Christmas stories

I went to a spiritual workshop about reminiscing personal Christmas stories. Then, we connected our own stories with a reflection of the Incarnation, God among us.

A Christmas story I remember is gathering around my mother who played the piano.  My mother was an excellent pianist and singer.  Of all her six children, not too many of us had her talent for music.  We gathered around her on Christmas day, as she played the piano and we would sing Christmas carols (all off key, of course.)  What was so nice about that was we were together sharing the joy of Christmas in the intimacy of our home.  We felt vey close to one another with all our idiosyncrasies, with our lack of musical talent, (and good points, too.)


This reflected Incarnation because it reflected the intimacy of the Holy Family rejoicing at the birth of the God-Child in the intimacy of their family. Just the way we were off-key, the world seemed to be off-key in those days in not recognizing the magnificent event that was taking place in their time and place. I wonder where God is incarnate with us today in our own off-key world.

Cover Girl

This month I appeared on the cover of The Good News.  The Good News has won a number of awards.  It is the magazine put out by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia.

The story was about part of my ministry.  I do both mental health and chemical dependency counseling.  That part of my ministry I cannot talk about it, because it is totally confidential.  However, the parenting classes are not confidential.  The article focuses on the parenting classes.  These are not ordinary parenting classes; they are for parents who have difficult children to raise.  These classes have helped many parents.  Our team are the only ones of them that do them in Spanish.  We also do them in English.

Sara

Recently, I introduced you to Simona, who recently entered into discernment about becoming a Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia.  Now, I would like to introduce Sara.  Sara works at Neumann University as a campus minister.  She has her own blog.  I lifted this quote off her blog to give you an idea of who she is.

Living in a convent is much like living in a family . . . you have your responsibilities within the household: your nights to cook dinner, your chores, your days to lead prayers, etc. But along with those responsibilities also comes the fun things that keep you connected as a unit!

So please, take that decrepid image of "NUN" out of your head and replace it with the reality of living a life devoted to following God's will! I'll tell you, from what I have experienced from a number of the older sisters in the community, it's well worth it!

 So, religious sisters sitting alone all day praying is BUSTED by Faith-Busters! In place I wish to leave you all with this image, the image of the family. Living in a convent is much like living in a family . . . you have your responsibilities within the household: your nights to cook dinner, your chores, your days to lead prayers, etc. But along with those responsibilities also comes the fun things that keep you connected as a unit!

I would really encourage you to go to her blog at www.mascaraandprayer.blogspot.com to really get to know her well.  Her blog is very interesting and gives insight into one young person's adaptation to religious life in the 21st century.

Spiritual Autobiography

Image by drp via Flickr

I recently went to a workshop on writing your spiritual autobiography.  I have begun it.  I think if I gave it a title, I would call it "Conversion stories."  As I look back on my life, I realize how close God has been to me and has helped me grow spiritually through these different conversions.  When I speak of conversions, I am not speaking of from one religion to another, but of spiritual conversions which bring me close to God.  Perhaps in time, I will share some of these conversion snippets with you.

I am not sure who would read this autobiography when I finish or if anyone would be interested, but something in me tells me I have to write it, and perhaps I can share some of the stories here.  And perhaps you, dear reader, would like to share some of your own.

By the way, the picture above is not of me.  That is St. Therese de Lisieux who is my patroness and wrote her own spiritual auto-biography.

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Our New Candidates

Our candidates have arrived.  One is Sara and the other is Simona.  I like to introduce them to you one at a time.  Simona is from Romania.  The following is an excerpt of an interview with Simona taken from our Community News.

"After a long journey that took me across two oceans and involvement in different ministries, one beautiful October day in 2007, I met Sr. Betsy Goodwin in Boston through a common passion of working toward the eradiction of human trafficking.  That was the beginning of a simple, quiet, and gentle relationship that little-by-little developed into a more profound relationship with the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia.  After one year of working with Sr. Betsy, I came to the motherhouse for a Mini-Sabbath, where from the hill coming up to the Glen, I fell in love with and was mesmerized by the beauty, simplicity, and serenity of the place.  When I first stepped into the motherhouse, I knew that something more powerful, gracefilled, and peaceful took over my whole being.  I knew from tht moment that this is the place where I belong and want to be for the rest of my life.

