Sunday, March 16, 2025

Quiet beauty abounds

This week, Br. Robert James, our Superior, was conducting his annual visitation. He meets individually with all the monks and the interns of the monastery to hear how they are doing and what their view is of how our community is doing.

This week was also the last one in Raphael Ugochukwu's aspirant visit. It has been a pleasure to get to know him a little better.

This weekend, our men in formation and Br. Josép, our formator, are at an inter-novitiate formation conference at Mount Alvernia, in Wappinger Falls, NY.

The croci came out in force this week. Our honeybees have been quick to find them. One of the four beehives that Br. Francis keeps didn't make it through the winter. It is always a sad loss when a  bee colony fails to survive. Pollen and nectar are in short supply for the moment, so Br. Francis will complement their diet with syrup until there is enough blooming action in the gardens.

Blooms and doom. From top left, clockwise: a field of snowdrops near our backup generator (two pictures); croci in the lawn facing the Guesthouse entrance; a happy bee foraging a crocus; our neighbors across Route 9W recycling their Halloween decoration for St Patrick's Day.

It has otherwise been a quiet lenten week. But God's bountiful creation never stops to amaze and delight.

Hudson views. From top, clockwise: an orange moonrise over the Hudson (two pictures); the sun playing peekaboo behind the clouds; before sunrise (without the soundtrack of songbirds rejoicing at the sun's return).


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