On Wednesday I got the email: there was to be a Mass in honor of Blessed Mother Teresa on Friday.
The Missionaries of Charity would be there, as would the bishop.
Could we make it?
I guess we could!
We are not, I’ll confess, early morning Mass-type people. I wish to heaven (literally) that we were, but there’s something about the grumbling & the fussing & the outright kvetching that deters me.
I’m a coward, I know it. Friday morning, though, I didn’t care. I callously ignored the balking, the whines, and the tear-filled complaints of “I’m tired! I’m cold! I’m hungry!”
I threw them into the van and we were off.
[I had help, incidentally. Joe knew that he was going to get serve at the bishop’s Mass and as such, he was my ally. Not only was he a cheerful and uncomplaining ally, he was also my co-pilot and–through his deft maneuvering of my husband’s TomTom–Joe ably got his wrong-turn-kind-of-gal mother to the church on time.]
Here is Joe, serving at the bishop’s Mass.
It’s the only photo that I took because I was at Mass, you know. I’m not supposed to be taking pictures! (And it’s not like Joe needed extra distraction. Wouldn’t you be nervous? Or would you just be like, “Eh, it’s the bishop. No big deal.)
I did, however, take lots of pictures at the reception after.
I don’t know why the light got so bright in this photo.
I attribute it to the great sanctity of Sister Shikha and my friend Tina.
Surprise! My children snapped out of their grumbly moods once they saw the sisters. Missionaries of Charity! In the flesh! And on Blessed Mother Teresa’s Feast Day, too!
“They look just like my nun doll,” Felicity murmured.
To be with these sisters was to be the presence of Christ, I tell you. They were so very full of joy.
And fun? Fun had nothing on them!
“The farmer in the dell! The farmer in the…”It was the very best way to end a busy first week.
It was a great way to “meet” Mother Teresa.
Have a blessed weekend, everyone.
Ad Jesum per Mariam,
That’s it!!! I’m moving to Minnesota!!!
(OK, I’m being rash. But still…what a way to celebrate that day!)
Oh wow! I’m so jealous (a holy jealousy, mind you)! What a wonderful experience for the whole family. My husband served Mass for Mother Teresa when he was a teenager, and it’s something he’s never forgotten (the Sisters are at the Church he grew up in and where we got married). Your son will keep that in his heart forever. What a wonderful gift!
WOW! What a wonderful way to celebrate! I love the photos you were able to take. Those are some beautiful memories for your children, for sure.
🙂
Oh my, that is SO wonderful! What special pictures – I love how happy they look, and so beautiful!! You really are blessed to have had them.
That is a great event!
I sure wish we had your church in our town!!! How wonderful, what a blessing to be there for this special day!!
Send those nuns up this way!!
I once had the chance to see Mother Teresa. Her Sisters of Charity were opening a house in inner-city Newark, NJ. I grew up in a suburb not far from there. My mom and several women from our parish had gone to help clean the house up to prepare for the Sisters’ arrival. After they moved in, they held a Mass in a small church for all of the people who had helped. Boy, to walk right by Mother Teresa kneeling in the first pew on my way back from Communion was incredible. As a young teenager, I could feel her holiness, but was also struck by just how little all of the Sisters were! I’ll never forget that Mass.
That is SO Awesome. I love Mother Teresa, so much so that my 3 mo is named after her. 🙂
How beautiful the faces of those young women…pure joy!
What a wonderful experience for your family!
How splendid!
I am hoping to attend one of their vow ceremonies in D.C. with a friend of mine (next time they do so). She’s connected by a cousin who is in the order.
It’s so beautiful seeing them have fun with the children.
Oh my goodness! What a wonderful blessing for you family! I wish… I wish… I’ll just have to admit to some jealousy here (holy, yes, but jealousy all the same). Out here in Oregon my children haven’t even seen a nun – let alone the Missionaries of Charity — what an amazing blessing. Thank you so much for sharing your pictures with us! There couldn’t be a more perfect way to celebrate Mother Teresa’s feast day…
~Jenny
Wow, what an amazing Mass! Beautiful!
Wow! That’s just amazing! All of the pictures made me smile! 🙂
Oh, thank you for sharing this! All my plans were for naught as we had to prep and then evacuate for Ike. (Which ended up being a wonderful all around thing as the winds were uncomfortably high in Key West but not so high as too actually damage our home.) Anyway, you brought tears tomy eyes with this lovely post.