Historical setting: 589 C.E. Annegray
Ana and Brother Servant are waiting outside the door here. Ana is sparkling as I tell her the Father will bless us.
“So we will officially be married by a father!”
“Not really, Ana. It is to be a blessing of our common bond of friendship – like the blessing he gives a whole community of chaste monks. There will be no mention of children.”
“Blessings for prayers and dreams are good too, aren’t they Laz?”
“Very good.” Thank you God.
The servant monk is called to meet with the father just now, so Ana and I can sort through all the hopes and promises that can be blessed.
We are invited back in to stand before the father with Brother Servant as witness.
Our promises are spoken in earth things, a garden and a well, a hearthstone and a table and the father blesses our belonging to one another in holy poverty and obedience. The holy chastity vow was graciously not spoken.
“Ana, I promise you a shelter with a roof and a window.”
“Ezra, whom I call Laz, I promise I will take the shutter from the window and open the door to sweep out the rain, and let the sunshine pour in anyway, even if we have an actual roof someday.”
We started back up the high climb with the next bird in the cage. And Ana stops.
“Laz, I think we made that blessing too easy for the father to dismiss our dream of having children one day. Let’s go back there, and ask for something more.”
“Don’t worry Ana, if we would have children one day, they will still be blessed by God. What we have is what was blessed.”
Let’s go back, and this time you say, “I promise to build us a stable with a hayloft, and a grain bin, and stalls for a donkey and donkey colts and cows and calves and hens and roosters and baby chicks! That manger we will have will be long to serve everything that comes to partake of our finest oats.”
“Very well, if it would please you.”
And so we go back, and Brother Servant and the father are yet meeting together, so I say it just as Ana told me to promise it. “…And I promise you the stable will be large and the pastures vast.”
The father looks with sorrow on Ana and simply says, “Go with God.”
(Continues Tuesday, June 21, 2022)
Lazarus Ink 