5 Weekly Graces

Happy Monday all! I hope everyone's weekends were a ton of fun!

Today I'm starting a new thread of posts reflecting on the graces, big or small, I was blessed with during the week.

"Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day." -Alice Morse Earle

In undergrad I started keeping a journal inspired by this quote in efforts to document one good thing from each day and thought I could transition that onto the blog - but trim it down to 5 graces per week in efforts to make it more manageable (and interesting). I found reflecting on my day (typically using the Ignatian Examen) is a beautiful way to stay focused on the beauty of life when so often we tend to spend our energy fixating on the negative.

And so, here are my first 5 graces from last week:

1) A friend taught me how to make a latte at home without a fancy machine and I am super excited because a) it's really tasty and b) I am going to save so much money now that I'm not buying them!

2) During my Jerusalem class we share presentations about holy sites we will visit. This week one of the places discussed was The Church of the Visitation. For context, this is the place where Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth and share that she was pregnant with Jesus. Elizabeth was also pregnant at the time (with John the Baptist) and in the Gospels you read about how her baby jumped for joy when in Mary's presence. It is also the location where Mary proclaimed the beautiful Magnificat which is posted in multiple languages at the site! The Visitation is one of my absolute favorite feast days and I may or may not have been welling up with tears as my classmate presented some of the details to us.

3) On Saturday, 9 of my Jesuit classmates were ordained into the Permanent Diaconate at the Oakland Cathedral. Admittedly, I cry every year, but this year was especially moving because the men being ordained are in my specific MDiv cohort and I've gotten to know them most during these past years of study. The ceremony was absolutely stunning and you could literally see and feel the joy radiating on their faces during the entire mass. It was beautiful.

4) Because of the ordinations, my good friend Lukas flew in from Chicago to vest one of his Jesuit brothers. I did not know he was coming and it was such a great surprise! I had just been making a mental note to give him a call and instead was able to go on a lovely walk and have a great conversation. He gave me a rosary and his new mass card since I was unable to be at his ordination and first mass this summer and (obviously) I cried again. Lots of crying this weekend for me, but all the good kind.

5) This coming week is "reading week" which basically translates to fall break! I am so thankful for some time to catch-up on class readings as well as just relax and enjoy not having class. We already have lots of fun activities planned, so I know that next week's graces will be an easy list to come up with!

What moments are you grateful for this week?

Peace,
Sarah