The Santa Clara order has recorded this March, the rainiest in history according to data from the City Council of Madrid, an increase in the number of eggs that numerous people offer every day in exchange for prayers asking for good weather on special days.
Mother María Jesús de la Inmaculada, a Clarisse nun, told Europa Press that «of course» the continuous rains in the capital in recent weeks have not prevented couples about to marry from asking for a «radiant church exit.»
«Their family members have offered more than a dozen eggs,» the nun expressed in reference to the growing amount of this food that has been arriving at the convents this month in exchange for prayers «for a lasting marriage.»
The Mother specified that the focus of prayer requests can go beyond the weather depending on who makes them. For example, if it’s the bride or groom’s father, they don’t focus on the same details as the mother or, for example, the friends. «Even more different is when the marriage is only civil. And let’s not even mention the request made by same-gender couples,» she confessed.
«IT MADE THE COUPLES HAPPY»
Beyond the spirituality surrounding this action, the nun acknowledged that «not everyone has faith» but thinks that «they are moved by knowing that Santa Clara listens to them.» This is the case of Ana, a young woman who in recent days went to one of the convents to bring eggs because «it made the couples happy.»
«It was my first time doing it, but there is a tradition of bringing eggs to the Clarisses when a wedding is near, and especially after these weeks of rain so it doesn’t rain on that day,» she recounted.
The offering process is an experience in itself. Since the nuns live in seclusion, there can be no direct contact with them. Firstly, you must ring the bell to request entry to the convent, and once inside, the eggs are placed in a turntable that rotates and provides access to another space where the nuns collect them.
THE OFFERING BECOMES SOCIAL WORK
When the egg packages reach the Clarisses, they manage them to turn them into social work. They receive them from soup kitchens to needy families, including seminarians and doctors who the nuns receive «care» from. «Many people are delighted to receive them,» she reflected.
Another important part of the offerings is directed to the Church of San Antón in Fuencarral, where Father Ángel «receives them with a smile» and they are placed in a «large basket.» For Mother María Jesús, this is one of the «most rewarding» parts of the process.
The work of the Clarisses does not end with the arrival of good weather. They are aware that the «peak» month for offerings is May. In this month, not only weddings are celebrated, but also communions, and some even use this method for other purposes like exams.
«We also pray for all of Humanity and for all men; especially for families, as we are all aware of what happens to our loved ones,» the Mother recounted, emphasizing that their prayers go beyond whether someone delivers the eggs or not.
