Lourdes at Last!

Picture of the major Basilicas of Lourdes.

After a week of traveling I arrived at the Gare de Lourdes on Saturday afternoon.  I was greeted by the coordinating chaplain for the English language community, Father Brian de Burca.  We walked to the car in a soft drizzle and he brought me to my room for the next three weeks or so.  (I'll speak about the Chaplains' Residence in a later post.)  While I would have loved to get my room in order, the sun burst out and so I had to go immediately to the Sanctuary.

Crowds Praying before the Grotto.

Lourdes is a very spiritual place.  I presence of Our Lady and Bernadette, I believe is still very acute here.  But Lourdes is far from being a peaceful place.  The crowds, the prayers, the singing, the processions can wreak of chaos.  And so it was on that Saturday afternoon.

Statue of Our Lady in the Central Place.

At 6PM I went to the chapel where the English Community has its daily Mass and I offered my first Mass here for the Peoples of Incarnation and our mother parish, Our Lady of Lourdes.  It was quite lovely experience.  The people who come for the English daily Mass were described fondly as "spiritual orphans."  They didn't come to the sanctuary on a formal pilgrimage or with a priest like I do with our parish groups.  They are individuals, families, groups without priests and many of the English-speaking volunteers who come to Lourdes to assist the pilgrims -especially the sick- each year.

My main ministry at the Sanctuary will be hearing confessions and assisting English-speakers in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  I'll fill you in about my schedule and ministry a little later.

Beautiful Bordeaux

1800's Buildings see from River Park.

As I make my way to the Sanctuary at Lourdes I stayed a few days in Bordeaux.  Almost along the Atlantic coast and wonderfully ensconced on  both banks of a river, it is a sight to behold.  It's about the tenth largest city in France and is very multi-cultural like New York.  In fact my hotel was in the Muslim quarter by the train station and as I walked through it I felt I could have been in Turkey.  But Bordeaux also is an ancient city, founded before the Romans, with a rich Christian tradition.

The Churches were fewer and farer between than I would have liked.  But I noticed that they seemed better kept; almost like some of the churches in the city.  (In a later entry I will have to explain the comic endeavor I face each day asking to concelebrate at the parish Mass).  While many have their roots in antiquity, many were built, rebuilt or restored at the turn of the 1900's as France turned another chapter in its tumultuous  history between church and state.

While sections of Bordeaux trace their history to Roman times, others were laid out in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Grand, broad boulevards are beautiful to behold and beckoned me to walk along them.  Again, like with most European cities there were many sections that are pedestrian only zones.  In fact the Rue St. Catherine is the longest pedestrian only street in France.  It begins in the Muslim section, passes through the ancient (Christian area), and ends on the boarder of one of a square from the 1800's.  The Rue St. Catherine has many upscale shops along it.  It also has a McDonalds.  I have to confess I went to McDonalds three times while I was in Bordeaux.  Additionally, there are many parks and gardens all of which culminate in the river park in the heart of the city.  It reminded me very much of our own Hudson River Park that I used to visit so often before I was made a pastor.

River Park

Another benefit to my time here was that it corresponded to Spring Break for the schools.  There were kids and families everywhere.  That in conjunction with simply stunning weather got me out walking the many parks and boulevards throughout the city.  I am not sure why I have not visited Bordeaux before.  But I do hope to return one day.  Tomorrow, though, Lourdes!

View of the suspension bridge that leads down river and to the Atlantic.

Out and About!

View from my room of City Hall Square, Poitiers.  People lining up to get married.

My Scottish friend Father Gerry used to make fun of my trips while a student in Rome as "ABC Tours" - Another Bloody Church Tour!  Well, I can't help that I want to soak up as much of Christian Europe as possible.  Whether it be as a seminarian in Rome or on sabbatical now, I realize that this is privileged time and I want to use it wisely.

I visited another saint in Poitiers.  The capital of the region and similar to LeMans and Tours, Poitiers is the home of St. Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop of Poitiers, a contemporary of St. Martin, Doctor of the Church, Council Father and exile.  Not a bad curriculum vitae if I do say so myself.  I concelebrated anticipated Mass St. Hillary's Basilica Saturday night.  It was very similar to a parish Mass in the States, though not that well attended- maybe 125.

Unfortunately, Poitiers train station is in the valley and the town is up the hill; a very large hill.  The city/town/village was alive with people as it was a Saturday.  Many just coming for a day trip to admire the town and its buildings.

