This year our community did a little something different for the Triduum. Instead of attending services downtown for Holy Thursday and Good Friday, leaving the Center closed on Friday so we could make our retreat (on our own), we all headed out to Mundelein for our retreat from Thursday afternoon to Friday evening. So for the Triduum services on those days, we joined with the De La Salle Christian brothers, who were making their retreat on the seminary grounds as well.
The brothers couldn't have been warmer in their welcome, and it did us good, too, to be immersed in the natural beauty that can be found just an hour's drive from the city. But what the overall experience did for me was even more important. My reaction to the extremely low-key liturgy (not my cup of tea!) with the brothers told me that I am beginning to take things too much for granted, above all the Eucharist and the Word of God. It was a good wake-up call for me. Later, as I sat with the choir at Our Lady of Mt Carmel (for a Vigil Liturgy much more aligned with my natural inclinations, as well as with the, um, rubrics), I was inspired to ask the Blessed Mother to take me as a "special case" disciple: to read the Scriptures to me in her voice, the way she would have perhaps been repeating them to herself and the apostles during that first Vigil in the darkest night the world has ever known.
Now I know that this is something I don't want to let go of. I want Mary to be my teacher for a special, intensive course in hearing and keeping the Word of God, especially during this Easter season. I don't expect to get a diploma at Pentecost, but I hope that by then, the Holy Spirit, seeing Mary's work, will come with new fire.
Was there any special grace for you this Easter?
Monday, April 09, 2012
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I did get a grace of sorts. I received a definitive answer to something I have been praying about for over a year. It's not the answer I wanted, in fact it's the exact opposite. But I know now that God is telling me to move on, that his plans are not my plans. I don't know what He has on store for me, but I'm doing my best to trust him. It's not so easy, but I'm trying.
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