Advent in the Monastery

December 10th, 2008

     Happy Advent to all of you! Advent is always an adventure for our new members who are used to Christmas decorations going up shortly after Thanksgiving Day (or even before!). Here in the monastery we are grateful that we are protected from the immense commercialism of this time of the year. Instead, we try to spend more time in prayer and Scripture reading, thinking of our Lady and how she prepared for the Light of the World about to be born.

     Speaking of our new members, please continue to keep our two postulants in your prayers. They are responding generously to the intense formation program they entered last July. Recently they shared their vocation stories with the members of the Owensboro Serra Club who had their November meeting here at the monastery.

     Currently, they are joyfully anticipating Christmas Eve Midnight Mass where they will help to welcome the Divine Infant by offering him their musical talent through their arrangements of organ and violin. If you live nearby we invite you to join us on that Holy Night as we worship and give thanks to the Eternal Father for the gift of Christ his Son. The Carols begin at 11:30 p.m.

The long twilight of November and December mornings, when it almost seems to us as if the day will never come, harmonizes closely with the soul’s longing for its Savior. The long delayed sunrise, followed at length by a new day, is a symbol of Advent, which, imitating the gloomy darkness of the years before Christ, is the beginning of the Church year. Accordingly, expectation, awakening, and fresh life are the characteristics of Advent. We cry with St. Paul: ‘Night is fading, day breaking’; let us awaken to strong and devout life, and hasten to Christ.

- Bishop Ottokar Prohaszka

 

Submit to StumbleUponShare via email

7 comments on “Advent in the Monastery”

  1. Patience on said:

    I love this blog and I do continue to think of your two postulants and keep them in my prayers.

    Thanks Patience for the affirmation. We’re so grateful for your prayers for the postulants (and for the rest of us Sisters!) :)
    Happy & Holy Advent Season!

    Reply ↓
  2. John on said:

    Monasteries are places of spiritual power — this blog is a good example of why monasteries serve to light a darkened world.

    Reply ↓
  3. Donna on said:

    Thank you for sharing your words of inspiration. In our busy world it is a short retreat for me to view your blog and feel refreshed. God bless you all with special prayers for Shannon and Sharon as they seek to give themselves fully to their new life.

    Donna, what a delight to hear our blog gives you a bit of retreat during the day! Thanks be to God.

    Reply ↓
  4. Charlotte on said:

    Happy Advent, beautiful ladies!

    Reply ↓
  5. Lisa Graas on said:

    Advent is extra special for me since I was baptized as an adult on Christmas Eve, 1992. I received Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist and (automatically) Holy Matrimony all on one day. I had to wait extra long because we had a change of priests during my instruction and months had passed before we got the new priest. My Advent was a VERY LONG period for me then! But Christmas is all the more special for me as I am reminded of that experience.

    It can be difficult for families to avoid the commercialism which is another reason I am glad my kids are in a small Catholic school (about 28 students) and get to attend mass twice a week and have daily prayers. It truly makes it easier for me to teach them about this holy season. I am hopeful that with the tough economic times, more families will focus on the true meaning of the season.

    Being the only Catholic in my family, I am the only one among all my parents’ children who knows about the Immaculate Conception and the Incarmation and the depth of teaching in this entire season. There are so many wonderful things to ponder and rejoice in at this time of year for mankind as a whole. I pray that more people will come to understand the fullness of the truth this holy season.

    The postulants and all the Passionists remain in our prayers.

    Reply ↓
  6. Lene Jacinta on said:

    The camera flash hit Sr. Sharon’s cross in such a way that it made me think of Christ, Light of the World!

    Reply ↓
  7. Mina on said:

    It is wonderful to see these postulants so glowing as they learn to “dwell in the house of the Lord, all my days.” Prayers for their continued growth and contentment and for their perseverance.

    Mina, Thank you so much for your prayers for them! The time of postulancy is still very much a time of discerning if this life is the “right fit”; therefore, we all need light to see how the hand of God is moving.

    Pax Christi
    Sponsa Christi

    Reply ↓

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

HTML tags are not allowed.