Striking Gold in Ambrose

Striking Gold on a Vanishing Reading from Ambrose of Milan.
The ‘pale moon was rising’ on the 20th December when I took this snap of the Child Jesus head high over Mary in the Hew Lorimer sculpture of Our Lady of the Isles. The figure in the picture was the preliminary "maquet" made by the artist for the granite statue on South Uist.
In this model the Child Jesus places his left hand on top Mary’s head with great assurance, and looks out to the world with his right hand in the sign of blessing. One could accompany a video of the subject with the Great O Antiphons expressing the titles of the Saviour in the last seven days preparing for Christmas. O come, O come, Emmanuel, (John M Neal).
In that context the Reading at the Night Office was ringing bells for me this morning, 21st December. It so happens that this wonderful Reading does not appear in the more recent Edition of Word in Season. Not to worry, the same Reading is part of the ‘Breviary’ for today. (Note: ‘Word in Season’ 1981 Edition. New edition 2001).
During Advent we think of the two persons most directly involved in the history of our salvation: Saint John the Baptist and our Lady. Ambrose shows how God prepared each of them for their vocation, and then applies Elizabeth's words to each individual believer. The commentary from which this passage is taken is made up of homilies given between 377 and 389.

Saint Ambrose writes:

When announcing the mystery to the Virgin Mary, the angel helped her to believe by giving her a precedent. He told her of the motherhood of a woman who was old and barren, for this demonstrated God's power to do whatever he wills. At this news Mary set out for the hill country, not because she doubted the angel's word, felt uncertain of the message, or questioned the precedent, but because of her own eager desire.
She was anxious to be of service and joy impelled her to make haste. Filled with God, where could she hasten but to the heights? The Holy Spirit does not proceed by slow, laborious efforts. Quickly, too, the blessings of her coming and of the Lord's presence were revealed: As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting the child leapt in her womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Notice the choice of words and the meaning of each one. Elizabeth was the first to hear Mary's voice, but John was the first to be aware of grace. She heard with the ears of the body; he leapt for joy because of the mystery. She was aware of Mary's presence, he of the Lord's. The woman perceived the presence of a woman, the child that of a child. The women spoke of God's grace while the children gave effect to it within them, revealing to their mothers the mystery of love, and by a double miracle the mothers prophesied under the inspiration of their sons.
The child leapt in the womb; the mother was filled with the Holy Spirit. The mother was not filled before her son, but once he had been filled with the Holy Spirit, he filled his mother too. John leapt for joy and so did the spirit of Mary. When John leapt Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, but we do not learn that Mary was then filled with the Holy Spirit, only that her spirit rejoiced.
Her son, who is beyond our understanding, was active in his mother in a way beyond our understanding. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit after conceiving a son; Mary was filled before. You are blessed, said Elizabeth; because you have believed. You too are blessed because you have heard and believed.
The soul of every believer conceives and brings forth the Word of God and recognizes his works. Let Mary's soul be in each of you to glorify the Lord. Let her spirit be in each of you to rejoice in the Lord. Christ has only one mother in the flesh, but we all bring forth Christ by faith. Every soul free from the contamination of sin and inviolate in its purity can receive the Word of God. The soul that attains this goal glorifies the Lord just as Mary's soul did, while her spirit rejoiced in God her Saviour. The Lord is glorified, as we read also in another text, Glorify the Lord with me, not because the human voice can add anything to the Lord, but because the Lord grows and is glorified within us. Since Christ is the image of God, the soul that does what is right and holy makes brighter that image of God in whose likeness it was made, and in so doing is exalted by a certain participation in its grandeur.

From a commentary on Saint Luke's gospel by Saint Ambrose (Ub. 2, 19.22-23.26-27;CCL 14, 39-42)

Knights Templar

Knights Templar. Christmas Carol Service.
On Saturday 15th December the Knights mustered, with their families, to the Abbey Guesthouse Chapel for a Carol Service.
Expectations were heightened by some delay in the arrival of the good Knight who produced the Carol booklet. A large seven branch candelabra MINORA seemed an apt focal form of illumination in the Chapel. The organist had brought his own keyboard and set the atmosphere under the painted ceiling of the shields of the Holy Roman Empire. The singing ushered in a procession of the Knights in their Red & White regalia.
Without too much organizing the five carols gave the framework in which the members contributed Reading Intercessions etc.
There was a short Christmas meditation.
'A light that shines in the dark."
“ ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse ... " So begins "The Night before Christmas", the story of a visit by St Nicholas on Christmas Eve. The author, Clement C. Moore, wrote it for his children nearly two hundred years ago.
In Beverley Minster, in York England, there is a misericord that has an image of mice dancing while a cat plays a fiddle. Centuries ago people danced to carols and so perhaps this is what the mice are doing. They and the cat are full of joy and (unusually for cats and mice) they are friends. It brings to mind the prophecy of I~ that the "wolf will live with the lamb" for, through God's gift, humanity w redeemed and creation restored to its original innocence. This is aja great that it should make us dance. (from The Living Word).
The illustration is of the seal of the Grand Priory of South East Scotland and the Nunraw shield. Note the symbol of the Lamb bearing the Templar (Cistercian) flag, halved in black and white.

