Our convent is right across the yard from our workplace, so it’s easy to go back and forth, even during the daytime, if necessary. Today, I took advantage of this proximity more than usual.
As you may have heard, we’ve had an abundance of apples this year. We saved some of the juice to make jelly. The ingredients and utensils were all ready for me at the house, so I decided to do the project there. I did this between my other duties this morning.
I went back after dinner to finish cleaning up, and ended up doing more than I’d bargained for today. I had some extra time this afternoon, and have plans for tomorrow, so I ended up carving our two big pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns.
To make a long story short and get to my point, I ended up making several trips to and from our convent during the course of this full, interesting day.
Lately, I’ve been reading an excellent anthology of writings (from the early Church Fathers to present day) on the Eucharist. The inspiring words of this book have yet strengthened a practice I already do regularly: that of making a “little visit” to the Blessed Sacrament.
We have a little chapel in our convent. Whenever I go home, be it to make apple-cherry jam or attend to some other little detail, it only seems right to pay a visit to Jesus in our little tabernacle. It would seem rude, to me, to come to a home and not even bother to say hello to the master of the house.
Usually, my ‘little visit’ is just a matter of coming the entrance of the chapel, genuflecting, and saying a short, spontaneous prayer. Nonetheless, I feel I’ve done what is only proper, greeting our Master who so graciously blesses us with His presence in our little convent chapel.
Sr. Christina M. Neumann
Our Franciscan Fiat 