Was so blessed to arrive at Holy Cross Abbey about 1:22 pm on Monday, March 15, 2016, and went right to the monastery chapel, so full of joy to be in the holy silence and beauty of the farm and grounds that I have been blessed to visit for nearly twent years. Just the release of leaving behind the city and the traffic, climbing over several of the Blue Ridge spines and curving down toward the Shenandoah Bridge . . . Then the hairpin turn toward the river. Full and steadily surging . . . Winding around past farmhouses and small manor houses, the road lined on one sir with woods, the other side with fields, some dotted with black angus cattle . .
Thanking the Lord for the gift of the time and the pace . . . In the
cloudy darkness of the chapel waiting for a afternoon prayers. . . 2 pm
. . . The bells . . . The opening cry of. "O Lord make haste to help me
. . . "
Then to the bookstore . . . Br Christopher . . . a short and pleasant chat . . . A new icon and some stationery . . . then driving up to the Retreat House, signing in . . . bringing my stuff down to my room . . . Feeling safe and welcomed and at peace . . . And in the last few minutes before I had turned toward the Abbey after crossing the river, I heard the Lord say very distinctly, "I have some wonderful surprises for you!"
He is so good and so wonderful!
Then I walked back down to prayer at 5:30pm with two sweet friends . . . Then after a lovely supper was blessed to attend Compline at 7:30pm.
I so love to hear Psalm 91 chanted . . .
At dinner Br Vincent read to us about the symbolism of cathedral buildings and their spiritual significance in stone and concrete. A lovely dinner prepare by Lydia . . . Wonderful tomato based soup . . . A salad . . . Some turkey and ham lunch meat, tomatoes, dill pickles . . . Cookies, apples . . . Oranges. . . Fruit cake and flavored honey made by the monks . . . Tea . . . Herbal or not, hot chocolate . . . Coffee. . . . Such abundant hospitality. . . And the Retreat House tabby cat under a car in the driveway.
Then the first minute I sat down near the window my sweet friend Sara called me from The Secret Garden in Ouray, CO. What joy!
And just finished talking to Krista, Seth and Jude, who are getting ready for bed.
Jude said, "Grandma, your kid is tickling me!"
Sweet, sweet dreams, Beloved. As ever, angels guard your rest.
Then to the bookstore . . . Br Christopher . . . a short and pleasant chat . . . A new icon and some stationery . . . then driving up to the Retreat House, signing in . . . bringing my stuff down to my room . . . Feeling safe and welcomed and at peace . . . And in the last few minutes before I had turned toward the Abbey after crossing the river, I heard the Lord say very distinctly, "I have some wonderful surprises for you!"
He is so good and so wonderful!
Then I walked back down to prayer at 5:30pm with two sweet friends . . . Then after a lovely supper was blessed to attend Compline at 7:30pm.
I so love to hear Psalm 91 chanted . . .
At dinner Br Vincent read to us about the symbolism of cathedral buildings and their spiritual significance in stone and concrete. A lovely dinner prepare by Lydia . . . Wonderful tomato based soup . . . A salad . . . Some turkey and ham lunch meat, tomatoes, dill pickles . . . Cookies, apples . . . Oranges. . . Fruit cake and flavored honey made by the monks . . . Tea . . . Herbal or not, hot chocolate . . . Coffee. . . . Such abundant hospitality. . . And the Retreat House tabby cat under a car in the driveway.
Then the first minute I sat down near the window my sweet friend Sara called me from The Secret Garden in Ouray, CO. What joy!
And just finished talking to Krista, Seth and Jude, who are getting ready for bed.
Jude said, "Grandma, your kid is tickling me!"
Sweet, sweet dreams, Beloved. As ever, angels guard your rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.