Happy New Year!

I do believe I have violated my first New Years Resolution, to be timely in what I do. And I promised Susan I'd do a reflection/blog for January. I guess I didn't promise it on the first of January, so maybe I'm alright. I DID finish the agenda for the January CFW (Commission for Women) meeting, which is next Tuesday the 20th. Gather Us In 2009 is only 11 months away, goodness! We need to be organized and fast! Some big things are done, key note speakers and break out speakers, but so many little things to do. Actually another big thing on the agenda is to get the committee together for program booklet, which includes sponsors. Then there are the publicity flyers and registration forms. In the past we haven't been sure how many women were coming, this time I feel we will sell out. So when you see registration is open, get it in fast!

My thank you notes aren't out yet, but the tree is still up, so I don't feel so bad. I like to have them done before the tree is down. Well this year the tree didn't get decorated until Christmas Eve. My husband, Jim was out in the tree farm across the street, dragging an ice ladden tree up on the porch the weekend before Christmas ahead of the next storm. The ice hadn't melted, what to do? Inventive as I am, we wrapped it in a blanket and carried it into the downstairs handicapped accessible shower, where it sat for a few days. We would hear the ice melting and falling off it that afternoon. So, the tree thawed and the shower got cleaned, not a bad deal. Our son arrived home from Chicago on the 23rd, we told him we saved the tree decorating for him, I don't think he believed us. He was a good sport and decorated it, while I wrapped gifts on a card table in the living room Christmas Eve.

The ice storm was one reason we were so far behind. We lost power for a week. The good news was that our neighbor had power, so we were able to run an extention and keep the freezer/refrigerator running. We ran one light a night, had a minimal source of heat (propane 'woodstove' in living room), running water and four burners to heat water and some cooking. It did get old pretty quickly though. My friend Mae talked to me in the midst of no power. She said I wasn't praying for the right things. She said “ask for heat”, I replied, “I have some heat”. “Well, ask for more, then!” “Ask for light”, I replied, “I have some light”... “ask for more!” I knew we were better off than many people, so hated to ask for more. I think Mae was really specific and asked for electricity to be hooked to the Ancona's house, we got it the next day. Thank you God, and Mae. I also had a very hard work week. I am a hospice RN and I had four very ill patients that week, some of whom also needed to move to a warm place.
But Christmas came anyways.

So in the midst of bad things, there are always things to be thankful for: Here is my abbreviated list:
Heat (a little bit in December, a lot now).
A long enough extention cord and kindly neighbors to keep the pipes from freezing.
Work, that I can do what I can to help people and families when they are in crisis and that they let me into their lives at such hard times.
Children and family, to decorate the tree or let us take a shower, when we had no hot water.
Mae, to pray for the right things
God to answer those prayers.
My Commission for Women friends, for shouldering this conference and keeping me on track.
And you, for your continued support of what we do. (if you can be of help, don't hesitate to email or call!)

Blessings in the New Year. See you in November!

Anne Ancona, Chairperson CFW

Sharing Advent Observances

I have come to truly love Advent. More and more I find it a refuge from the commercial Christmas (although I admit, it makes me forget to Christmas shop sometimes!). I remember when the kids were young, we used to light the Advent wreath at the dinner table and recite prayers before eating dinner. The kids are nearly grown now and out of the house, so I've had to find new ways to observe this special season.

Advent is such a 'quiet' and short season that it can easily be ignored or forgotten, and for a few years, I let our observances lapse. This year though, I wanted to take some time out each day to observe it.

First of all, I splurged on a really nice Advent wreath - well worth the expenditure. :-) Each morning I light the candle(s) on the Advent wreath (that's my wreath in the picture), read a special Advent wreath prayer, and then read out loud (or chant) the daily readings. I end my time reading a concluding Advent prayer and singing an Advent hymn. The readings for Advent (especially from Isaiah) are so incredibly beautiful and makes this observance a pure joy.

This simple exercise takes just 10 minutes but it sets up the tone for the whole day. I find myself wishing to be with God more often during the day and I so look forward to spending that time with Him in the morning before leaving for work.

Many people have interesting ways of observing Advent. Do you have an observance you'd like to share? Simply click on the Comments link just below this post and share how you and your family observe Advent. We can all learn from each other.

Susan Bailey, Secretary, Commission for Women

Opting for Holiness is Themeof Unity Breakfast Speaker

By Mary Donovan, Catholic Free Press, and member of the Commission for Women

Sanctity is within the grasp of every woman, if she can forget the stereotype of saint and picture herself in the role. That’s pretty much the message of Jamie Stuart Wolfe, the speaker at the Commission for Women’s Unity Breakfast held on Saturday, October 25.

Over a hundred women from all over the diocese heard Ms. Wolfe use the stories of four women named Teresa to make her point. She talked about St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Avila, Sr. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Ms. Wolfe is a speaker, song writer and singer from Lynnfield who is also a columnist for the Boston Pilot.

These four Teresas did not come into the world full-fledged holy women, she said. They were of very different lives and accomplishments who opted for holiness and to let God use their abilities.

She quoted Mother Teresa who said, ``I want to be a pencil in His hand.’’

Ms. Wolfe told about going to her spiritual director and saying, ``I need a saint like me. I’m not the silent, mild-mannered, hands-folded-in-prayer type.’’

He answered her with a challenge, "Be the saint you need,.’’ he said.

Discussion groups after the talk were asked to consider one of four questions: What does a holy person look like? Which of the four "Theresas’’ do you relate to most and why? Is there a link between personality and sanctity? What would your statue or stained glass window look like? A representative from each table gave the group’s conclusion.

Here are some of the answers. Marcy Wilson, pastoral associate at Our Lady of the Hills in Boylston said the ``holy person’’ would look like the person looking back at you from the mirror.

Mary Brown from East Longmeadow described her group’s stained glass window.

"Our stained glss window would look smashed – it would have every color, but predominant colors are black and blue. God is the smasher,’’ she said.

Julie O’Connor of St. Paul Parish in Worcester said you can’t tell a saint by the looks. However, after you know a person you get the sense of peace and joy - they are happy with themselves, she said.

The Unity Breakfast is held every other year. It is offered as an opportunity for women from different parishes across the diocese to get together between conferences. The next Diocesan Women’s Conference - Gather Us In, 2009 - will be held at the DCU Center in Worcester on November 7, 2009

as seen in the Catholic Free Press, October 31, 2008