Antonio woke to the sound of torrential rains. The Chinese territory which had been Arizona was only one of five states where it now rained. All the others experienced precipitation in the form of snow. This rain was like a monsoon, but cold. The nuns were in the chapel saying Nocturns which Antonio preferred to say in his mental breviary. The nuns sang their own creations for melodies and the sound of the young voices could be heard upstairs. Antonio would join them for Lauds and then Mass immediately after. Breakfast followed.
The nuns kept the old Monastic Diurnal which was not Antonio's memorized breviary. But, Antonio loved hearing the Latin chant, albeit sung with Gregorian Chant variations a la this Benedictine order.
The sound of the rain on the roof grew louder. Winds beat against the windows. Antonio wondered whether this was "natural" storm or one brought on by the long winter coming from The Wilderness. Before he had a chance to think more about the climate, Antonio heard a soft knock at the door. It was one of the novices. "Mother has fallen and she may be seriously hurt. Please, Father, come down and help."
Antonio grabbed his black bag and rushed downstairs. The Mother had fallen down the stairs to the kitchen. She was in terrible pain and could not move her legs. She could speak. Her wimple was slightly askew. her
"Father, it is my back. I think I have broken it." She winced in pain. "Are there any doctors close by?" Antonio addressed the Novice Mistress. "Yes, just beyond the end of the road, about a mile away. Should I go?"
"Yes, and be careful in this weather." The Novice Mistress left throwing a raincoat and grabbing an umbrella from the communal rack.
Antonio told the nuns not to move Mother but to cover her with blanket to keep warm. Then, he told all but one to go into the chapel and say the rosary for Mother General, who was passing in and out of consciousness.
The minutes grew to an hour and the young nun had not returned. Antonio was not sure whether he should go after her or send another nun to meet her. The rain almost hid the road. Perhaps there was flooding.
Antonio decided to go himself. "Stay here, I need to find Mother Ebba."
He threw on a raincoat from the same rack, grabbed an umbrella and was about to rush out the door when Carl's car appeared in front of the house. Mother Ebba was with him and another man.
They came in and the doctor knelt my Mother General. He quickly determined her back was broken. "Can two of you bring a mattress down? We shall move her into her room but carry her on the mattress."
This was done. The doctor had no pain killers. He could see that the nun was in terrible pain. "She must not be moved. I cannot take her to the hospital as it is in the hands of the Chinese. I shall do what I can."
Carl stayed by the door, waiting. He kept staring at Antonio, who could feel the man's eyes on his back.
The doctor came downstairs and spoke briefly to Antonio. "Father, I am not a Catholic, but if there are prayers for the dying, I suggest you say those. And, pray for a miracle."
As he was leaving, the doctor promised to come back tomorrow with some drugs. He did not have those now. And, if there were flash floods, he would not be able to come.
Antonio went up stairs with his black bag. He approached Mother's small single bed in her plain, convent-like room. "Mother, do you want the Last Rites, just in case?" Mother looked up and smiled. "Yes. I deserve this, don't I?"
"God does not punish like this, Mother." Antonio gave Mother the Last Rites and she passed out again. He left the room when two nuns came in and sat beside Mother.
The rain continued to drench the desert area. And, flooding occurred just outside the house, with water coming up to the top step of the long wooden porch.
The Novice Mistress was second in command and took over the running of the monastery. The calm practice of the discipline of the day focused the women on God and the Rule.
Antonio had planned to visit a few families of couples and some elderly people, but the rain and flooding prevented him from these ministries. He decided to take turns watching Mother so that the two nuns could follow their normal day.
The day passed into night and the two nuns took over again for Antonio. But, in the middle of the night, someone knocked at his door. It was the Novice Mistress. "Father, you must come, now."
Antonio, shocked that Mother General was not making it through the night, brought his bag and walked quickly down the hallway to Mother General's room. But, what he saw was not what he expected. As he approached the room, he saw that all the nuns were crowded at the door of Mother General's room. They let him pass. What he saw was unbelievable. Mother General was standing at the end of the bed. Her face glowed with happiness and a deep peace descended on the nuns and Antonio. Mother General held out her hand to Antonio. "Look, look. I am healed. I am whole and it was The Lord. Praise His Mercy and His Goodness."
Antonio and all the nuns knelt down. The rains subsided. The wind vanished. Then, as if by an inner command, they all began to sing the Gregorian Chant Te Deum. Mother General, who looked years younger than before the accident, knelt of the floor with them.
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.
Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem,
non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo,
aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.
Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni:
quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari
To be continued....
