Dolores Hart and her Benedictine sisters at the Abbey of Regina Laudis! It was great to see a Catholic nun in habit on the red carpet. Cheers!
O God, who led Saint Josephine Bakhita from abject slavery to the dignity of being your daughter and a bride of Christ, grant, we pray, that by her example we may show constant love for the Lord Jesus crucified, remaining steadfast in charity and prompt to show compassion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
