Saint Training by Elizabeth Fixmer Read Free Book Online Page B

at me to watch where I was going. He’s not religious.
    Also when people tell me I’m pretty or smart or good at something, instead of smiling and saying “thank you,” I’ll lower my eyes and say “No, I’m not.”
    I tried to get The Interior Castle by St. Theresa but it was checked out. I’ll look for it at home, too. We have a million books.
    I was thinking about the unwed mothers you work with. Do you think that having a child is a punishment from God because they were bad? My friend Kelly’s mom said, “They made their bed, now they have to lie in it.” But my mom said, “A baby is never a punishment.” That confused me a little because Mom cried buckets when she found out she was having another baby. I was just wondering what you think.
    I think there are two kinds of Catholics—old-fashioned and modern-day. Sister Agnes is an example of the old-fashioned kind. (We call her Sister Agony behind her back.) When she reminds us that God is JUST, her eyes get hard. She thinks we should suffer for Jesus, and her mouth puckers like she just ate something sour when anyone mentions the changes because of Vatican II. She thinks the old ways of the Church are better.
    Sister Charlotte, my sixth grade teacher, is the modern-day kind. She thinks that God is love and she thinks God wants us to live lives of joy. She loves Vatican II because she thinks it’s time to make lots of changes in the Church. So I was wondering if the Good Shepherd Convent is more Sister Agony or Sister Charlotte.
    One other thing. I’m very worried that my mother may be losing her faith. She didn’t go to Mass Sunday, which I know is a mortal sin. I made her a huge Spiritual Bouquet promising to say seven rosaries, fifty Our Father’s, and seventy-five prayers to St. Francis. Is there something else I can do for her?
    I sure hope you’ll write back—but only if you want to.
    Very Sincerely,
    Mary Clare O’Brian
    P.S. Just a few more questions. How long do the babies stay at Good Shepherd before they get adopted? Do you get to pick the parents for the little babies? That would be exciting. Also, what happens to the girls after they have their babies?
    P.P.S. I forgot to tell you that I’m also practicing silence. So far I can make it through a whole class, unless it’s boring, and I can usually make it for an entire Mass. Outside of that I’ve gone twenty-two and a half minutes in complete silence. How about that? It’s a good start, I think.
    P.P.P.S. Does sign language count as silence? I was in The Miracle Worker about Helen Keller for the Community Theater and I’ve taught all my friends the finger language.

5
    S ister Agony raised her eyebrows in surprise when Mary Clare brought her the envelope. She motioned Mary Clare to have a seat while she counted the cash.
    Mary Clare could hardly believe that she was in front of Sister Agony with every penny of Gabriella’s bill. She wanted to giggle. She wanted to jump for joy, but she kept a perfectly straight face.
    After her friends left, Mary Clare had been too tired and sad about losing her angels to come up with any more ideas about making money, though she was still $1.25 short. But when she was laying out the kids’ clothes for the next day, she remembered that she needed to get the hot lunch money from her mother for the week. That was when it hit her: the lunch tickets were $1.25 per kid for one week of lunches. If she sacrificed her lunches for one week, she’d have exactly enough money to pay the bill.
    “I don’t think I’ve ever seen quite so many dimes and nickels,” Sister said. She frowned as she counted the change. When Sister was satisfied that the entire $12.50 was there, she pursed her lips. Mary Clare couldn’t tell if Sister’s furled forehead showed satisfaction or suspicion, but at the moment she didn’t muchcare. Gabriella’s First Communion bill was paid! Mary Clare had to bite the inside of her lip to keep a straight face when what she really