Flames of New Life
By Sister Marcianne Bzdon, SSND
Birthdays! I love birthdays, celebrating my own and those of others!
Pray With Us
Sent Forth in the Spirit
By Sister Mary Roy Weiss, SSND
In the early months of 2020, the theme for the 8th grade closing ceremony at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson, Maryland was chosen: “Sent Forth in the Spirit.”
Join Live Prayer Service from Mother Theresa's Tomb
A prayer service on Thursday, May 9 will be live from Blessed Mother Theresa’s tomb in Munich, Germany, beginning at 1:00 EST (7:00 pm Munich time). It will last approximately 20 minutes. It will be recorded and will be available later on Gerhardinger.org.
Easter Transformation
Enjoy Sister Delia Callis' beautiful Easter poem: "I wait with Mary in stillness, peace and hope/I wait with her for hard lifeless seeds to sprout, be nourished, grow to fullness,/bearing fruit a hundred-fold."
Blessed Theresa Feast Day Prayer 2024
Today we rejoice in the Feast day of Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger and reflect on her legacy as it unfolds in the Call of the 25th General Chapter. Let us listen to the words from You Are Sent and let us pray with Theresa and The Call and Acts of the 25th General Chapter.
Healing Our Throwaway Culture - Focus on Plastics
Monday, April 22, 2024, is the 54th anniversary of Earth Day. In our Earth Day prayer let us focus on the plastics crisis and its impact on our earth and all who dwell within it. Let us pray that we may better respond to what Pope Francis calls “our throwaway culture.”
Happy Feast of the Annunciation!
Happy Feast of the Annunciation! This year the solemnity of the Annunciation was moved from March 25 to April 8, due to Holy Week and Easter, join us in prayer.
Jesus is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Early in the morning on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene visited the tomb. She found something unusual. The stone had been moved away.
May Easter Bring Joy to Our Hearts
May the light of Christ transform our lives and bring healing to our world. May the blessings of Easter bring joy to our hearts.
Holy Thursday, Good Friday
Holy Thursday has held a special place in my prayer life. It was the ultimate gift of total love, sacrifice and complete self giving. It was a celebration of life with His beloved friends as He prepared to meet His final surrender.
Lenten Reflections 2024
The School Sisters of Notre Dame share Lenten reflections for 2024 here. Enjoy!
Contemplative Response to Winter - to Lent
During Lent I typically strive/desire to embrace the message in the liturgical readings on Ash Wednesday: to pray, fast, and give alms, asking God to create a new heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit in me.
Listen Each New Time
I find Lent a challenge. How do I keep to the good things I intend to do this year? As in all things, I pray to follow the example of Jesus who was led by the Spirit to the desert.
The "God of No Matter Whatness"
Recently, when I heard Father Greg Boyle talk about his work with gang members in Los Angeles, he talked to them about the “God of no matter whatness.” He said, "This God dissolves the toxicity of shame and fills us with tender mercy.”
Prodigal Mercy by Sister Delia Calis
By Sister Delia Calis, SSND
Oh Son, do you not yet trust my love for you?
You are always with me and everything I have is yours.
I need you to shepherd with my heart – my love, compassion.
Lent in a “Post-Covid” World
As we approach Lent, I wonder what will come. Will we be able to celebrate together? Will we face another Covid outbreak as family and friends come to visit?
Prayer Circle at Waterdown
We always try to provide morning prayers for our third-floor sisters as part of a holistic approach to their care. Recently we have been assisted by Sister Mary Jeanne Davidson, SSND, who comes to the lounge every morning to lead a handful of Sisters in prayer.
Recipe for Lent: Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord
I like to bake! Whether it’s making a baked macaroni and cheese dish for my friends at Thanksgiving, or a cake to celebrate another Sister’s birthday, the process of baking fascinates me, as does the end result that emerges from simple and often unrelated items.
Journey in Dignity - Listen - Dream - Act
This interfaith prayer of this year’s International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking is an invitation to integrate the journeying for dignity centered on the four elements of nature. We can offer prayers, reflections, and rituals that honor and connect with the elements of earth, air, fire, water, and metal in listening, dreaming, and taking action in combating human trafficking.
Saint Josephine Bakhita
February 8 is the Feast Day of Saint Josephine Bakhita. She is venerated as a modern African saint and as a statement against the brutal history of slavery. She has been adopted as the patron saint of modern Sudan and human trafficking survivors.
Lent with Laudato Si
Lent is a good time to reflect on what it means to be part of nature. Lent calls us to reflect on our human nature, its fragility, and our capacity for life-giving relationships. When we are unconscious of this capacity, we are prone to cut ourselves off from other people and from nature which is all around us. By Sister Ethel Howley, SSND
Ash Wednesday - A Time to Remember
Ash Wednesday is here again, again inviting us once more into the
paschal journey. The cross traced in ashes upon my forehead is one with
the cross of Jesus Christ. The Word Remember etches itself deep into my
heart. By Sister Delia Calis, SSND
We Are Stardust - Together
The traditional start to Lent on Ash Wednesday begins with the invocation, “Remember that you are dust.” A more contemporary greeting, “Remember that you are stardust,” gives me a more hopeful start to my Lenten journey. Let me explain... By Sister Celeste Reinhart, SSND
A Magnetic Lenten Journey
The lovely congruence of Ash Wednesday with Valentine’s Day led to thoughts of a Lenten symbol for all of us at The Watermark. By Sister Justine Nutz, SSND
