My parents took us to Mother Angelica's shrine in AL for Ash Wednesday this year. It was great. The spontaneity of travelling with my parents again, listening to sisters singing on one of our fave CD's while driving, and waiting for those surprise spiritual moments that ALWAYS happen on retreat. I wish I had some hysterically funny stories from our trip to share, but it all happened so smoothly! Historically while travelling with my parents, we get hopelessly lost, which of course leads to the characteristic "interactions" between family members, which in later years is fodder for reunion laughter. Since GPS entered our lives, it's smooth sailing! The adorable houses we stayed in were lovely; not the scorpion-laden, nor questionably clean places we've experienced in the past. There were zero fire drills in the middle of the night! (Yes, another fond travelling memory) Food prep was simple and easy, especially since it was Ash Wednesday! No meat and small meals meant easy prep and easy clean-up, except for the French bread pizza that landed upside down in the oven. (Why have we not traveled while fasting before??) All humor aside, the beauty and holiness of the shrine were a welcomed surprise. Hearing the cloistered sisters rehearsing their singing late on Tues. night inside the church, in the presence of the blessed sacrament, was an amazing backdrop for my novenas and prayer intentions. We could hear them singing, but at first only saw the occasional swish of a passing black or white habit through the grid of bars. So cool! Michael's score of a rosary for each of us didn't even bother me! Rachael, mom and I attended the singing of the Divine Office at 6 am, and then Mass at 7 on Ash Wednesday morning. We all toured the shrine and its grounds, but truth be told, we spent most of our time in the gift shop. It was amazing. Quality stuff, good prices, educational, it was like a spiritual treasure trove! It dripped Catholic tradition, devotions, and piety. The interesting people we met and chatted with were also a joy! (except for dad and the kids who were planted in various chairs, faces stonelike, boredom settled in, begging, "Can we PLEASE go yet????") One of the pictures I'm posting is from a collection of some private pics someone tucked into a picture frame in a kitchen of the house we stayed in. It looks like a relative was ordained a priest, and then there's a photo from a Mass at the elevation of the host. Note the host. Amazing. Had to share that. So, we came home, and life went back to normal. Except going on retreat is like falling into a lake. You splash into it, immersed into the water, and then get out again; but the ripples you create go on and on and you feel them later in the following days, weeks, and months. Now, my analogy is not complete, because somehow you also get to receive the effects of the ripples as they spread out and they wash up against you. It's cool how spirituality can go so deep, and yet be so normal at the same time. So, go on retreat, and go to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament if you can!
