Long Retreat and a Community Work session

Last Tuesday, we came out of our eight-day Long Retreat with a festive supper in the refectory. We thoroughly benefited from our time of increased silence and solitude. I felt well rested and well read (I finished three books that I had going and started another).

On Wednesday, we caught a sabbath day. On Thursday afternoon, we had a community work event. All of the able-bodied brothers and alongsiders gathered together for some physical work. We brought the lawn furniture under shelter and moved the Pilgrim Hall furniture out of the way for a contractor to do some sheet-rocking and painting. 

But the "pièce de résistance" was emptying the accumulated clutter of decades past out of the Middle House boiler room. We wanted to do this prior to the crypt being repainted. We said goodbye to a lot of disused organ pipes. The beauty of community work is that although we had scheduled a couple of hours for it, we were all done in little over an hour. "Many hands  make light work."

The sad news of the last couple of weeks is that Br. Rafael has contracted Covid-19 and has been moved to a dedicated wing in his nursing home. I try to stay on top of his evolution but the staff is so overworked that there are days when I can't get them to pick up the phone and Rafael is not up to answering his mobile phone. Br. Rafael is on palliative care. The staff keeps him as comfortable and pain-free as is possible. Whenever I get an update I e-mail all the Brothers and Rafael's niece who in turn informs the wider family. It's a sad and painful situation. Prayers would be welcome.

With the move from our Santa Barbara monastery complete, more objects of beauty are appearing in our life. In particular, we have enlarged our collection of liturgical vestments with some beautiful chasubles.

Advent scenes. From top left, clockwise: a (new to us) St Joseph and Child Jesus statue in the garden; Brothers Robert Leo and Luc giving a pipe organ impromptu concert; a beautiful mini Christmas tree in the West Atrium: Br. Aidan ready to give an online parish retreat from his Guest House office; another bulker cargo ship anchored in the fog with my "Advent lights" in the foreground; "Meadow TV" featured a four-wood stag and his partner resting in the grass under my window this week; Br. Randy sporting a (new to us) rose chasuble for Gaudete Sunday (3rd Sunday of Advent); Bros. Aidan and Randy listening to Br. Josép's reading of the epistle. 

Advent blessings to you.