March Much-ness
As winter wanes and Lent leans toward Passiontide, we’re keeping busy with much goings-on, outside and in.
Cool temps are speckled with warm splashes of sunshine –
Seedlings are sprouting in our greenhouse and garage –
(And we’re covertly beginning to bake Easter cookies!)
But first, we want to slow down, quiet down, and be present to Christ’s deep work within us, to what the Holy Spirit seems to be whispering again and again these days: transformation…
Our two junior-most sisters recently attended the annual “Junior Seminar”, a gathering of the USA’s simply professed members of our Order. The Seminar was at our brothers’ monastery in Berryville, Virginia – where, along with fellowship and formation, they got an early glimpse of spring! (Although this snow-dusted group photo suggests otherwise!)
Indeed, transformation was the theme of their two weeks of study. First they explored transformation in the theology of the apostle Paul, and then in the writings of our Cistercian Fathers. They even got to tune into a Zoom conference with our Abbot General, who shared his wisdom on transformation as it occurs during the first several years of a young nun or monk’s monastic life.
More recently, a few beautiful young women attended our March “Come & See” retreat. Their courage in visiting us here, in opening their minds and hearts to God’s glorious will for their lives, is surely a sign of the transformative grace at work within each one of them! And their presence reminded us to continually open our own selves to God’s desire to transform us, too. After all, that’s what our vow of conversatio morum, “conversion of life”, is all about!
And finally, we are on the cusp of Holy Week. Is there any other week during the whole year that more radically calls us to be changed? To be made new? Through and through?
After celebrating the past few Paschal Vigils at New Melleray Abbey, we are especially looking forward to observing the whole week, from Palm Sunday through Easter morn, here at our house this year. For isn’t here, at home, where we must let the Lord’s transformative power – from suffering to death to new life – really take root?
Jesus, please take root. We want to bear your fruit!
Please help us, Lord, to let you be who you are:
The purifying fire, the cleansing water, the transforming love of our lives, forevermore.