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Peace 'abounds even more'

Some thoughts on the coming Prince of Peace.
Fr Raymond

“Peace! Peace!” – but there is no peace!
The Christian proclamation about the coming of the Messiah says that: “The wolf will live with the lamb”; “The calf and the lion cub feed together”; “Justice and peace will flourish.” Are Christians so blind to the reality of things? Is our never ending chronicle of war and violence; of hunger and homelessness what we call the peace of the Messianic Age? We know the Bible is true in speaking of the peace and justice of the Messianic age. Yet we know the newspapers are also true in portraying the woes and afflictions of society. How can we reconcile these two “Truths”?

The answer perhaps is this: We are living in two different, coexistent, worlds at once. The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan. The Kingdom of Satan gets much more publicity, but the Kingdom of God is very much more alive and active. Great works of evil are taking place around us daily, but there are also great works of goodness, compassion and service, taking place around us. Consider the countless humanitarian organisations of all kinds focussing around the globe wherever there is misfortune or sickness or any kind of need.

Yes, evil abounds but the Scriptures assure us that: “Grace abounds even more.” There a great flood of love and peace at work in the minds and hearts of men. Let us not be deceived by the smog of evil. The Kingdom of God is truly among us.

Lilies for the Immaculate Conception 8^th December 2007.
Our thanks to the kind donor.

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St Lucy

St. Lucy, Nunraw, Lucia di Lammermoor.

The feast of St. Lucy. December 13, has something of a resonance at Nunraw which, in the guise of the RAVENSWOOD of Walter Scott’s novel, the Bride of Lammermoor, is also celebrated in Donizetti opera, Lucia di Lammermoor.
St. Lucy is one the most popular names for centuries.

We thank God for the gifts of light and of eyesight dramatized in every aspect of the story of the martyrdom of Lucy and the traditions associated with her name. She is the patron of all those who suffer eye ailments and blindness.

Drama, music, art and poetry have recounted the moving experience suffered not only by Lucy but by those denied eyesight at birth, impaired by disease or by violence. One can easily add the feminist aspect to Lucy’s death. The martyrdom she suffered for her faith had the hallmark of male domination in the vengeance of the thwarted suitor for her marriage.

The poet John Donne was still following the old calendar when he wrote, A Nocturnal upon Saint Lucy's Day. It is interesting to note that Donne wrote his will on St Lucy's Day (December 13th) 1630. His poem 'A Nocturnal upon S. Lucy's Day, being the shortest day' concerns his despair at the death of a loved one. Donne expresses a feeling of utter negation and hopelessness, saying that "I am every dead thing...re-begot of absence, darkness, death". In that melancholy state it seems he chose to write his will on the date he had described as "Both the year's, and the day's deep midnight."

On St Lucy’s Day it is interesting to recall the Fr. Michael Sherry’s account of the Walter Scott connection. Sir Walter Scott. “It has been said that Nunraw has a strong claim to be recognised as the "Ravenswood" of Sir Walter Scott's "Bride of Lammermoor." (Trans. E L. Antiq. Vol. 1, Part V). This tradition led Lily Pons, world-famous for her interpretation of the part in Donizetti's opera, "Lucia di Lammermoor," to visit the original "Ravenswood" in June, 1948. She was much surprised to find it occupied by monks. It is known that Sir Walter Scott stayed in Gifford, while doing some of his writing, and took long walks in the vicinity of Garvald. Certainly there are points in the description of "Ravenswood" castle as "in a gorge of a pass or mountain glen ascending from the fertile plains of East Lothian" (Chap. II) and his mention of the ancient proprietors as inter-married with the Douglasses and Hays, which support the claim. Further, Scott's reference to the rumour of Lucy Ashton's marriage as the most talked of matter "betwixt Lammer Law and Traprain" certainly shows that the locality was providing him with a backdrop to his story. In his introduction, Sir Walter admits that his story of the reluctant "Bride" is founded on several versions of the marriage on 24th August, 1669. of Janet Dalrymple, daughter of the first Lord Stair, to David Dunbar of Baldoon, near Wigtown, followed by the death of the unhappy girl three weeks later The historian will hasten to point out that all this took place in Galloway nearly a century before the Dalrymple family's short ownership of Nunraw”. (Nunraw Past and Present, 1950, see Nunraw Website).

