Journey of the Foundresses

Mass and Communion as usual this morning, Friday, from His Excellency.  It was quite cold and a little overcast, but we had hopes for a fine day.  Dom Celsus visited us again this morning and by this time it was perfectly clear but crisply cold.  We had been talking for some time when he suddenly pointed to the water—it was a perfect milky green, sea-green.  The only pure sea-green we would ever see, he told us.  It was a large patch in the ocean and we soon passed through it.  There were no scientists among us to explain it.

Everyone was in good health and spirits today, and the sick ones soon recovered their energy.  This was packing day too and it had to be done before tea.  It wouldn’t do to have everyone packing, so three or four tried to decide whether to do it according to the occupants of the cabins, since all their things were there, or according to the “kind and sort” of material, which was the way it was packed first.  I’m quite sure we ended up using both methods, and, of course, there seemed to be more “stuff” than we brought.  Sr. Carol “hastened” out with a stray shawl to stuff into an already stuffed kit-bag.  But it was gone—a gentle hint to hurry up a bit.

This took us up to tea time, and as soon as we had been welcomed and seated, the Archbishop took a simple little silver rosary out of his pocket and said, “Let us say the Rosary in Thanksgiving!”  This was greeted with delighted smiles, of course, and it was just another little incident to endear him to us.  The conference followed, “Confidence in God,” one of the most beautiful we had ever heard.  Some points follow:  He pictured confidence in God as resting on a tripod—that tripod being God Himself.  First, His infinite knowledge:  He knows we are weak, perhaps in trouble.  Second, His Infinite Power:  He is able to come to our assistance and has a remedy for every misery.  Third, His Infinite Love:  He will help us, for He longs to communicate Himself to all, especially those who acknowledge their weakness.  But we must cooperate with a strong Faith, and so we say “Credo.”  Then we humble ourselves firmly hoping in His help—“Adoro.”  And thirdly, He will work in us—He loves us.  Our cooperation here—“Amo.”

Today was our last day, and all of us would miss these little gatherings very much, the Archbishop included.  Of course, we were all in high good spirits tonight, for we were to land the next morning.  Imagine.  Tomorrow.  And in the morning.  And early at that.  And above all, we were close enough to “earth” to notice that the water is much smoother.  Everyone made dinner a rather state affair that night, which indeed it always is on board ship the last night.  The special was a turkey dinner!

Later, out on deck we met Brian with his father.  The latter told us that there was a picture of Our Lady at home that they introduced Brian to as “The Lovely Lady.”  He never failed to recognize it or anything resembling it, and ever since she was his Lovely Lady.  So, whenever he saw us, a perplexed look came over his face.  His father explained it—we were dressed much like his Lady, so he could not understand how she could be walking about on this ship, especially how there could be more than one!

We were quietly looking out onto the dark ocean, only a few yards of water visible from the ship’s lights, when someone pointed to a searchlight.  Instantly great excitement!  A searchlight meant a lighthouse.  And that meant that we were very near to civilization.  We gladly went to bed so as to become unconscious and bring the next day quicker.

To be continued...