The text message was simple: “Are you at your house?”
My answer: “Yes…why?”
“Never mind…just don’t leave.”
Consecrated bikers Mary Maher and Margarita Martinez.
Such an exchange might be exciting, frightening or joyful – depending on the person involved in the exchange. In this case, the person texting me was a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi, someone I enjoy working with, who lives in another city. Hmmm….I figured she must be in town and would drop by with one of her colleagues.
I work from my home, so it isn’t unprecedented for someone from the Movement to drop by – but it isn’t an everyday sort of thing.
A few minutes later the doorbell rang. I sauntered to the door and opened it, expecting to find a couple consecrated women in their typical Talbot-conservative business attire.
Instead, I discovered 14 consecrated women on bicycles waiting outside the front door. (Yes, consecrated women of Regnum Christi ride bicycles; yes, they wear skirts when they ride.)
I’m told the expression on my face was somewhere between shock and bewilderment. In the back of my mind were the words in the new mass about not being worthy to have you enter under my roof…but in they came.
Turns out they had ridden about 10 miles down the Illinois Prairie Path from a friend’s house, realized their turnaround point was near my house and decided to stop by. I didn’t have much to offer in the way of hospitality – a drink of water and some conversation. But that seemed to suffice.
After they started on their return trip, I felt like my home had been blessed. The Movement really is a family, a family of Legionaries, consecrated and plain old lay folks like me. I thank God for such wonderful sisters.
