Only Too Much Is Enough!

 Franciscans know how to celebrate!  One day is not enough for a Silver Jubilee, so we always have three days.  Our eldest Sister, octogenarian Sister Mary Christine, who is most experienced in the art of celebration, was in charge of making Mother Abbess’ jubilee crowns and corsages.  If one rose was good on her first day crown, four roses were better!  Was it too much?  Maybe so…But as our celebrant for Mother’s second day jubilee Mass said in his homily: Jesus made too much wine at the wedding feast (120 gallons!).  He made too much bread and fish at the multiplication of the loves (12 baskets of leftovers!).  When He saved us, He shed every drop of His blood.  Theologians say that one drop would have been enough.  But God is not a theologian; God is love.  And for love, only too much is enough!

One of our community poets, inspired by Mother’s red rose, expressed her thought in this way:

Bridal Rose

Red

O Red

O Sacred Heart

Too deep to speak

Yet you beat

So meek

My ear can hear

Inside, inside

You speak within

my poor and needy heart

Too deep, too deep for speaking words

But inside my eyes can see

And ears, they hear

You speaking unto me

So meek:

“My dear, my dear, come

And take my yoke

And I can teach

you, not so meek

To seek, to learn, discern

To see and hear me

In the Red”

Beloved Red

O Red Rose, O Red, You Bled

O Sacred Hart

You beat

Hearing certainly can hear

Seeing most assuredly can see You,

Rose,

beating meekly inside me