Recapture

"Which one of you is Sister Janine?"
One of the ushers looked intently at our pew.
I raised my hand slightly.
"Father said to meet him right after Mass."

"Here you go Sister!"
Fr. Clair handed me a huge hot pink gift bag.
I gasped at the weight.
Chocolate upon chocolate stared back at me.

"Now, Sister you must remember to put them into individual bags and place them at the head of each of the sister's bed." I smiled at the gleeful satisfaction written all over his face.

The evening before, Father had asked us to share our Christmas memories.
Among the many stories, Sr. Jacinta Ngân had remembered that after midnight mass in the convent, each person would find a small bag of sweets at their pillow. The sound of rustling would fill the air and each would "savor how good the Lord is" (Psalm 34:9).

In this country of abundance, sweets are commonplace.
Savoring is sometimes forgotten.

"Remember Sister, at the head of the bed. So everyone can recapture the small joys."

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