A Special Day for a Bride to Be!

    At 11 days out, I want to share a very special way my friends have helped me to prepare for the Sacrament of Marriage. Last Monday, Memorial day, Wendy, Shannon, and Kayla, surprised me with the most beautiful gift!

They met me at my house a little after 9:00AM to pick me up. I didn’t know where we were going, just was told to dress comfortable, that at some point we would attend daily Mass, and we’d be together all day. I was excited and of course kept trying to figure it all out....trusting in the unknown with Jesus is something I'm still working on....

Our adventure began near the River-walk in San Antonio. We parked just down the street from St. Mary’s church. The plan for the day was then revealed. Shannon said before she got married, Wendy had took her out for a day in San Antonio, and they visited churches and prayed for her upcoming wedding. She said it was one of the most meaningful things anyone had done for her and they wanted to do the same for me. They told me to take a vase with flowers they already had arranged and that I would leave it near a statue of Mary at each church we visited, and we would be praying a decade of the rosary at each of our stops. I was so touched and so excited for what all this day would mean! I really needed this!

This first stop at St. Mary's in downtown San Antonio was perfect. Little did they know that when I was in college, I spent a week of spring break doing a field lab. We had gone all over Texas visiting military bases and ranches learning about different Wildlife Management practices. We were fortunate to have 2 nights spent at a hotel just a short walk from the San Antonio River-walk so in the evenings I took advantage and explored. The first evening I had more time and was able to visit the Alamo and some of the nearby churches. I stumbled across St. Mary’s and found the most beautiful sanctuary and decided to stay a while and pray. There I found my absolute favorite statue of the Blessed Mother and a really neat little hidden statue of St. Therese. I very much felt at peace with God there as I prayed for clarity about my path in life. At the time I really was seriously considering that I could one day be a nun like St. Therese. I didn’t get the clarity I desired in that day, but still had a very fruitful time in prayer.  It was a most needed holy break in the trip.

So when our journey this past Monday began with St. Mary’s I was most excited. I took the flowers and placed them near my favorite statue of Mary and then we knelt together in the pews to pray the first decade. I thanked Jesus for Stephen and the clarity and peace I finally had about the great gift of a vocation God was giving me with Stephen.

Next we raced over to the Basilica of St. Therese of Lisieux for daily mass. The last time I had been here was many years ago with my friend Cherise who is now consecrated. We were given a tour by Fr. Gregory Ross who we had met at Texas A&M when he was a visiting vocation director for the Carmelite Friars. I brought another vase of flowers in and after mass was able to take them to the side altar where they keep a relic of St. Therese of Lisieux. To our surprise, a Carmelite, Br. Vladimir brought the relic up to the grail so that we could venerate it. I thanked St. Therese for her prayers for me and asked her to continue to pray for Stephen and I. I also gave Br. Vladimir my flowers and he placed them on the altar close to the relic. Br. Vladimir then came around to talk to us, curious what 4 young adult women were doing here and bringing flowers and all. We explained the day and he was glad and assured us of his prayers. He also gave us some suggestions of where else to visit including the Grotto at the Oblate School of Theology. Before we left I asked him if he knew Fr. Gregory Ross and he said oh that is our rector, he is here, but today is his day off or rest day. I was excited to hear this, had no idea he was back in Texas, so asked Br. Vladimir to tell him hi for me.

We used the bathrooms and checked out the paintings of St. Therese and St. Theresa of Avila that Br. Vladimir told us about downstairs. Then prayed our next decade of the rosary before leaving out a side door. As we were walking down the sidewalk I looked over into the yard area of the Carmelite house and saw a very familiar tall man on his way towards the garden. It was Fr. Gregory! I yelled for him and Wendy helped me grab his attention. I hurried over and could tell he recognized me and only had to remind him of my name and he remembered me right away saying it has been ages! as he gave me a hug. We were both very excited to see each other! We caught up for a few minutes before I had to continue on. I was so excited, I had thought about him and wondered about sending him a notice of my wedding. I kind of thought the only way I would ever see him again was if Jesus decided to cross our paths. Which He definitely did! I told the girls that this made my day, but was excited to see what else Jesus had in store.

We then decided to venture out to find this Grotto that Fr. Vladimir described to us. It took a bit, but we were glad to add this stop to the trip. The Grotto is absolutely beautiful, a replica of the grotto in Lourdes, France, and a peaceful outdoor sanctuary in the middle of the city. I went and lit a candle in the Grotto and we sat and prayed in thanksgiving for Br. Vladimir. We walked around and explored a bit, finding as well the Grotto for Our Lady of Guadalupe on top which was very incredible. We saw a gift shop too and found it up so decided to browse and take a restroom break. I was happy to find a nice simple wood crucifix in the shop. Stephen and I needed one to say our vows with and so I sent him pictures. He liked it too so I bought it and was happy to have found it during this special trip. 

