Holy Cross day, our feast of title

The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is our feast of title. We celebrate it as a first class feast. All the Brothers, Associates, guests and friends of Holy Cross are in our prayers.

Holy Cross Day. From top left, clockwise: an antique pear wood corpus; a portrait of our Father Founder, James Otis Sargent Huntington, OHC; as modern stylized cross; flower arrangements by Br. Robert James throughout our church (5 pictures); the glorious gold, burnt orange and white bouquet at the ambo, with the icon cross in the background.

Br. Robert Leo is on the first leg of his sabbatical in England. He is enjoying Salisbury, London, Oxford and is on his way to Wales. This week, Br Josép has been visiting his mom in Florida and has moved on to Vermont to be at the wedding of a friend. Bros. Randy and Scott attended the first of four weeklong residential programs to explore Jungian spiritual direction.

From Robert Leo's sabbatical. From left to right: Tower of Parliament, London; Salisbury Cathedral; the dining hall at Keble College, Oxford.

This past week, Christine Hale led an icon-writing retreat at the guesthouse. We take advantage of the waning days of summer by being outside as often as possible. This week we spotted an unusual vessel on the Hudson. Ariadne is an undersea cable-laying ship. We hadn't seen one of those on the Hudson yet. There are only a about 60 such ships in the world.

Monastery people. From top left, clockwise: volunteers Felix Hosmer and Elisabeth Sheehey work in the library; Br. Aidan installed a suet dispenser for the birds in the cemetery magnolia; the men in formation returning from a successful weeding and brush-whacking expedition under the supervision of Br. Jacob; Ariadne's cable-laying crane; Ariadne's massive cable spool in the middle of the ship; Ariadne's helicopter pad at the prow of the ship.

Br. Jacob's care of our vegetable garden continues to produce goodies. Those heirloom tomatoes remind you of what a tomato should taste like. And chef Bob is going to make pickles with the bonanza of cucumbers.

Flowers, flowers everywhere. From top left, clockwise: Impatiens flowers at the bottom of the Little Cloister bird bath; a prodigal clematis competing for the vegetable garden fence with a summer squash plant; garden flower arrangements by Br. Robert James in the church; a flower bed at the corner of the guesthouse.

May you enjoy God's bounty in creation wherever you are.

Excursions and gigantic tomatoes

Our guesthouse reopened this past Tuesday. We are glad to welcome visitors again after a month without them. It's just like our Monday sabbath; the discontinuity makes us that much more hospitable.

During the guesthouse closure in August, we had a simplified liturgical schedule to allow day trips for those so interested. We sang matins and vespers. But after daily Eucharist and daily chapter meeting, we were free to roam for the day.

From top left, clockwise: Br. Jacob tending the vegetable garden: Bros. Josép and Randy at Innisfree Garden in Millbrook, NY; Br. Josép visiting Br. Josép who was pet-sitting in Cottekill, NY: Brothers and intern Jeremy at a  Hudson Valley Renegades baseball game, in Wappinger Falls, NY; the formation team sprucing up the St Mary's House garden on Route 9W at the top of our driveway; our intern Jeremy Cannon typing on his hebrew typwriter in the Little Cloister.

Br. Jacob with the help of Mother Nature has produced lots of delicious and nutritious veggies and fruits. One favorite is the daily supply of ginormous and tasty tomatoes that go by exotic or funny names like "mortgage lifter" (?).

Excursions. From top left, clockwise: Br. Aidan with a lotus flower; Bros. Aidan and Bernard with the Companions of Mary the Apostes (Srs. E and Shane); Bros. Aidan and Josép sporting their straw hats; Bros. Josép and Randy lost in the greenery (all four photos at Innisfree garden); Bros. Bernard, Aidan, Randy and Jacob at the Tuthilltown Distillery in Gardiner, NY (three pictures).

Several of us have taken the August opportunity to go on staycations, vacations, retreats of family visits as they have a lesser impact on the community life during that month.

More people and places. From top left, clockwise: Br. David Bryan is never idle (here gardening); Br. Bernard at a party with friends from high school and college in Belgium; benches in the guesthouse gardens; Br. Jacob working his magic among the tomato plants; the results in the atrium kitchen for everyone to feast on; a blue heron perching on a clump of (invasive) water chestnuts on the Hudson river, in Port Ewen, NY.

We're eager to see you visit us for your retreat soon.

Monastery scenes. From top left, clockwise: the bell towere and guesthouse before sunrise; flowers gracig the icon of St Benedict in the church; oakleaf hydrangea and allium arrangement by Br. Robert James; burning votive and incense in monk's cell; the Peace pole in the gueshtouse garden; a moonset above the Old Oak in the Little Cloister.

And remember, our public worship is always open to visitors, even at times when the guesthouse is not offering its services.

Two apostles and a jazz class

Br. Ephrem left for a five week visit to our Brothers in South Africa. He is the Junior Master and is visiting our three Brothers in initial vows there. He will also be there to help with the community's move from Hermanus to Plettenburg Bay where the community will have space to grow.

Br. John is leaving for a two-week family visit this Sunday. This Sunday, Br. Robert Leo is celebrating 35 years in Life Vow. He has been in the Order of the Holy Cross for 40 years. Br. Carl will be on an at-home retreat this coming week.

This week, we celebrated St Mary Magdalene on Tuesday and St James the Apostle (a.k.a. St James the Great) on Friday.

Last Sunday, we scrapped Holy Cross Cinema in favor of Holy Cross Jazz Class. Br. Randy had put up an extensive list of jazz classics that he each introduced and that were each commented on by members of the community. We all contributed refreshments. A dozen of us were in attendance. Br. Randy's playlist was extensive enough that we will do part 2 of the Jazz Class in Christmastide.

Monastery people. From top left, clockwise: Br. Randy's jazz class in the middle house's common room (two pictures); Br. Carl enjoying a quiet read on the enclosure's porch; archival photo of Br. Robert Leo having his Life Vow being received by the then Superior, Br. William Sibley.

This Saturday, we received Neil Toyota, of Glen Spey, NY, as our latest Associate. His husband who likes to visit the monastery too was there to witness his commitment.

From left, clockwise: Associate Neil Toyota and Br. Bernard; Impatiens flowers in the Sacristy lot; the back of St Augustine church before sunrise: a cottontail bunny unafraid of human approach; the great oak before sunrise.

The gardens continue to provide a profusion of flowers for the decoration of our church, refectory and enclosure.

Time for Japanese lilies. Various floral compositions by Brothers and staff.

Our Guesthouse will be closed for the month of August. You can continue to make reservations with the guesthouse office during that time (guesthouse@hcmnet.org).

The Monastery Column blog will be on a summer hiatus until September 7.