Uncomfortable Territory

8/31/17 He found me! I had just returned to my room after attending Vigils at St. Vincent Archabbey in Western PA. Preparing to walk around the campus, I was surprised to hear a knock on the door followed by, “Anne?” There stood Brother Placid, ready to escort me to breakfast.

Brother Placid was such a gracious host. He shared a poignant story of why he chose to enter the monastery, then asked me questions about why I was visiting and traveling so far. After sharing part of my story he asked if I was on Facebook. Chuckling, I said, “No. My family has tried to get me to join for years, but I’m not interested.” Then he said, “Here’s why I think you ought to be on Facebook.” I felt myself shutting down a bit, wanting to half-listen, yet knowing that would be rude. So I listened to his reasoning. Brother Placid said, “There is so much bad news out there. Your story needs to be shared on Facebook so your good news may reach more people around the world.” His words resonated with me, and I remember thinking, “Wow! This kind, hospitable monk, who I just met today, may have convinced me to get on Facebook, even when my family couldn’t.”

The rest of my journey, and after returning home, I kept thinking about what Br. Placid told me. I delayed doing anything because it was difficult for me to know how to begin. There was so much to tell! I set a goal and our son helped with logistics in starting my blog. I later joined Facebook and posted my writings there, too. Writing my story has become my evening prayer, and I’ve written daily since November 2, 2017. https://breadforthejourney.blog/2017/11/03/life-revealed/

So, I’d like to give a huge shout out to Br. Placid (Sellers), who believes in the power of faith and shared story. He wasn’t content to merely listen, but challenged me to enter uncomfortable territory because he believed in me. Br. Placid inspired me to share my story with the world, even if I didn’t want to, because it’s not about me. It’s about God and faith and hope and love.