Original Apse of St. Hillary Basilica

As you have gathered from reading this blog, the history of the Church in France is both storied and turbulent.  That goes for Poitiers as well.  The Barbarian invasions and viking raids disrupted much of the infant Church.  St. Joan of Arc was interrogated here before she was sent to her death.  The Religious Wars with the Huguenots, the revolution and the republics.  The Basilica of St. Hillary was sack and sacked and sacked again before its stone was used for other projects.  The relics were barely protected and the apse of the church was only spared because of its antiquity and architectural merit.
Where I had the Mass was reconstructed around 1900.

Fortified entrance to the city port of LaRochelle

On Sunday, I visited La Rochelle.  La Rochelle is on the Atlantic Coast and is another city burdened by religious conflict through the centuries   It's very much a tourist haven now with its harbors and old city.  It was packed on a very beautiful Sunday when I arrived.  The only thing I knew about LaRochelle is that some of its folk settled in New Rochelle, NY.

The Cathedral of St. Louis is unfortunately under scaffolding.  But it's impressive on the inside.  Much to my friend, Fr. Gerry's surprise it will be the only church I visit here.

Tours

Cathedral of St. Gaiten

I'm visiting Tours today and tomorrow.  Basically I'm here for two men:  Charles Martel and St. Martin of Tours.  You might not be familiar with Charles Martel, but any student at Cathedral Prep while Msgr. Brady was there would be.  As a history professor before he became rector he used to announce in the halls to those who passed:   Charles Martel / defeated / the Moors / at Tours / in 732.   In one aspect it was a big deal as it allowed Christian Europe to advance out of the middle ages as a homogeneous entity.  Today, the Moors (Muslims) are very much a part of French Society.

Main Entrance to the present-day Basilica of St. Martin 

More importantly was the mark left on Tours and much of Europe of St. Martin of Tours.  A great bishop who was wonderfully pastoral for his people despite longing for monastic life for himself.  Just barely a contemporary of Charles Martel, when St. Martin died just before 400 he was widely hailed as a saint like Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa before him.  There was great devotion to him and Tours became a stop for many northern and eastern Europeans on there way to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (How about that!).

Yesterday when I arrived I went first to the Cathedral named after St. Gaiten who like many of the cathedrals recently visited is named after and houses the first bishop to bring the Christian Faith to the region.  It is large and heaven-ward!  Lifting eyes and spirits to the skies.

Remains of earlier basilica damaged by the Huguenots and closed by an earlier Republic 

Next I went to the Basilica of St. Martin.  The Basilica of St. Martin of St. Martin has had a tough existence.  Fire, Hugenots,  the early French Republics all were not good for the church that was built almost 1,600 years ago over where the venerable saint was laid to rest.   The present-day church is beautiful and when I entered it got even better.  I arrived about 6 or 6:30PM and the Dominican Nuns were just beginning Vespers.  There were about 12 nuns in the sanctuary (three or four of whom were Asian)  and about 14 people in the section before the Altar.  One of the sisters played an Asian instrument similar to a piano or harpsichord.  After the Vespers the sisters came out from the sanctuary to talk with the congregation as I went to the crypt to pray before St. Martin's remains.  I plan to return for Mass and Vespers tomorrow.

                                           Beginning of the Magnificat sung the next evening.

Sanctuary of the Basilica of St. Martin with the Dominican Nuns celebrating Vespers.

As for the rest of Tours -  It's under construction.  Literally everywhere.  Outside my hotel, the main square by the Hotel de Vile (City Hall), up the main boulevard where they are putting in a new ram line that crosses Woodrow Wilson Bridge.   Tours is literally under construction.  If you are in the area three years from now, stop by, it should look wonderful.

My Pack:  All I have until I return to S. Pierre des Solesmes on July 23.

Lastly, a little mishap at the hotel today when I got back from lunch.  I guess the cleaning lady left my room open.  The door was not even fully closed.  Nothing was missing from my pack that I am aware of.  Then again I don't have much in it.  But I told the man at the desk anyway.  It got me a bottle a red wine as a "We're sorry."  "Salut!"

Cum Fratris Nostris Absentibus!

The Cathedral of St. Julien

The Benedictines conclude many of their prayer remembering those who are not with them in choir for various reasons.  "May the Divine Assistance remain with us always - and with our absent brothers (cum fratris nostris absentibus)."  While I am not a Benedictine, I hope they are remembering me as I depart from Solesmes.

