Mid-Winter Quiet
For the past few weeks, as winter deepened, despite the absence of significant snow, a quiet calm settled down all around the abbey's woods and fields penetrating into the daily life of the brethren. A real contemplative time of year when, surrounded by such exterior quiet, one is helped to achieve a bit more interior calm than at busier times of the year. 'Tranquility' the ancient monastic authors called it. Daily life has been so tranquil, in fact, that it appeared there would nothing significant or interesting to mention in the Abbey News. Until. . .
. . .Bakery Thud!
Yesterday's bake got off to good start processing the order of white bread with no problem. But during change over to the whole wheat a loud bang was heard at the divider completely disabling it, bringing the rest of the day's rather large bake to a complete halt. A quick check of the machine's interior revealed one of the large cast iron arms that move the dough weighing chamber up and down broke completely in half. A major breakdown.
Just getting at the broken part was a major undertaking as most of the machine had to be disassembled to get to it. Once that was accomplished comes the job of welding the parts together, reassembling all the parts, and hoping that the cause of the break was eliminated. As of this morning the broken parts were welded and in place.
Divider operating normally weighing
maple cinnamon dough.
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Jerome & Randy assessing
divider damage. |
As this is being posted Randy is reassembling the divider and, if all goes well, should be finished by noon. At that point we will begin baking so that we can supply our distributor with the day's bread order and so comply with our contract. We old timers were reminded of the years long past when we operated a dairy farm and had to do chores 24/7 including all holy days. In that light an emergency Sunday afternoon bake seemed rather cushy.
Annual Visit
If you've checked our homilies page lately you'll notice an unfamiliar posting for this past Friday. That of our Fr. Eugene who is making his annual visit with us these days. Fr. Eugene is currently caring for his sick and aged mother and is able to make but a brief visit us with us each year. It is good having him with us once again and profiting from his helpfulness and cheerfulness. His homily is at Friday, January 20th. Hopefully Fr. John will return from Brazil in a few days and be with us for the celebration of the solemnity of our Three Cistercian Founders on the 26th.
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Lectio Notebook
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The essential thing is not to look away from Jesus, because, as long as he is there at the center of our souls reclining on the couch of our heart, we can be sure that we shall not greatly go astray from his way. Gazing is what saves, said Simone Weil in an inspired insight, very close in outlook to Teresa of Avila's definition of prayer: I look at him, and he looks at me.
We must not remove ourselves from Jesus' loving gaze or leave the radius of his watchfulness and influence over us or hide from his love and forgiveness out of foolish pride and an obstinate sense of independence. The moment Simon Peter looked from Jesus to the waves, he began to sink (cf. Mt. 14:30).
The Way of the Disciple
Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis
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