Prey for a Miracle

Chapter One Silence defined the monastery---except during recreation. the hour before Compline, the concluding canonical hour of the Divine Office, was a time of community togetherness. Pictures and letters from family and friends, parts of the lives they'd each left behind, were passed around freely. Over the years, the names and faces had all become part of a bigger family here at Our Lady of Hope Monastery. Tonight, Sister Maria Victoria had photos of her new baby niece to show, and Sister Gertrude had received a letter announcing that her cousin had entered the priesthood. On the outside, these bits of news might have been glossed over, but here they were savored and relished as gifts from an ever present and good God. Sadness, too, was more bearable a burden when shared by the entire community. After Sister Clothilde's sister had passed away at another monastery few months ago, everyone had taken part in an all-night vigil. Through their shared prayers, the pain of one had been borne by many shoulders, lessening its crushing weight. Now laughter rose easily among them almost in defiance of the storm brewing outside. The windowpanes rattled as the wind whistled through the cracks, announcing the rain that would quickly follow. As was the custom among long-time New Mexico residents, the nuns walked to the open back door to watch the rare event. Pax, the monastery's large, white German shepherd, remained behind, content to sleep through the commotion. "We're in for a gully washer tonight," Sister Bernarda said. The former Marine turned nun had a delivery that made even the simplest of sentences sound like an order. "This should help ease the drought a bit. It'll be a blessing, providing the rain doesn't evaporate before it hits the ground," Sister Agatha said quietly. Truth was, she didn't like thunderstorms. "This storm will bring a blessing," Sister Ignatius said excitedly. "Look! Do you see it?" "What?" Sister Agatha asked, glancing over Sister Bernarda's massive shoulders. "There! That cloud looks just like an angel with huge, feathered wings. This morning at prayer I asked the Lord to send us an angel as a sign that the monastery's financial problems would soon be over, and there it is! And just to make it perfect, the angel has appeared to us in the middle of a storm!" Sister Agatha looked up at the clouds and tilted her head, trying to discern the shape Sister Ignatius was describing. As she brought her cheek down and pushed it against her shoulder, a form began to take shape---but she couldn't swear that it wasn't a giant rabbit. Sister Bernarda looked at Sister Agatha and shrugged. "Maybe the angel won't to appear to us externs," Sister Agatha told Sister Bernarda with a ghost of a smile. "It's the price we pay for not taking a vow of enclosure---we become too affected by the world," Sister de Lourdes, their newest extern said, joining them. "I suppose it's all in how you look at it, but in my opinion we externs have the best job of all," Sister Agatha said with complete conviction. Extern nuns were part of the contemplative life of the monastery where prayers and a lifetime spent in service to God defined who and what they were. But externs also ventured into the outside world. The monastery relied on them to run errands, escort a plumber or an electrician onto the premises, and to be the liaison between the monastery and the community. It was that duality Sister Agatha loved the most, and she couldn't imagine any greater blessing. Sister Agatha glanced at Sister de LourdThurlo, Aimée is the author of 'Prey for a Miracle ', published 2006 under ISBN 9780312322106 and ISBN 0312322100.