This novena involves praying the ‘Glory be to the Father’ twenty-four times a day (one for each of the 24 years St. Therese of the Child Jesus lived) for nine days in succession.
When I walked into the side porch at St. Benedict’s one weekday before 5:30pm Mass, Michele enthusiastically told me about how she was doing The Twenty-Four Glory Be to the Father Novena. She mentioned that it was a lot of ‘Glory Be’s to say. Immediately we laughed at the thought of bumblebees buzzing around giving glory to God.
From then on, we’d say, write, and/or text to each other: “love, hugs, and glory bees.” Since then we have taken to giving each other bumblebee items. In the picture, Michele is holding the “glory bee” and pink roses I gave her Easter 2012. We both thought it was really cool that the shadows formed a cross on the wall leading up to her place, so we made sure to get that in the photo as well.
As I sit here missing her and preparing this post, Michele texted me to let me know she is turning her cell phone off tomorrow. All is well there. She’s got butterflies in her stomach but is very excited. It may be too cold there for the purple dress to wear she bought for her entry date. I guess it’s a good thing she had the opportunity to wear it a couple times in Richmond before she left. Though she and her mom have been staying there for the past few days, Michele will officially be entering The Carmelite Sisters by the Sea cloistered part of the monastery to begin the next stage of her discernment at 3:00pm (Pacific Standard Time) on Tuesday, August 6, 2013, which happens to be the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Please join me in praying for Michele and the sisters in Christ welcoming her into their fold this week. I know God has great things planned for all of them!
