Fifth Week of Lent Challenge

I am just back from our last dress rehearsal for the Living Stations of the Cross. While I was there I picked up the challenge of the week, which I forgot to get yesterday, and realized that I completely missed week 4. Where did that whole week go? I am wondering that both literally and figuratively. I remember picking up the slip of paper, but I have no idea what I did with it. As usual, a lot of things have slipped my mind.

I have been spending a lot of time practicing for the Living Stations. I am getting excited and nervous. You all may remember that I have the honor of playing Our Blessed Mother. The way that the Stations are presented is that we move into place, and silently act out the scene, as music plays. When the music stops we freeze, leaving a still tableau, and then the usual prayers are said. It's really an amazing way to pray the stations. I attended last year and really loved it.

Being a part of this beautiful devotion is very moving and it is really easy to get into character. I cry so hard, though, that it is often hard to stop when we freeze the scene. Tonight, during the Pieta, as I sat frozen with the dead Jesus in my arms, I couldn't quite stop shaking and sniffling. Suddenly, I realized that snot was seriously about to roll out of my nose and onto Jesus' forehead! I was trying to quietly snuffle it back in. How gross is that?? The prayers and responses seemed to go on forever! It was agonizing! Ha ha! I just hope nothing like that happens on Friday when we actually present it to a real audience.

Another exciting thing I did this weekend was attend a conference at nearby Mount Saint Mary's University and Seminary where Dr. Scott Hahn was speaking on Saint Paul. Let me just say that I am a huge fan. Of both Dr. Hahn and Saint Paul. So I was really looking forward to this talk and I was not disappointed. The thing I enjoy about Dr. Hahn is that, although he is super intelligent and has such a grasp on scripture, he makes it really easy for lay people to understand and follow what he is saying. The problem is that, even though I understand it completely when I hear it, I cannot for the life of me repeat it to anyone later, and so I can't really give you a full account now. Suffice it to say that I learned a lot about St. Paul, but don't remember any of it.

Also, we had an Open House this weekend that turned up a couple of promising leads; one couple even came through twice. So I am really hoping we might finally sell this house. In May we will have had it on the market for one year and it is so difficult to live like this. I just really want to move and be done with it. So add me to your prayer lists if you think of it!

Okay, so here is the challenge for the week:

Fifth Week of Lent

This week of my journey I will listen to all who speak to me with the energy I usually give to speaking.

Sheesh, how hard is that?! I'm a talker, so this will be extremely challenging for me. You know who I need to pass this one on to? My 9 year old. Man, he could talk your ear off. It's exhausting listening to him! My husband would say the same about me. Now, my husband is someone who does not need this challenge. He is a man of few words and, for the most part, an excellent listener. Unless you're telling him not to put towels and clothes together in the wash. Then he is as deaf as a doorknob. That is a pet peeve of mine that we have not been able to settle in 10 years. Well, maybe I should try to make him talk so I can practice my listening. That ought to be interesting. I'm sure he won't be able to think of a thing to say!

Listening is intense work. It involves being completely present, receiving someone with all one's senses, accompanied by a genuine desire to know the other.

Listening is an act of love, often rewarded by the sound of God's voice.

So go work on that and I'll check in soon!