A Personal Reflection: with my love to you Carole Novian ([email protected]) Dear Daughters, It’s Lent as I write this newsletter to you. I am thinking of so many Lenten phases in my life of things to do, things to take up, things to give up. Over the past years, God has always been there to guide my thoughts and feet even when I did not realize He was with me. What can I share with you this Lent and Easter? My thoughts went back to last week when I cleaned out my night table drawer. This is where I keep my journals of sporadic writings from over the years. Glancing through some of the steno pads and marble notebook, I was really in awe of how God just entered my heart and mind as I wrote some of my fears, joys, and loving moments. On Thursday, February 4, 1988, I wrote: “My dear Lord, Father Almighty, Unconditional love, again, it’s hard to really believe so simply it exists with us and all of us if we would only let it.” (I had so many feelings then of guilt and unworthiness.) “…Today, I spoke with my spiritual director. She understood my conflict with ‘worthy’ and ‘feeling worthy.’ She spoke with me about Jesus going to his Father and saying, ‘Hey Dad, Carole Novian has done_____’ or Jesus would ask his Father for forgiveness for his friends who are in need of forgiveness also. God would say simply, ‘OK.’ We talked about a mother’s love for her children and how she does for them and loves them even when others think she shouldn’t. Another example we talked about is when a couple falls in love and wants to marry and the parents aren’t pleased with their choice of mate their child has choosen. If they are smart parents, after their child asks for acceptance of mate, they may sigh and say ok because they love their child. So many examples she shared with me to help me understand that God, our Father, loves me and all of us regardless of our sins. All we need to do is turn it over to God, and just let him take my burden and let Jesus intercede for me to save me from my self-inflected guilt. I am a child of God. I love God. God loves me, regardless! The more often I remember Jesus’ love and God’s unconditional love for me, the more faith and trust will take over the guilt. This is so simple, why do I make it so hard? I question myself, am I worthy to wear my Nana’s Daughter’s cross? I want to wear it and yet I have that feeling of unworthiness. I need to r eflect on my meeting with my spiritual director. Yes, I need to give my guilt away to God and finally know I am worthy! I write it, ‘I am worthy.’ Joy is starting to return to my life, thanks be to God!” This Easter, I can’t wait to sing “Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord.” We have been crucified with Christ. Now we shall live for ever. Alleluia! OR my favorite Hymn #645 – look it up and see if it’s a favorite of yours, also. SPRING 2017 Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia
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Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia · PDF fileThis Easter, I cant wait to sing ^Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord. _ We have been crucified with Christ. Now we shall live
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J Philip Newell and his wife, Ali, were co-wardens of the lay religious community of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland. There, Philip developed this book as an aid to daily prayer. Here is a sample of the weekly cycle of morning and evening prayers in the Celtic tradition, with gospel and psalm readings taken from the liturgical year. Each “day” reflects a concern of the Iona Community:
1) justice and peace 2) healing 3) the goodness of creation and care for the earth 4) commitment to Christ 5) communion of heaven and earth 6) welcome and hospitality
Louise Donaldson’s beautiful calligraphy sets a welcoming mood and contemplative pace to the prayers. Whether you pray from this book communally or in private, you are sure to be captured by the Celtic sense that God is present in creation, in the events of our lives and in our hearts. Monday JUSTICE AND PEACE INTERCESSIONS
O Christ of the poor and the yearning Kindle in my heart within A flame of love for my neighbor, For my foe, for my friend, For my kindred all. From the humblest think that lives To the Name that is highest of all Kindle in my heart within A flame of love. Pray for the coming day and for justice and peace
June 2-4, 2017, at the Bishop Claggett Conference & Retreat Center, Buckeystown, MD
This year’s Retreat seeks to lead you in the four corners of heart, soul, strength, and mind. We are pleased to welcome Fr. Scott Stoner from Living Compass as our Retreat Leader, and look forward to his caring approach to the “whole child of God,” where wellness is grounded in theology. On Saturday we also welcome Anna Courie, the author of Christ Walk: A 40-Day Spiritual Fitness Program. This June you will receive experiential training and leave equipped with tools for service and evangelism. Fr. Scott will lead with wellness and wholeness; our faith formation is a part of that. REGISTRATION: By now, you should have received the registration packet. It is also posted under the President’s Blog on our website at www.DOKMaryland.org. Registrations must be postmarked by May 1, 2017, or include a $25 late registration fee. We will have a few extra copies of the Registration at the Spring Assembly on Saturday, April 29. OUTREACH PROJECT – visit their sites for donation requests and bring to Claggett:
Jackson-Feild Home for Boys & Girls, Jarratt, Virginia: www.jacksonfeild.org Boys Home of Virginia, Covington, Virginia: www.boyshomeofva.org
WHAT ELSE TO BRING:
Casual clothes and comfortable walking shoes (maybe something RED for Pentecost Sunday!) DOK CONFERENCE/SOUVENIR BAGS you’d like to donate or trade with other Daughters YOUR OWN TRAVEL CUP, as well as extras you’d like to donate or trade with other Daughters YOUR PRAYER BOOKS/HYMNALS, if at all convenient (Claggett does have a supply) Your open mind and willing heart to fill your cup!
Preparing for the Retreat: What Has The Lord Had YOU Do?
Every year each Diocesan President is tasked with providing a written report to the Province which describes what her Chapters and Diocese have been doing over the last year. These are often interesting, inspiring, and informative reports, and always much appreciated. The only drawback is that their presentations at the Retreat can be time consuming and hard to gauge when it comes to scheduling. This year Carole had an idea for something new. We ask that each Diocese present a tri-fold display board with pictures and narratives demonstrating the good work of the Daughters. Each Diocese can design and prepare her tri-fold individually – there is no prescribed manner. Typically, these display boards are 22” by 14”, made of corrugated cardboard, and can be purchased for under $5 at most office supply and discount stores. We’d recommend providing perhaps a half-page of space for each Chapter, more or less depending the size of your Diocese. Or you can do a collage. You can fill it with photographs or art or cards. Whatever your heart desires! This will be a fun and fascinating way to share with everyone what a vibrant and busy Province we are! After the Retreat we will post pictures of the results of this project, as well as the actual reports, on our website, www.dokproviii.org, so get your creative juices flowing! Our “staff photographer,” Nancy Delatush, has offered to help put this board together for the Maryland Diocese. We plan to get this project underway during the Spring Assembly being hosted by the St. Thomas Chapter in Hancock on Saturday, April 29. Please bring your pictures to the Assembly, or email them to Nancy directly ([email protected]).
The Mavis Stapleford Chapter’s home church, St. John’s in Hagerstown, takes turns staffing the Reach Shelter of Washington County. They prepare the food the night before, and serve it on a Wednesday night. Here’s a great picture of the DOK (plus three husbands) and JDOKS serving dinner at the Shelter on Ash Wednesday in February. As a bonus they served ice cream sundaes . Fr. Todd came over and offered ashes to everyone after the meal.
DIRECTIONS: From Route 70, take Exit 3 onto MD-144, W/E Main Street toward Hancock. Go about a mile and a half and turn right onto N. Church Street. This ends at E. High Street – the church will be straight ahead.
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