What I am most impressed with and love about the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia is their love for one another and their love for all creation, their faithfulness and continuous presence to each other and to those whom they serve, their honesty and mutual support, and their tremendous witness and inspiration-not so much by words and deeds but rather by their being and continuous dedication and passion for the love of God and his Living Word.  It seems to me that no matter the sister' ages, professional backgrounds, roles, and country of origin, they seem so much inflamed with the love and gratitude of and for God, the Gospel, people, creation, and all that sustains and surrounds us here on Earth and even beyond.

The Nurtured Heart Approach in the educational setting

In ADHD therapy, we look for approaches that work well for parents as well as educators.  In this u-tube, Howard Glasser talks about the Nurtured Heart Approach in schools.  It is better to have this approach in the whole school, rather than trying to have it one grade and then have an entirely different approach in the next grade.  That tends to be too confusing for the children and less effective.

 

"Children need good words and when provided with good words, they will be provided with positive emotional energy and their inner wealth is established and they will flourish. Good words are generously spoken and they are positive in respect to their daily moment of living, providing nourishing guidance which sets the stage to be ready to learn.

How can we set the stage? How can we provide positive emotional energy? How can we speak good words and how do we choose the words to speak? How can the good words provide inner wealth and how can this action created by teachers, parents, school administrators have an effect on tardiness? bullying? procrastination? depression? sense of self-worth?"

Advanced Community Education 

Answers to these questions can be found by contacting any advanced nurtured heart trainer.  

www.familyrelationshiphelp.com

Sister Theresa

ADHD THERAPY

Listen to what Howie Glasser learned as he initiated the Nurtured Heart Approach.

 

More4kids blog give an important tip. 

"When you really stop and pay attention to them (your children), you send the message that you care about what is being said, they are important, and you empower your child."

http://www.google.com/reader/view/?utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-ww-ww-bk&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=google+reader#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.more4kids.info%2Ffeed%2F

Howie Glasser builds his nurtured heart approach on positive recognitions giving children positive attention throughout the day.

--
Sister Theresa

ADHD therapy

The Nurtured Heart Approach started by Howie Glasser is a way to channel the child's energy from bad to good behavior.  In the ADHD therapy website, we look at this approach and some others. Look at this video on u-tube to see how the Nurtured Heart Approach is done in the schools.

 

Gathering Day and Final Vows

That was history of days gone by. Now, I would like to write about history in the making. St. Clare's feast day is August 11. St. Clare was the first female Franciscan. She was an attentive listener and follower of St. Francis. She felt a call by God to join the Franciscan followers of St. Francis, although, all of them were men at that time. She took the leap in faith and joined them. Although, she could not live with them, she herself soon had followers. The friars gave them San Damiano Convent where the Poor Clares still live.

Sarah, another prospective candidate to our congregation,
posing with Sister Marie O'Connor

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Simone, a prospective candidate          toour congregation

Traditionally, in our congregation, we have made our vows on the feast of St. Clare. This Saturday, August 7, as many of our Sisters who could, gathered together at our motherhouse to witness the temporary vows of Sister Rosemary Eve Holter, to participate in a program led by the Marist brother Michael Laratonda, and to share and catch up with one another.

Sister Rosemary Holter renewed her vows for one year

Sister Patty Kerezi (center) made her final vows on August 8

This is a representation of the Blessed Trinity.  The light in the center is a
representation of each one of us.  Brother Michael Laratonda, a Marist brother,
offered us many poems and images for our reflection on gathering day.

It was a wonderful time to celebrate the professions of Sister Rosemary Holter
and Sister Patty Kerezi, and to share, and reunite with old friends.

Women & the Spirit continued

It has been such a long time since I last wrote:  Here are some more pictures.  As promised, this is one of the letters written by one of the martyrs before she died.  It is hard to read here, but they knew they were in danger, but decided to stay with the people.  The blue and black design is the cloth used on their caskets.

Some of you may have seen Dead Man Walking.  This is the real Helen Prejean on death row talking to one of the inmates.

