During the second half of this year, our Pentecost Retreat Intensive (which was run as in-person 4/5 day retreats in Canberra and Sydney in June) has been attended by a further 35 participants in various formats: Kathryn ran a small group based in Penshurst (Sydney), while Judy and Berna hosted online small groups and our program of videos and small group sessions was run by our friends at the Yona Shalom prayer group in Townsville.

God gifts each one of us with the life that is best for us. Can you see the gift of God in your life at present? The particular gift given of each group in religious life is called our charism. Charism means a gift freely and graciously given, a grace.

My favourite retreat ever has been this year’s Claiming Hope: Creative Healing Retreat. It was an opportunity to bring whatever needs we had for healing to Jesus in creative prayer times that used all sorts of mediums.

No, this is not one of those corny jokes that have a rather lame answer that casues you to groan, but the foundation of one of the most poignant moments I have experienced in my work in youth justice. My role sees me providing prayer services for the clients on a fortnightly basis, and music and song has proved to be a powerful means for connecting them into a prayerful space.

It took me a while before I realised we can find happiness in the way we love and value ourselves. It is a great gift we can give ourselves and it is richly expressed in our psalm response today as we say, “my soul rejoices in my God!”

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

In my own ordinary little way, I want to share how much I appreciate, love and continue to be inspired by the extraordinary example of St Therese of Lisieux, also known as the Little Flower. She is the saint for all missionaries and one of my mini personal missions in life is to spread God’s love through her.

The other evening was surprisingly balmy for Melbourne, so Mel, Ayanthi and I made our way into the city to see the Christmas lights and displays, including those in the famous Myer windows in the downtown CBD. This year it is Peter Rabbit themed and we joined the large crowds that were still out at 10pm, lining up with small children in order to make our way past the multiple display windows, exclaiming at the cute way mechanical mice ran in and out of fake vegetable plots while Peter Rabbit peered over upturned buckets and an angry farmer brandished spades and pitchforks.

This Lent, the MGL Sisters have had a unique opportunity to prayerfully contemplate the crucified Jesus, which was something that we began exploring in our recent Chapter. The Cross is the pivotal point of our faith in Jesus.

The other day, I made my 50th donation to the blood bank. To my surprise, the staff gave me a gold pin and a certificate and took my photo for the “heroes” board and made a big fuss of me.

In 2017, at the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Rome, Pope Francis told the faithful gathered there that he wanted us to “share with everyone in the Church the gift of Baptism in the Holy Spirit”. What is this Baptism in the Holy Spirit that the Charismatic Renewal and Pope Francis are talking about?

Yesterday I fixed our slow cooker.  It’s been sitting in our cupboard with one leg missing for at least six months.  To use it, you have to locate the missing leg (usually somewhere else in the cupboard) to prop it up in the gap where there should be a third leg.

As a woman consecrated to God, living and probing the depths of the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience is a mind-blowing reality. In my novitiate I read a story about St. Francis of Assisi and a vision he had before receiving the stigmata.

Have you ever wondered what the great things are about consecrated life … here is a whole alphabet of reasons why I love life as an MGL Sister:

ADORATION and many other ways to pray – the first great thing about being a sister is so much time for prayer.

Whenever we meet people for the first time, they are often really curious about our life as a new group of consecrated women. And fair enough – choosing to live in a household of adult women, forgoing marriage, babies, fashion and make-up and giving your life so that the world may know that God loves them is certainly not your average lifestyle choice.

For me, imagining living our life of mission without a life of prayer is like trying to imagine waves crashing into the shore without the expanse of ocean behind it. As MGLs, our life of ministry is like the waves in this image I’ve just used.

Nothing on earth could persuade a healthy young woman to give up all plans for marriage, career and individual freedom.  Yet Jesus, with a unique intimate invitation into ultimate eternal love, has persuaded many to make a life commitment to be given for God so that many others may come to know God’s love and experience life to the full.

It wasn’t quite the greeting my sister expected.  No hello, no hug, not even any eye contact, because the excited little birthday girl could not take her eyes off the bulging bag in my sister’s hand containing the all-important present (a Frozen hoodie none-the-less).

Recently when I was praying, I imagined Jesus coming to sit beside me. As we spent time together, he handed me a beautifully wrapped gift and encouraged me to open it, telling me that it was just what he knew I needed most to receive at this time.

Even though I may sometimes struggle to get out of bed in the mornings, especially on cold winter days, I know that it is a gift to be able to rise early and spend the first part of my day with Jesus. I love being able to sit in silence with him, simply enjoying his presence, listening for his voice and allowing this to transform me.