Founder's feast, white privilege training

This week we celebrated the feast of James Otis Sargent Huntington, priest and monk, who founded our Order of the Holy Cross. The feast was transferred from last Sunday to this past Tuesday. We are very grateful for Fr. Huntington's many gifts to the church, including the formation of our Order back in 1884.

Feast of James Otis Sargent Huntington, our Founder. From top left, clockwise: Fr. Huntington's icon in the sanctuary; the icon painted by Joseph Brown; worshippers saluting Fr. Huntington; Brothers assembled for honoring Fr. Huntington, at his tomb, in our crypt; the icon displayed in the church.

You can read and listen to Br. Bob Pierson's sermon for the occasion on our sermon blog.

From Tuesday evening to Thursday midday, I visited General Theological Seminary for my monthly round of spiritual direction there. I see a dozen people there over a day and a half. It is an inspiring thing to encourage seminarians and their professors to listen to God's promptings in their lives.

On Tuesday evening, I got to have supper with my good friend Jamie Callaway and his wife Mary Chilton. Jamie was my first spiritual director over 15 years ago. I am forever grateful for his wise listening and insightful guidance back then and for our continued friendship now.

On Friday and Saturday, our community had a workshop on white privilege with Frances Kendall. She is the author of "Understanding White Privilege: Creating Pathways to Authentic Relationships Across Race." We had many powerful, insightful and difficult conversations over our two days of work. Most of us are white and recognize we have ongoing work to do. We would like to continue to attract and retain vocations of all races. Hopefully, our ongoing work about white privilege and anti-racism will help us in that.

And we are now in Advent. Happy New Year, Church! The Advent wreath has made its appearance in the church. And if you keep to yourself, I'll let you in on a secret: I have laid out Advent lights in my cell... No, no, these are not Christmas lights. Christmas decorations will come out in force on December 23, when our guests help us deck the halls.

We lit the first candle on the Advent wreath this past Saturday, at Vespers.

Br. Bernard's Advent lights in his cell. Shhh, it's a secret.

Have a Blessed Advent. May you experience long moments of quiet serenity as we ponder about the coming of the Prince of Peace.