A Feast Before the Fast!

Greetings,

Today we celebrate with laughter and joy, a sweet treat with coffee, and a community party of cards and camaraderie! The celebration of Mardi Gras in our Benedictine family has ranged from costumes and skits to card games and bingo; throughout it all, has been the joy of the exuberant gathering before the solemnity of our Lent.

 This year, the sisters are also remembering the needs of others in our Mardi Gras. They are gathering personal care items (tooth brushes and paste, etc.) to donate to the student nurses of Mount Marty College before they travel to the South Dakota Rosebud Native American Reservation for their annual missionary service.

A prayer of Mardi Gras joy in preparing for Lent...

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for it is from your goodness that we have this day
to celebrate on the threshold of the Season of Lent.
Tomorrow we will fast and abstain from meat.
Today we feast.

We thank you for the abundance of gifts you shower upon us.
We thank you especially for one another.
As we give you thanks,
we are mindful of those who have so much less than we do.
As we share these wonderful gifts together,
we commit ourselves to greater generosity toward those

who need our support.

Prepare us for tomorrow.

Tasting the fullness of what we have today,
let us experience some hunger tomorrow.
May our fasting make us more alert
and may it heighten our consciousness
so that we might be ready to hear your Word
and respond to your call.

As our feasting fills us with gratitude

so may our fasting and abstinence hollow out in us
a place for deeper desires
and an attentiveness to hear the cry of the poor.
May our self-denial turn our hearts to you
and give us a new freedom for
generous service to others.

We ask you these graces

with our hearts full of delight
and stirring with readiness for the journey ahead.
We ask them with confidence
in the name of Jesus the Lord.

From: Creighton University

Blessings,

A Surprise "Bouquet"

Greetings,

This fancy chick is our new Ring-necked Pheasant!

One of our Employees is also a conservation volunteer.  After he saw the success of our chicken clutch and the delight it brought to our sisters.  He offered us a handful of eggs to incubate and hatch.

The Pheasant eggs were just over half the size of our chicken eggs, but needed to incubate for 24-29 days--a whole week longer.  After they hatched, the fluffy little "bouquet" of one chick will remain warm and safe in the monastery activity room for all to enjoy.  After a few weeks, our conservation volunteer will take the chick to finish growing for another five weeks in a netted conservation area.


Finally, this handsome little face will be released into the wilds of South Dakota.  The Ring-necked Pheasant is important to our rural heritage as it is the state bird of South Dakota.  It is also an important part of the rural tourism in drawing hunters from in and out of state to the smaller towns and cities of our state.  Here's hoping and praying that it flies far and fast into a cozy little corner of the country.

Blessings,

Mardi Gras @ the Monastery!

Greetings,

Yesterday, our community gathered for a festive evening of food, fun, and games.  Sister Marietta, Liturgist, found this prayer of blessing to connect our night of merry-making to the joy of the Lord.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for it is from your goodness that we have this day
to celebrate on the threshold of the Season of Lent.
Tomorrow we will fast and abstain from meat.
Today we feast.
We thank you for the abundance of gifts you shower upon us.
We thank you especially for one another.
As we give you thanks,
we are mindful of those who have so much less than we do.
As we share these wonderful gifts together,
we commit ourselves to greater generosity toward those

who need our support.

Prepare us for tomorrow.

Tasting the fullness of what we have today,
let us experience some hunger tomorrow.
May our fasting make us more alert
and may it heighten our consciousness
so that we might be ready to hear your Word
and respond to your call.

As our feasting fills us with gratitude

so may our fasting and abstinence hollow out in us
a place for deeper desires
and an attentiveness to hear the cry of the poor.
May our self-denial turn our hearts to you
and give us a new freedom for
generous service to others.

We ask you these graces

with our hearts full of delight
and stirring with readiness for the journey ahead.
We ask them with confidence
in the name of Jesus the Lord.

From: Creighton University

Blessings,