The Presentation of the Lord
 
 

A blessed feast of the Presentation of the Lord to you all, and a very happy World Day of Consecrated Life! Our celebration of the Eucharist on this feast begins with a blessing of candles to illuminate our chapel over the next year. As we sing and praise God, we gave thanks for the gift of Christ, our light, who has come to meet His people. The stories of Simeon and Anna in the Gospel of the Day remind us that hope is at the centre of our lives through our baptism and as consecrated women—the hope that our eyes truly will “see the salvation” that God offers “in the presence of all peoples.” (Lk 2:31). We are reminded that Joseph and Mary react to this unexpected encounter, not with fear or irritation, but with the gift of wonder, as the Jerusalem version of the Bible translates this passage. This year, as we processed into the chapel singing after the blessing of the candles, the snow was just beginning to fall.

Here are a few photographs of our celebration today. May we all wonder at God’s presence among us, and be alert to the unexpected moments to encounter Christ, in prayer and in the faces of our brothers and sisters. We continue to carry you and our world in our prayers this day, and always. God bless.

 
 
Sr. Marie Thomas Lawrie
"Ice and Snow, Bless the Lord" (Daniel 3:70)
 
 

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a Blessed Epiphany to you, our friends both near and far! This greeting was meant to be posted yesterday, but one of our Christmas gifts this year has been a superabundance of snow, and after another snowfall in the night, our power went out again just before Lauds of Epiphany. As we prayed the Office by flashlights and candles, we heard Isaiah proclaim that “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness— on them, light has shined.” (Is 9:6-7). It was a good remind to us that Christ’s birth, celebrated at the darkest time of the year in our Northern Hemisphere, truly “shines in the darkness” (Jn 1:5).

By our unofficial count, this most recent snowfall brings us to over a meter of accumulated snow since the weekend before Christmas, when we awoke to find 60 centimetres fallen overnight. Being contemplatives, a temporary inability to leave our monastery is not usually a problem; but that same day, we were expecting both the arrival of an aspirant and our final grocery order before the holidays! Since they could not come to us, we needed to be able to get to them. After Mass, every sister who could donned snow boots, parkas and toques, and began to burrow a path down to the barn where our faithful four-wheel drive was parked. Meanwhile, a kindly neighbour arrived and began to plow our kilometre-long driveway with the tractor. By mid-afternoon, the route to the main road was passible, and two sisters sallied forth to attempt the drive to town. They returned several hours later, and were greeted by both a power outage and a party of sisters with flashlights and sleds ready to cart the boxes of groceries up to the main monastery in the dark (the driveway’s final hill being impassible by car). After a good supper, the electricity returned, and we prayed the Office of Vigils for the Fourth Sunday of Advent with wholehearted and sleepy thanksgiving.

With more snow throughout the week, we were overjoyed to still welcome some brave souls for Mass on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Other guests came to quietly visit the chapel throughout the Christmas Octave, making the final “pilgrimage” on foot up our driveway’s final hill. For a few days, the snowfall even took a rest, and the sun came out to turn our fields and forest into a real winter wonderland, as you can see in the pictures below.

 

We continue to hold you in prayer as we begin this new year. With the snow, the situation of our driveway changes day by day. If you would like to visit our chapel or join us for the liturgy, we would recommend good tires, good boots and possibly a phone call in advance to check the situation. May our Emmanuel, God-with-us, bring you joy and peace.

 
Sr. Marie Thomas Lawrie
Blessed Advent
 

The Annunciation, by Fra Angelico O.P.

 

A blessed first Sunday of Advent to you! In our tradition, this Sunday marks the beginning of a new liturgical year, a chance to step back and reflect on what has been and the year to come. In many ways, today's Gospel reading from Luke 21 seems particularly appropriate; as just one example, the "roaring of the sea and the waves" recalls recent extreme weather events in British Columbia which have affected so many of our neighbours just to the south. And yet, we are encouraged to "stand up" and "raise" our heads, because our "redemption is drawing near."

To stand up and face the hope that will be born to us at Christmas, in the Incarnation of Christ, often begins with recognizing the hope that is offered us in His coming in the events and contacts of our daily lives. It can be hard to recognize the "still, small voice" of His Presence (1 Kg 19:12) amongst the "worries of this life." This is why, as strange as it might sound, the silence of Advent can be a time to return to the asceticism of joy. Joy, an asceticism? Yes! As St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans, "hope that is seen is not hope" (Rm 8:24). Rather, our hope and joy come through trust in the Lord, trust that the love He offers is more real and true than anything we could "ask or imagine" (Eph 3:20). This trust is an act of faith, a prayer that we can intentionally repeat throughout the day, while choosing not to dwell inordinately on all that may seem to "spoil and ruin the vineyard" (Song 2:15).

 
 

The beginning of the new liturgical year can also be a good opportunity to reflect on the year just passed, and to search for the love, joy and hope that have been present in ways both big and small. For our community, one very practical means of reflection lately has been the preparation of our winter newsletter. With the entrance of Mariel as a postulant on the Nativity of John the Baptist, the completion of our micro-hydroelecticity project, and the celebration of the Dies Natalis of our holy father Dominic, there is certainly a lot to give thanks for. More than that, it has also been an opportunity to reflect on the friendship of so many, near and far, without whom our contemplative life would not be possible. If you are subscribed to a print edition of our newsletter, you should be receiving it in the mail over the next few weeks. In the meantime, here is the online edition in both English and French.

 
Bulletin en Français
 

P.S. One additional piece of news, which occurred after the newsletter went to print, is the entrance of our newest postulant, Mica, on the feast of Christ the King. You can read more about the ceremony here.

As we look forward to the year to come, we are happy to share that our 2022 calendar is now on sale through our online gift shop! As mentioned in our last email, it features photographs taken by our sisters in the breathtaking natural beauty of our monastery's Upper Squamish Valley home. You can view and order it through our website.

 
 

Finally, we would like to let you know that out of respect for our contemplative life and the Nativity of Our Lord, our online store will be on hiatus from the beginning of the “O” Antiphons (December 17) through the Christmas Octave and Solemnity of the Mother of God (January 1). During this time, you are welcome to place orders; however, they will not be checked or shipped until January 2. If you would like to receive your order before this hiatus, we kindly ask that you place it no later than noon on December 16. Thank-you, and God bless!

As we journey together towards Bethlehem this season, let us "be alert" to those moments when silence and joy are offered more clearly, and give thanks to the Lord for them. As always, we are praying for you and those you love.

Sr. Marie Thomas Lawrie