Abbey News
Sunday, November 4, 2007
'Snow Day'
No, it hasn't snowed here yet. It was the note on the bulletin board Tuesday announcing that, since the mixer wouldn't start, there wouldn't be any bake that day. That brought back those happy memories of school day radio announcements that schools were closed because of a snow storm. A whole day of unexpected freedom! We enjoyed the day off from baking as much as any student would from school, though we realized that we would have to make up for it the next day. No vacation from one's vocation!
What was our surprise when the next day brought yet another 'snow day'! The mixer still wasn't working so there would be no bake Wednesday either. More joy! Until, that is, the realization dawned on us that we might just have to bake Thursday, All Saints Day. And that is what happened. Our electricians managed to get the mixer working again and, since we had responsibilities towards our distributors, we simply had to bake Thursday feast day or not. And that was like making up those school snow days by having extra classes in June. No matter, really. We do what we have to do and try to do it willingly and joyfully.
The next day, All Souls Day, found the community blessing the graves of our twenty-five deceased brethren. It was a beautiful crisp, clear, cloudless day permitting us all to gather out in the cemetery for the blessing and to pray for our brothers who have gone ahead of us, hopefully to help prepare a place for us.
Coming and Going
Last Sunday night we received news that Fr. Stephen's 92 year old father died that evening. The next day Fr. Stephen departed for the family home in California to be with his family and celebrate the funeral. Needless to say we supported him with our prayer and prayed for his father's eternal joy. He is due back today. Later that day Fr. Gerard returned from Novo Mundo, our daughter house in Brazil and this morning in chapter gave us a lively account of his visit.
After dinner on All Saint's day Fr. Francis departed for a meeting of directors of Cistercian Lay Communities being held at Gethsemani. A couple of our Genesee Lay Contemplatives are driving him there and back again.
During these days we've been happy to have Fr. Galen Bank on retreat with us in the community. He is a member of a dynamic community of priests in Toronto, Canada known as the Companions of the Cross. Their's is a web site worth visiting.
Brother Elias of Happy Memory
"Just who was this monk" was the question Mike Rizk asked when he first heard about his second cousin, Br. Elias, a hermit here at Genesee several years ago. Intending to find out he paid us a visit and, somewhat surreptitiously, found his way to Br. Elias' hermitage up on the ridge. In an engaging article, Like a Cedar of Lebanon (Br. Elias was Lebanese) in the current edition (October 29, 2007) of America Magazine, Mike lovingly tells the story of meeting Br. Elias and the effect coming to know him over the years had in his life.
Br. Elias at work in the Abbey carpenter shop. Before moving out to the hermitage he was one of the cooks for the community.
After becoming a hermit he did wood working for the community working in solitude most of the time.
The article also appears on America's web site which is available to subscribers. But those who are not regular subscribers need not be Br. Elias deprived. The editors graciously make their on-line articles available to non-subscribers by simply registering at no cost. It is worth taking the trouble to register. You will find an introduction to the article and the link for registering at Like a Cedar of Lebanon.
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