"Our" Seminarians' Visit!
On Friday, April 17th, we had the joy of a parlor visit with "our" seminarians. "Our" seminarians are seminarians from Immaculate Conception Seminary who asked to be paired with one of us as prayer partners. One of the seminarians, during the visit, asked for special prayers and warned that if a plague of frogs or some such catastrophe befell the monastery it would be because of the grace he was in need of. Right away exclamations of "It was him!" echoed from the sisters. We explained how the community has been experiencing its own plague of sickness since the new year. We were, of course, just teasing him, but it was a good reminder that suffering joined to Christ's suffering is redemptive and "merits" grace for others. Don't let your sufferings (big or small) go to waste! "Offer it up!"
Awhile ago our novice mistress, Sr. Mary Catharine, and one of our externs, Sr. Mary Cecilia, went to the seminary to give a talk on the contemplative life. While there some of our seminarians craftily attempted to find out what sort of treats the sisters like but rarely get, without the sisters catching on to their intention. It was discovered that ice cream cake is highly prized but rarely donated. So what did our seminarians bring to the visit? A wonderful ice cream cake! We couldn't let them go home empty handed, and in fact, Sr. Judith Miryam (of Polish heritage) had baked two huge babkas to give to her seminarian (also of Polish heritage)! We are sure he will share with the others.
Please keep in your prayers the seminarians who will be ordained to the diaconate next month, as well as our Dominican brothers who will be ordained to the priesthood.