Later study of the background is to be found in Wikipedia, “Synopsis -
The plot of Sir Walter Scott's original novel is based on an actual incident in the history of the Stair family. Events take place in the Lammermuirs area of Lowland Scotland, in 1669. It may be noted that while the libretto retains much of Scott's basic intrigue, it also contains very substantial changes in terms of characters and events.
The story concerns a feud between two families, the Ashtons and the Ravenswoods. When the opera begins, the Ashtons are in the ascendancy and have taken possession of Ravenswood Castle, the ancestral home of their rivals. Edgardo (Sir Edgar), Master of Ravenswood and last surviving member of his family, has been forced to live in a lonely tower by the sea, known as the Wolf's Crag. The Ashtons, despite their success, are threatened by changing political and religious forces. Enrico (Lord Henry Ashton) hopes to gain the protection of the important Arturo (Lord Arthur Bucklaw) to whom he intends to marry his sister Lucia (Lucy)".

Immaculate Conception 2007 Morning Chapter

Immaculate Conception 2007 Morning Chapter
Image of Mary - Donald Nicholl

Fr. Mark had an interesting introduction to his Sermon for the Feast today. His reference to Donald Nicholl brought back welcome memories of a remarkable character whose spiritual outlook impressed us so deeply.

Donald’s Holy Land experience gave him new insight into his understanding of Mary.

Fr. Mark wrote:
Many people have a completely unreal image of Mary. It’s as if she never got her hands dirty, never made mistakes, never experienced doubt or fear, never had to struggle against evil. Because of this we find it hard to see how she could serve as a model for us. Donald Nicholl who has been described as “one of the most influential of modern Christian thinkers” would have included himself in this category until something happened to him.

Donald Nicholl, as most of us at Nunraw will remember, used to come to visit the McNeil family at Nunraw Barns in the early years of the community. Later I was fortunate to have attended one of the Novice Directors’ Meetings in Hexham where he was the main speaker. He remembered his visits here and spoke kindly of Nunraw. Other activities show the direction of interests. In addition to his academic pursuits Donald Nicholl taught church history to the Poor Clares in Aptos, California and to novices in the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa's order, in London. More informally he conducted a class in the "Penny University" at the Caffe Pergolesi in Santa Cruz, reading through Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. Alongside his wife Dorothy Nicholl, he was active in the co-workers of Mother Teresa.

As a lecturer, Donald spent most of his life in universities. From 1981 to 1985 he was Rector of the Ecumenical Institute at Tantur, near Jerusalem. The experience of being in the Holy Land served as an eye-opener to him in many ways, but one in particular. It changed his image of Mary forever.

In his book, The Testing of Hearts, he tells us that prior to going to the Holy Land his image of Mary was derived from famous paintings, poetry and music. His saw her as some ‘dreamy, ethereal young lady, untouched by human toil’. But after meeting the peasant women of Galilee he formed a very different understanding of Mary. He wrote:

Knowing that here I am simply echoing the feelings expressed by Mary, the mother of Jesus, in her prophetic Magnificat, I am led to tell you that what my sojourn in this land has changed as much as anything else is my image of Mary. In previous years, that could hardly have been any other than what I have received through Piero della Francesca's paintings or Gerard Manley Hopkins' poems or Gounod's music - the image of some dreamy, ethereal young lady, untouched by everyday toil.

But since that time I have met the peasant women of Galilee. So now the image that comes spontaneously to my mind is of a woman with strong hands, sinewy through much work; and of a face whose skin is rough from exposure to the sun and the wind; of feet that are broad-spread through climbing the hills around Nazareth barefoot; but above all, of eyes that are steady and a mouth that is firm through enduring the sorrows of the refugee, the poor and the oppressed, (p.226).

1985 Eve of Departure from Tantur

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Immaculate Conception - an image

From a Friend.

