This morning I ...as Crystal thinks I should, ...slept in!! :) I had lunch with Michelle, 2 eogs+ mashed potatoes + sweet potatoes=lunch today!! After I went to gather my belongings to head down to the Lower East Side to see our lovely senior sisters, I went out and thanked God for two things: 1) It was not too, too cold 2) It was so beautiful and sunshiney! THANKS! I was so motivated by that to continue having blessed Sunday.
As I was walking down 3rd Ave, I decided (don't judge me... :( ...) on a cup of hazelnut coffee from Dunkin' ....slowly but surely, he is probably acquiring the larger part of my stipend :( I walked down to 14th St. to get on the M14A bus to head to the convent as I continued to soak up the sun (not the cold) on this oh-so-wonderful day! Got on the bus, and a friendly woman made room for me. I quickly finished my coffee because I was too excited to begin reading, Becoming Who You Are by James Martin, SJ. WOW This book...wow. I was so glad that I started it, and soon I will go up to my room to continue reading it. On Wednesday we are going to a talk by James Martin at St. Ignatius Loyola parish, and I thought, since I had the book, that now would be the most appropriate time to read it!
As a poor reader, I was hesitant, as with many books that I start, I never see the end pages. I'm pretty sure that this will be different. I began even in the early chapters to gain insight into what exactly I'm doing as I am trying to become myself, that is, who I am with God, who He created me to be. I know that there is A LOT to work on, BUT was affirmed in knowing that all of my searching and the feeling of being both lost and found, all come down to that quest of trying to find who I am as my best true self. I related a lot to what the author was saying through his encounters both with Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, and the Saints. It was a book that I found particularly readable and exactly what I need right now.
As of late, I have found myself, Atipically interested in people...men, that have really been, quite...uninterested in me. Home and here, I find the answer to be just about the same. "Mary, you're not ready." Well, maybe if I find someone to walk with.."Mary, you're not ready." Well....NO well. It is what it is. I am in the midst of a great journey right now, one that involves growing closer to who God made me to be, and what he has in store for me. Growing away from a false self that I perhaps put on for all of you then, and closer to who I really am now. I feel good about where I am. I am not all the way, but I know that I have made large strides in the last 6 years, and especially in the last 11-12 months. If you are reading this, and you have known me, chances are that the person you are listening to is very different than the person you met....more on the inside than anywhere else....this is good :) So, I'm not ready...because, probably because I'm not really me yet. So if the questions is to be with someone, or to be with Christ as a religious...I don't really know because I don't really know myself well enough....yet :)
I read about one chapter on the way to the convent and, if you know anything about public transport or are educated enough to presume, it takes forever!! :) By the time I got to the convent, I was able to stay long enough to interrupt them playing BINGO, and to visit with a few of the sisters before I had to turn around and head back uptown so that I would not be late for 5pm mass at St. Frances of Assisi. That stinks, but I am always glad for any time that I have down at Sacred Heart with the seniors...:)
The good news is that I was back on the bus, ready for one more chapter of my book. I read some on the bus, laughing (yes, outloud), at some of the comments, and continued reading on the train THOROUGHLY distracted by the hundreds of New Yorkers that got on the train without pants. Yes...that's right, no pants! Improv Everywhere (check it out if you don't know about it and it sounds interesting) decided that this moment would be the time where hundreds of people would be riding the train with out pants....not sure how I feel about that particular task(and I have never been present for any of these challenges in NYC...Ironically I found out later that both Michelle and Crystal had planned on participating!), and it was a little distracting, but -no fear- I read on. Got off in time for mass after using, for the first time, the only public restroom that I know about (very clean and recommended...32nd and Broadway :) I finished reading a third chapter of the book as I arrived a half an hour before mass. I had a little bit of quiet time, and then began the celebration of the Solemnity of the Baptism of the LORD!!! :)
Mass was WONDERFUL today :) It always is, but it really hit home today. The music, friendly people, the feast, great! Fr. Jerome preached, which I LOVE, because he always does it with a prayer, beginning and closing with the sign of the cross. His last words were about being a witness to Christ in the way that we love :) Mass was very powerful for me, and I felt a strong calling to Christ (respsonsorial psalm helped that), and the offertory hymn of baptism, being washed, renewed and transformed...so good! We had to oldies but goodies from David Haas :) It's the end of Christmas, and it closed beautifully with the Baptism of the Lord, I mean, really the HS came down in the form of a dove, and God claimed Jesus as His son and said that He is well pleased with Him!!...What a BAPTISM!!! :)
After mass, Michelle and I went into Penn Station to take the train to Holy Hour, but first we stopped for some dinner on the go: lamb and rice...incredible...this also comes highly recommended as it is well-priced and on almost every street corner in the city! We headed up for the latter part of Frassati. (Every month, Catholic young adults in the city are invited by the Franciscan Friars, for mass at 5:30 followed by dinner and holy hour.) Since Michelle my belle lectored at the 5pm mass at St. Frances of Assisi, we made it in time for Holy Hour, which again was AMAZING! I will admit, that this is the first time that I have been actively engaged by Adoration. Today, in fact, was probably the first day that I was truly ready for it, after having read part of Becoming Who You Are, and really reflected on what parts of me are left to become who God meant....It was one of the most prayerful and close times that I have felt, and it was like Christ was just inviting ME (and everyone else there ;) to be with HIM... :) I'm excited to see if we go next month, as it will be on the oh-so-hallmark holiday, Valentine's Day!
After that, Michelle and I went to the diner, Lyric for hot chocolate, we were SO cold! And now that we know their entire evening staff by name, it has begun to be a quite 'homey' place for us to go and unwind before heading back to Columbus. The evening included hot chocolate which was DELICIOUS, plus an SVA student that, at first, was sitting alone. He began to talk to Michelle while I was in the bathroom, and...well, I invited him to sit with us because of the weird me looking over the booth thing with my head spun around like an owl...Turns out...and I'm sure you're not surprised, I'm not either. He had already moved from a prior location to the booth next to ours, probably per the citing of the oh-so-lovely Michelle....so our conversation kept leading to things like. Interested in hanging out? Do you guys go out? e-mail? Facebook? ...CLEARLY he had a motive, and I was NOT about to hand her over, so we got the checks, and I took the beautiful maiden with me back to the castle tower, Columbus Community where she is safe within the walls of the Convent ;)
On that note, so fortunately, I am going to head up to read and wait for the other beautiful maiden to return from her...well, that's why I'm waiting. I need to know how her night went ;) Good night, and a very very happy Sunday to you all! :)
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