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Connectional Ministries : Outreach : Amigas del Senor

Lost My Glasses...

By Beth Blodgett, missionary to Honduras
Sep 9, 2008, 12:00

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Dear Friends,
Here we are in Bonito, with lots of news to tell you. But it is hard to do. We hitched a ride in the back of a pickup truck. It was windy. My glasses left my head. I can find the "ñ" on the keyboard, so, hopefully, you can read what I write. But I can't proofread it.

I still have a pair of old glasses at the monastery. When we return, I'll get them out.

Now that you have my excuses for bad typing, I'll try to put together what I intended to tell you.

The biggest event in August for me was my 8-day silent retreat for end of postulancy. Then my installation as a novice on Sunday.

Planning a retreat for half of the monastery was no small thing. Since we live as most other poor Hondurans, there is a lot of physical work to do. First item for planning was to decide what work we could just let slide (gardening and sewing). econd, what work could I do and still be on retreat. We decided that sorting corn, sorting beans, grinding corn, washing dishes all qualified. These are all pretty meditative and can be done without verbal consultation. I also helped with the silent cook-wood cutting and hauling one morning. We had hoped to have enough, but the neighbor who was going to cut a big batch for us couldn't come the day before the retreat as scheduled. Prairie did all of the meal planning, cooking, etc., etc., etc.

If we look to the tradition of little brother Francis, she would be called the Sister Guardian for me during my retreat.

We started and ended the retreat on Thursdays, which are our usual fast days, and we have midweek unprogrammed worship. We started the retreat with our usual August monthly day-long retreat. Prairie volunteered to lead it. She also led the last-day closing activities. It is a great privilege to live in a small monastery with so much spiritual intimacy and such a privilege to watch this young woman grow before my eyes.

Back to the retreat. I participated in the three programmed worships each day, including reading aloud and singing. The silence was all of the rest of the time.

Novice is usually used in normal conversation to mean beginner. Well, now I am a beginner. It has been quite a stress on us poor pre-beginners.

The major work of the postulancy is renunciation. That's a term used in monastic parlance to mean put behind you what is past, to make your life empty so there is room for God and God's will. Renounce is not the same as denounce. Denounce implies that there is something bad to be rid of. Renounce is often of very good things. An ordinary part of spiritual growth is giving up something good for something better.

Much of the time of my retreat was spent in reviewing and then ripping up my journals. I got through a year and 9 months. Since I often put the most painful thoughts in the journal, it was not especially an easy spiritual practice. But that was my job and I did it. Hopefully, the struggles and disappointments of those times are now integrated solidly in the past so as not to interfere with the present.

We had a lovely ceremony for my novitiate. Prairie officiated. She also spoke on behalf of you when it was time for the congregation to promise to support and uphold me.

The scripture readings included Jeremiah 1:48. I read it. I am not saying that I read it in a clear, strong voice. No, the hanky was very handy to have.

We read Psalm 100. We must never miss a chance to remind ourselves that celebrating God is the main thing in prayer.

The Gospel was Matthew, the first and most important commandment, and the second which is like unto it.

Then Prairie read as advice from our old friend pseudo-Paul in his letter to the Ephesians about putting on the whole armor of God. A good exhortation.

The "sermon" was a talk given by Basil Hume to a group of his novices a generation ago. Very helpful. It is good to have at least one senior monastic present at such a ceremony.

Most of our hymns were from the Spanish hymnal and not available in English. But we sang the Spanish of "Here I am, Lord" and Prairie's translation of "Trust and Obey," a favorite from my childhood.

The creed was the Spanish Creed found in Mil Voces Para Celebrar, our hymnal. We used a modified order of worship for baptism, renewal of vows.

It was all really very cool. I even put on my new habit. We have decided that the sleeveless habit is for sojourners, aspirants, and postulants. Sleeved dress for novices and avowed sisters. Discernment is a major spiritual practice for us.

After our worship and ceremony, we had a reception of sorts. Prairie had baked snickerdoodles on Saturday afternoon. I had made limeade. Special treats.

I find that my eyes are not terribly useful. I would have liked to do this better, but here it is as it is.

Dios les bendiga,

beth

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Latest Headlines

Invitation to Amigas del Señor - Feb. 23, 2007

Amigas del Senor has new photo website

A Trip to Bonito -- Oct. 23, 2008

Knives and Neighbors -- Sept. 25, 2008

Finding Enough Calories to Live On -- Sept. 25, 2008

Death by Disease or Death by Poverty? -- Sept. 24, 2008

Lost My Glasses...

A New Dog and Continued Water Issues

Beth's Retreat and Novice Ceremony

Our Children

Garden and Sewing Progress, Home Improvement

Agricultural Progress

Financial Update Jan-Mar, 2008 and Beth's trip to USA -- June 16, 2008

Visit to Plan de Flores -- June 24, 2008

Prairie Looks at Postulancy -- May 28, 2008

On the Road -- May 30, 2008

Immunization Programs -- April 18, 2008

The Fire and Miracles -- April 18, 2008

Safe Arrival Home -- Mar. 20, 2008