I think I showed you most of the pictures.  It was a really exciting display, tracing the history of Sisters here in the United States, their sacrifices, and joys.

More Women and Spirit Exhibit

Many of us remember Sisters as teaching Sisters.  One of the things the exhibit showed was Sisters did many things.  Yes, many were teachers, but many also worked and still do work in the hospital setting.  Here is a nursing Sister.  Many ask if those habits were hot.  Yes, they were.  Even today in the United States, many Sisters' wardrobes are just simple clothing, although you will seldom see them in a habit today.

Here is one of the original incubators invented by a Sister.  Sisters did things by necessity and this is one example.

Sisters also participated in the Civil Rights movement in the 60's.  Sister still join their lay brothers and sisters in marching for social justice today.  They don't stand out as much today because they do not have a uniform dress.

This is our own Sister Francis Christie teaching in her classroom.  You can note the simple dress that she wears today.

This was a wall that had all the different groups of Sisters mentioned.  The one with the spotlight on it is us.  We are the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, Pa.  As you can see, there are many Sisters of St. Francis.

These are the 4 martyrs from El Salvador.  They went to help the poor and tried to empower them.  Those who held the power felt very threatened by these four women.  They died a martyr's death.

Next time I post, I will share a very poignant letter one of these martyrs wrote.

If you are interested in this blog post, you may also be interested in http://www.christianspiritualjourney.wordpress.com/ or something that is more family related http://www.familyrelationshiphelp.com/

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Christian Spiritual Journey- More photos from Women & Spirit

These pictures continue the history of the Christian spiritual journey of Sisters who often left their countries to come to the United States in obedience to Jesus' command to "Go and teach all nations."  They came.  What you see here is a musical instrument for them to teach their students, but also to brighten their own days in this strange land.  The shoes were made from corn husks.  They used what they found for their daily needs.

The picture below is a Sister who I believe founded the Oblate Sisters, which were a group of black Americans.  Very often, young black women that sensed they were being called to religious life by God were not accepted into all white congregations.  Thus, they founded their own congregation. 

The picture below was a book about the Sister who helped to discover DNA.  Sisters did all for the love of God, so they were not interested in being famous or even being given credit for what they did.  They did it so humanity could be better off.  If others took the credit, it was o.k. with them.

More pictures later.

Secrets of the Divine Therapy for Addictions

Are you suffering through the pain of addictions, whether those addictions be to drugs, alcohol, gambling, or other negative behaviors?  I found it interesting what this veteran AA member said about the book Divine Therapy & Addictions: Centering Prayer and the Twelve Steps.  "This is the most important book written since the 12 Steps. I have been a sober member of AA for 12 years and Father Keating's interpretation provides an invaluable roadmap for the transformation from self-centeredness, which he says all of us are, to god-centeredness. There is so much in this book regarding the pain of addiction, which he says all of us are addicted, and how to move from addiction using the 12 Steps, that every time I open this book, I grow calm with the knowledge that God can direct my thinking. Having spent most of my life driven by 100 forms of fear, this book specifically discusses what it is and how to resolve it. There is so much practical information, that its probable that this book would resolve issues for anyone that picks it up."  As a counselor and spiritual director, I highly recommend this book.   It is a good book for anyone who is taking the spiritual journey seriously.  This magnificent book is available for you just a click away through amazon.com.  Don't continue with the personal pains of your addiction.  Get your copy right now.  

The Women & Spirit Exhibit

On Saturday, March 13, about 30 of our Sisters took a bus trip to Washington, D.C. for the Women and Spirit Exhibit to see the history of religious life in the United States.  It was truly fascinating and I would like to share some pictures with you.

  This is what we saw as we entered the exhibit.  You can see different Sisters engaged in different activities during different generations.  You cannot see the writing too well, but what it says is:  "Women &Spirit:  Discover a world few have seen, but millions have shared."  These words are so true.  As we all go through our spiritual journeys in life, many Sisters have accompanied us, whether it be in the classroom, in a hospital bed, an orphanage, a parish, or in prayer ministries.  A movie that played and I did not get a picture talked about Sisters and 90 plus orphans who were caught in a hurricane in Galveston, Texas.  Their orphanage was right on the beach.  The Sisters did all they could to save the orphans and lost their lives trying.  Only 3 boys survived.  Many others in the city had died in that hurricane also. 