Subject: The Immaculate Conception - an image

You know that I have written before of the special place in my life that is held by Our Lady.
In 1986, on Edith's way home from town, she passed a run down "antique" shop sign advertising merchandise in a cellar of a house near the bus station. Curiosity succeeding, she went down the stairs to the room which looked to be a store room. Navigating her way between the objects, she saw on the floor, upside down, beneath a bench, a curious oval frame with a bowed glass front, within which amongst the cobwebs she thought she could make out the figure of Our Lady. "It is reserved", was the cold answer (no doubt to give the owner chance to think of a price she could exact from a well-dressed lady). Edith called again, and again, and adding the persuasion of her wish to buy it as a gift for her husband, obtained it (for £25, which was a lot of money).
I very gingerly opened the frame and cleaned the statuette, brushed down the velvet backing, black-ink dyed the frame, and restored it. You can imagine my excitement as the inscription within the scroll around the base revealed, "Souvenir du Decembre 1854". The plaster statuette, measuring eight inches in height, is marked/signed "Mattei". I just want to share this with you on the Feast Day of The Immaculate Conception (photograph attached). The second photograph shows where it hangs in my room, in my prayer corner (the photograph also shows the Chalice of Nunraw wood that Br Patrick turned exquisitely for me).
This feast is truly Our Lady's Day.
Yours . . . William

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Feast of the Immaculate Conception BVM

Some thoughts on Mary's Immaculate Conception.
I hope she doesn't mind me comparing her to a fashion model.
But the beauty and attractiveness of Mary as a model is her littleness and closeness to us.
God bless,
Fr Raymond

GOD-Armani
Feast of the Immaculate Conception BVM
Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception is, one of her great privileges of grace. But these great privileges are not meant to separate her from us. They are as much ours as hers in that they are meant to inspire and entice us upwards and onwards to take hold of them, each of us in his own measure.

In this, God is like a great fashion designer, Armani, for instance, designing a beautiful wedding dress for a bride. And here we must remember that God calls each soul his Bride. And what young bride wouldn’t be drawn to a wedding dress designed by Armani? If only she could afford it!

Yes, Mary’s Immaculate Designer Wedding Dress is a priceless Armani indeed, fashioned in the heavenly Milan emporium. Whereas our garments of grace are of the heavenly Marks and Spencers variety, off the peg, as it were. But just like every good and successful designer God takes his original masterpiece of design and makes copies of it for the general market. They are not quite, of course, of such exquisite material or finish, but nevertheless they are the genuine God-Armani article and each one is cut to measure and, what is best, each one is priced at only what the wearer can afford.

In other words, when we consider Mary’s Immaculate soul we can be sure in faith that one day, if we are faithful, we too, no matter how sinful our past, can stand before God as a ravishing bride without spot or stain or wrinkle; utterly beautiful and pleasing and desirable to him who has called us all his brides.

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Mary, Star of Hope

Immaculate Conception 2007
What better reflection for 8th Dec than the Conclusion to the Encyclical of Benedict xvi - SPE SALVI - SAVED BY HOPE, - ON CHRISTIAN HOPE?

During the week I was told of a ‘born-again-Christian’, who had been a Catholic. He said he had no time for Mary, that Scripture had nothing on any special role for her.

The two extremes seem to be either that the is no basis in Scripture for Mary or, on the other hand, to regard Mary as some kind of totem figure. In between these two poles, Catholic teaching and the Fathers of the Church unfold the whole wealth of Mary’s special place in the Church.

In the conclusion to his new Encyclical Benedict XVI gives us a beautiful summary of the manifold references to Mary in the Bible, from Genesis, "Mother of the living", to the Annunciation, “Hail Mary full of grace”, to the Passion, “Behold your mother”. In line with the Fathers of the Church, Pope Benedict shows his deep grasp of the Bible and great love of the Scriptures. This passage on ‘Mary, Star of Hope’ is a moving example of that spirit.

SPE SALVI § 49-50

Mary, Star of Hope

49. With a hymn composed in the eighth or ninth century, thus for over a thousand years, the Church has greeted Mary, the Mother of God, as "Star of the Sea": Ave maris stella. Human life is a journey. Towards what destination? How do we find the way? Life is like a voyage on the sea of history, often dark and stormy, a voyage in which we watch for the stars that indicate the route. The true stars of our life are the people who have lived good lives. They are lights of hope. Certainly, Jesus Christ is the true light, the sun that has risen above all the shadows of history. But to reach him we also need lights close by-people who shine with his light and so guide us along our way. Who more than Mary could be a star of hope for us? With her "yes" she opened the door of our world to God himself; she became the living Ark of the Covenant, in whom God took flesh, became one of us, and pitched his tent among us (cf. Jn 1:14).

