Posts by Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider

I have a large picture of “The Windsock Visitation,” a copy of the one painted by Brother Michael O’Neill McGrath. From the instant I saw the painting, it spoke to me of the deep soul-to-soul friendship between Elizabeth and Mary. The energy of the Holy Spirit surrounds the cousins, uniting them in joyous ecstasy. Their…

The feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, is July 31. You’re probably familiar with his phrase “for the greater honor and glory of God.” Service of God and God’s glory, empowered by surrender to God’s will, animated all Ignatius’ endeavors. His famous prayer is one of total surrender: “Take, Lord, receive all…

You’ve probably seen “Christmas in July” sales and Christmas programs on the Hallmark channel in July. It seems rather gimmicky to me, but as a liturgist, I know that every day is everything.  Every day is Christmas. Every day is Easter. Every day is Good Friday and Ascension and Pentecost and everything else. How so?…

We have a sister in our community whose nickname is Martha. I’ve never been sure whether she got that nickname from Martha Stewart or Saint Martha, the sister of Lazarus and Mary. This sister is the perfect homemaker. She could have become an interior decorator. Her food is scrumptious, and the meal’s arrangement convinces anyone…

Richard Rohr in his book The Naked Now writes that when you surrender to God, “you are in Someone Else’s grip.” What a powerful image! Scripture is replete with images showing the close unity between God and us. God and we carry the yoke together. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. During…

I have loved words for as long as I can remember. My baby book claims that my first three words were Mama, Dada, and pasteurize. My family had dairy cows, so I must have heard the third word often. Or did I think it was the name of one of my siblings? We Sisters of…

When Jesus gathered his disciples at the Last Supper, he assured them that they would receive whatever they asked for, and that their joy would be full (John 16:24). What a beautiful, reassuring final message. Jesus’ promise continues through the ages, and we Sisters of Notre Dame are relying on that promise today. On Sunday,…

Ever since God said “Let there be light,” God allows creation to keep creating itself. The tomatoes that rotted in the ground last fall seeded new plants this spring. The lettuce that was cut for salad just two days ago is taller than it was then. Every living thing is potential for new life, for…

During this time of social distancing, we have seen on the news inventive ways to celebrate big occasions from an anniversary air hug from a spouse on a forklift to a wedding where a city street replaced a church’s middle aisle. As our Toledo province joins with the other three provinces, we showed our appreciation…

Perhaps you view a live streamed Mass rather than enter a church building. Even in our homes the grace of the Paschal Mystery (the whole life of Christ) is always available to us. The Mass we see on our computer screen is part of the liturgy eternally celebrated in heaven. Vatican II has stated: “In…