July 20, 2007

A Desert Picnic

It took me a few minutes to decide if the puppy was real, so docile it was in the arms of its little owner. It looked as if being carried like a baby doll was its preferred mode of transportation. In her pink sundress, with “baby” in tow, this feisty little girl had captured our attention. Perhaps the feeling was mutual because she didn’t have any inhibitions about joining our roadside picnic.

We quickly learned that Penelope was 5 years old and an “apprentice” to her mother and grandmother in their necklace making business. She had 2 older brothers, and usually cooked macaroni and cheese for her puppy, Clifford, when they were at home. But they weren’t at home now. They were working their roadside jewelry stand in the Arizona desert in the heat of the day. Both Penelope and Clifford were happy to share a cup of cold water and a sandwich with us.

“Do you know what we are?” Sister Mairead asked. It was hard to imagine that she would have run across any religious sisters in the course of her young life.

“Yes,” she immediately replied, “church girls.”

“That’s about right.” I said, unable to suppress a smile.

“I want to be a church girl too. And Clifford can be a church dog,” she generously offered.

“Well, we don’t have a church dog yet,” I noted.

It seemed we had struck a deal and we went on with our picnic. A well-prepared postulant produced a blue plastic Rosary from her pocket and offered it to Penelope who gleefully accepted it and then immediately lassoed Clifford with it. (He was sitting at the picnic table with us also!)

“No,” came the correction. “This is a Rosary, it’s holy and it’s for you.” Penelope reclaimed the Rosary from her puppy’s neck and put it around her own.

“I’ll make one for him,” she said.

Before we piled back in the van, we met Penelope’s mother who told us that just yesterday Penelope had seen a Rosary for the first time in the home of a Catholic relative. She so wanted the holy beads, but the aunt could not part with them.

It seemed evident to me that Our Lady orchestrated this encounter. No way was the desire of this little child slipping past Our Blessed Mother unheard. In this case it meant involving a vanload of Franciscan Sisters, who were 3000 miles from home at a desert rest stop, to pass on the message.

I suppose Our Lady would be happy to use us all – full-time – to be her messengers and companions in the work of proclaiming the Gospel. May we never miss an arranged encounter to share the love of our Heavenly Father.

Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, pray for us!

Sr. Clare Matthiass, CFR

Our Lady of Guadalupe Convent, Bronx, NY

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