As I said, I feel completely comfortable in my habit and wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. But since I started wearing it, my shoulders have been extremely tense. When it occurred to me that it might be due to the weight of all my clothing resting on my shoulders, I wanted to find out just how heavy my new attire actually is. So, I weighed myself once with the underskirt, habit, and scapular, and once without. It turns out these three items weigh 1.5 kg. For comparison: a T-shirt and the grey dress we wear for working weigh only about 400 grams.
Thinking about it, this actually creates a beautiful image. When I go to prayer, I have more to carry than I’m used to. It can always remind me that I not only carry myself and my worries before God, but I stand before HIM on behalf of the whole world and pray for everyone.
A truly great task, but also an honor. And it is comforting to know that there are many others who share this burden — both inside and outside the monastery. In prayer, we are all connected to one another.
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