Orientation: Blessings

Blessing

Def: 1. A thing conducive to happiness or welfare.

I am blessed and I think more than ever I am starting to realize that. We are on day six of orientation and when I look back on the days that have passed, I cannot help but take note of all the amazing people we have met so far. Everywhere we turn in the monastery, we are greeted with encouragement and support from a visiting nun, a funny priest, a local brother, or an extremely kind parishioner. And all go out of their to make us feel welcome and take a sincere interest in us. Father Joe, a native Pitts burgher, went out to buy a huge stash of Pittsburgh shirts and hats to teach us the Pittsburghese lingo. He also stopped me in the hallway this morning to check that everyone was treating us okay. Terry, a blind lady who is also the cantor at the church, is writing us a prayer in brail and text and cloned all of us after mass on Sunday because she said we were good people. Father Jerry not only spent his whole day today teaching us about the Passionist history, but he gave us a shout out at church. Patty, the associate we met, chatted with us when we came to find her and greeted us with big hugs before mass. We eat in the dining hall every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner and I cannot tell you how encouraging those times are. We meet person after person who wants to know more about what we are doing and who tells us they will be praying for us. And despite their age, they all remember our names (well most do.....)They tell us how nice it is to have young people in the monastery and they make us feel wonderful. But I think it is really our blessing to be staying here.