Some may wonder how a retired Sister spends her days. Although not as busy as the days when she was working full time in a school or hospital or parish, there are many things that fill her days. St. Ignatius of Loyola encourages us to find God in all things. By the time a Sister is retired and perhaps needing more nursing care, she seeks to live out of that advice from St. Ignatius.
The Sisters in our Care Centre will not miss Mass, and on Saturday night at 7 o’ clock they will not miss “The Lawrence Welk Show”. One fills and renews the soul and the other renews the spirit. The Sisters can recite the words of the Mass as well as singing along to all the words of the Champagne Sisters and other soloists.
The Sisters receive Jesus in the Eucharist and their spiritual hunger is fed. They hum along to the music of Lawrence Welk with feet tapping, renewing their human spirit. Remember some of these golden oldies: “The Tennessee Waltz”, “Roll Out the Barrel”, “The Old Rugged Cross", "Danny Boy“? The hour just speeds by and closes with Lawrence Welk saying with a warm smile “Until we meet again.”
At the closing of the Eucharist we are invited to go in peace. Now, Lawrence Welk is certainly not the Eucharist but we should be grateful for all invitations we get to celebrate! So we all might ask ourselves from time to time . . . What events give peace to your day? Do we sometimes let them pass by us unnoticed? They may not be great and wonderful moments but is that because they aren’t or because we are not open to them?
What has been a recent “Lawrence Welk” moment for you? What song do you carry in your heart? When was the celebration of Eucharist really heart moving? “I am the Lord of the Dance said He” so “Dance, dance where you may be.” – Be it a Lawrence Welk moment or a Eucharist moment, let’s respond to the dance within us and most importantly within others.
Auf wiedersehen-Go in peace until we meet again!
Barb Vaughan CSJ