The Stained Glass Window of St. Julien over the Central Portal.

Since in the area I want to visit three of the more historical cities in the region:  Le Mans, Tours and Poitiers.  Le Mans played a part in the life of the founder of Solesmes:  Dom Prosper Guranger.  There he was the bishop's secretary before getting permission to reopen S. Pierre in Solesmes.  Le Mans also has one of the largest and best preserved Medieval cities (Veille Plantangenet) in all of Europe.  The Cathedral of St. Julien is magnificent to behold on the hill that holds the old city.  It is a mix of Roman and Gothic Styles and has tremendous Stained glass windows.  The wooden homes and cobbled stone streets are beautiful to behold and so widespread.  The entire old city looks out on the Sarthe River on one side and the modern city of Le Mans on the other.

Main Street of the Plantanganet Village

 The new city, like so many in Europe is pedestrian friendly.  I enjoyed just going from place to place and people watching.  "Look, and ye shall find," Scripture reminds us.  While walking around I found this church attached to a government building:  Notre Dame de la Couture.  Originally a palace with a joining church, today the government has the palace and then there is this giant church.  Upon entering it was giant, cold and empty.  At first I didn't want to walk because my boots were squeaking so loudly on the marble.   But there was no one there so I went further in.  To my surprise in the Lady Chapel-the chapel behind the main Altar- there was Eucharistic Adoration.  There were six people praying before the Blessed Sacrament and so I joined them for my Holy Hour.  By the time 6:30PM Benediction took place we were about 16 people.  A wonderful surprise!

Notre Dame de la Couture

Fruit Phobia!

The European Enemy!

Everyone asks how has the food been at the monastery.  In all honesty all the meals have been more than good.  There were only two rough ones over the past month and they both had to do with anchovies.  Breakfast is always coffee, bread, butter and jam.  The French bread is to die for.  (I'll have to talk about that on its own in a future posting.)  But I have been limiting myself to just coffee since the other meals are so good as well as to prepare me for my travels.

The larger meal is at midday:  about 1:30PM.  It has an appetizer, meat vegetable, salad and dessert.  It’s pretty substantial.  The evening meal is soup, and some type of casserole or quiche and dessert.  As I mentioned before, the food is so much better than I remember.

The only problem is very often there is fruit for dessert.  I know what you are thinking – this guy wants cake!  No, the problem is not the fruit.   In fact, I’ll often take a piece back to my room.  The problem is that in France, as in most European countries, they eat fruit with a knife and fork.  And I just don’t have that gift.

It all began way back in Christmastime of 1990.  I was a seminarian traveling with Father Fonti (who was yet to be ordained) and we went to visit in Salamanca, Spain a religious brother (in the Legionaries of Christ) from my home parish of Holy Innocents.  The three of us had attended Cathedral Prep, Brooklyn, at the same time.  In the course of our stay there, Joe and I and Br. Jose were invited to have a meal at the rector’s table.  In the course of the meal Father Rector graciously offered me some fruit.  I declined since I saw everyone eating their fruit with a knife and fork.  When I declined, Father Fonti leaned over jabbed me in the ribs and forcefully informed me:  “The rector just offered you his orange, take it!”

Well, I took it.  A decision only rivaled by Adam’s.  I started to hack at what began as a pretty good-sized orange.  Juice was squirting everywhere.  The orange which was a lot smarter than I was, tried several times to escape in vain; jumping this way or that across my plate or table.  In the end, I hacked this poor orange to the size of a large bullion cube before the meal ended.  On that day I swore I would never eat fruit again in Europe even if it were offered by the pope or the queen of England.

So other than my fear of fruit, the food has been fabulous here.

The Dawn From On High Shall Break Upon Us

Fountain Welcoming Visitors to St. Peter's.  Parish Church in Background.

The weather has not been the best recently and I was told (and checked on the web to confirm) that my last Sunday at the Monastery was to be spectacular:  Sunny and mid seventies.

After vigils I was in the guests’ refectory having my coffee as I watched the sun rise over the horizon.  It was just before 7AM and you could already feel that today was going to be different.  I knew I was soon going to sing those beautiful words in the Gospel Canticle of Morning Prayer:   in quibus visitabit nos oriens ex alto (The dawn from on high shall break upon us).  And, did it ever!

