As we celebrate the feast of the Ascension, reflecting on the past six weeks of Easter calls to mind a verse from the Book of Revelation: “See, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). With a relatively late celebration of the Paschal mysteries this year, our feasting of the Resurrection directly coincided with the return of spring to the Upper Squamish Valley. Indoors, we celebrated the Easter liturgy (generously sprinkled with Alleluias), reflected on the beautiful readings of the season, and rejoiced in the new bouquets of seasonal flowers honouring the altar each week. Outdoors, the garden was planted, the trees unfurled their leafs, and the forest was filled once more with songbirds great and small. They have yet to be caught on camera, but this spring around the monastery seems to be graced with a wider variety of forest birds than usual, with Western tanagers and house finches spotted alongside our resident towhees, Steller’s Jays, hermit thrushes and robins. Although the unusually cold weather has put a bit of a damper on the garden, the wild plants rose to the occasion in ways both big (wild dogwood blooming just behind the monastery) and small (diminutive fairy slipper orchids hidden by our creek). In the end, the garden joined the celebration as well with a hard-won first crop of asparagus grown and harvested by one of our novices.

As we enter into a week of retreat in preparation for Pentecost, we wanted to share a few of these moments with you. You are in our hearts and prayers as we join Mary and the apostles in the upper room (Acts 1:13-14) in joyful expectation. We pray that the Holy Spirit will bring you joy and peace this season, and in the summer months to come.