ABBEY NEWS
Going and Coming
This week a few of the brethren have been called upon to go here and there. First off it was Fr. Jerome who attended the annual Religious Resource Meeting held in Anaheim, California this year from October 11th to the 14th. The theme of the conference was the celebration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy consisting, among many other meetings, of some 38 workshops.
A couple of days later Fr. John left for our sister community of Santa Rita in Santa Rita, Arizona to give them their annual eight day retreat. This will be the second retreat he will be giving them.
Yesterday Abbot Gerard left to join our brothers of Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Virginia to celebrate the abbatial blessing of their newly elected Abbot, Dom Joseph Wittstock. He is the sixth Abbot in the monastery in the Abbey’s nearly 66 years of existence. Abbot Gerard is due back later today.
Brothers at work in the new specialty bakery
Is it true. . .?
. . .Yes, it is true. Rumor has it along with a front page article in yesterday’s Rochester Democrat and Chronicle that our specialty bakery is coming back to life. Some time ago we were able to bake a variety of cakes, cookies, etc. but due to the passing away of our master baker, Br. Theodore, and the loss of an employee who succeeded him we had to discontinue the large scale baking.
Feeling the need to provide some lighter, productive work for some of the older members of the community that would contribute to the support of the community a new line of biscotti and fruit and nut bars was being developed and are now available in our bread store and our refurbished on-line store along with other monastic products.
Check out our on-line store at Shop Monks Bread and be sure not to miss the interesting and informative article at Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. (NOTE: It is necessary to answer a one time survey before article opens.)
Meanwhile, outside the novitiate window the autumn leaves are falling. . .
LECTIO NOTEBOOK
Jesus not only prays that we may participate in his joy but that they may have my joy made complete in themselves (John 17:13). This clearly implies that there are degrees of participation in his joy and that it is only through patience and perseverance that the fullness of his joy can be ours.
Contrary to the morose and pessimistic predictions of our secular culture, this joy can increase even as we grow older. It is worth citing again the comforting words of St. Paul: So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16).
The renewal of our inner nature is the victory of joy and hope over anxiety and despair. It is consoling to know that this is one of the primary elements in the prayer of Jesus. The only thing that can prevent us from feeling the effect of this powerful prayer is our lack of trust.
A Mystical Portrait of Jesus
Demetrius R. Dumm, OSB
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