Thanksgiving and the start of Advent

Br. Bob, our Novice Master, is visiting family in Iowa for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Br. Rob, our Superior, is on his visitation of Mount Calvary Monastery in Santa Barbara, California.

At the beginning of the week, we celebrated the feast of James Otis Sargent Huntington, whom we lovingly refer to as our Founder. You can find Br. Aidan's sermon for this important feast for us on our sermons blog. Remember you can subscribe to both of our blogs to receive new entries by e-mail (look at the upper right corner of the blog screen for the subscription field).

For Thanksgiving, we had a full house of guests and day visitors. Our refectory was full to capacity and the overflow of guests ate in the St Scholastica room nearby. Our chefs, Bob Morano, Melissa Short (and Lori Callaway, our Guest House Manager, for the desserts) did a fantastic job, as they do every year. We got Brothers Laurence and Rafael from their nursing home for the feast. Brother Laurence had folded enough origami turkeys for each of our guests. It is a wonderful thing to share our bounty with so many people from so many horizons.

The Thanksgiving feast in the refectory. Before and after pictures of the buffet and panoramas of guest tables.

 A good time was had by all. Many a digestive nap was had. And at night, as is traditional we ate delicious leftovers.

Feast or no feast, dishes need to be done. Brothers Simon, Max, Robert and I were on dish duty together one evening this week. Working together in the "pantry" is a well-rehearsed ballet of duties.

We are glad to enter the new liturgical year with the contemplative season of Advent. The Advent wreath appeared in the church and a few undecorated wreaths grace our outside doors. The commercial season of "Christmas" is in full swing elsewhere but we will quietly and patiently await the coming of Christ.

For this first Sunday of Advent, we welcomed The Rev. Canon Jeanne Person, Canon for Pastoral Care in the Diocese of New York. Soon, Jeanne will be something of a neighbor as she will work at the new regional office of the diocese in our Huntington House up the hill. We look forward to seeing her more often.

Before the Eucharist in our new sacristy with Canon Jeanne Person. From top, clockwise: Br. Robert, Br. John and The Rev. Jeanne Person; Robert and John; John with Jeanne.

We wish you a blessed Advent.