This is Sister Marianne Cope, an immigrant from Germany.  Let me explain what she has to do with our own congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia.  Our congregation was founded by a Mother Frances Bachmann, a widow with small children at the time of our founding.  We were originally under the Bishop of Philadelphia.  Soon the Bishops of Buffalo, and Syracuse asked Mother Frances for Sisters to help in their respective dioceses.  Mother Frances sent Sisters.  Because we were under the Bishop and not the Pope, the Bishops of those two New York dioceses said the Sisters were now under them and no longer a part of our community, which was a heartbreak to Mother Frances and all the Sisters following her.  Marianne Cope was part of the Syracuse group, but many of us consider ourselves related and we hope to all be one again some day.

Sister Marianne Cope was Superior General of the Syracuse Franciscans and volunteered to work with Father Damian in Hawaii giving nursing care to the lepers there when she was still in office.  She is well remembered in Hawaii even to this day.  She has since been called "blessed" by the Catholic Church, and all of her Sisters hope to see her declared a canonized saint someday soon.

Image via Wikipedia

This is an actual photo of Sister Marianne Cope taken from Wikipedia. 

I tried to get these two pictures side by side but with no luck.  I believe this is the old habit of the Holy Cross Sisters.  Above, you can see how it looked in the front.  Below, you can see it from the back along with the machine that helped to put the creases in it.  The exhibit also gave the story of the habits.  Many times these were the dress of the poor whom the Sisters ministered to in Europe centuries before, but the habit did not change with the times nor the geography, so they looked out of place when they came to America.  As times changed, the habit became a symbol of being a Sister or nun.  So, congregations such as ours designed a habit that looked like a "Sister."  To the then modern 19th and 20th century Sister, the habit was a symbol of their vow of poverty.  They had no other clothes besides the habit, and basically had a Sunday habit, a work habit, and a cleaning habit.  They had no other clothes except a shawl to keep them warm in the winter. 

The exhibit also distinguished between the term "Sister" and "nun."  Technically a "nun" is a Catholic religious woman who lives in the cloistered.  Their main work is prayer and they may do other things such as farming, sewing, making altar breads, or other means to help support themselves.  The "Sister" is a Catholic religious woman who is engaged in active ministries outside of the confines of the convent.  Modern day usage usually interchanges these two words without distinction.

I am going to stop here.  I will show you more pictures later.

Open the Door: A Journey to the True Self

I always like to recommend books and videos that look really good. "Open the Door" is a great book for Joyce Rupp fans. This book can help you dig deeper as you go on your spiritual journey.   As one reviewer said of her book, "Her questions are keys to opening doors that may be stuck, may be difficult to open, doors that are hidden or avoided. For if you want to engage in a six week process that invites you to explore your inner worlds, this book is a must."  I invite you to try it.

Finding Christ

Here is an inspiring video you can watch for the rest of Lent during your Christian spiritual journey.  The description is taken from Amazon.com

"This four-part series examines the sprititual journeys of four individuals. In Part 1, Harvey Canard had promised God in 1945 that he would follow Him if He delivered him from the battle of Iwo Jima. In Part 2, David Woodring hit rock bottom, dealing with guns, drugs, and violence, while his parents prayed for deliverance. In Part 3, Cora Goldman was abused as a child, conceived a child through rape, and lost a child who was burned alive before she was delivered from Satans grasp and her involvement in Spiritualism. In Part 4, Nick Jimenez walked for 13 days from Mexico to the U.S. looking for work but found only troubles, until a person whom he hated asked him to go to church.  Finding Christ

Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening

How to Become a Catholic Nun

How to become a Nun


I found this article on Google Reader. It is very informative if anyone thinks they have the least inclination to become a Catholic nun.  You may want to check this out.  http://www.facebook.com/l/12919;aNunsLife.org.