Everything was popping open.  Well-watered flowers were opening everywhere.  People too, were in a better mood.  The only complaints came from the college kids studying for their exams.  The choir and sanctuary of the abbey church is always bright because of the style of stain glass:  today is was simply radiant as we gathered for Mass.  After Mass I just walked around town.  I was filled with groups of people who lingered after Mass.

Faithful Still Gathered in the Place Dom Gueranger.

After midday prayers and a wonderful dinner, I went for a walk along the River Sarthe.  There are wonderful and extensive walking/riding/horse trails all around.  I was out for over three hours (unfortunately I missed vespers).  But let me tell you, I wasn't the only one out.  Seemed like the whole Loire Valley decided to step out and about and it was wonderful:  families together cycling, young and older couples walking hand-in-hand, groups of kids playing soccer or sons fishing with their dads.  Superb!

View from one of the many walking paths along the River Sarthe.

The Dawn From On High Shall Break Upon Us!  Zachariah, of course, was not speaking about a beautiful day, but THE Beautiful Day of God's arrival.  He sure was present in Solesmes and the surroundings on Sunday, April 14, 2013!

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Cuddling Up with a Good Book

While the weather hasn't been the best, it has allowed me a great opportunity to read.  I could never get this much read in three weeks or so back on Francis Lewis Boulevard.  Here's a peak of what I have read so far:

A Guidebook to the Camino de Santiago    John Brierley

And You Are Christ’s                                  Thomas Dubay

A Time to Keep Silence                               Patrick Fermor

The Hunchback of Notre Dame                  Victor Hugo

Heart Speaks to the Heart:  The Story

            of Blessed John Henry Newman     Dermott Mansfield

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit                          Carlo Maria Martini & Prosper Gueranger

Benedict of Bavaria                                     Brennan Pursell

The Invention of Hugo Cabret                     Brian Selznick

Solesmes and Dom Gueranger                    Louis Soltner

The Spirit of Solesmes                                  Mary Davis Totah (editor)

Angers Adventure!

Chateau D'Angers which now houses the famous Apocalypse Tapestry. 

This past Wednesday and Thursday I visited the town of  Angers which is 190 miles from Paris and about a twenty-five minute train ride from Solesmes.  Presently it is the 18th largest city in France and the capital of the Maine et Loire region.  It was a major center during the Plantagenet dynasty.  You might recall Henry II and Eleanore of Aquitaine from the movie "A Lion in Winter."  It boasts a medieval castle (Chateau D'Angers-today housing the famed Apocalypse Tapestry) overlooking the Main River, an early transitional gothic cathedral where I attended Mass each evening as a student and concelebrated Mass here this time (Cathedral of St. Maurice) and a wonderfully preserved historic Medieval sector.

Daily Mass Chapel (larger than Incarnation Church) of St. Maurice Cathedral.

Today it has become a beautiful walking city with dozens of pedestrian only zones.  There are many parks and green spaces that are easily accessed from the heart of town.  Flowers and gravel paths are side by side with Medieval buildings and modern conveniences.  It is also a major university hub for the region and so there are loads of young people around.  As a matter of fact over twenty years ago I spent four weeks here one summer studying French at the  Catholic University of the West  to help me with my liturgy studies in Rome.  Besides the studies, it was a wonderful four weeks.  During that time there was a woman, Madme Thibault, who "ran" the foyer where I was staying along with 50 high school and college students who had come to Angers to work on their French.  Needless to say I was older than they were and not in the same "party mode."  Madame Thibault managed to get me a quieter room and kinda took me under her wing giving me suggestions about more cultural and age appropriate things I might enjoy.

Residence where I lived in July 1992.

Besides visiting the town and university, I also had dinner at Mrs. Thibault's house with her husband, daughter and grand-daughter.  It was like being on "The Carol Burnett Show" in a Tim Conway-Harvy Korman skit.  Their English was poor at best and my French is really non-existent.  It was two and a half hours of playing charades.  The greatest fun of the whole evening is when little Marie (fiver years old) decided that she would teach me French single handedly by pointing to everything and saying what it is called in French.  Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable evening even if a little stressful.

View from my second (better) room at the foyer.

In the twenty or so years since I had studied here there has been so much development done.  Parts of the city have been leveled to make way for the new.  Some of the older areas (where the Chinese Restaurants were!) don't even exist anymore.  At certain points I was completely disoriented.  But there were so many new and beautiful things added as well.

