Long Retreat and reopening the Guesthouse

From January 3rd to 10th, we were on Long Retreat. It is a blessed time of the year when we retreat deeper into God. The Guesthouse is closed, Work obligations are dispensed. The liturgical schedule is lightened to give way to larger expanses of quiet time. And we keep Great Silence throughout the eight days. Bliss! It gives us more time for personal prayer, meditation, study, reading, wandering and enjoying our hobbies.

Around New Year's Day (aka the feast of the Holy Name), our church became so cold that we decided to move the office and mass to the Chapter Room, inside the enclosure, for the duration of the Long Retreat. It felt like we had gone into a Long Retreat cocoon inside the enclosure. In those cold days, we had a few local visitors who joined us in the Chapter Room for our celebrations.

This year, we had decided to have retreat addresses given to us on days 3 to 6 of the retreat. The Rev. Matthew Wright engaged us on the prayer of the heart, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Raimon Panikkar and the Gospel of Thomas. We spent 6 sessions of an hour each over those four middle days of the retreat. It gave us much to mull over and ponder. Thank you, Matthew.

Last Wednesday, last day of the Long Retreat, we came out of silence for a companionable supper. We were rejoicing to be able to talk with one another while also being somewhat jarred by the vitality of conversation after all this silence.

Thursday was a sabbath day before reopening our Guesthouse. On Friday, our first guests of the year arrived. We had a Holy Cross Associates retreat this past weekend, a parish group and few individual guests.

From top, clockwise, the Princeton connection: Associates Diane Paulsell, from Princeton, NJ and Steve Isham, recently moved from Princeton to St Johnsbury, VT; Associates and monks enjoying refreshments before Vespers on Saturday; the Williamsport connection: Br. Peter grew up in Williamsport, PA, and Associate David Ambrose lives there.

From top, clockwise, Associate Mary Allan, from Medford, NJ with yours truly;
Associates Pat Moore, from Hempstead, NY and Beth Beaudin, from Fairfield, CT;
a conversation group with Ben and Lynne Powley facing us;
Associate Meg Galbreath from East Longmeadow, MA, in conversation with another Associate.

From top, clockwise, returning guest Chris Palmer, introducing her son Zak to the monastery;
a group of Associates who were led by the Rev. Jane Tomaine (bottom right corner) through the weekend;
returning guest Dan from Brooklyn, NY.

We look forward to your visit(s!) in 2018.

Happy Martin Luther King Day!