The summer months can be more relaxing and carefree for most of us. We plan family vacations, sneak in a couple of long weekends and attend our fair share of barbecue cookouts.
My friends in Europe often take four to five weeks off for vacation! Our strong American work ethic limits the extended vacation to about two weeks for the majority of us, and so this summer I have carved out two weeks to attend two different Lay Carmelite events. First was the Lay Carmelite Convocation for the two North American Provinces in Washington, D.C., and the second is my annual retreat on Carmelite spirituality in Chicagoland.
It is a full Carmelite summer, and I am glad you can join me on the journey through this article. I will share about the first trip here, and the second trip next month.
Next stop
While in D.C. at the beautiful Catholic University of America, about 250 people gathered to pray, worship and grow together in community. People from nearly every state, and a few from Canada, the Caribbean and South America gathered as one people.
I was surprised at the number of older members who made the trip. We rented golf carts to aid in traveling from dorms to meeting halls and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception for our Mass times.
On the first day, I was tasked with training the volunteer drivers on golf carts to drive predetermined routes and to assist those with mobility limitations to ride safely. One of my routes included a group of women from San Diego. We had a time, laughing, singing and trying to create a breeze in 101-degree temperatures. They were also giggling in what I think was a mix of Tagalog and Spanish … which likely means they were talking about the driver.
When I dropped them off, Maria, wearing a big white hat, asked that I pick her back up in 30 minutes to move her to another dorm because of an air conditioner problem in her room. My response … “Someone will be by every five to seven minutes on a cart, see you later!” as I drove off to the next stop on the route.
Broken vessels
Later that evening, we had a storm on the horizon and I received a call from our makeshift dispatch that a volunteer was ill and I was needed to drive the cart another shift. As I made the rounds picking up load after load of tired pilgrims who were trying to get back to their room before the rain, I was focused on helping as many as possible.
My other drivers were also determined, and we were zipping around the campus like a well-orchestrated performance! Just as the storm was upon us, I made a final run. In the distance, I see a woman pulling a large suitcase wearing a white hat. It hit me … that was Maria, the woman who needed to move to another dorm two hours earlier!
As I pulled up alongside her, she turned and said, “there you are.” My response was “why didn’t you hop on a cart when they were running earlier?” She looked at me with a smile and answered, “I asked hop on a cart when they were running earlier?” She looked at me with a smile and answered, “I asked you to pick me up.”
My heart melted as I quickly loaded up what felt like a 50-pound suitcase and helped her onto the cart. She looked at the sky and said, “I am just a broken vessel, so let’s go, kid, it’s going to rain!”
Later that evening, in my room I recalled her comments and realized she was quoting a Psalm: “I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.” Psalm 31:12
Care in community
The Convocation was a wonderful time at a beautiful venue and full of beautiful people. As Carmelites, we naturally have community because of a common calling to Carmelite spirituality, but we experience community because of our commitment to each other as sisters and brothers no matter origins, language or culture.
Perhaps the same can be said of all of us, where we are today in Ohio. Sister, brother, neighbor and child of God … because that is who we are called to be to each other. Even when we make mistakes, grace is always abundant.
Maria showed me much grace, and I apologized for forgetting to pick her up. As the Psalmist concluded that same chapter about broken vessels, we take refuge in the storms of life together. “O how abundant is your goodness that you have laid up for those who fear you, and accomplished for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of everyone!” Psalm 32:19
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