The Sound of a Call
Sr. Martha Alken
"And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). Simple things like wind, water, or fire, signs of the Spirit, can transform our lives. Today, that “simple thing” might just be a phone call.
In January, I met Sister Pat Mulcahey, OP, our prioress, at a board meeting. She said, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you, I’ll call you, OK?” Two days later the ringing of the phone filled the entire house, and she asked if I were sitting down. Sr. Pat then proceeded to invite me to be the St. Clara Prioress at the Mound. I was “amazed and astonished” but also felt it was right. I talked with God in many languages and my family in two!
The first weekend in February, I made arrangements to come and talk in person with Srs. Pat, Mary Ann [Carroll], and Helen [Hurley] before giving the “Yes” that would transform my life, again. I left the Mound at noon on Sunday. I did not stay for dinner because there was a storm brewing. As I walked down the hill towards the car, the Angelus bells rang. I was “amazed and astonished!” You see, 20 years ago before the first Western Province Chapter of Elections, I awoke with a dream that included the sound of bells. I said, “Bells,” a symbol of call, a sign of rejoicing. That morning, after I was elected provincial, the prioress of the Benedictine Center where we were meeting said, “Let’s gather for Mass, and we’ll ring the bells in honor of the newly elected provincial.” We walked into chapel, and I heard the bells of my dreams. Twenty years later they sound again. Life is always transforming. We just notice it more acutely when signs and symbols become for us a God-language. When engaging in that kind of dialogue, we are impelled to live as if we are leaving. We can no longer afford to create to-do piles. Instead, we must attend to each detail and make a final decision about it. We look at what really is necessary and what we can do without. The day’s agenda always includes an item to be given away or a bag of things to be recycled. One cannot afford “storage,” stuff, or memorabilia. Precious memories are imbedded and internalized as external things are dispensed with.
Part of the transitioning was disconnecting my mother’s phone line. She died three years ago, but we kept the phone as if dialing those old family numbers was still a way of connecting with her. I cut that cord in February and grieved as if I’d unplugged a lifeline. Because of this new “call,” the phone cord that had connected our family for 44 years had to be severed, but this same action may also initiate new life. There is joy and pain in transition as in any birthing. In the end, we place our hope in the Spirit for new life and our faith in the Spirit to transition us into a fuller love and life with God.
Sister Martha Alken, OP (Rijkaard)
© Sinsinawa Dominicans 2008