50. So we cry to her: Holy Mary, you belonged to the humble and great souls of Israel who, like Simeon, were "looking for the consolation of Israel" (Lk 2:25) and hoping, like Anna, "for the redemption of Jerusalem" (Lk 2:38). Your life was thoroughly imbued with the sacred scriptures of Israel which spoke of hope, of the promise made to Abraham and his descendants (cf. Lk 1:55). In this way we can appreciate the holy fear that overcame you when the angel of the Lord appeared to you and told you that you would give birth to the One who was the hope of Israel, the One awaited by the world. Through you, through your "yes", the hope of the ages became reality, entering this world and its history. You bowed low before the greatness of this task and gave your consent: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38). When you hastened with holy joy across the mountains of Judea to see your cousin Elizabeth, you became the image of the Church to come, which carries the hope of the world in her womb across the mountains of history. But alongside the joy which, with your Magnificat, you proclaimed in word and song for all the centuries to hear, you also knew the dark sayings of the prophets about the suffering of the servant of God in this world. Shining over his birth in the stable at Bethlehem, there were angels in splendour who brought the good news to the shepherds, but at the same time the lowliness of God in this world was all too palpable.

The old man Simeon spoke to you of the sword which would pierce your soul (cf. Lk 2:35), of the sign of contradiction that your Son would be in this world. Then, when Jesus began his public ministry, you had to step aside, so that a new family could grow, the family which it was his mission to establish and which would be made up of those who heard his word and kept it (cf. Lk 11:27f). Notwithstanding the great joy that marked the beginning of Jesus's ministry, in the synagogue of Nazareth you must already have experienced the truth of the saying about the "sign of contradiction" (cf. Lk 4:28ff). In this way you saw the growing power of hostility and rejection which built up around Jesus until the hour of the Cross, when you had to look upon the Saviour of the world, the heir of David, the Son of God dying like a failure, exposed to mockery, between criminals. Then you received the word of Jesus: "Woman, behold, your Son!" (Jn 19:26). From the Cross you received a new mission. From the Cross you became a mother in a new way: the mother of all those who believe in your Son Jesus and wish to follow him. The sword of sorrow pierced your heart. Did hope die? Did the world remain definitively without light, and life without purpose? At that moment, deep down, you probably listened again to the word spoken by the angel in answer to your fear at the time of the Annunciation: "Do not be afraid, Mary!" (Lk 1:30). How many times had the Lord, your Son, said the same thing to his disciples: do not be afraid! In your heart, you heard this word again during the night of Golgotha. Before the hour of his betrayal he had said to his disciples: "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33). "Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" (Jn 14:27). "Do not be afraid, Mary!" In that hour at Nazareth the angel had also said to you: "Of his kingdom there will be no end" (Lk 1:33). Could it have ended before it began? No, at the foot of the Cross, on the strength of Jesus's own word, you became the mother of believers. In this faith, which even in the darkness of Holy Saturday bore the certitude of hope, you made your way towards Easter morning. The joy of the Resurrection touched your heart and united you in a new way to the disciples, destined to become the family of Jesus through faith. In this way you were in the midst of the community of believers, who in the days following the Ascension prayed with one voice for the gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14) and then received that gift on the day of Pentecost. The "Kingdom" of Jesus was not as might have been imagined. It began in that hour, and of this "Kingdom" there will be no end. Thus you remain in the midst of the disciples as their Mother, as the Mother of hope. Holy Mary, Mother of God, our Mother, teach us to believe, to hope, to love with you. Show us the way to his Kingdom! Star of the Sea, shine upon us and guide us on our way!

30 November, the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle,
in the year 2007, the third of my Pontificate.
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

A short monastic story

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A short monastic story.

A certain young man of 20yrs entered a monastery and took the name of Br. Peaceful.
He lived in the monastery for 70yrs without ever quarrelling with anyone.
On his 90th birthday the Abbot gathered all the brothers together to congratulating him for living so peaceably among them for all these years. Suddenly an angel appeared among them with a great shining white Silver Medal and hung it around Br Peaceful's neck.
That night Br Peaceful died. R.I.P. Later, as all brothers were gathered round his grave for his burial, the same angel appeared with a bucket full of brilliant shining Gold Medals and gave one to each of the brothers in recognition of their heroic virtue in having manged to put up with Br Peaceful for all those ninety years!

If their is peace in our home we should tend to think of it as being due as much to the patience of others with us as to our patience with them!