Day of Prayer

Image by mangee via Flickr

Today is a day of prayer and reflection.  It is a chance to get away from it all, and to focus on God and my life with God.  It is a day of great peace.  I need these days.  It is a day to put things in perspective.- to realize the life on this earth with all its little and big problems is temporary.  As St. Therese of the Little Flower said, "All things are passing"

Psalm 131

This was one of the psalms we prayed in the office this a.m.  This is a slight paraphrase but it goes something like this:  It is enough that my soul is still and quiet like a child on its mother's lap."  What a beautiful image!  I think this is what happens not only to me but many who sit in the silence and listen to God.  It gives one the sense of security that a child in its mother's lap has.  Such a prayer gives one the security that life's problems do not matter as long as one can rest in the heart of God.

Sr. Modanna Marie Cunningham

This past week, we buried one of the great women of our community.  Many thought of her as great because she was president of our college, the congregational minister for 10 years, and also on council before her years of being congregational minister.  I thought of her as great because she was an exceptionally kind and compassionate listener who gave generously of herself.  May you rejoice in heaven, Madonna.  Your Sisters miss you.

New website

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Thanks to Frank Farren, the owner of http://www.enablepoint.com/, we have a new website, called http://www.familyrelationshiphelp.com/  Frank set it up and is hosting it.  He did it at a very reasonable price, too.  Frank is helpful, open, and honest.  I would recommend his work.

I am very happy with it.  If you get a chance, browse around our store.  We not only have things we are personally selling, we have things from amazon.com and paydotcom.com.  You can find almost anything on amazon.com.  I was really amazed.  Just type in what you need and I am sure you will find it.

Family & Children

Dear Diary,
As part of my ministry, I try to promote healthy families.  I came across this very interesting e-book that I thought was a way to promote "healthy families."  So, I wanted to share it with you.  If any of the readers have wanted to get pregnant and haven't been able to, this looks like a good way to go:
http://1frhnow.411help.hop.clickbank.net/  I hoping that you and yours have very healthy families.

The Alchemist

Cover of The Alchemist

Would you like to influence and inspire children and adults? You will find a delightful surprise in The Alchemist. Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. The Alchemist is such a book. With over a million and a half copies sold around the world, The Alchemist has already established itself as a modern classic, universally admired. Paulo Coelhos charming fable, now available in English for the first time, will enchant and inspire an even wider audience of readers for generations to come.

"The Alchemist" in its twenty-second year as a best seller has found its way to the four corners of the world, and to me. I read this about two years and have just reread it as we enter the decade of the 2010s. It is a good read at the beginning of any new year.

Who would you like to inspire?

Amazon.com

Image via CrunchBase

I became an associate of Amazon in an effort to help our non-profit ministry.  I was absolutely amazed at what they sell.  I though they just sold books.  They sell clothes and other things.  Anyone who is reading this can try it for themselves.  Just type in any item you could possibly want in the search box, and you will be amazed at what you will be able to find.

My Ministry

Image via Wikipedia

Well, I promised to let you know what I do in my ministry.  I have four aspects (or maybe more, but whose counting) to my ministry.  I am a licensed mental health counselor.  I see everyone from age 2 to 92.  I see couples, children, adults, teenagers.  In the past seven years, I have been deeply touched by the stories people have entrusted to my care.  I have also been deeply touched that God has used me as an instrument of much healing.  I have seen children who have been sexually abused come in afraid and leave as self-confident persons, to be very successful later on in life.  I have seen teenagers on the verge of joining gangs and changing to more positive directions in their lives.  I have seen depressed people drag themselves in and leave with their heads held high, and feeling good about themselves.  I have seen anxious people, tranquil after therapy.  A second aspect of my ministry is drug and alcohol counseling.  I marvel at those who have taken the tough road from addictions to being drug free and sober, having faced their own demons and come out of it a better person.  A third aspect of my ministry is spiritual direction.  Many people do not know what spiritual direction is.  It is when one person, the director, sits with another and tries to discern God's presence in their lives.  To see the spiritual growth in others is truly a magnificent gift.  The fourth aspect of my ministry is the parenting program or the Nurtured Heart Approach.  This was originally started for parents of children with ADHD, but has been found to work with all children.  Another aspect of that is to bring it into the schools.

