lilies of the field

Homer Smith is a traveling handyman who stops at a yard to get water for his car. There he sees several women working on a fence, very awkwardly. The women, who speak very little English, introduce themselves as German nuns. He gets the water for the car but the mother, the leader of the nuns, persuades him to fix the roof. He stays over night, thinking that he will be paid in the morning and be on his way. Mother Maria is very stern and like things done her way. The nuns have basically no money and survive by living off the land, on vegetables, milk, and eggs. Smith agrees to stay another day to help with small jobs, having high hopes that he will be paid for his work. Mother Maria notice how good Smith was working and came to believe that he was sent by God to build them a chapel (or “shaple” as Mother Maria called it) for them to have mass. When Sunday comes, Mother Maria informs Smith that he will be driving them to Mass in his car. Smith was invited to attend the Mass, but because he is a Baptist. Smith came to realize that he was not going to get paid, but stays longer to clear...