Happy Easter!

Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!

Everyone was home for the Triduum. And we were joined by a full house of guests. Guests started arriving on Tuesday and by Thursday everyone was here. We also had several locals joining us for one or more services.

On Thursday afternoon, we had the footwashing. Members of the house leadership was the feet of Brothers, guests and one another. Our servant leaders were Br. Robert James, our Superior, Br. Josép, our Formator, and Br. Ephrem, our Guestmaster and Junior Master. Brothers Bruno and Jacob accompanied the ceremony with string music.

The foot washing a.k.a. the Mandatum
(latin for Jesus' commandment to the disciples to love and serve one another).

Later that evening, we had the Mass of the Lord's Supper. At the end of the Mass, the altar is stripped, and the Eucharist is carried in a solemn procession to a place of reservation, called the "altar of repose," for adoration. This year, the altar of repose was set in St Michael's Chapel (the crypt under the church). Great silence is observed round the clock from that service onward until the Easter Vigil on Easter Sunday.

The Mass of the Lord's Supper. From top left, clockwise: before the Triduum starts, all images of holy persons are veiled (four pictures): Br. Josép doing one of the readings: Br. Robert Leo reading Psalm 69 during the Stripping of the Altar at the conclusion of the Maundy Thursday service; Br. Ephrem deposing the reserved sacrament at the Altar of Repose in our crypt.

And then comes the Lord's Sabbath on Holy Saturday. During that day, in the midst of quiet, last preparations are made for the Easter Vigil.

Preparations on Holy Saturday. From top left, clockwise: Br. David Bryan, our Sacristan ironing altar linens in the Sacristy: arches in the entrance to the church looking out over the little cloister; a bassin prepared for the renewal of baptismal vows in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit (the monks' chapter room in the enclosure) (2 pictures); Easter lilies on their staging ground (on the Sacristy's porch) (2 pictures).

During the Triduum, our tower bell is not rung. Guests and monks are warned about upcoming offices by a clacker sounded throughout the enclosure and guesthouse. No one oversleeps with the clacker resounding. The vigil started at 5 a.m. in a drizzle to light the Easter fire outside the Guesthouse. The assembly then processed to the refectory to hear the history of salvation in 6 old testament readings interspersed with hymns and music. From there, we processed to the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, in the monastic enclosure for the renewal of baptismal vows. Finally, the assembly processed to the St Augustine church for the Easter mass. We all got our exercising early this morning.

The Easter Vigil. From top left, clockwise: the Easter fire; assembly in the refectory: processing from the refectory; guests and brothers in the chapel of the Holy Spirit (three pictures); Bros. Robert James and Josép: Br. Francis holding the paschal candle and Bros. Robert James and Josép; (center picture) the dipping of the paschal candle into the baptismal water.

At the end, of the mass, the tower bell is heard again. After the service, monks and guests relay each other to joyfully ring the bell continuously for a long while. No more clacker. Joyful sounds are heard.

And everyone eventually drifts back to the refectory for a festive cooked breakfast.

Church blooms. Most church flowers are purchased but spays of forsythia and daffodils come from the gardens.

Meanwhile, wildflowers and garden flowers are beginning to appear everywhere.

Outside blooms. From top left, clockwise: anemone, daffodils, dandelions, violets and a flower arrangement of daffodils and forsythia.

May the joy of Easter fill your heart. May your Eastertide be blessed.

Palm Sunday

Last weekend, Br. Ephrem conducted a retreat and preached at Church of the Good Shepherd, in Bryn Mawr, PA. This week, Br. Bernard visited seminarians for spiritual direction at Yale Divinity School, in New Haven, CT. Br. David Bryan is visiting our Brothers in Toronto for a couple of weeks.

During this past two weeks, our Superior, Br. Robert James has conducted his formal visitation of Holy Cross Monastery. During that time, he has individual interviews with all members of the household to see how they are doing and how they feel our community is doing. At the end of his visitation, he writes a report that he reads in Chapter highlighting what is going well and what needs attention in our community.

Last Sunday was our postulant Jeremy Cannon's last day with us. Jeremy has chosen to withdraw from the postulancy to discern a vocation as a hospital chaplain. We wish him well in his new endeavors.

Last Sunday, we had our traditional service of Lessons and Anthems in lieu of Vespers. Kairos, a consort of singers sang a beautiful and varied program of sacred music. The anthems were interspersed by readings by a slew of our local friends.

