Trouble With Angels

Looking back on my posts from this week, I am reminded of a favorite movie of mine, The Trouble With Angels, set in a fictional all-girls Roman Catholic boarding school, which is run by an order of nuns. The Mother Superior spends the movie at odds with Mary Clancy, a rebellious teenager, and her misery-loves-company friend Rachel Devery. The episodic storyline follows the young women through their high-school years.

There is a touching scene in which the Mother Superior tells Mary about her own past and when she heard the call to become a nun. This is one of my favorite momens in he film. (By the way, I have watched this probably over 100 times). It’s the end of the movie though that touches me the most. After it is announced, to Rachel’s horror, that Mary has decided to enter the order and become a nun, the following exchange takes place. -

Reverend Mother: “She’s made a difficult and courageous decision.

Rachel: “It wasn’t her decision.”

Reverend Mother: “Yes, it was. Rachel, look at me. It was her decision. You of all people should know how strong she is. She didn’t yield, Rachel, she chose. And I’d rather have one like Mary, who chooses, than 100 who yield. You know, she has so much to give. All our sisters do, but Mary will give with joy and laughter. And defiance, I imagine. In fact, I have a feeling that someday, many people … even those in the highest places … will know that Mary Clancy came our way. She has some scathingly brilliant ideas.”