Do You Need A Heart Transplant? Get One This Lent!

      "Are you ready for Lent?" she asked me. "YES! I can't wait! I love LENT!" I answered overenthusiastically. Poor Sister almost had a heart attack when I said that. She stopped mid-step and thought about what I had just said for a few seconds. "Well, I guess that's a good thing. Good practice." 

      I realized that the more I said I loved Lent, the more crazy looks I received and the more explaining I had to do. Is it such a bad thing to be so in love with Lent? Hmm... So, to clear it up. I am not one of those crazy people who still believe in self-mutilation as the best form of penance or a lover of sacrificing just for fun. In fact, my Lenten fast this year is coffee....it's KILLING ME! But rather I love Lent because it is the epitome of God's love for us. We journey through Lent aware that the end result is the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection...however depressing, ending in the happiest of happy endings!

     So, here's my story: Maybe I've mentioned my Grandfather before. He was my best friend for the first four years of my life until he passed away. I never got to know him spiritually until many years later. One of the ways I was able to do this was by stealing (ahem...borrowing) my daddy's copy of The Diary of St. Faustina. I found it on his bookshelf with all his spiritual books and since he wasn't reading it, I took it. I have yet to finish it, but I am in the process. Anyway, when I opened the book, between two pages fell a prayer leaflet (extremely old and beat) with the Novena to the Sacred Heart on the back and the below image on the front. Under the image it said, "With all my heart, with all my heart, I love you." I later added "I desire you" under the words. The image so struck me that immediately I started crying. I had never seen the Sacred Heart handing over His heart. Week later, after I had taken the prayer leaflet and put it in my Liturgy of the Hours book, my dad realized I had stolen his book. He asked for it back, but I told him I wasn't done yet. He said, "As soon as you are done with it, I want it back. It was your grandfather's copy." So, I guess the prayer leaflet was his, too. But I'm keeping it!!

     The image is a beautiful one to reflect with during lent. On Ash Wednesday we hear, "Rend your hearts not your garments." Jesus is handing over His heart for us. But, as we all know, a human being cannot survive without a heart. So, Jesus needs a heart is return. He wants yours! He wants your heart, however broken, shattered, torn, hurt. He wants to take all your pain away and give you a new heart. We also hear, "I will break your hearts of stone, and give you new hearts." Well, here is your new heart: the very heart of Jesus. You are so loved by Jesus, that He is willing to give you His ever perfect heart in exchange for your beat up heart. And yes, with all of His heart, with ALL of HIS HEART, He loves you; He desires you. 

     This Lent, truly rend your hearts to Jesus so you can get a new one. Render back what belongs to Him, your heart. Jesus loves you so much that He gave you a heart transplant. A HEART TRANSPLANT!! And then He died for you. That's true chivalry, true love if I ever saw it. Yes, He loves you, and this is why I love Lent. It's just so romantic. I gave Jesus my broken heart; will you give Him yours?

A Cafeteria Whoops...Humilty At It's Best

    Sometimes you meet that Sister who is just so real, so legit, and who can easily remind you how human you are. I know plenty of them. However one of them is who I share a pew with every so often. She is the one who sees me on campus and tells me to move because I'm in her way, who smirks and says, "Peace Be with you, Valentine," on Valentine's Day and tells me that I looked like an idiot when I fell in the Cafeteria. Truth is, she's right all the time. And I love her for it. And if I didn't have the buddy-buddy relationship I do with her, I'd be shocked that a NUN could talk to me like that...or anyone. But really, it's just me she likes to tease.
    And so, this is what happened. I was just casually minding my own business, walking back to my table after getting my lunch and filling my cup with Cranberry juice and Gingle Ale, when all of a sudden, my foot found the ice on the floor. And you can guess what happened next: Nope, food didn't fly everywhere, nor did I spill my whole drink. Out of everything that could have happened, two chips flew off my plate and a fraction of an ounce of juice spilled over the side. Wow, I actually had balance. What I won't have any more is the ability to kneel at Mass for at least the next week because of this catastrophe.
    My knee right away hit the hard tile floor while my food remained safely on the plate. Immediately, I stood up, ran to the nearest table and grabbed some napkins. I didn't even think that the whole Cafeteria saw me fall, nor did I really care. I just wanted to clean up the water I slipped in, so no one else slipped. Well, my attempt to even walk anymore was foiled when I couldn't move. Thank God for the Cafeteria manager who ran to my rescue to clean up the water. Meanwhile, as I was standing there with napkins in hand, my Sister came over and says, "Wow, you just looked like an idiot falling in front of the whole cafeteria. But lucky for you I still love idiots. Did you get hurt?" LIKE WHAT?! Did she really just say that? On the verge of tears because my knee hurt, I said, "Yeah, my knee hurts." And so she asked if I would be alright, since all the nuns know about my busted up knee (I have pinched nerves in my left knee from various convent excursions) and then gave me a hug. "I still love you," she said. And I had to hold on because I would have lost it. After I regained my dignity, and found out that barely anyone saw me fall, I ate my lunch, laughing about the whole situation. Thank God for the Sisters who keep it real and keep me humble! Too bad for the bruised knee though...

The Flat and Windy City

     The first thing I thought as soon as I stepped off the plane: "This place is flat. Really, really flat." Seriously, it was. Now granted, I go to school on a mountain (really, it's just a hill) but I'm naturally from Philadelphia. Man, that place is like the Alps compared to Chicago. However, I'm told it's not as flat as Oklahoma. Hmm...

