Memorial Day Greetings

 

America The Beautiful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OYYQEHqJ_c

God Bless America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD-aXtcUEOs

Trinity Sunday

 

Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost,  is a day for Christians to honor the belief of an Eternal God that consists of Three Persons, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit in One God. Many churches will hold special services or prayers on this day. In every church, a special Creed is recited. Special events may be held on this day including concerts, Trinity Sunday awards, special meals and social events.

In some Western churches, white is the liturgical color chosen for Trinity Sunday. This color may be combined with images of the Holy Trinity – which depicts the three elements of God in one. Sometimes, a triangle that is formed by overlapping loops or oval rings is used as a depiction of the Trinity.  Often times, a crown is used as the symbol of the Father, a lamb as the one for Jesus and a dove as a symbol for the Holy Spirit.

In Eastern Orthodox churches, Pentecost Sunday is also called Trinity Sunday. The Monday that follows this Sunday is then called the Monday of the Holy Spirit and the Tuesday after that is called the Third Day of the Trinity. In some of these Eastern churches, green is usually a prominent color.

Song To The Trinity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4sj0jzsgq8

 

On February 11, 2018, Pope Francis declared that a new obligatory memorial is to be celebrated in honor of our Blessed Mother under the title: Mary, Mother of the Church (Mater Ecclesiae).

This memorial is celebrated every year on the Monday after Pentecost.

In the Liturgy for the feast day, the Gospel of John 19: 25-34 is used. This passage deliberately focuses on Mary’s Commission.  She was with her son, Jesus, at the center of the Paschal Mystery.  The Gospel says it this way:

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple, John there,

He said to His mother: ‘Woman, behold, your son (all the Church).’

Then he said to John:  ‘Behold, your mother.’

After the Passion, Death, Resurrection, Ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit, Mary is entrusted as Witness to all that has said and done and for the strengthening of the faith of the early Church.

Let us go often to Mary, Vessel of the Holy Spirit, Woman of Yes, Disciple and Missionary as we too Evangelize and ‘Go to all nations’ bringing about the Kingdom of God.

Prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church

Mother, help our faith!

Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize his voice and call.

Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land     and to receive his promise.

Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith.

Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature.

Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One.

Remind us that those who believe are never alone.

Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord!

 

Canada's Victoria Day

 Celebrating Victoria Day

Victoria Day is a National Canadian holiday celebrated on the Monday before 25 May. It celebrates the birthday of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Historically a special relationship developed between the Canadian People and Queen Victoria and it was in Victoria’s reign that Canada was created and established its distinct identity. 

Victoria Day also became synonymous with summer weather for Canadians and certain social customs developed around the day. One did not wear white before Victoria Day, gardens were not planted until the Victoria Day weekend and summer cottages were not opened until this weekend.

We unite and celebrate Victoria Day with Sister Maria Rocha in Hamilton, Ontario, our Canadian Cluny Sisters missioned in Port au Prince, Haiti and the Cluny Community in Paris, France.

Canadian National Anthem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXFXXeoC4k0

Happy Victoria Day!

Sisters, Associates Friends and Benefactors of Cluny Canada

Feast of Pentecost

 

Pentecost is considered the Birth Day of the Church.  With the Disciples of Christ around the world we pray today for the coming of the Holy Spirit to fill us, fill our Church, fill our world with the manifold gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Three Theological Virtues         Faith, Hope, and Love
Four Cardinal Virtues                Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and 

  Temperance

Seven Gifts of the Spirit           Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, 

  Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and

  Fear of the Lord

Twelve Fruits of the Spirit        Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, 

                                               Kindness,
                                               Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness,
                                               Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-Control and

  Chastity

As it is told in the Acts of the Apostles …

On the Day of Pentecost (50 days after Easter) the Apostles and Followers of The Way were gathered together when suddenly there was a noise like a violent rushing wind and there appeared tongues of fire resting on each one and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues all understanding in their own language.

“Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout peoples from every nation under heaven.  And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 

They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?  And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.”

Missionary Disciples throughout the world today are…

         filled with the Spirit,

                  and speak of the great things that God had done.

         afraid, but

                  the Lord is in our midst and says to us:

                  “Peace be with you, peace be with you.”

         set free,

                  letting the Lord breathed upon us and say to us:

                  “Receive the Spirit, receive the Spirit.”

         we are sent forth

                  to become bearers of Christ’s reconciling love

                  many the gifts of the Spirit given…

Litany of the Holy Spirit

Dan Schutte

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp0vQdAju8Y

During the day, join the Church praying this Pentecost Sequence as we gather around the world and are filled with the Promised Advocate, the Spirit of God

              Come, Holy Spirit, come!

            And from your celestial home

              Shed a ray of light divine!

            Come, Father of the poor!

 Come, source of all our store!

    Come, within our bosoms shine.

 You, of comforters the best;

 You, the soul’s most welcome guest;

    Sweet refreshment here below;

 In our labor, rest most sweet;

 Grateful coolness in the heat;

    Solace in the midst of woe.

 O most blessed Light divine,

 Shine within these hearts of yours,

    And our inmost being fill!

