As the Nova Year Draws to a Close

Everybody is persevering, and the Plan of Life continues to "distill"--bits and pieces presenting themselves at their own pace to be put in the final make-up of the rule.

The post-nomial initials will be "eremOLC". In the future, aspirants will take a new name--filling in the blank behind "Sr Mary of ____" and use "a.eremOLC" with the "a" indicating the aspirancy level. The reason for the name format is this: imitation of Blessed Emilie's Society of Mary Reparatrix. Since the sisters were to be other Marys making reparation with her and in her place--as far as possible--they had such a format. "Sr Mary of St Agatha" would be called "Sr Mary St Agatha" or "Sr Mary Agatha."

Aspirants will begin their journey with us in July, so that they may begin the Novaship on November 21. They will also be requested to name their hermitage.We are doing the aspirancy differently than other orders. In our charism, the Aspirant is one who has discerned that this is where God is leading her, and the aspirancy is a true preparatory phase for the Novaship. The aspirants will start practicing covering, and will pare down their wardrobes. This is what happened with the first aspirant band, so we made note and added it to the Plan of Life.

I have been asked if the prayerbooks will be strictly Latin. In this time of economic upheaval, I do not wish this to be a burden to anyone, so following the suit of a friend who is a monastic novice mistress, I say "use what you have on hand".When we start having the Cloisterite Convergence, as the Spirit has named the hermits' coming together, I will have to ask somebody's permission to copy Latin prayer and Mass books. We will also use the time for retreat and business matters.

However, due to my husband more than likely running for Congress (House) in 2010, any Convergances won't take place until 2011 or thereabouts.

Blessings,
Gemma

Novas pausing with foundress

to pray for my mom, whom I've mentioned on my personal blog.

Blessings,
Gemma

Novas Making Reparation for Tiller Murder

Monday is dedicated to making reparation to the Holy Ghost, and we certainly have our work cut out for us today.

I can think of nothing more insulting that could happen on the Holy Ghost's feast day of Pentecost--other than committing suicide.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, Kansas abortionist Dr. Tiller was murdered at his church yesterday as he was exercising the office of Minister of Hospitality (formerly known as an usher).

The perp--who knows what he was thinking. But does he realize that he has potentially put the head of every pro-lifer in this nation on Obama's platter? Hopefully, the president shows more balance and rationale than the perp did.

Not only do we need to make reparation for what the pro-death faction (the abortion industry) is doing, but we also need to make reparation for the irrational judgements that our own have rushed into.

Blessings,
Gemma

Promise to post more after Easter

The novas continue their formation. We have been reading "The Foot of the Cross" by Fr. Faber for Lent.

Will post more after Easter.

Blessings,
Gemma

The Start of Ordinary Time

The novas will be finishing Fr. Faber's "Bethlehem" next Advent.

We have started in on "Imitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus."

Since my husband is having back surgery on Monday, January 26, I will not be at liberty to update any of my blogs until sometime in February.

Blessings,
Gemma

Back from Christmas Vacation

Or at least the foundress is.

We have been reading Fr. Faber's "Bethlehem," and I, a convert, have been wondering why these truths of mystical theology have not been taught to the merest children. I think our Church would be the better for it.

I should be able to blog more later, after we get back into the swing of things.

Blessings,
Gemma

Week of the Immaculate Conception

As I mentioned in a previous post, our family (nuclear and extended) has been experiencing health problems. The hermit-novas understand, and are supporting the situation with their prayers.

Part of this added burden included my son injuring his knee on December 7, thus causing him to miss school on December 8. I told the Lord that if He wanted His novas to receive instruction, the matter was in His hands. Between drs offices, He showed me the time I had to visit the hermits' yahoo group.

Blessed Emilie had received her charism in Belgium at the very moment the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception had been proclaimed in Rome on December 8, 1854. Mary wanted other Marys to be with her Son in the Blessed Sacrament, to make the reparation on Earth that she could no longer do.

Well, with that accomplished (far longer than what I'm posting here), I went on with the "hermitage on wheels." The tidbits of instruction that I was able to give the hermits the rest of the week were: the three basic tenets of the eremitic life are silence, solitude, and simplicity; then I assigned them to research "acedia."

We are still reading Fr. Faber's "Bethlehem" through the Advent and Christmas Season. It has been quite enriching. Fr. Faber majored in mystical theology in his books, and his mystical explanations made some mysteries much clearer. At the end of Chapter 2, we encountered a "Godincidence." One member of Blessed Emilie's congregation was a mystic who kept a journal, and in it she talks of how Our Lady cared for the Child Jesus. Fr. Faber said the Trinity had given Mary special mothering skills for the sake of the Holy Child, and Mother Mary of the Lamb of God said she saw Mary saying to Jesus, "Is there anything I can do for you? How can I serve you?" A good lesson for all of us, I would think.

Blessings,
Gemma