Posted on 11/21/2016 11:47:32 AM PST by BlessedBeGod
.- If you picture a nun's first profession of vows, you probably picture a serene, peaceful affair with the sisters singing harmoniously and everything running joyfully and smoothly.
But the day of Mother Angelica's first vows was anything but.
Outside, a blizzard spit snow and ice, snarling roads and delaying the guests and the presiding Bishop James McFadden.
Inside, different storms were brewing.
As then-Sister Angelica knelt behind the grille, trying to pray before taking her vows, the organist sister and the choir director, Sr. Mary of the Cross (with whom Sr. Angelica had sparred in the past), began arguing about musical technique, within earshot of the already-arrived guests.
As the incident is recalled in her biography:
Voices slowly escalated. Suddenly the two nuns were at each other: the organist refusing to play, Mary of the Cross threatening to throw her into the snow if she didn’t.
“And I’m sitting there trying to re-collect myself for my vows,” Mother Angelica recalled. “The people must have thought we were nuts.”
Then came the bug, scampering across the wooden floor in front of the sisters.
Mary of the Cross rose up, lifted the kneeler with both hands, and pounded it on the ground, attempting to annihilate the insect. Like a madwoman with a jackhammer, she repeatedly wielded the priedieu (kneeler), hurling it and herself at the crawler. The organist, thinking the display an underhanded critique of her playing, pounded the keys all the harder. Sister Angelica could not believe what she termed “the shenanigans.” Then the bishop walked in.
Wet and cold from walking several blocks where he had to leave his stalled car, Bishop McFadden requested a fresh pair of socks, which Sr. Mary of the Cross sent Sister Angelica to get.
When it came time to place the profession ring on Sr. Angelica’s fingers, the bishop couldn’t fit it past her knuckle – her hand was swollen from a shower handle in the convent that had crumbled and cut her hand several days prior.
“With everything going on there, I’m thinking, Oh Jesus doesn’t love me. You know?...I mean, it was a real spiritual experience!” Mother Angelica said. “But that’s the way God works with me. As I look back, before anything big that was coming, something happened to me.”
Despite “the shenanigans” of the day, Sr. Angelica took her vows seriously, writing in a letter to her mother that “the espoused” and “royal couple” (herself and Jesus) “wished to express their gratitude to their friend and member of their personal court...The spouse has asked the Bridegroom to fill you with his peace and consolation.”
She signed the letter: “Jesus and Angelica.”
Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, foundress of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), passed away on March 27 after a lengthy struggle with the aftereffects of a stroke. She was 92 years old.
Mother A’slife is full of comedy and tragedy. Her attitude about it was serene and observing. And amused. Sometimes when a great thing is happening, like the vows of a future saint, harassment comes along like this and it’s apparent the enemy is trying to prevent it from getting done.
Families fighting before Christmas Mass for instance. Blow it off and get in the car some kind of conversion is likely about to take place. Old scratch only has power if we give it Jesus is always greatee
Oh, I thought “The Shenanigans” were a band.
ROFLLLLL!!!!!!
Irish-themed rock, like the Dropkick Murphys or Flogging Molly.
Mother Angelica would enjoy your posts.
:-)
I always had the impression that she had an oddball sense of humor.
I did, too!
She seemed like the nun who I’d have to avoid sitting next to in chapel if I wanted to keep out of trouble.
;-)
You’d probably be okay if you didn’t make eye contact.
Maybe.
But even then, after trying so hard to be good, there’s the dreaded big snort.
After that, all is lost.
Bttt
True. That reminds me of the Good Friday when the lector kept saying Pontius Pilate was “the procreator of Judea,” and then my husband hissed, “Played by Anthony Quinn in the movie!” and the entire row snorted horrifically.
Oh my gosh! Lol!
Not as funny but pretty entertaining was the time one of the readers read “the Lord does not require sacrifice or ovulation”.
This revelation was followed immediately by the synchronized leaning forward by practically every adult for his or her missalette and then the whirred thumbing of pages to find the reading.
At least they were alert.
He was a particularly entertaining lector.
There was lots of stifled snorting and a few whoops.
We had one lector switch the words “Immorality” instead of saying “Immortality.”
The mistake was brought up at the next lector training, but unfortunate she was not present.
A couple of years ago during the Passion, Jesus was laminated. My daughter and I still giggle about that. :-)
O2
Thank you both. :-)
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