 Where you are not, we have naught,

 Nothing good in deed or thought,

    Nothing free from taint of ill.

 Heal our wounds, our strength renew;

 On our dryness pour your dew;

    Wash the stains of guilt away;

 Bend the stubborn heart and will;

 Melt the frozen, warm the chill;

    Guide the steps that go astray.

 On the faithful, who adore

 And confess you, evermore

                      In your sevenfold gift descend;

                   Give them virtue’s sure reward;

                   Give them your salvation, Lord;

                      Give them joys that never end.

                     Amen.  Alleluia!

 

Welcome New Cluny Affiliates,

Jack and Pam Grant!

On Saturday May 15, at the Provincial House of USA/Canada, Sister Genevieve-Marie Vigil, Provincial and Sisters Rachel Philippe Racine, Josephine St. Leger, Anne Marie Liston and Marie Cooper gathered with Cluny Affiliates Louise Costley and Mary Ellen Atkins and the Grants for their official installation as Cluny Affiliates. Sister Josephine also had the joy of the presence of her niece, Martina St. Leger.

     A light lunch and joyful visiting followed.

Top photo: Sister Josephine and Pam.

Bottom group

Row 1: Affiliate Louise Costley, Sisters Josephine, Genevieve, Rachel and Anne Marie

Row 2: Affiliates Mary Ellen Atkins, Jack and Pam Grant, Sister Marie

Cluny Sisters Foundation Day

 

Foundation Day

May 12, 1807

The congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny has approximately 2600 sisters in 57 countries, 30 provinces, 418 communities across 5 continents, working in education, health, evangelization and social action.

In the heart of Cluny Sisters around the world today there is a great joy and deep gratitude for the charism that has been given to the congregation and the mission that has been entrusted to them since the beginning.

• to know and do the Holy Will of God through discernment and total availability
• to sow seeds of hope and compassion reaping a harvest of liberation and justice
• to be a sign for our world through community life... a place of personal growth, spiritual support, conversion and pardon, discernment, shared mission and caring.
• to be grounded in prayer and contemplatives in action - celebrating and nurturing our relationship with God in many different ways

On  May 12th, our Foundation Day, Cluny Sisters and their Associates and Collaborators in mission around the world celebrate their MISSIONARY CALL that began in 1807 with few, in response to the needs of that time and the urgings of the Holy Spirit – a remarkable Pentecost Moment in the Church and the World. 

During this Covid-19, Global Pandemic…

“Anne Marie’s Charism lives because her daughters,

from every race and nation and tongue,

have but one heart and one soul and continue in the Church

the work the Lord entrusted to her.” 

Constitutions of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny

“ ‘It is God’s work we are doing’

The certainty of sharing, through the Congregation, 

in the Church’s vast mission of evangelization is a powerful stimulus, which makes us more conscious of our responsibilities.  With faith in the continuous call of the Holy Spirit, every sister feels committed to carry on today the task begun yesterday.” 

Constitutions of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny

May Issue Stop Trafficking Newsletter

 

Victims of labor trafficking may be hidden in plain sight

laboring for well-known companies

 

 

Domestic work

Trafficking in the Construction Industry

Fishing Industry and Trafficking 

Migration and Labor Trafficking

Children account for about one - third

of Victims of Trafficking Worldwide

Children Trafficked for Forced Labor

Children Trafficked for Sexual Exploitation

 

Central American Women

And Children Protection Act

 

Click here to write and call your Members of Congress urging them to support the reintroduction of the Central American Women and Children’s Protection Act.

Read about these stories and more

 in the May Issue 

of the Stop Trafficking Newsletter

https://sistersagainsttrafficking.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2021_05_Stop-Trafficking-EN.pdf

Love, Life and Liberty

 

“Lord, pour out Your

LOVE, LIFE and LIBERTY.”

Cluny Sisters  join the nation in a day of prayer for our country, our leaders, and peoples as we move towards a ‘more perfect union’.

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation.  It was established in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

Through the years, Americans have observed the  National Day of Prayer in all 50 states and in the U.S. Territories, praying for our nation.  These prayer have not stopped through wars, peace, political shifts, celebrations, and now a global pandemic.  In all circumstances we prioritize prayer as a first response and not a last resort!

This year the THEME and Scripture verse focuses around our heart’s cry, “Lord, pour out Your LOVE, LIFE and LIBERTY.”  This prayer proclaims the Biblical truth found in our theme and new testament passage.

Now the Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty.

2 Corinthians 3:17

1.     There’s been over 140 national days of prayer

Since the 1700s to now, America has called for over 140 national days of prayer, humiliation, fasting, and thanksgiving by the President.

2.     Christians represent 73.7% of America’s religious population

This includes Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, and other faiths under the Christianity umbrella.

3.     Islam is the fastest-growing religion

However a 2050 religious forecast believes the global Muslim population is expected to grow at a faster rate.

4.     Roughly 45% of Americans pray every day

Comparatively, 31% pray more than once a day, and 65% pray about once a month.

God Bless America!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAU2TgfZAcc