Abbey News

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Monks' Bread On-line Special
To help brighten the day of many a valentine our on-line bread store ran a special offer for Valentine's Day. So as not disappoint those of us non-valentines the special has been extended for the rest of February. The special is for two of our selections as follows:

Build a Box
$29.95/Regular $34.95

American Classic PB and J
$23.50/Regular $28.50

Along with Monks' Bread these boxes offer a large selection of Trappist Preserves and Monastery Creamed Honey plus a premium line of Organic Nut Butters. To take advantage of the sale go to Monks'Bread On-line Store and scroll down to Build a Box and/or American Classic PB and J. Sale prices are in red.

Here we see Br. Paul filling out on-line bread orders. The bakery is a great place to work on these cold wintry days except, perhaps, when someone forgets to light the oven as happened the other day. A suitable remedy has been put in place to forestall this from happening in the future. Hopefully!!

Coming and Going
During this week Fr. John Eudes has been at our mother house, Gethsemani, giving the brothers their annual retreat. We expect him back in a day or so. Abbot John Denburger will be heading out tomorrow for our sisters at Santa Rita in Arizona to make the visitation with their Father Immediate, Abbot David of Holy Trinity. He will return next Monday when we will begin our retreat. More about that later. Br. Gregory will be staying at Holy Spirit Abbey in Conyers for a few months for reasons of health which we are hoping and praying will improve.

There is a fasting from injurious acts, and there is a fasting from injurious thoughts, if we use the word in the sense the desert fathers gave it, i.e. the thought plus its emotional charge.

This fasting from thoughts may take the form of an interior vigilance over what thoughts we allow into our mind, rejecting thoughts of judgment, criticism, violence, and accepting those of understanding, patience, love.

It is in our power, usually, to fix our attention on the good qualities of a person or a situation, and not on the less good. Our thoughts will then be thoughts of peace and our acts will follow.

We can choose to counteract any movements of aggressivity towards others, by deliberately, in our minds, affirming the other who annoys us in what he is and can become in Christ. All this within our own heart. The acts will follow. This is a form of intimate self-denial, a fast that pleases God who is love. For all non-love flows from love of self.

The Spirit of Place: Carthusian Reflections
A Carthusian