There were two regrets from the visit:  first a restaurant which the Thibauts recommended as great and inexpensive was booked for the time that I was there, and second, while it didn't pour rain my whole time there it was not the sunny Angers I had longed for.

As I left I felt deep down that I will return again.  I hope so and I would recommend anyone visiting France to stay here and visit Angers and its surroundings.

View of a street in the historic Medieval sector of Angers.

Monastic Movements

As I prepare to visit the city of Angers today and tomorrow, I wanted to describe some of the Monastic Movements of the past few weeks.

Processions.  Everything in choir (where the monks sit in church) has a procession.  The monks enter and exit for most offices in silence lead by Father Abbot alone then two by two following the prior and sub-prior.  Of course there are the processions for Mass and Solemn Vespers where all the liturgical ministers process to their places while the organ plays.  My favorite procession is after lunch when the monk (and their guests behind them) process back to the abbey church chanting a seasonal psalm as they do so.  I find that procession the most moving.

Standing.  The monks stand silently before and after each office or prayer time.  It's simply a minute or more to gather themselves mindful that what they are about two do, praising God, should be done with whole heart and mind free from distraction.

Facing East (to the Tabernacle). When the monks are sitting in choir they face each other.  When certain prayers are offered they turn and face east.  Most noticeably this takes place at the prayer of the faithful.  Besides the monks in choir, the priest-celebrant also turns after his introduction to prayer so that everyone in the church except the deacon reading the petitions is facing east and the tabernacle.  Because it is a slender and long church building it can be very moving all long and praying together.

Bows.   As you would imagine there is also a lot of bowing here.  But not all bows are the same.
  Glory be.  At the end of almost every psalm that is sung the "Glory be to the Father  . . ." is added.  This is part of St. Benedict's Rule and it allows the psalms of praise from the Old Testament to have an explicitly Christian aspect added to them.  The monks rise and bow deeply at the end of each psalm and sit again.  all done quite reverently and uniformly.
  Prayers and Blessing.  Mindful of the story of the sinner who keeps his head down while he beseeches God and is look on more favorably than the publican who is in the front and thinks how wonderful he is, the monks bow after all the prayers the priest offers at Mass.  The prayers that the priest offers from the chair (usually after the invitation "Let us pray.")  This also happens at the time of the final blessing.
  The Kiss of Peace.  No handshaking at Mass a simple bow to the person to your left and right.  It's a little awkward at first but I find it so counter-cultural that it reminds me how sacred the person next to me is that I bow to him.
  To the Abbot.  Before each and every service including Mass, all the monks bow to Father Abbot and he bows to them collectively.  It's just another one of those signs of reverence and respect.
  To each other.  That reverence and respect is also to each other.  Whenever the monks enter or exit chapel they genuflect two by two to the Blessed Sacrament.  Either after (upon entering) or before (when leaving) the two genuflecting will bow to each other as a sign that sacredness and reverence is intended for all God's Holy Ones.
  At Night Prayers.  While I love the bow at the "Glory be," my favorite bow is at Night Prayers.  After the prayers are concluded, the lights are dimmed and Father Abbot walks back and forth through choir blessing each monk with a tap of Holy Water.  After he finishes he walks to the Altar rail gate and blesses each in the darkened church.   Here begins the great silence of the night.

Kneeling.  While important there is less kneeling than you would think.  But that largely comes from the amount of sitting that goes on with the singing of the psalms.
  Receiving Holy Communion.  People receive Holy Communion here kneeling either at the sanctuary step or at the Altar rail.
  Prayer.  Mostly during the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass and at prayer before the Blessed Sacrament at Benediction with Solemn Vespers.
  Mistakes in Choir.  A fun thing is that the monks kneel if they make a mistake singing the psalms or readings.  Mostly its the younger brothers.  But you see monks periodically kneel for a moment to ask God's forgiveness over their faux pas.  If guests had to do that I'd be kneeling for weeks now.

Sitting.  As I mentioned above most time in choir is occupied while sitting.
   Chanting of the Psalms.  The monks sit for the chanting of the psalms and rise at the end of each psalm to bow for the "Glory Be."  Just a reminder that their chanting of the psalms alone can add up to over two hours each day.
   Meditation.  There are little periods of just simple silent meditation done together in prayer.

