Mercedarian Formation

I'm still getting used to the habit and the extra work in involved...in few words: safety issues. Stay away from ceiling fans and paper shredders! I can't emphasize that enough! Use your imagination. I spent 3 hours yesterday cleaning, ironing and Scotchguarding my first habit. I'm hoping that time is greatly reduced since I've just begun the learning curve. Things I've learned...pick up the habit when you walk up stairs, before you kneel, and before you sit. "Boy, the floor sure is slick...no, that's the heel of my dirty shoe sliding around the floor on my scapular like a dustmop!" I turned my smooth running ceiling fan into a wobbly mad bomber fan trying to pull my habit over my head...now I suffer a room that sounds like a bunch of Kamakazzi's are dive bombing me in my sleep. A brother of the house said over breakfast he heard me in my sleep last night making a racket...I decided not to tell him about the fan...build the mystery...why not? Then there is the rush to mass in the morning as we dash in our car to the parish...dragging my habit stuck in the door...rainy days are the best...nothing like walking into mass with my scapular looking like the mudflap of a semi! Oh the lessons of the new guy, no wonder we have mercy as our charism....bleed it dry, novice! I'm still learning how to put the habit on fast and get the prayers done before prayers, mass and class. Expectations are to wear it at the above times, but I nearly wear it all the time just to stay in practice and not worry about changing. Surprisingly it isn't any hotter than normal clothes, except if you have many layers underneath. You can scoop up puzzle pieces, food, and playing cards too. A brother of the house who always has a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle (998 now..oops!) on a table for us to play noticed several missing pieces this week. My habit ate it; it can't help it. Eating spaghetti and meatballs goes to a whole new level when you wear all white at the table. I'm waiting till I pick up a meatball and it rolls out of my habit, finding myself speechless while people are watching. Pleading the 5th won't do me any good then, but maybe that's just a catastrophe of my imagination.

Take it slow the habit can be a dangerous, but grace-filled experience.

May Our Lady make her proud of wearing it for her and souls.