We met up and started to head back to the car when I noticed a religious sister walking across the grounds. I sped up a bit going in her direction trying to get a better look. I recognized her habit, she was a Daughter of St. Paul and she looked familiar to me. Shannon said where are you going? I said I think I know that nun! She said of course you do! Well the sister kept walking and I was trying to remember her name and finally called out, Sr. Rebecca! She turned and we were both so happy to see each other! It was Sr. Rebecca Hoffart. I had met her when I was discerning with the Daughters of St. Paul. We got to know each other fairly well then and she had also been my spiritual director on a silent retreat I had done with them in Boston. It was a very special reunion! She said she was only in San Antonio for the day and happened to be here, in one of the buildings, and just happened to decide to take a walk outside when we were coming across the grounds. The Holy Spirit definitely brought us together! We were both so thankful. I was so happy and very glad to get to chat with her for a bit and share with her what we were doing. After a brief visit I went back to the car so thankful for this special surprise encounter! I told everyone, okay my day was made but now it is even better!

Next we needed to find lunch. We went to the Riverwalk and had some delicious food before continuing on our journey. Shannon and Wendy had planned for us to be at two churches, but unfortunately St. Joseph’s was locked up. So we took both of the next two vases down to the San Fernando Cathedral. This Cathedral was also a special place of prayer during my trip in college. It is also where I “met” Archbishop Gustavo during a mass following the San Antonio Vocation Awareness retreat. I was in a lot of frustration then on that retreat with the pace, the questions, and other things going on in life at the time. I was not at peace at all. The closing mass though was beautiful and when I brought up offeratory gifts with two other people, Bishop Gustavo told us that whatever God called us to do, to do it well and with love. It reminded me of St. Therese of Lisieux’s encounter with the Pope. Anyhow there we left the vases one at the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and one I moved closer to the tabernacle for Jesus. We prayed our 3^rd mystery before making the long trek back to the car.

On the way home we prayed our 4^th mystery. I was quiet on the way home, both tired and just reflecting on the beauty of the day. I knew we still had one more mystery left to pray and wondered what they had planned for it. They asked about Sacred Heart being open and I thought well this is very cool! They planned it so that we would end off in the church Stephen and I will soon be married in! I assumed it was already locked up though as we arrived after 6pm. To my surprise the doors were open! (Literally very surprised, my face said it all.) So we went in to the Cry Room which is where I will be getting ready that day. We prayed together the last mystery of our rosary and then Wendy and Shannon shared with me another special surprise. They had been praying the rosary on a little pearly white rosary that was blessed by St. Pope John Paul II and now they were giving it to me! I had one before, but had decided to share it with my friend I made at my 30 day silent retreat in Grand Coteau. I’m glad I had given it away, it made me happy to give it away, but have to admit I am very glad to have one again. They already arranged with my florist that she would put it in my bouquet too! I love it! Then they showed me some medals they had for me. St. Joseph, St. Therese, St. Benedict, St. Ann and a little blue enamel Miraculous Medal. These all will be in my bouquet too, but the blue Miraculous Medal I will wear as my “something blue.” If you look up the tradition of “something blue” you will see it is meant to “ward off evil.” Well I can’t imagine there is anything “blue” that could be better to ward off evil than the Blessed Mother herself! We then went and took the flowers to Mary before heading on home.

This day meant so much to me! It was a way to reflect on where I have been and where all Jesus has brought me to. In hindsight I can see now He was there and working all those times I didn't have clarity or felt stuck. It was a beautiful surprise reunion with some people who He had blessed me with to accompany me on my journey in the past.  It reminded me that we are never alone, God made us for communion and we're not meant to go our lives solo. God is always loving us through His goodness in others He places on our path. It reminded me just how loved I am by Jesus with all the special surprises throughout the trip! It was a much needed retreat, or pilgrimage to pray for my upcoming marriage. I am so thankful for the friends God has blessed me with to plan and carry this all out! I was so very touched by all of this. It was all perfect! Perfect day, perfect trip, great friends, and many wonderful surprises! 

If you are a bride or even a groom to be, preparing for your wedding, get you some friends to do this with! I 10/10 recommend that even more important than all of the other kinds of celebrating you do before you get married, you need to take a spiritual day for yourself to pray and prepare for this sacrament. Take a little pilgrimage and get some friends to join with you to pray with the Saints and our Blessed Mother to Jesus for all the graces you need to faithfully live out the gift of this sacred sacrament! The day I had was so meaningful and something I will cherish forever. I am so blessed by these three friends and so thankful to them and to Jesus for the perfect day!