I like Martha...

Today the universal Church celebrates Saint Martha of Bethany. Or Benedictine ordo includes Mary, her sister, in the memorial. I like that Martha gets a day all to herself, poor thing. Martha is a real human being - the kind of saint that I can get really revved up about.

If you've ever been angry over an unjust situation, Saint Martha's your girl. If you've ever felt that your kind of holy wasn't holy enough, she' the one to pray to. If you've ever been filled with grief and faith all mixed up together? You are walking Martha's path.

OK...maybe I love her because she's always in the kitchen. No, it's more than that. In Martha I touch that place in me that LOVES work, but longs for contemplation. In Martha I find solidarity when hospitality and table service are my way to love and my greatest joy. In Martha I know that the Lord loves me just as I am - perhaps, especially when I my priorities are a bit skewed. Martha is fire and faith all in one fragile woman. Yes, I like Martha. And Jesus did, too.

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

NOT 4th and Walnut...

They were just seashells. But, farsighted and without my glasses on, they seemed too beautiful for words. It was my last day in the ocean and I was alone for hours on the beach. Periodically, I went out into the waves to cool down and test the current. Early in the week the tides were rough and greedy – “rip tides,” they call them. So, getting out into the deep just wasn’t possible. (I was feeling less brave, too, because we were in a new house that had a limited view of the ocean. In the old house the sisters could see me from the deck. If a good wave got hold of me, they could call for help or at least pray as I got sucked out to sea. From this house the ocean is quite visible, but the beach is not. So, I played it safe for several days.)

On Saturday the water was just perfect! The tides were even and not too strong – not the pounders we had earlier in the week that could take a dignified adult off her feet in a heartbeat. I swam several times and felt quite safe. The ocean, clear and warm, had coughed up tons of seashells – millions, I suppose. People were strolling the shoreline collecting them in bags. There were so many that my feet sunk into the shells and not the sand as I made my way to the beach. Without my glasses the shells seemed like jewels. So many colors and shapes…glistening in the morning sun…some, whole and breathtaking…some, broken into interesting shapes by the weight of too many waves. I wondered about this GOD who makes such beauty. Do we look like this to GOD - all the created souls made in the divine image and likeness? Do we shine like these in the light of grace – one of billions, equal in dignity but unique, one-of-a-kind creatures? I think so. It feels true. I didn’t collect any shells to bring home. They had already given me their gift – a moment of clarity as the beloved of GOD. These moments belong to all of us. What will you see today?
Blessings and love to you all…it's good to be back!
- Sister Vicki