December 2014

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT This evening we light our final Advent Candle, a candle of fulfillment. The fullness of time has come. During this Advent Season, we have tried to respond in love to the divine spark in each person, each circumstance, all creation. We have trodden the Way, who is none other than the person of Jesus, this way that is the path of love. We have surrendered in…

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT The third Sunday of Advent - the Sunday of joy. Rejoice, we hear. Let yourself BE glad tidings. It has been said, joy is the echo of God's life in us. In these days of opening out to our God who fills every atom of creation with his presence, these days of quiet openness to an all- embracing God, may it be our joy to respond…

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT You might say that this week of Advent is a journey into knowing the way on which we walk. If we are on a journey, it is important to know where we wish to go and which path to take. Sunday's liturgy cries out in the first reading to prepare the way. Clear the obstacles, for the one who is coming is mightier than all and…

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Come. In days to come... O come, Emmanuel. We will hear this cry of the human heart for God many times throughout the liturgy in these days of Advent. Why still the cry if the actual physical coming of God into our world in the person of Jesus is already accomplished? Perhaps because, among other reasons, Jesus' coming was to forge a path to the secret…

Happy and blessed Thanksgiving to one and all! From our monastic family here we send out our warmest wishes for a day of family, friends and a celebration of all God's good gifts! We have just finished our Thanksgiving Feast provided by our dear friend and dentist Dr. Escobar. We hope all of you have had a wonderful day.Today also happens to be our Sister Clare's birthday and instead of…

We are back!! And just in time to wish you a very Happy Halloween. Our jack-o-lanterns have all been carved by Cathy and Hannah and were lit after Vigils so that we could enjoy them while it is dark. Our friend, Leroy, each year gives us pumpkins in honor of the day. We hope that it will be a joyous and safe day for all. Autumn has been inching closer…

The flowering pear  has gone by, but this is what it looks like in its glory. It has gone by because it began too early.  While the rest of the country was shivering and shoveling, we were already in our springtime flowers. Right now, as you saw last time, we are falling in love all over again with the iris.

Dear Friends, We wish you a happy new year. We thought you would like to see one of Sr Esther's masterpieces. Since her work has been featured on the website, she has received a number of commissions, and we love this one. it is--guess whom? of course, St Francis. Sister does not produce her artwork  in bulk. The person who is ordering is means something to her art, and she…

Well, please notice the new first slide of the home page. And we will try to dislodge St Francis as first on the journal--we are  afraid that as things stand, you will get confused since he seems not to move to give place to new contributions. Clear?      Please notice the bee on the iris. I think our iris do not bloom all at once, but we will keep…

Dear Friends, As usual, we are apologizing for the weather--I mean OUR weather. The forsythia has been fooling around with buds. NO good to warn it that it is ahead of time and watch out; you may get nipped. The little plum tree is flowering outside the refectory, and the flowering pear in the garth is sending its glorious white blossoms up and over the roof. It's WARM, folks. We…