All Saints here and gone

This week, Br. Aidan left to give a retreat in Northern Ireland and then take some personal retreat time while there. Will he have a front-row seat to Brexit?

I got more time with some guests this week. A Zen Buddhism practitioner wanted to talk about centering prayer with me and a group of Religious Studies students from Vassar College came for a few hours with their professor.

The students were of all and no religious backgrounds and my Buddhist interlocutor had questions that took nothing for granted about our way of living and worshiping. It made me think afresh about specific sides of my monastic life. For example: why are we a men-only order? Why do we chant psalms that are often ethnocentric and violent

It reminded me of a quote I gathered in one of Richard Rohr's recent Daily Meditations:

Hospitality is the practice that keeps the church from becoming a club, a members-only society. —Diana Butler Bass

I'm glad that the hospitality ministry is an important part of our life here.

A few weeks ago, I commissioned a door sign for Br. Simon from Br. Roy, our gifted calligrapher. Over time each of us has been the happy recipient of a beautifully written sign for our cell door. Br. Roy lavishes care on his calligraphy. Each sign is the result of several studies to assess letter placement and background work. For example, Simon's sign is written on a light blue filigree background. Beautiful!

Monks at work and play. From top left, clockwise: Br. Roy in his new calligraphy studio; Roy studiously working on a sign to put on Br. Simon's cell door; Bros. Josép, Bernard and Max playing Qwirkle with Sr. Shane, CMA; Br. Max taking Br. Laurence on at cribbage while Br. Josép eats lunch without taking sides.

We celebrated both All Saints and All Souls this week. It's funny how a very happy and a more somber feast follows one another like that. On All Saints Day, I received a text message from my sister-in-law showing me that she and my brother had flowered my parents' tomb in Belgium (and others unknown, but "suspected," had brought other flowers too). In Belgium, the cemeteries see a lot of visits on All Saints Day rather than on the Day of the Dead (All Souls). As it is there was a red flower theme between my parents' tomb and our church. Beautiful red roses were laid out near the ambo, at our Lady's feet, and near St Benedict's icon.

All Saints. From left, clockwise: sunlight piercing through incense smoke after mass; two saints laying flowers on my parents tomb; a guest praying in front of St Mary and Baby Jesus; Br. Rob bowing to the altar on his way out of choir; the stunning roses (no, not from our gardens this time).

I was thurifer for the All Saints Eucharist, so I manage to sneak a few pictures of the celebration. Our Associate John Williams, Rector of St Andrew and St Luke, in Beacon, NY, was our celebrant.

All Saints mass. From left, clockwise: Yanick Savain sings a hymn with the assembly; Bros. Robert Leo and Josép (backs) framing our celebrant, The Rev. John Williams and Br. Robert James.

Let's give thanks for the Saints in our lives, alive and past.