Singing.  Almost everything except the readings at Mass are sung in Latin.  The readings and Gospel (but not the psalm) are read in French.  The homily which is given only on Sundays is also in French.

Silence.  While there is an overall silence around the monastery there are relatively few pauses for silence within the monks formal prayers together.
   Post Communion.  The most profound is after Holy Communion where there is a good 2-3 minute period of silent refection.
   Before each Office.  I also mention before that each office (prayer period) the monks silently gather themselves to be properly disposed to the prayer at hand.


So as I get on the move today, I just wanted to share with you some of the Monastic Movements that I have been witnessing and a part of these past weeks.

Feast Day in a Frat House!

The Annunciation by Fra Angelico.

Buona Festa!

Today (a little late) the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of Lord.  An event so important that when it falls during Holy or Easter Weeks it does not get forgotten but moved so it can be celebrated properly.

Let me tell you the only place I would rather be today instead of at Solesmes is at Incarnation as it is one of our Parish Feast Days celebrating the Incarnation of Jesus in the virgin womb of Our Blessed Mother.  Everything was so prayerful and special this day as the abbey pulled out all the stops for so awesome a feast.  The only damper were a few showers but ironically the offertory chant today was:  Rorate coeli desuper et nubes pluant justum (Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One).  Aperiatur terra et germinet salvatorem"
(Let the earth be opened and send forth a Saviour").  Taken from the prophet Isaiah what a poetic way of speaking of the Messiah, the One whose conception we recall today and whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.  Yes, indeed, while we think of it as our feast, of course it's the feast of the entire Church - all humanity.

I have been asked about the food.  Well we had so much to eat today that we were late getting back to the abbey church for the Office of None.  The menu:  Salisbury steak and Fries.  I was being teased that it was American fare to celebrate our feast.  No one was complaining as we all vied for seconds.  That along with special deserts and appetizers you can understand why both guest and monk was happy.

I will admit that I am a little "Incarnation-Sick."  I was telling the American monk here about all that we do:  the gala dinner-dance, the special prayer service with our school children and, of course, our evening feast day Mass with the participation of so many, especially our gifted choirs.

A few of the monks who know I am from Incarnation wished me "Bon Fete."  Interestingly, they mentioned that they would pray for my people.  Not for me, but my people.  While I wonder if they think I am beyond prayer, I am excited they are remembering the same people as I do this day.

Now this all sounds far from a "Frat House."  But let me tell you who I have been living with these past days.  On Friday sixteen high school seniors arrived for retreat.  Really nice guys.  But still they are 17/18 years old.  Solesmes has lost some of its peace and quiet.  Nevertheless, these kids are all here on their free time.  Remember, it's holiday time here and they have been joining the monks in Latin, mind you, for prayer six times each day.  Then they are going for additional conferences as well.  As noisy as they have been they are inspiring me (when they are not wrestling outside my room).  Their reverence for the "holy place, things and people" is a tribute to them.  I am very much impressed.

The real "Frat" guys are actually in the library- like almost all day.  There are eight guys from university who are here studying.  I don't think they are overly religious.  But they are very respectful and just fun guys (a few times they almost had the whole table laughing at the silent meals), they are staying here because it is cheap and quite to help them prepare for exams.  It's a great deal the room and board a relatively quiet.  For different reasons than their high school "housemates" I am inspired by how hard they are working each day (or at least the amount of time they are spending with books open before them each day).  Without generalizing, it seems they are taking their studies a little more serious than some other college kids I know back home.

The Meditation sung before the Blessed Sacrament during the Celebration of Solemn Vespers.

Celebration, Prayer and Study happening under his roof would make St. Benedict very proud.  Celebration, Prayer and Study are all human endeavors which were raised to new heights in the Incarnation of God's only Begotten Son.

What a day!  What a Feast Day!

Thanks be to God, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Today ends the Easter Octave or Easter Week.  The greatest benefit of being here at the monastery has been this Easter Octave Celebration.

I have always told people that my saddest day as a priest comes each year on Easter Monday.  The crowds of Holy Week have dissipated and the daily Mass crowd that had grown over Lent is dwindled as even many of the year round Mass goers are often visiting with family.  Not even the school children are there it's vacation.  So on these holiest days of the year it's often just a hand full of faithful.