      I have a wonderful staff who works with me on these projects with amazing results.  I am so fortunate to have them.

     We have worked exclusively with poor people of all races and nationalities.  Our funding has been cut, so we are trying to sell some of our products.  For example, we made a DVD, 2 CDs, and a couple of e-books, and are working on some more.  If you want more information, let me know by writing to me at corazonalimentado@hotmail.com

If you think this is a good ministry and you would like to donate, please go to the church's website at http://www.stpaulchurchde.org/ and click donations at the bottom and specify that it is for the counseling department.  Every little bit helps.  In advance, I ask God to bless you for your generosity in helping especially the children.  Well, that is a very brief summary of what I do.  Please do not hesitate to write me your thoughts.

Recycling

One of the things I do as a Sister of St. Francis is recycle.  St. Francis saw God as the creator of all things.  So, he reasoned, all of creation is our brother and sister.  Hence, the title of the movie Brother Sun, and Sister Moon.  If the earth is our sister, then it makes sense to take care of our sister earth.  Recycling is one way of doing that.  I recycle here and it helps the environment as well as helps our poor parish mission which I serve.  I send the recycled items to Recyling Fundraiser.  This is their list and it is an impressive one:

cell phones (please do not send chargers or accessories)

Laptop computers:  (We do not accept: desktop or tower computers, monitors, printers, scanners, faxes, modems, keyboards, mouses or TVs.

Inkjet cartridges: We accept the small ones that will fit in the palm of yur hand that contain or contained liquid ink.  We do not accept larger cartridges that contain powder normally known as toner)

MP3 players: only Apple iPod, Microsoft Zune, Sandisk, or Creative.  (No other types accepted)

Digital cameras

Digital Video Cameras (camcorders)

Handheld Game Systems - ONLY Sony PSP handheld, Nintendo Dsi, Nintendo DS lite, Nintendo DS original, Nintendo Gameboy Advance, or Nintendo Gameboy color.  (No other types accepted)

GPS Devices ONLY Garmin, Mio, Magellan, and Tom Tom (No ther types accepted)

Radar Detectors - ONLY Escort, Beltronics and Cobra. (No other types accepted)

E-Book Reader -ONLY Kindle, Sony, and Verizon iRex. (No other types accepted)

Gold, Silver, and Platinum Jewelry (No costume jewelry, plastic jewelry, and no gemstones)

As you can see this is quite a list.  If you would like to help out, it is very little effort on your part.  You can go to your computer, print out prepaid FedEx shipping labels directly from their website at http://www.ecophones.com/ by scolling to the bottom of the screen and clicking on the white FedEx truck.  Then paste it on any box and please put my return address on it:

Sister Theresa Marie Elitz

Counseling Center of St. Paul's

1010 W. 4th Street

Wilmington, De.  19805

They will ask for a contact.  That's me, my e-mail address therelitz@hotmail.com, and my phone number 302 576 4121. Then call the FedEx number 1-800-463-3339 and ask them to pick up the package at no cost to you.  Unbelievable, isn't it!  St. Francis thanks you for helping the environment and I thank you for helping our poor mission here.  At some point on this blog, I will explain a little more about what I do.

My Niece's Surprise Party

I just came back from my niece's and only godchild's surprise party and got pictures.  This is my niece's Christmas tree.  My niece, Carol, organized the party for her sister Donna.  This is Carol's house.

This was my niece, Donna, being surprised at her party.  Her mother, Dot, is behind her.

Now that she has gotten over the shock, she is all smiles.  Congratulations, Donna.  You are a great niece and godchild.  I love you bunches.  Blessings on you.

This is a picture of one of my Christmas presents.  It is Susan Boyle's  I Dreamed a Dream.  What a beautiful voice.  I just love this album.

Experimenting

As you can see today, I am experimenting with gadgets.  I hope you enjoy them.  Someday I hope I have a digital camera and I can include them in this blog.  I think pictures are so much more interesting than just plain reading.  I am headed up to my friend's house this afternoon and it looks like the weather will co-operate.