Come, Beloved, and pitch your tent into my heart

What a week! It all started with Br. Josép's renewal of his annual Benedictine vow. It is a simple and tender ceremony that takes place at the outset of our daily Chapter meeting. This is Br. Josép's second year in annual vows. We give thanks for his vocation, his love and many gifts. "Come, Beloved, and pitch your tent into my heart."

from left, clockwise, Br. Josép signs his instrument of profession;
Br. Josép reads his instrument of profession aloud;
Br. Josép is greeted by his brothers

Throughout the week, we had several groups and individual guests visiting us. They came from nearby and from far and wide.

Avove, clergy and parishioners from St Andrew's in Shippensburg, PA;
Below, the Women's Fellowship Group from St Mark's, Brooklyn, NY

They came with their own retreat program or attended one of our sponsored programs (on icon writing and on memoir writing). Christine Hales led and Advanced Icon Writing Workshop. Her husband, photographer Michael Hales came along. Beverly Donofrio offered an advanced retreat for memoir-writers.

Some came to visit a monk like Presbyterian Minister Barara Anne Keely visiting her long-time friend, Br. Bob. Others came to help us out, like Derek Nolan, our Merrill Lynch account manager, helping us to invest according to our ethical values and making financial progress along the way.

Clockwise, from above, Christine and Michael Hales; Derek Nolan of Merrill Lynch;
Br. Bob and his friend Barbara Anne Keely.

Repeat visitors, Associates and newcomers mixed happily in the Pilgrim Hall, the church or the refectory.

From left, clockwise, long-time visitor The Rev. Barbara Hutchinson, of St Andrew's Shippensburg, PA,
Br. Roy blessing the icons painted in Christine Hales' workshop,
The Rev. Anne Brewer, AHC, thinning down her library to the benefit of ours.

Others came to bestow the benefit of their craft on our monastery. Jason Breen, woodworker, and Zachary Roesemann, AHC, iconographer, collaborated with our Br. Robert James to design and produce a beautiful new tabernacle and underlying credenza for our Saint Augustine church. Next time, you visit, come and pray with the Blessed Sacrament and discover new beauty in our worship space.

The Tabernacle (Hebrew: "residence" or "dwelling place"), according to the Hebrew Bible, was the portable earthly dwelling place of God amongst the children of Israel. During the Exodus, it was a sacred tent. The word "tabernacle" came to be used for a receptacle for the consecrated elements of the Eucharist; especially: an ornamental locked box used for reserving the Communion hosts.

The tabernacle is a focus for our devotion to the ever-present God. Mystically, one can assert that God dwells in the tabernacle of our heart. "Come, Beloved, and pitch your tent into my heart." In front of the physical tabernacle we are reminded of that reality.

From top, clockwise, Jason Breen, woodworker, Zachary Roesemann, iconographer
and our Superior, Br. Robert James; inlaid wood representign the Holy Spirit hovering over the consecrated elements;
reminders of our churh's arches and columns frame the beautiful face of Christ.

In another woodworking endeavor, this weekend, our Bruderhof neighbors came with a team of workhorses to haul large logs of American walnut off our land. The wood will be processed in their various local communities (Maple Hill and Woodcrest) to be made available to their young people to learn crafts such as furniture and dishes making. The dozen men squad was very effective at getting several large logs up the hill and into trailers. We wish our Bruderhof brothers and sisters much joy in woodworking.

From top, clockwise, I tried my hand at sawing with a Bruderhof companion;
Bruderhof brothers using levers to roll and lift the logs;
Two beautiful workhorses seemed not to mind the work.

We are nestled in the midst of a rich network of connectedness. And you are part of it. Thank you.
"Come, Beloved, and pitch your tent into my heart."