The Octave of Easter (or Christmas for that matter) treats each day like a mini- holiday.  The Mystery is so large that it needs more time to reflect on and let sink in.  Daily was read another account of Easter at Mass.  The reality is too great to capture from just one viewpoint.  and like our own realities many people besides Jesus were involved.  We don't do well living as a Resurrected People.  The Power of Christ's Triumph should mean more than my soul lives on after this world.  We have to see the value in each other while we live.  Why can't we just bask in the light of Easter Joy?

Everyday this week was Easter at the monastery.   Every Mass was celebrated like Easter Sunday:  from the tower bells ringing to the time schedule, to the chants and choir.  It was even Easter all week in the refectory as extra food and sweets were added.   What use is it to profess a belief in the Resurrected Lord and not let it alter our way of life quite literally.

One thing I missed terribly was our Mercy Celebration on Sunday afternoon.  It's so moving to sing together the Divine Mercy Chaplet and so many always come out.  Plus I would not have had to preach as Pope Francis talked about the triumph of God's Mercy which is intertwined with the Resurrection of Jesus.  I'm sure he would not have minded if I borrowed a line (paragraph) or two.

Even if the monks did have some thing here, it would would not be in English or use that wonderful melody that we reserve for the Easter Octave day.  I remember back in 2009 when I had my date with the electrophysiologist the Monday after the Easter Octave Day.  The last thing I did before I went into St. Francis Hospital was the Divine Mercy Celebration.  Fresh in my memory and on my soul I prayed/sang the chaplet through the entire procedure and haven't stopped since.  I'm sure it was wonderful again this year at Incarnation with Deacon Robinson's efforts.  I know I was praying it here at 9:30PM as I was preparing for bed.

Mercy received, Mercy shared.
Resurrection won, Resurrection lived.

Thanks be to God, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

Catholic Culture

I have heard and read about the many challenges the Church faces in Europe and how so few people practice their Faith especially through Sunday Mass attendance.  If my parish was here it would be very disheartening.  Thank goodness Mass attendance, though not as high as it used to be is still better than here in France and, indeed, Europe as a whole.

What I miss in the States is a "Catholic Culture."  It used to be present in Catholic enclaves or ghettos in  former years but it does not exist anymore.  Stores are not closed on Sundays.  Rarely do people make their parish central in their lives.  Holy Days and Feast Days are just like other days.

Schola monks in copes at Solemn Easter Vespers.

As "pagan" as it might have become in some aspects, France still has that vestige of Catholic culture.  On Easter Sunday evening, the abbey church was packed for Easter Vespers and Benediction.  The majority of those there lived relatively nearby and had left there tables to acknowledge the Risen Lord.  Most had been to Mass in the morning or the night before, others had not.  Good Friday, as well as Holy Thursday afternoon are holidays here in recognition of the sacred character of the days and to allow individuals time to reflect and observe them (It also helps those who are traveling to spend Easter with loved ones).  Easter Monday is also a holiday.  If I had wanted to leave here then it would have been problematic to get a taxi and the trains were on a reduced schedule.  Why?  because it was Easter Monday!

This mindset is the same in Italy, Austria, Spain - throughout Europe.  It's one of the few things I miss about the States.  Being Catholic should permeate every aspect of our lives.

The Lord is Risen!  Alleluia!

Divine Intervention?!

While I had been rather faithful in posting since I began my sabbatical all that stopped Easter Evening.  Earlier in the week I got an email from my internet provider (I carry this little gadget that gives me a wifi signal) saying there was maintenance to be undertaken beginning on April 1 and that I needed a new SIM card for my gadget.  I duly gave my address and they said it would be here on the 28.  Well, it never arrived.  I assumed that with the Holy Days/Holidays it was late.  Needless to say there was a mx up.  I finally received the new SIM card yesterday.

Was it a mix up, or perhaps, Divine Intervention?  While I am more prone to think the former, I took it as a sign to evaluate my time here; especially my internet time here.  With wifi there was blogging and email.  I also followed our Holy Father in Rome during the Triduum.  But of course, there was other nonsense:  Getting caught up with the craziness from North Korea, or how ready the Mets were to play ball, etc.

All those distractions were precisely that, distractions.  Worrying about so many things can prevent oneself from handing over other things to God.  Trying to be "connected" can also prevent a deeper unity and intimacy with the Risen Lord.  So while I will continue my posts, I will try to limit my internet time.  I don't want to be that person who sits in Starbucks all day in front of a lap-top while the whole world passes by.