     Anyway, so let's start in the airport. There I was, all packed, having just skipped my Spanish class, waiting for my Sister. She arrives and we get our tickets then walk through Security. "Oh hell, Sister," the security dude says as he gives her a weird look that screams "OH MY GOSH SHE HAS HAIR UNDER THERE!" when she whips off her veil. I didn't think anything of it. Actually, I had no idea she even took it off. She walked through, then me, myself and Jesus walked through. I messed it up because I moved my head and then I had forgotten to take off my knee brace so I had to get patted down anyway. Good thing I wore jeans, tis all I'm saying. 

      You know, I have a secret love for the airport and for flying. I always wanted to get my pilot's license and if I could have one super power it would be to grow wings and fly. I love it. I guess it's because I loved swinging on swings when I was little, and the feeling I get when I sing and am so filled with Love of the Lord is that I could take off and fly. I just love flying. So, unlike most people who are paranoid about flying, I was completely fine. And passed out almost before the plane even left the runway. 

      When we finally landed, after my two hour nap, one of the my new sisters picked us up! It was wonderful. She was an absolute hoot and right away greeted me with a hug, even though we were stopped in the middle of traffic. I loved her already! I got a mini preview of parts of Chicago which confirmed my feelings of it being super flat AND saw the first EVER McDonalds. There is a plastic man inside that waves at unsuspecting passers-by. Weird. We got to the convent and right away I was greeted with more energized hugs and love. I felt like a brand new addition to the family. Oh wait...I was. Since the others weren't getting there til later, I was able to get a tour of the Noviate and the Provincilate both of which are on the same property. Both were beautiful. I was surprised when I saw one of my closest sisters come out of no where and freak out when she saw me. It was wonderful. When we got back, I took a nap. Oh the college student in me.

      We had supper and activities together which was lovely and hit the hay early. The next day we headed out REALLY early for the Chicago Nun Run. It was VERY interesting. We literally "ran" to three different convents of different communities with a bunch of discerning young women and spent time with each of them. It was great and very cool to learn about different communities in the area. One community was just founded in 2009 and had three novices as members. Pretty cool!!!!

      We got back just in time for supper and recreation. I seriously love convent meals, but y'all already know that!!! After supper we played Apples to Apples, my personal favorite and an old convent tradition. It was glorious. Playing the game with all types of sisters, some who primarily speak Polish, some who take it literally, some who don't, some who aren't English majors (oh wait....everyone) and some who just never understood the game's purpose!! I loved it!!! 

      Sunday was my favorite day, as it usually is because of all the Jesus time!! We were up for breakfast, then morning prayer, then faith sharing, then midday prayer, then Mass, then LUNCH...all before I had to catch the plane home to the dome. The moment I walked into the Provincilate, I was once again greeted with LOVE and hugs from complete strangers who already knew my name, who had been expecting me. Precious. Faith sharing with those who were strangers no more, was amazing. My favorite line was, "And He grasped her hand." I shared that and later during Mass, when I was sitting with the same sister who spazed on Friday, during the Our Father, she grasped my hand and reminded me that she always would when she walks with me through my journey. The best part about Mass was sitting between two musically inclined sisters and all of us naturally going off into three part harmonies on every song. PRECIOUS!!!

      Before long, my Chicago adventure had come to a close and I was headed home on a plane with my AE, my Sister. Together, we chatted about how great it was for me to get to see Chicago and we watched the sunset behind us. It was beautiful! In a heartbeat I'd go back. Only this time, I hope to be proven wrong that Chicago is as flat as I think it is!!!

Sorry If I Infect You...Joy?

"Let anyone who comes to you go away feeling better and happier. Everyone should see goodness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile. Joy shows from the eyes, it appears when we speak and walk. It cannot be kept closed inside. It reacts outside. Joy is very infectious."

- Mother Teresa of Calcutta

     Many of you are probably wondering what happened to me? Why haven't I written? Where have I been? Well, here's a few things: I turned into a real college student. I have been busy reading and writing papers. And I've been all over the place, including Chicago. So finally, here I am, half way through February and writing. 

     Technically, I am at work right now. But the phone hasn't rung in about two hours. I think it's safe to say that Fridays are a very quiet night here on the homefront. I was sitting here reading some Mother Teresa (because I'm sitting on the board for Women's History Month planning. Woohoo student advocates!!!!!) when I came across the previously stated quotation. It made me think.

     I've been so busy in the past few weeks, traveling, doing homework, reading and working, that I wonder how many people I've met along my way that have left my presence happier? It made me really reflect on how many smiles I could have shared but didn't because I was running here, there and everywhere. I wondered how many people I didn't infect with my natural Joy. Or how many people I wasn't even joyous to. And then, I decided that I needed to go back to my ways, my roots, my nature. So, I'm making a change.

     Starting right now, despite my business, I am going back to smiling at everyone. No matter if they stop to talk to me or not. I am smiling. If we stop to talk, then I was meant to be there for that person. And if I'm late to something because of it, well, God will work through it. I decided that I will be joyful, no matter how much I have on my plate or how much I've been running. AND I decided that a joyful person needs more sleep. So...I'll be getting to bed for 2 am this week. 

    I'm promising you all right now, that I will infect you. I will spread my happiness all over you. And I hope you all can leave my presence feeling better and happier, just like Mama T suggests I do. And I promise to be back on the blog, keeping up the strain of discernment. I'm working on it. Next week I'll be on retreat, so I'm sure I'll have plenty enough to say for that. 

     Stay tuned for the next few blogs for I will be enticing you with tales of the Flat and Windy City, my Cafeteria adventure, and What It's Like To Be A Chapter Groupie!! God bless!!!