(This sign was on my bedroom door at Maryhouse.)
A providential and long sought after answer to a specific prayer came this Lent. I was able to find my way back to the New York Catholic Worker Community! On Ash Wednesday I arrived in New York City for my one week stay at Maryhouse, one of my favorite places on God's pavemented Earth! This Community has two homes of hospitality on NYC's Lower East Side. It is truly a slice of God's Kingdom on Earth. Upon arrival, those in the house; Jane, Alba and Evie, prepared for a 7 PM Ash Wednesday service in our dining room. (Something I noticed during my first visit in 2008 was I quickly began using the term "our" in reference to anything Maryhouse related.) A phenomenon that used to marvel me when certain visitors would come to our L'Arche Homes for a short while and start using this term of ownership and investment.
The first night, Jane gave me a set of House keys for the week (quite an honor). The following morning, I haphazardly locked myself out of my room on the 3rd floor. This caused a stir with dear Jane and myself. With much grace, Jane instructed me to take her set of numerous keys to the office on the 2nd floor where an even more robust set of keys dangled on a small finger shaped hook on the wall. From there, I was to retrieve the keys to her on the ground floor, where she'd look through this jarring bundle to try and find the key that belonged to the previous dweller of the room. Recalling the name was a like an M.C. Escher painting in and of itself. Was it Corrine's, Cliff's...the list of possible names went on. Finally, Jane said, "Try this one...and pray for a miracle...". I did, and lo and behold, it was the right one! Truly a miracle. Fhew. The right fit. I bounded down the 6 flights of stairs-(Why so many stairs, you might be wondering? This house is the old 3rd St. Music School, a tremendous brick building with 25+ rooms.)-exuberantly to inform Jane of my success. She handed me hers again to open the office door and return the jarring bundle on the 2nd floor. Then hers back to her on the ground floor. From there, I went to finish getting ready on the 3rd. Quite a little work out. Just what I needed to begin to run off my false self and settle in the REST of being in this place where I need nothing but presence. I was running back to myself and God.
Throughout the week, I would need to unlock the doors of the Clothing Room, or Jeannette's Room to get clothes, toiletries or supplies for the women, and went in and out the front door. I did my laundry one day in the Laundry Room (duh), and every single time I went to open a door, the FIRST key I tried was the right key. Cool!
I think that's how it is when we find our life's calling. We are using the right key for the right door. Now, how to open and step through that door...I imagine God's grace and a miracle are there to help.
A providential and long sought after answer to a specific prayer came this Lent. I was able to find my way back to the New York Catholic Worker Community! On Ash Wednesday I arrived in New York City for my one week stay at Maryhouse, one of my favorite places on God's pavemented Earth! This Community has two homes of hospitality on NYC's Lower East Side. It is truly a slice of God's Kingdom on Earth. Upon arrival, those in the house; Jane, Alba and Evie, prepared for a 7 PM Ash Wednesday service in our dining room. (Something I noticed during my first visit in 2008 was I quickly began using the term "our" in reference to anything Maryhouse related.) A phenomenon that used to marvel me when certain visitors would come to our L'Arche Homes for a short while and start using this term of ownership and investment.
The first night, Jane gave me a set of House keys for the week (quite an honor). The following morning, I haphazardly locked myself out of my room on the 3rd floor. This caused a stir with dear Jane and myself. With much grace, Jane instructed me to take her set of numerous keys to the office on the 2nd floor where an even more robust set of keys dangled on a small finger shaped hook on the wall. From there, I was to retrieve the keys to her on the ground floor, where she'd look through this jarring bundle to try and find the key that belonged to the previous dweller of the room. Recalling the name was a like an M.C. Escher painting in and of itself. Was it Corrine's, Cliff's...the list of possible names went on. Finally, Jane said, "Try this one...and pray for a miracle...". I did, and lo and behold, it was the right one! Truly a miracle. Fhew. The right fit. I bounded down the 6 flights of stairs-(Why so many stairs, you might be wondering? This house is the old 3rd St. Music School, a tremendous brick building with 25+ rooms.)-exuberantly to inform Jane of my success. She handed me hers again to open the office door and return the jarring bundle on the 2nd floor. Then hers back to her on the ground floor. From there, I went to finish getting ready on the 3rd. Quite a little work out. Just what I needed to begin to run off my false self and settle in the REST of being in this place where I need nothing but presence. I was running back to myself and God.
Throughout the week, I would need to unlock the doors of the Clothing Room, or Jeannette's Room to get clothes, toiletries or supplies for the women, and went in and out the front door. I did my laundry one day in the Laundry Room (duh), and every single time I went to open a door, the FIRST key I tried was the right key. Cool!
I think that's how it is when we find our life's calling. We are using the right key for the right door. Now, how to open and step through that door...I imagine God's grace and a miracle are there to help.
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