God bless.
Raymond

ADVENT 2007-08

Abbot Raymond - Morning Chapter

ADVENT 2007-08

For the Gospel of the very first Sunday of Advent we might expect the Church to choose a passage that turns our minds directly to the proximity of her annual celebration of the birth of Christ. But we won’t find anything of that in today’s Gospel. Instead She chooses a Gospel that turns our minds to the consideration of the proximity of our personal death. The implication being made is surely that it is precisely, at the moment of our own personal death that we will first personally encounter the Christ face to face, and no matter how young we may be, that encounter is, for each of us, relatively proximate. “Stay awake!” says Jesus, “Stand ready! Because….” No matter who we may be or what the times and seasons for any one of us…”The Son of Man is coming at an hour we do not expect”.
Perhaps we could do well this Advent to make this theme the background to our preparation for Christmas. We could make it a preparation for; a looking forward to; that definitive moment of our own personal lives when we will come face to face with the living Christ; or rather, that definitive moment when He comes to us.
This will be the moment when we come face to face with Jesus:
not as the sacramental Jesus of the Eucharist,
nor as the liturgically new-born Jesus of the Christmas season,
nor as the Jesus whom we encounter in our prayer life;
but as the Risen and Living Christ of Glory. The Christ in all the splendour of his Godhead and of his glorified humanity.
This is surely the message of today’s Gospel: that our death will not be a lonely journey into the next world. Jesus himself has described it for us very differently. He describes it, not as a going out of ourselves from this world to him in the next, but rather as an advent, a coming of Himself to us in this world to take us by the hand and lead us into the next. “I am going away to prepare a place for you” he says “….and I will come back to take you to be with me where I am.” And in case we should think of this final personal advent with fear, Jesus himself is careful to take away any sense of awe and fear we might have. This he does by portraying it for us in that homely post-resurrection scene where he stands on the shore of eternity, as it were, and invites the Apostles to “come and have breakfast”.
Now is the time then to prepare ourselves to welcome this inevitable and utterly personal Advent of the Lord to us with a Faith and a Love that cry out “Come then, Lord Jesus, Come.”

Fire at the Farm.

Monday/Tuesday, November 26/27, 2007
Fire at the Farm.
After mid-night the large straw shed was burned down.
The alarm came from neighbours from higher overlooking the monastery and from neighbours on lower ground. The blaze could be seen from far. The Abbot, Prior and Br. Aidan, Farm Manager, were on the scene after 11.00.PM.
The livestock, machinery and steading were not damaged. Three fire engines came quickly but the fire was in full blaze before the first alarms.
There has been a spate of arson and vandalism in the area recently. Since the harvest the large shed has been full of straw bales for the winter feeding and bedding in the cattle courts.
Fortunately there was no wind. So although the heat was intense the main buildings were untouched, and the forestry adjoining was safe.
At first full light, about eight o’clock, I took the accompanying pictures.
By evening the fire was still blazing at ground level The fire tender and the crew were still keeping a watchful eye on the site.
It is very hard for Br. Aidan facing another hard winter.

Solemnity of the Kingship of Christ

Solemnity of the Kingship of Christ.
What makes for the Kingship of Christ?

It can't be his Divinity - The Father and the Spirit are divine, yet we dont speak of the Kingship of the Father or of the Spirit. The Kingship of Christ is base, not on his divinity but on his humanity.

What then makes a man a king?

A prime minister or a president, no matter how great his power, is not a king and doesnt even claim to be.

A Conqueror may proclaim himself as king, but all know that he is only a usurper.

The essence of a man's kingship is that he is "born to be king"; he is born of his own people; he is of their royal line; even in the cradle he is acknowledged as destined to be king.

So it is with Christ.

He was born into our human family as its King. It is by his incarnation, rather than by his divinity that he is our King. By his Divinity he is our God. But it is by his Humanity that he is our King.

And this is our joy!

God bless

Fr Raymond

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THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

Br. Celestine, Sermon for the Solemnity

(Br. Celestine is following the distance learning Theology Course in the Maryvale Institute. He is in charge of the monastery laundry, assists in cooking, and accompanies some of the Hours of the Office as Organist).

Origins:

“…I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like the son of man. …..On him was conferred rule and honour and kingship, and all people, nations and languages became his servants. His rule is an everlasting rule which will never pass away, And his kingship will never come to an end”(Dan 7:13-14).

