“Speaking Meals”
In keeping with monastic custom, we don’t typically converse at mealtimes. The Refectory is silent during breakfast and supper, allowing for an atmosphere of communal prayer. And during our midday meal, one sister reads aloud from a book, while the rest of us listen and eat – a symbolic communion of body and soul.
However, it’s also within monastic tradition to occasionally share what we call a “speaking meal”, that is, a festive meal during which we visit with our sisters – say, at Christmas and Easter – or special guests. And this has been a season of very special guests!
We enjoyed a casual dinner with our current chaplains-in-residence, Fr. Brendan of New Melleray Abbey and Fr. Peter of Guadalupe Abbey. They are both recently retired abbots, and they happen to be great friends, so they’re spending portions of their sabbaticals together at our place. We couldn’t be more thrilled for their brotherly company, nor more grateful for their Eucharistic ministry.
Next we welcomed Mother Kathy, our sister from Our Lady of the Angels Abbey. She was on a work trip up this way, so she swung by to visit for a couple of days. We heard all about our sisters down in Virginia – including their formidable work as cheesemakers. (We decided not to feed her any gouda for dinner, for we knew it couldn’t possibly compare with the real deal!)
Finally, our archbishop, Archbishop Thomas Zinkula, blessed us with his annual visit – on the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Assumption, our Order’s Patronness! He presided at Mass, encouraging us with a heartfelt meditation on Mary of Nazareth, Queen of Heaven and Earth, and then he joined us for brunch, informing us of our diocese’s current news and needs. We’re so thankful for our archbishop’s spirit of hope, as well as for his friendship, and we humbly carry his intentions in our prayer.
In conclusion, we’d like to share a prayer from our diocesan website, so fitting for the “Journey in Faith” that we’re all making together – as well as for this blog post!
Journey in Faith Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You accompanied your disciples on the way to Emmaus.
As we journey in faith,
we trust in your Spirit
to open our eyes
to set our hearts on fire
and to transform our parishes.
Make yourself known to us
through breaking open word and bread,
that we may travel together on mission;
to grow disciples, cultivate leaders, and unify parishes,
with our journey ending in You,
who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
https://www.dbqjourneyinfaith.org/