A reflection by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB, given to the community on the day before Sister Assunta made her solemn monastic profession, highlighting her profession motto: “Ecce, venio” – “Behold, I come”
Tomorrow, on the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, our Sister Assunta will make her solemn monastic vows. It is fitting to claim that Saint Mary Magdalene has the characteristics of a true Benedictine (even though Benedict had not yet arrived on earth during her lifetime!). She clearly has the spirit that Benedict valued in his monks, to “prefer nothing to the love of Christ” (Rule of St. Benedict, 4.21). It’s as if she cried out in her heart, “Ecce, venio” – “Behold, I come” – when she was one of the only disciples, except for John, present for Christ’s crucifixion, when she prepared the spices for His burial, and when she searched for her Beloved at His empty tomb. The Song of Songs can be applied to her when it says, “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?” (Song 3:3). She had that earnest searching of the heart, that earnest desire to be with Christ. Saint Mary Magdalene is outstandingly known for her unquestionable love for Christ, and His great love for her. Similarly, Sister Assunta is about to profess her monastic vows to become more like the One she loves, to embrace more fully the One she seeks above all, the One who has laid down His life for her and says, “Ecce, venio,” – “Behold, I come.”
Dear Sister Assunta, tomorrow a gold ring will be placed on your finger. And this is what will be said by the Archbishop to you: “Receive the ring of faith, the seal of the Holy Spirit, that you may be called the spouse of God. You are betrothed to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High Father. May He keep you undefiled in his love. Serve Him faithfully, that you may one day be crowned eternally. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Look often at your ring, and remember well to Whom you are wed. Love Him without ceasing, as Mary Magdalene did. That is our prayer for you. Keep your eyes on eternity. Life is short, but you will never regret what you do if you love Christ most of all. We can wish you nothing better.
Our Sister Assunta, OSB, professed her solemn monastic vows on July 22, 2023. Adding to the already glorious occasion of the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, Sister Assunta’s profession day was a truly blessed and joyous one, and we were happy that so many of her family members from Texas were able to join us for the celebration. Below are some of the photos of Sister Assunta’s profession.
Our community hold the tradition of anticipating Easter by praying Jeremiah’s Lamentations during the Divine Office on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday every year. Our custom is to appoint a different Sister to sing these in Latin during Matins. Beginning with the most junior nun assigned to sing, and ending with our Abbess, Mother Maria-Michael, this video highlights a short segment from each of the nine Lamentations passages we use.
Below is the full text of these moving scriptures:
Lamentations 1:1-5
How solitary sits the city, once filled with people. She who was great among the nations is now like a widow. Once a princess among the provinces, now a toiling slave.
She weeps incessantly in the night, her cheeks damp with tears. She has no one to comfort her from all her lovers; Her friends have all betrayed her, and become her enemies.
Judah has gone into exile, after oppression and harsh labor; She dwells among the nations, yet finds no rest: All her pursuers overtake her in the narrow straits.
The roads to Zion mourn, empty of pilgrims to her feasts. All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, Her young women grieve; her lot is bitter.
Her foes have come out on top, her enemies are secure; Because the LORD has afflicted her for her many rebellions. Her children have gone away, captive before the foe.
(Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord your God)
Lamentations 1:6-9
From daughter Zion has gone all her glory: Her princes have become like rams that find no pasture. They have gone off exhausted before their pursuers.
Jerusalem remembers in days of wretched homelessness, All the precious things she once had in days gone by. But when her people fell into the hands of the foe, and she had no help, Her foes looked on and laughed at her collapse.
Jerusalem has sinned grievously, therefore she has become a mockery; Those who honored her now demean her, for they saw her nakedness; She herself groans out loud, and turns away.
Her uncleanness is on her skirt; she has no thought of her future. Her downfall is astonishing, with no one to comfort her. “Look, O LORD, at my misery; how the enemy triumphs!”
(Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord your God)
Lamentations 1:10-14
The foe stretched out his hands to all her precious things; She has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, Those you forbade to come into your assembly.
All her people groan, searching for bread; They give their precious things for food, to retain the breath of life. “Look, O LORD, and pay attention to how I have been demeaned!
Come, all who pass by the way, pay attention and see: Is there any pain like my pain, which has been ruthlessly inflicted upon me, With which the LORD has tormented me on the day of his blazing wrath?
From on high he hurled fire down into my very bones; He spread out a net for my feet, and turned me back. He has left me desolate, in misery all day long.
The yoke of my rebellions is bound together, fastened by his hand. His yoke is upon my neck; he has made my strength fail. The Lord has delivered me into the grip of those I cannot resist.
(Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord your God)
Lamentations 2:8-11
The LORD was bent on destroying the wall of daughter Zion: He stretched out the measuring line; did not hesitate to devour, Brought grief on rampart and wall till both succumbed.
Her gates sank into the ground; he smashed her bars to bits. Her king and her princes are among the nations; instruction is wanting, Even her prophets do not obtain any vision from the LORD.
The elders of daughter Zion sit silently on the ground; They cast dust on their heads and dress in sackcloth; The young women of Jerusalem bow their heads to the ground.
My eyes are spent with tears, my stomach churns; My bile is poured out on the ground at the brokenness of the daughter of my people, As children and infants collapse in the streets of the town.
(Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord your God)
Lamentations 2:12-15
They cry out to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” As they faint away like the wounded in the streets of the city, As their life is poured out in their mothers’ arms.
To what can I compare you—to what can I liken you— O daughter Jerusalem? What example can I give in order to comfort you, virgin daughter Zion? For your breach is vast as the sea; who could heal you?
Your prophets provided you visions of whitewashed illusion; They did not lay bare your guilt, in order to restore your fortunes; They saw for you only oracles of empty deceit.
All who pass by on the road, clap their hands at you; They hiss and wag their heads over daughter Jerusalem: “Is this the city they used to call perfect in beauty and joy of all the earth?”
(Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord your God)
Lamentations 3:1-9
I am one who has known affliction under the rod of God’s anger, One whom he has driven and forced to walk in darkness, not in light; Against me alone he turns his hand— again and again all day long. He has worn away my flesh and my skin, he has broken my bones; He has besieged me all around with poverty and hardship; He has left me to dwell in dark places like those long dead. He has hemmed me in with no escape, weighed me down with chains; Even when I cry for help, he stops my prayer; He has hemmed in my ways with fitted stones, and made my paths crooked.
(Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord your God)
Lamentations 3:22-30
The LORD’s acts of mercy are not exhausted, his compassion is not spent; They are renewed each morning— great is your faithfulness! The LORD is my portion, I tell myself, therefore I will hope in him. The LORD is good to those who trust in him, to the one that seeks him; It is good to hope in silence for the LORD’s deliverance. It is good for a person, when young, to bear the yoke, To sit alone and in silence, when its weight lies heavy, To put one’s mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope— To offer one’s cheek to be struck, to be filled with disgrace.
(Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord your God)
Lamentations 4:1-6
How the gold has lost its luster, the noble metal changed; Jewels lie scattered at the corner of every street.
And Zion’s precious children, worth their weight in gold— How they are treated like clay jugs, the work of any potter!
Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young; But the daughter of my people is as cruel as the ostrich in the wilderness.
The tongue of the infant cleaves to the roof of its mouth in thirst; Children beg for bread, but no one gives them a piece.
Those who feasted on delicacies are abandoned in the streets; Those who reclined on crimson now embrace dung heaps.
The punishment of the daughter of my people surpassed the penalty of Sodom, Which was overthrown in an instant with no hand laid on it.
(Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord your God)
Lamentations 5:1-11
Remember, LORD, what has happened to us, pay attention, and see our disgrace: Our heritage is turned over to strangers, our homes, to foreigners. We have become orphans, without fathers; our mothers are like widows. We pay money to drink our own water, our own wood comes at a price. With a yoke on our necks, we are driven; we are worn out, but allowed no rest. We extended a hand to Egypt and Assyria, to satisfy our need of bread. Our ancestors, who sinned, are no more; but now we bear their guilt. Servants rule over us, with no one to tear us from their hands. We risk our lives just to get bread, exposed to the desert heat; Our skin heats up like an oven, from the searing blasts of famine. Women are raped in Zion, young women in the cities of Judah…
(Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord your God)
We all know the story of Christ calling St. Peter out to walk on water. When the apostles saw Jesus walking on the sea toward them, Peter said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (Matt. 14:28). Christ tells him to “come,” so he steps out of the boat onto the water, but then he begins to sink and cries out. This episode shows how evil tries to make us doubt. That is one of the tools that evil tries to use against us – to doubt our faith, to doubt God’s love for us – and that is not from God.
When Jesus stretches out his hand to catch Peter from downing and says, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:31), I don’t think He was rebuking Peter in a harsh way, or criticizing Peter for messing up again. I think Jesus was simply saying, “What made you think I wasn’t calling you forth? Don’t depend on yourself, but keep your eyes on Me, and follow through with confidence. You can trust Me.”
There is a point when we should actually doubt ourselves, and that is if we haven’t prayed. But if we have prayed first, and we feel confident about receiving direction from the Lord, then we should continue with confidence, and not let anything make us turn to the left or to the right. It is for us to put our trust in God, and not fear, and never take our eyes off Him. And if ever we begin to doubt, we should immediately call upon Him, like St. Peter did, and He will take care.
Our Sister Maria of Jesus, OSB, stepping out in faith and love, professed her solemn monastic vows on February 10! Adding to the already glorious occasion of the Solemnity of Saint Scholastica, Sister Maria’s profession day was a truly blessed and joyous one, and we were happy that so many of her loved ones were able to join us for the celebration. Click here to read an article from the Denver Catholic about Sister Maria’s Solemn Profession.
Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila calls Sister Maria forth to begin the rite of monastic profession
Sister Maria processes to the front of the church carrying her profession candle
During the Archbishop’s homily
Professing her monastic vows in the hands of Mother Maria-Michael
Singing her “Suscipe”
The Archbishop prays the prayer of monastic consecration over Sister Maria
Clothed with her new veil and cuculla (choir robe)
The Archbishop places her ring on her finger
Singing the “Ipsi Sum”
Presenting her candle to the Archbishop
The perfect picture to describe the motto Sister Maria took: “Looking to Jesus, Who emptied Himself”
The Archbishop’s closing remarks
Mother Maria-Michael and Sister Maria processing out of the chapel at the close of the celebration
Life’s journey can be full of distractions and diversions. Come to a day of recollection to find the meaning of Lenten observance and restore your vision of Christ for Easter.
Sister Maria Josepha, OSB
The Abbey of St. Walburga will be hosting two Lenten retreat days: March 10 and March 29 from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Two conferences will be given by one of the nuns on the topic of “Returning to Christ”.
Participants are welcome to join the nuns for midday prayers (the Divine Office).
A light lunch will be provided, or you are welcome to bring your own food (refrigerators and microwaves will be available).
The cost is $35 per person.
Registration is required. Please email our Guest Mistress at aswretreats@gmail.com or call (970) 472-0612 to make a reservation.
This fall, we tinted the upper windows of our chapel to solve the dilemma of having very direct sunlight hit our faces when we are trying to pray the Divine Office. It was a three-day ordeal, involving moving our liturgies to the conference room, fitting a JLG lift through doorways it almost couldn’t, and a constant process of building and re-building scaffolding, but it was all worth it, because at last, “By day the sun shall not smite you, nor the moon in the night” (Psalm 121:6).