Daniel’s great vision of Christ’s kingship, the Great Feast we celebrate this day, was long ago foretold by most of the prophets of old, confessed by the lord Himself when humiliated before Pontius Pilate, shown in the Epistles and communicated in the Book of Revelation. In the year 381, the Council of Constantinople promulgated as an article of Faith, the statement, “To his Kingdom there will be no end”. Finally at the end of the Jubilee year of 1925, the Feast was instituted by His holiness Pope Pius XI. This Period in the Church’s history was marked by “growing confrontations directed against the Magisterium which sought to threaten her very foundations”. The Pontiff affirmed in his encyclical letter, Quas Primas, Christ’s dominion is not only in man’s temporal matters but more so in his spiritual life. Theologically, the feast sheds light on the feast of Sacred heart, the feast of Ascension and the other feasts of our Lord pointing to the inter-connectedness of the mysteries of our Christian Faith. But it points chiefly, to the glorious return of Christ at the end of time. No wonder then that the Church, in 1970, shifted this Feast, which formerly preceded the feast of All Saints, to the Last Sunday of the Church’s Year – depicting its eschatological significance. Significance of the Feast But why attribute this title of kingship to Christ, many may ask? By his divine nature, Christ is Con-substantial with the Father. He has, as it were, dominion and power over all created things (Pius XI Quas Primas). , and so deserves this title, and more. But I am particularly moved by the other aspect of his kingship: Christ, as it were, saved the human race, not from the convenience of his dwelling in heaven, by wielding his glorious and mighty power, though he could have done this. He redeemed us by the humiliation, ignominy and most bitter death of crucifixion on the Cross. Not by the sceptre, but by the cross. He reigns, says Andrew Sails, not with clenched fists but with pierced hands – a king of love. Using the very words of the Preface to the feast, Jesus redeemed the human race by one perfect sacrifice of peace – to present the Father, an eternal and universal Kingdom: a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace. Christ, says Pius XI, reigns in the hearts of men, he is King of hearts by the reason of his “charity which exceeds all knowledge” and by his mercy and kindness which draw all men to him, for never was it known nor will it ever be that any man be loved so much and so universally as Jesus Christ. The Jews including the disciples expected, in Christ, the other kind of king. But the Lord must make it clear: “my kingdom”, He said, “is not of this world”. And when the two sons of Zebedee demanded the best possible places at his sides in heaven, what did he answer? “Would you be able to drink of the cup that I drink?” The question has a special dimension for those called to the contemplative, religious life. St Benedict would expect in one so called, to drink of this chalice with heart enlarged and with unspeakable sweetness of love, doing battle for the eternal King, through the weapons of sacred vows and the service of prayer, and thus establishing with Christ, his true kingdom on earth.

Conclusion

A recent Vatican Monthly Magazine compared the lives of two heroines: Princess Diana and Blessed Mother Theresa. They all did remarkable things no doubt. But may I ask, what kind of legacy would you like to leave to posterity? Before he died, the Great Zik of Africa made a remarkable statement. He regretted that he toiled all his life, to be a hero. Given another opportunity, he would rather strive for sainthood. Let us pray in a special way today, for all the ecclesiastical and political leaders, that they may model their leadership after the example of Christ. True greatness, I think, does not consist merely in becoming “Miss World”, or a Hitler or a Napoleon or even a Pope. It is to be found in deep practical loving service to neighbour, for the sake of Christ. The kind that would merit from the Eternal King and Judge: “Come you blessed of my Father, enter into my kingdom….For when I was hungry you gave me to eat; thirsty you gave me to drink, naked and you clothe me; sick, homeless, stranger, and in prison, and you ministered to me”(Mtt 25:34-35).

OUR SOLITARY BOAST

Abbot Raymond:
Evening Chapter on the Feast of the Presentation of Mary
OUR SOLITARY BOAST

There are many beautiful and meaningful titles given to our Blessed Lady by Catholic Tradition. One need only read the Litany of our Lady to be reminded of most of them: Ark of the Covenant, Gate of Heaven, Morning Star, and very many others. However there is another title of hers, one as beautiful and as meaningful as any of the others. But this one comes to us from a source outside of Catholic Tradition itself. This is the Title: ‘Our Tainted Nature’s Solitary Boast’. This so beautiful and so meaningful a title was coined for us by no less a literary figure than the great William Wordsworth, one of the greatest poets of our language.

And surely, in spite of its provenance from outside the Roman Catholic tradition, any good Catholic soul will rejoice in this title and feel privileged to acknowledge and value its insights. Mary is indeed our tainted nature’s solitary boast. She alone is the one who gave absolutely everything to God. She alone never refused him anything. She alone was utterly and completely conformed to his will in all things. Her love, her faith, her obedience, have never been equaled or surpassed by anyone else among us.
This is surely the basis of our Feast today. We offer her to God as the perfection, and utter fulfilment of all he wants us to be. We rejoice in her and even take pride in her. We feel that here is one of us who brings to our God nothing but satisfaction and joy. Here is one, our Sister, on whose account God cannot but be drawn to be gracious to the rest of her family – “They have no wine!” sums it up so perfectly.

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Presentation of Mary in the Temple

Presentation of Mary in the Temple

Mary's hidden life, e.g., her Presentation in the Temple, finds expression in ancient traditions. That which is known is found in the seventh chapter of the Apocryphal gospel of James, which has been dated by historians prior to the year 200 AD. In a similar vein of sacred narrative the visionary, Maria Valltorta, ‘Poem of the Man God’, portrays the very human feelings of Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne, and their sense of the centrality of Temple dedication in their religious outlook.

