It's so tough to try and remember what's happened since the days run together and so do the weeks lol. Anyways, really, each day is an adventure. You never know what you'll be asked to do or help out with. I think the variety is great, but at the same time you really begin to realize what trusting in God's Providence means when it comes to not knowing what will happen day to day.
The residents themselves are teaching me a lot. Some of them are very much a challenge to work with (many are ill, some have infirmities that are very disabling, and some have attitudes that can be harsh and unkind at times). It's really a grace of God to be able to serve them. I could never do it without Jesus's help. But I see Jesus in them too. In every one of them who suffers, Jesus is there. I'm learning what it means to "not pass the Lord by." And I also see more and more the struggle of fear and selfishness that lies within me when it comes to having true charity towards others. But God loves me, and is working on my heart in this way.
There are some real Saints in the making here. I am inspired and daily see the goodness of God in this woman I work with in the Sacristy. Her name is Anne, and she amazes me. At 90 years old, she gets up every morning to prepare the Chapel for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. And not only that, but sometimes there are two Masses in one day here. Then there are all the preparations for Evening Prayer and the laundry...among other things.
She and I both share a great love for St. Terese of Lisieux, and when I told her I was going to Spain and to Avila before World Youth Day she couldn't stop telling me how wonderful it would be. :-) I had such a wonderful conversation with her the other day. Anne has a beautiful story. She worked as a lay extern for an order of Carmelite Nuns. She was a sacristan for them for many years, was never married, and is also a third order Carmelite. What's so cool is that there are three other women here who also worked with her in the convent and they all got together and decided they wanted to come live with the lsp. So one after another, as they retired, they left and came here.
Tuesday I was able to attend Mass and go to Confession at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land (just a mile or so away). It was beautiful to see again. The first time I went was back in January when I was in DC for the March for Life. This time I got to not only view the inside and took the tour for the 2nd time (of which I have posted lots of pictures), but I also got to view the grounds outside. At the end of Mass I was blessed (I think?) by a relic of St. Anthony. Apparently we attended the St. Anthony Mass that day.
Yesterday Sr. Constance (the one who initially placed me in DC and organizes the summer service program for the lsp) invited us summer volunteers to come to a talk she was giving in Baltimore. Apparently she and some other people decided to start something up for young adults in the in-between years of having graduated from college but not yet gotten married or found perhaps a different vocation. The group meets regularly, and it's so neat because local religious sisters also attend. There were a few lsp of course, two sisters from an order that were Anglicans who just came into the Catholic Church a couple of years ago, there were two other sisters from different orders present, and apparently the Nashville Dominicans usually come too (but are back at the Motherhouse for the summer). It was such a tremendous blessing to go. The topic for the night was "Redemptive Suffering in the life of Bl. John Paul II." Besides being a fascinating discussion and talk, it was great just to get out with the sisters, get to know one of them a bit during the drive there, and to see how applicable JPII's witness was to the elderly and the work I'm engaging in during this experience.
Today we got to practice a song we (the residents and other staff and volunteers) will be singing for the Crown Princess of Belgium who is coming to visit us next Monday. (Did I mention she was coming? ;)). Apparently the she's going to be with us for a couple of hours in the morning while her husband (the crown prince of Belgium) has meetings and other things going on. It's going to be interesting with all the press and security that will be here too.
Thanks much to all of you who have been praying for me. Please keep doing so. Also keep in your prayers a sister here who has been sick for the past two weeks, and one of our resident priest's who was admitted to the hospital a couple of days ago.
God Bless,
~Christina
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