Annual Community Retreat
On October 9-15, we had Father Jeff Loseke, Ed.D., S.T.L. (currently serving as Pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in the Diocese of Omaha, Nebraska) direct our annual community retreat. His daily conferences were on the topic of healing, and were a great blessing to us.
How wonderful to compare the before and after pictures of our garden this season!
The Changing of the Leaves
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains be joyful and all that is in them. Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice before the LORD who comes, who comes to govern the earth, To govern the world with justice and the peoples with faithfulness.
This year’s calendar features photos of our Sisters performing daily monastic duties. The calendar also gives the days of the Church’s liturgical days and seasons, together with days commemorated by the Order of St. Benedict, as they are observed at our Abbey.
***We are now sold out of 2023 Calendars; thank you to everyone who purchased one!
On September 14, 2022, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, our Sister Mary made her First Profession of Monastic Vows during the Eucharistic Celebration, receiving the name Sister Maria-Rose, and taking Our Lady of Guadalupe as her Patroness. It was a beautiful ceremony, and unique because our Sister Assunta also renewed her simple vows for the final time before making her Solemn Profession next year.
We adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, here, and in all your churches throughout the whole world, and we bless you, for by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
On July 11, the Solemnity of Saint Benedict, our Sister Maria-Placida renewed her vows for another year. Join us in praying for her as she journeys toward Solemn Profession!
During the vow renewal ceremony, the “Suscpie” is sung by the sister before the altar. The full text of the chant is “Suscipe me, Domine, secundum eloquium tuum, et vivam et non confundas me ab expectatione mea,” which translates, “Uphold me O Lord, as you have promised, that I may live; and disappoint me not in my hope.” Below is a beautiful word about the “Suscpie” from Esther de Waal, a contemporary author on Benedictine spirituality:
The sun shining into the Chapel as Sister Maria-Placida sings her “Suscipe”
We stand daily before God with empty hands, just like the publican. “Suscpie me, accept me O Lord as you have promised and I shall live; do not disappoint me in my hope.” [These words] mean more now that I have learnt that the Latin word comes from the verb sub-capere, to take underneath and so with the idea of supporting, raising, and that in Roman usage it was the word for a father taking up a new-born infant from the ground and thus recognizing it as his own…Accept me, receive me, support me, raise me up – wonderful singing words that say everything that I want to say as a prayer for myself.
The below “photo story” highlights some of the things that make this season special at our monastery:
The sound of singing birds filling our chapel through the open windows is a sure sign that summer has arrived. This year a Red-winged Blackbird nest was found woven through the grass along the bank of one of the irrigation ditches.
Mowing, weeding, and gardening are very time-intensive during the summer months, but even more so this year since we are in the process of moving the location of the main vegetable garden to be closer to our cloister area.
Wooden crucifix in the Sisters’ Refectory
The Blessed Sacrament as seen from one of the upper loft oratories in our chapel
One of the best things about summer is the liturgical Solemnities that are celebrated, including Pentecost, the Most Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Saints Peter and Paul, Saint Benedict, and the Assumption of Mary. In honor of Corpus Christi, here is a beautiful word about the institution of the Eucharist:
Our Lord raised His hands over the apostles, His lips moved in prayer, and He then said: “Do this in commemoration of me”…
By this act Our Lord made possible for all time His stay on earth amongst men, whom He loved to such an excess. And yet He knew with His Divine foresight what that meant for Him. Though He saw that His Body and Blood would be treated with reverence by a multitude of devout souls, yet He realised full well that in many and many an instance in the course of ages He would be placing Himself at the mercy of unworthy and sinful priests who would treat Him with irreverence and sacrilege. He saw in vision all the profanations, outrages and, what was more painful still to His loving heart, the cold indifference that He was to endure…
Love, especially Divine Love, does not halt to calculate and weigh advantage and disadvantage in the balance.
Excerpts from “The Last Supper” by Edward Leen, C.S.Sp.
