Reflections from the weekend

This last weekend I was blest to be able to go on a discernment retreat with the Little Sisters of the Poor here in Kansas City. The retreat was full of meaningful moments and Love. God had me right where He wanted me...He has a good habit of doing that!

The girls I met were absolutely lovely. It's so mystical when you go on a retreat and realize that, if you are called to that vocation, those could literally be your future Sisters. I believe I met some kindred spirits on the weekend that I hope I have the opportunity of getting to know in the future, albeit via Facebook, if nothing else. There were four of us that stayed in a cottage just a walk away from the convent. The convent is set up with the main floor as really a lobby with cute little shops and greeting places, and the second and third floor have the main chapel and the residents' rooms, and the fourth floor is the convent, with the Sisters' rooms, their dining area, and a small chapel.

I loved this retreat so much due to the fact that there was spiritual direction available that was not present on my last retreat. Monsignor Rice, from the archdiocese of St. Louis, came all the way to be our spiritual director and gave quite excellent conferences on our vocation to love, silence, spiritual poorness, and perseverance in prayer. I also had the opportunity to talk with the youngest Sister, Sister Maria Catherine, about the process of their formation, which was quite awesome...every Little Sister, from all over the world, spend a year in France at the mother house where St. Jeanne Jugan spent her life, before making their final vows.

Saturday was a day of quiet reflection. This is where my thoughts will probably explode, so please excuse my scattered brain. Recently, I finished the book Heaven's Song by Christopher West, which expounds on some homilies by Pope John Paul II that were never delivered because of their delicate content on the Song of Songs. One of the themes touched upon again and again in the book is the "garden" of the Bride that the Bridegroom asks to enter. Lo and behold, we had the chance to walk around a lovely garden area they have at the convent that is all around their lovely pond. There are little grottos here and there, one to St. Therese, one to St. Jeanne Jugan, one of Our Lady of Fatima, and there's a walk for the Stations of the Cross leading up to the Crucifix. So I had a lot to reflect on with that alone...I felt like I was walking in the garden of the Groom of my heart. I spent a lot of time at the grotto of Our Lady of Fatima, and somehow a lot of points I was reflecting on in my life were connecting to her, which was quite awesome...Theology of the Body, Pope John Paul II, Totus Tuus, mercy...just, everything. And spending the day in silence mostly was wonderful...eating lunch in silence is so incredibly difficult, but it gave a great opportunity to pray for poor souls who are not so fortunate to eat.

Sunday was a wonderful day as well. We were able to assist in the feeding of the residents! I helped feed a lovely elderly woman named Anna who loved to chat...it was hard to get her to focus on getting anything into her mouth! That was by far the strongest experience...fork feeding this frail woman, putting bread up to her lips...I experienced Christ most strongly there, next to, of course, the Holy Eucharist.

The calm of the weekend was so true and wonderful. I sincerely hope to work there over a break, as they have work opportunities available for single Catholic women! That would be a lovely experience. God's Will!