by Sr. Suzanne Homeyer, VHM
"...be detached from things and instead 'aim,' as Jane de Chantal suggests, 'at union with God.'"
WHAT’S COOKIN’?
COOKIN’ UP A STORM!
SOMEONE’S IN THE KITCHEN WITH….
These could all be appropriate titles for this blogpost but I prefer:
LOVE IN THE FOOD.
As part of a 400 year old custom, Visitation Sisters exchange rooms (or cells) by drawing lots during our New Years’ Chapter. This is in line with Francis de Sales’ wish that the Sisters be detached from things and instead “aim,” as Jane de Chantal suggests, “at union with God.”
Our monastery has practiced this custom over the years. Sisters choose and open some sort of packet containing several items: a quote or two from our Founders, perhaps the name of a person or group to pray for during the coming year, a special symbol of our community life together at this time; (last year it was a piece of the stained glass used to make our ‘Window of Vision’ at the Girard House) and also a ‘new’ profession cross worn by one of us during the year just passed. These surprise packages have also included the name of our new room. In the Fremont House the bedrooms and novitiate are named for the archangels; at Girard for early women in our order.
“…this new arrangement gives us the opportunity to just be together and love each other in new ways from working together on the everyday ordinary task of preparing meals.’
Over the past few years this custom has become something besides the lovely custom it once was. We no longer live in one building, so for a period of time – although we drew rooms during the snows of Minnesota winters – we actually moved in the early (hopefully still cool) days of summer. Our community work, specific offices, files and dedicated computers were in one house and the Sisters who used certain materials needed to be living in proximity to these items. Aging, physical limitations, and today’s building codes make our Girard House a more suitable place for some of us to call home.
LOVE IS IN THE FOOD!
After some honest sharing about personal needs, hard discussion and loving prayer, a decision was made not to exchange rooms this past New Years’. But how could we maintain in a visible way Francis’ wish that we be detached? It was suggested that we change cooking partners. We have teams of two Sisters working together on a weekly basis. This seemed viable.
We embark upon this new adventure the first week of March and are excited about the opportunity to share new recipes, learn some helpful cooking hints, and a new partner to hold the pan as you scoop. More importantly this new arrangement gives us the opportunity to just be together and love each other in new ways from working together on the everyday ordinary task of preparing meals. LOVE (‘the Bond of Perfection’) IS IN THE FOOD!
0 Comments