My Life Explained in Idioms

Someday I might visit some of the 18 countries where there are Sisters of Notre Dame. When there I might describe what it is like to be an SND.

            Well, right off the bat, I’d say I love to be a Sister. Although not everything is my cup of tea, I appreciate our focus on prayer and ministry. Note: it’s not prayer or ministry. In our life, we can have our cake and eat it, too, because prayer and ministry go hand in hand. When I prayerfully do the work of the Lord, I’m killing two birds with one stone.

            What is my ministry? Well, I have my work cut out for me. I am a church musician, so my weekends are spent playing piano. Unfortunately, I don’t play by ear, so I need to practice frequently. During the week I am support staff at Urbanski Life Celebration Home. “Do Sisters really work in funeral homes?” you ask. Well, you took the words right out of my mouth, because I was just going to say that greeting people in a funeral home and assisting with prayer services are works of mercy. Whether teachers, social workers, nurses, cooks, or administrators, we’re all in the same boat. We listen to what God wants us to do.

            What about life in community? Well, birds of a feather flock together, meaning we have similar mindsets when it comes to what we do and how we do it. But we’re not forced into uniformity. We enjoy our own hobbies, for example. You might like playing Yahtzee, but for me that game is for the birds. But without spilling the beans, I admit community life can have its irritations when we rub elbows, especially when we can’t get outside because it’s raining cats and dogs.

            How do I live my vow of poverty? It can be a wild goose chase trying to find the perfect way to live poverty, but I’ve heard straight from the horse’s mouth that poverty means placing God above all things and we live simply so that others can simply live. I guess that hits the nail on the head.

            When I entered the community, I had to hold my horses. I was ready to take on anything for God, but some things had to  wait for more maturity and more formation. I just took a rain check.

            Well, this is getting long, so I think I’ll call it a day and head to Lily White’s party. By the way, do you think my speech will translate well?