Lenten Lessons and Anthems. From top left, clockwise: The Rev. Daniel Meeter, AHC, from New Paltz, NY; Kairos singers (2 more pictures at the bottom): the assembly; Br. Robert Leo; The Rev. Suzanne Guthrie, AHC, from Poughkeepsie, NY; center left, Kelly Fairweather, AHC, from Mahopac, NY; Trish Agar, Kairos singer, from Saugerties, NY.

Today, Palm Sunday, we started the Sunday service with the blessing of the palms in Pilgrim Hall. Then we processed with our palms to the church for mass and the reciting of the Passion according to St Matthew. As usual, we had a group of Princeton seminarians visiting and several of them took parts in a dramatic reading of the gospel.

Palm Sunday. From top left, clockwise: Br. Robert James, our Superior blessing the palms; Br. John handing out the blessed palms to the attendees: the Palms procession (first in the belltower, next in the ambulatory): Berkeley Divinity School at Yale students at a private viewing of the Portrait of a Monastery film (at Berkely Center); the Palm Sunday assembly: (center) communion being distributed.

Our grounds are progressively waking up to spring. Our local fox has been spotted a few times frolicking in our meadow (including sneaking up on Canada geese; no harm done).

From top left, clockwise: the local fox in the meadow; view of the Hudson from the Guestouse garden; croci: daffodils: well-named Lenten Roses (a.k.a. hellebores): Jeremy Cannon on his 30th birthday, in the refectory.

And finally, a request for donations. In an effort to enhance our Sunday morning Eucharistic liturgy here at Holy Cross Monastery, we are seeking generous donors to help us purchase aYamaha Clavinova (pictured below).  Our vision is to incorporate various instruments from time to time in our liturgy to offer variety of musical expression and inspire worship.  Along with the piano, a dolly on which to place it will also be needed.  The total amount of the purchase is $4600.  $1000 has already been raised.  We, therefore, are seeking $3600 more.  Our deepest gratitude to those who will consider being a part of this fundraising effort. You can make a donation here (don't forget to mention "piano" in the memo field).

Piano. From top left, clockwise: the Yamaha piano we would like to acquire for the church (two pictures): a stained glass window representing our Father Founder James Otis Sargent Huntington at Church of the Good Shepherd, in Bryn Mawr, PA.

May you have a blessed Holy Week.

Br. Francis' Life Profession

This weekend, our Postulant, Novices and Juniors are participating in an Inter-Religious Formation Program which we are hosting here at the monastery. It is good to see so many young religious together.

But the big news is that on Saturday, we had a Life Profession of the Benedictine Vow! Br. Francis made his profession during a festive Eucharist in the presence of his family and the many religious assembled here for the weekend. We are blessed to count Francis as our Brother. Please hold him in prayer in this new stage of his monastic vocation.

The profession mass. From top left, clockwise: Bros. Jacob, Josép, Ephrem and Daniel chant a psalm in Anglican chant: Br. Jacob offers a mandolin interlude between readings; Br. Ephrem censes the gospel reading; Br. Timothy was our preacher (here turning back to address Br. Francis); our preacher: Brothers singing the closing hymn: the altar party processing out (Postulant Jeremy is the crucifer and Br. Will is the thurifer).

Having a Life Profession is always a highlight of our lives. It reminds those of us who are professed what we have consecrated our lives to and it shows the rich blessings that our community is receiving from the Holy Spirit.

The Life Profession. From top left, clockwise: Br. Francis giving his family a tour of his working areas and showing how he prints the monastery t-shirts (from left to right: his father Jack, his brother-in-law, Francis, his mother Linda and his sister); Br. Francis at the end of his examination by the Superior: Br. Robert James our Superior embraces the newly Life Professed Brother: the Superior presents the newly Life Professed to the assembly; Br. Francis receiving the love of his Brothers (notice Br. Bede on the left who was visiting for the occasion).

On the weather front we enjoyed the freakish three days of summer weather before returning to more seasonable weather. Last Sunday, Br. Bernard attended a play written and acted by Associate Denise Bessette in Croton-on-Hudson. The play was about one of his mother's favorite French writer Colette.

From top left, clockwise: first crocus among a carpet of snowdrops: Associat Denise Bessette playing Colette: crescent moonrise over the Hudson: the play's program.

May you have a blessed second half of Lent.