My brothers and sisters, we hear of so many religious communities out-branching onward toward new missions around the world, which possesses the sweet pollen smell from every freshly planted flower - but do we realize that without water and sunlight that flower will die, when that flower dies, its like losing a million of flowers - and eventually the seeds and petals become dirt and earth, like in this analogy we run into today with the vocations crisis in the Catholic Church, from large numbers in the hundred-thousands to just the thousands now only a few short years later, there is a community out there who are re-planting the foundation and making roses, granted that they sometimes run into the thorns of the rose, which accounts for all the struggle, time, prayer, and out-reaching to the people they have done through their apostolate of teaching and co-apostolates like auctions/fundraisers/retreats/talks etc.., today they celebrate their tenth anniversary of being this NEW order, starting in 1997 four Nashville Dominican Sisters founded a new community, a NEW order...the sacrifice and struggle was huge we can try and imagine, giving up everything, their former community, everyone in it and professing vows as a NEW community as oppose to professing vows as the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia - to respond to this thirst and hunger of John Paul the Greats new evangelization - in these ten years the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist have given me the greatest hope that we will be victorious in restoring vitality to the church, and restoring that hope that everything is not lost that it can in fact by found by and through the Grace of God. These sisters jumped from four to seventy three in a deacde with the highest percentage growth rate in vocations something to the extent of 1725% or higher - Sister Joseph Andrew, Mother Vicar, founder, and Vocation Director of the community contstantly puts it out into the deep that they cant build fast enough for all girls entering, so far there has been four accepted and six still in application process as has been rumored for this year - the sisters plan to cap off at 100 - its so beautiful, and the thing is its REAL as I recall Sister Joseph Andrew constantly using wherever we all were at the retreat - God chooses whom He wills - let us go forth then in out reach into the deep and be Fishes of Men and thank God for His goodness, and fidelity -
"We are consecrated women first, and so our foremost model is Mary, the Mother of God. Inspired by the charism of St. Dominic, our prayer life comes first so that our apostolate overflows from a contemplation nourished before the Eucharist."
- Mother Assumpta Long, O.P
The Dominican motto “to contemplate and to give to others the fruits of your contemplation” is lived out in the apostolic life of the Sister which is truly national in scope.
09 February, 2007
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