Retreat Sunday 14 Oct 2007

Retreat Sunday 14 Oct 2007

On the second Sunday of the month we observe a Day of Retreat.
This includes Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the afternoon.

A quiet walk along the barley stubble beside the enclosure tree shelter belt and against the Lammermuir background conveys the completion of the harvest season.
Thanksgiving in the Liturgy and in the Sunday Mass Homilies focussed on the Leper who came back to give thanks.
With the Samaritan we celebrated the Eucharist in gratitude for all the gifts of God.
"Father, all powerful and living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord"

Abbot Raymond - Morning Chapter Talk

REMEMBERING

ST Paul tells us to “Remember the Good News” that he brought to us. This, ‘Remembering’ of the Good News is a very apt phrase to use to describe a good Christian Soul. It was used of Mary herself – “She kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."

But just what is this “Good News” that we are to remember? What is it that we are to ponder in our hearts? St Paul goes on to tell us it is “Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and sprung from the race of David”. It is all the mysteries of the birth and life, passion and death of our Saviour. These are things that should never be far from our minds and hearts. Otherwise we can be compared to the nine ungrateful lepers who never returned to give thanks. “Where are they – the other nine?” Jesus asked. Unless we keep these things regularly in our hearts we grow cold in our appreciation of them and in our gratitude for them.

The mysteries of the birth, life and death of Christ are to our souls like the air and the sunshine and the rain are to our bodies. Our soul lives and breathes in their atmosphere; It is warmed by their sunlight, it is nourished by the moisture of their rain.

For the monk it is principally by living the daily liturgical life of the Church through the Divine Office and the Mass that he is kept in constant touch with the mysteries of Christ. Their memory is always fresh to him. The lay-person is, in his own measure, kept in memory of these same mysteries by his Sunday Mass and by such devotions as the Rosary.

In such ways, the true Christian, whether priest, religious or lay, always has something of the joy of Christmas in his life; he always has something of the triumph of Easter; he always has something of sorrow and courage of Christ’s Passion to see him through life. Let us always then “Remember the Good News”. Let us always keep it and ponder it in our hearts like our Blessed Lady herself.