1. Just when I actually have an important life event to blog about, I'm too busy to write! There's so much to get done before I leave for Italy.
2. I leave on October 22, Lord willing and the creek don't rise.
3. I have to learn as much French as possible before I go. It's not my forte. I've always been a procrastinator, very bad at long-term projects, but learning a language is something I have to practice as much as I can every day. So I'm slogging through it with Pimsleur. I like the program a lot; it spoon-feeds a few new words at a time and gives lots of repetition and pronunciation practice. It's satisfying to see or hear some French and understand it. But sometimes the amount I don't know seems like a mountain hanging overhead, ready to drop and crush me. :P (Buy the way, if anyone reading this is thinking of buying the Pimsleur program, you can save a lot by getting it on microchip from pimsleurdirect.com.)
4. I wonder if I can at least learn enough French to learn more.... pick out words I don't know and ask about them, instead of listening uncomprehendingly to a whole lot of jabber I can't make out at all...
5. I also have a ton of stuff to buy. If I stay to become a novice I'll get a habit made for me, but postulants wear basic black skirts, white shirts, sweaters, tights, black shoes, that kind of thing. I need to buy black snow boots. In southern California. In August. L.L. Bean catalog, here I come. :)
6. I'm happy and rather shocked that my parents and both of my brothers are planning to come to Florence with me when I go. They'll spend a week in Florence; I'll spend the first half of the week with them and then go with the sisters. I hope my visa comes through in time because we've already bought the plane tickets and the non-refundable reservations. So one way or another we'll be forced to vacation in Tuscany in October. I hear y'all playing the world's smallest violin in sympathy, but seriously, please pray I'll have a visa by then.7. Here are some French words that have been adopted into English recently enough for their pronunciation to be more or less retained: hors d’oeuvre, à la carte, table d’hôte, en route, en masse, rendezvous, carte blanche, savoir-faire, faux pas, fait accompli, par excellence, bon vivant, joie de vivre, raison d’être, coup d’état, nouveau riche, esprit de corps, laissez faire, allons-y, chargé d’affaires, piéce de résistance, and R.S.V.P.
8. If you feel like you missed the neat organized post where I wrote all about how I decided to join the Adoratrices and how happy I am to have found an order at last and everything that's happening in my spiritual life and so on, that's because I haven't written that post yet and I don't know if I'll have time before I leave. I will if I can, but you know not every blog can be Conversion Diary. :)
9. I should say the fact that I'm going to join an order doesn't mean that I know I'll stay. That's probably obvious to anyone else who's trying to become a nun, but those who don't know much about it sometimes don't realize how it works. I've seen not just one, but two news stories about nuns or monks that made the mistake of saying that the newcomers take vows when they enter the order! But it takes years to reach final vows, and until then a person can leave, or be asked to leave if he's not a good fit for the community.
There's still so much I don't know about the Adoratrices, but the quickest way to find it all out is to head for Italy. I'm going because there's no other way to discern whether God wants me to stay forever. I really hope the answer is yes, and I'll assume so unless God shouts otherwise. :) Prayers are much appreciated!
8 comments:
Re: #7 - One French phrase that should have caught on, but unfortunately didn't: Le Car. In a previous career (many years ago) I sold these and Linda & I even owned one! They're a blast as you can see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V0mRvh14Wc&NR=1
That is such a cool commercial. How refreshing would it be if they showed something like that on TV today? I wonder who would sue first?
Prayers for you from here, dear.
A number of our lay members are with the St. Mary's Oratory in Wausau, WI;
we have a very good relationship with the priest there.
It's very exciting to hear about your new future. God love ya!
Thanks Nazareth Priest! I really appreciate the prayers. Wisconsin's blessed to have so many Institute parishes; I with L.A. could steal one. :)
Discernment does not end upon admission. My daughter explained that there are three questions and you need a unanimous YES.
1) Is it God's will?
2) Is it the Community's will?
3) Is it my will freely given?
The answers get easier as you are admitted, become a novice, take temporary vows, approach final vows.
When all three yesses line up, there is a certainty that has great beauty and freedom in it.
Mary and I never forget anyone we know who enters religious life. We will pray for you always.
Thank you, Jim!
Rachel, you don't know me but I see you comment on my blog. Being a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart, know that you and all the priests, oblates, sisters, seminarians and lay members are in my daily prayers.
I would like to post a link to your trip to the motherhouse, if you would not object. Might be a good way to get more people praying for you, or else just to see some neat photos. :-)
Timman, that sounds great to me-- go ahead and post a link, and thank you, especially for your prayers! I didn't know you were in the ICKSP's lay society. No wonder you always have such great posts about them. :)
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