The evidence of Temple practice regarding the Boy Jesus’ conversing with the Rabbis, or the ancients Simeon and Anna joining in the general gathering, suggests the kind of communal sharing in which young girls had their role. Behind all the upright men and boys serving in the temple were the devoted women and girls of every age, whatever about the exclusive court for the women.

The story of the young Mary in relation to the temple is not confined to written narratives.

“Mary’s presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond”.

Artists and Poets have also found inspiration in the Presentation of Mary.

Our tainted nature's solitary boast, William Wordsworth

The Virgin

Mother! whose virgin bosom was uncrost
With the least shade of thought to sin allied;
Woman! above all women glorified,
Our tainted nature's solitary boast;
Purer than foam on central ocean tost;
Brighter than eastern skies at daybreak strewn
With fancied roses, than the unblemished moon
Before her wane begins on heaven's blue coast;
Thy Image falls to earth. Yet some, I ween,
Not unforgiven the suppliant knee might bend,
As to a visible Power, in which did blend
All that was mixed and reconciled in Thee
Of mother's love with maiden purity,
Of high with low, celestial with terrene!

There is no lack of documents on the tradition of Presentation of Our Lady in the Temple.
A MEDITATION by Fr. Paul Hafner, published in the monthly "Inside the Vatican" Nov 2007, reproduces the Discourse on the Feast of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos into the Holy of the Holies, by Gregory Palamas. (1296-1359).

St. Jerome
The earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos from Her infancy until She was taken up to Heaven is shrouded in deep mystery. Her life at the Jerusalem Temple was also a secret. "If anyone were to ask me," said St Jerome, "how the Most Holy Virgin spent the time of Her youth, I would answer that that is known to God Himself and the Archangel Gabriel, Her constant guardian."

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Abbot Raymond, Chapter Talk 20 Nov 07

They say that "Curiosity killed the Cat". Yes curiosity can be a very dangerous thing and can lead one into all sorts of dangers and difficulties. However, there is also a virtue of Curiosity; a curiosity about the things of God; a curiosity about our faith and the life of grace.

When Zacchaeous, the little tax collector climbed the tree to see Jesus we are told that it was because "he was anxious to see him". So, on the face of it, it was his curiosity that led to his conversion. At least it had a very great part to play in it. If he hadn’t climbed the tree Jesus would not have seen him and would not have called out to him. He was so small that he would have been lost behind the jostling crowds.

God, of course, knows so well this trait of curiosity in our nature and uses it for his own purposes. There are many strange sayings and events in the course of God's dealings with us as recorded in sacred Scripture. There are many things that just don’t seem to make sense or are so outlandish and puzzling that they catch our attention.

For example Jesus says that we must "Hate our Father and Mother for his name's sake".
He twice addresses his Mother as "Woman"
He says "You must eat my flesh and drink my blood"
There is the massacre of the innocents at his coming.
The Old Testament is full of strange stories that foreshadow the coming of Christ in the most puzzling of ways.

The human mind is fascinated by puzzles and takes great pleasure in unravelling them. God knows this well and so revelation is, in many ways, like a great crossword puzzle, full of clues and answers, all interconnected and all leading to one and the same person of Jesus.

Lets be curious then about God's word and what it means. There is great joy to be found in unravelling its clues.

Basic Spirituality

Abbot Raymond, Morning Chapter.

Sun, 18 Nov 2007

Basic Spirituality

St Paul says to us: "You know how you are supposed to imitate us: we weren't idle when we were with you. we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on anyone.......So we order and call on you to go on quietly working and earning the food you eat.

This is the most basic of all spiritualities. It is incumbent as much on the cloistered monk as on the busy housewife or the man in the office or on the factory floor.

In the history of Christian Spirituality there have been many "fashions" as it were: from the missionary zeal of the early Christians to the solitude and asceticism of the hermits of the desert. It is as though God is just too big and mankind just too small for each individual to show forth in his own little life what our debt to God is. Not only is each individual too small to express it all but even each age of humanities history is too small to express everything we owe to our God.

And so we have different accents, different emphases, of spirituality shown by each individual person or age of society. And this all adds up to the glory of God.

The Spirituality of the Contemplative, of those who are most intimate with God in prayer, may be the highest but it too must be firmly base on this basic spirituality of work and earning one's living. But really, who is to say that that this most basic and universal of spiritualities cannot reach to the highest heights of holiness? We need only think of Mary and Joseph living out their days in the simple village life of first century Palestine. And what about Jesus himself, he who came to be the Saviour of the world? Didn't he too live the first thirty years of his life in this very same simple style as Mary and Joseph. There must be a great lesson for all of us in this fact of those first simple, hidden, thirty years of Jesus life. It is a lesson that is so encouraging as well as inspiring for the very least of us.

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