In the west wing of Villa Assumpta, in the hallway to the chapel, staff member Maureen Baer creates a monthly prayer table, a small place of beauty for meditation and renewal. September's prayer offers solace for the changes the future holds. The prayer invites us to seek counsel from Our Lady of Good Counsel, for the decisions that will be faced in the weeks and months ahead.
Sister Mary Ann Kuttner shares Documents 5311 (Vol. 15, pp. 192-193), titled Memoir of the Night of November 23, 1877, which highlights that even in ill-health and a future unknown, Mother Theresa prays with “unshaken trust in God’s providence” for the well-being of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, “Then Reverend Mother sat up to the extent possible, sprinkled holy water in all four directions, and, like the dying Savior, and spoke in a loud voice: ‘I bless you, dear Sisters, and in this blessing, I include all the sisters who are on the missions and in other lands. Live in fidelity to the holy rule. Work for the glory of God and not for a little praise from others. Be in awe of God, remain true to one another, and persevere in difficult times, both now and in the future. Peace will come again.’”
We learn from Document 5320, written by Sister M. Margaret Cortona on March 4, 1878, that Mother Theresa would pray every night for the sisters, “Each evening before retiring for the night, Reverend Mother blesses all her sisters, even when she is so weak that she can scarcely lift her hand.”
In the same spirit, we ask Our Lady of Good Counsel to walk beside us. May our choices lead to blessings on our community life and mission for the future.
To read the prayer, please click here.
