Posts by Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
Happy Birthday, dear Foundress!
Sister Maria Aloysia Wolbring, the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame, was born January 8, 1828, 190 years ago. In another decade we Sisters will celebrate the 200th anniversary of her birth. For now the celebration is rather quiet: a special meal, a birthday remembrance, an extra prayer on a day that marks the…
Read MoreMagi on the Move
Among my favorite Christmas cards to give and receive are those with the Magi. The silhouettes of camels and riders crossing the desert in the twilight stirs me to join the trek. “Come on! Come let us adore!” the pictures call. This year I received a Magi card from a charitable organization, and its message…
Read MoreYear of Hope
A cartoon in the most recent National Catholic Reporter depicted Pope Francis reflecting on the new year. He was not optimistic but hopeful and told his friend he would declare 2018 Year of Hope. Like the remnants in Pandora’s box, hope is about all we have left. Nuclear war threatens. Refugees and immigrants languish in…
Read MoreCherish the Traditions
As I look at my Christmas cards once again before putting them away or recycling them, I note the greeting. One card devoid of the nativity scene and sporting a Christmas tree—with gifts in the snow?–says “Cherish the traditions.” Apparently it means the family traditions, and certainly those should be cherished. As a child, my…
Read MoreAsk for Wonder
In the preface of his book of poems, Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, “I did not ask for success; I asked for wonder. And you gave it to me.” Wonder is worth praying for. It brings excitement at the sight of a supermoon or a meteor shower. Wonder elicits hope that the present wondrous thing is…
Read MoreHow the Christmas Story Ends
The Gospel passage for December 18 begins “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.” We are familiar with Joseph’s taking Mary as his wife. And throughout the next few days the familiar story continues. . . Zechariah in the temple . . .Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. . . Mary’s Magnificat. But we…
Read MoreCompleting Christmas
What a week this will be! Christmas plays and parties. Shopping and wrapping gifts. Sending cards and singing carols. Advent Vespers and penance services. With the Fourth Week of Advent being only one day this year, the Third Week of Advent makes Christmas very near. What do you need to complete? Baking? Grocery shopping? You…
Read MoreInspiration, Not Frustration
The Church designed Advent for inspiration, but often December is a time for frustration. Tangled strings of lights, tilting trees, off-key concert pieces, burnt cookies, and long lines at the cashier cause more than one frustrated “Bah! Humbug!” Someone told me that she starts Advent in mid-November regardless of the real date. The extra two…
Read MoreEnergizing Our World with Love
Advent readings in Isaiah abound in nature images. “Streams will burst forth in the desert.” “The burning sands will become pools.” “I will set in the wasteland the cypress.” And why? “That all may see and know, observe and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has…
Read MoreThe Same Path
A family of four walked the red trail ahead of me. I passed the baby carriage and the mother who told me the baby was a boy. Ahead raced a father and a little boy about three years old. As I caught up to these two, I said to the boy, “In a couple years…
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