Inspired by reading the post by Elizabeth Scalia, Cheating the Habit of Being, I wished to share my personal experience in regard to wearing a religious habit, and will post vocation stories from some of my Sisters serving around the world as they become available.
Enjoy and God bless!
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A Moment in CrisisIn 2004, on a home-visit, driving south on the 101 at eleven o’clock at night… I was on the last leg of the six and a half hour drive back from Sacramento…I was kicking myself for not stopping earlier when I saw how deserted the gas station was and that there were no other shops or people around…I pumped the gas…With the turn of the key, the engine roared into life…There, in front of my car stood a young man in his early twenties. My first thought was to maybe put the car in reverse before I became a casualty! But then I saw it. Looking at the man’s face, even in the not-so-bright lights of the small gas station, I could see streaks on his cheeks where tears have flowed… continue reading
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Bus Stop FellowshipWaiting for the bus, I just pulled out my prayer book to pray, when a young woman came up and sat down at the other end of the bench. She seemed to be sizing me up, glancing over now and then, letting her gaze shift back and forth from me to the hands in her lap. She seemed nervous about something and just as I was getting ready to ask her if everything was okay, she suddenly got up from her spot and approached me.
“Ma’am, ” she started out saying, “are you a nun?” I looked up at her and said, “Yes I am.” She sat down next to me and began to tell me her story… continue reading
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Approaching the next intersection, there next to the traffic light, stood two high-school aged boys…as I came closer, I could see in his face that something wasn’t right…His broad forehead was furrowed; his eyes raw, as though he’d been up all night…“Hi ma’am,” he said, a tentativeness in his voice, “are you a woman of God?”
“Yes I am,” I responded, “is there something I can do for you?”
Looking down at his feet, he stammered, hardly audible, “I’m not sure what you can do, but I really could use your prayers.” continue reading
nunspeak 
[…] I encounter someone in need. It happens from time to time that I am stopped along my way by others because of my habit – the exterior sign of my consecration – and asked to talk with them, or pray with […]