From the Cave..... our Newsletter
Our Newsletter, From the Cave, is published quarterly.
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SPRING 2021
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Although it has only been “officially” Spring for a few days, it is Spring here in the Piedmont of North Carolina. The warm weather we have been experiencing over the last week or so has made a difference. The daffodils are blooming, there are flowering trees blossoming and in our woods the leaves are beginning to appear. If you follow the Celtic calendar, as we do here at the Hermitage, we are well into the Spring season (Imbolc) which runs from the first of February to the end of April.
We are about to go into the Easter season. Lent is almost behind us. In our reading program this Lent among other things we examined the presence of God in our lives. It is hard not to recognize God in the annual rebirth of nature. With all that is going on, both in our day to day lives and in the world around us, it is sometimes exceedingly difficult to even think of God much less feel His presence. But the fact is, that no matter what, God is always with us. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 139, Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there. Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
That is why we, as Christians and even more so as Benedictines, should make sure we keep our lives firmly focused on our true life, the true life: life in God, life in Christ. All else is temporary, transient and will eventually be gone in the grand scheme of life, eternal life.
We all are guilty of getting caught up in the world around us with the day to day “stuff” in our lives: The Pandemic, the economy, the latest fad of political divisiveness that seems to be our daily bread. Instead of getting caught up in the worldly concerns which most of us cannot control, let us stop and partake of the Bread of Heaven. Let us follow the Light that came into world instead of following whatever the popular political guru who is currently shouting the loudest.
We all have a choice. We can follow the world with all its temporal concerns, or we can follow God.
We had a good meeting via Skype back in March. It was good to be able to chat and get some fellowship going. That is an important part of our lives. Our next meeting is scheduled for June 8that 2 o’clock. Fr. Michael Peter and I have been looking at using GOTOMEETING which seems to work a little better.
During the meeting in March, it was decided to use the designation OSB as our order’s member identification. We also discussed ramping up our recruitment efforts with a roll out at this year’s synod in July.
BCOS Cycle of Prayer
Mondays: Bp Chad SSC
Br Charles OSB
Tuesdays: Sr Corydon OSB
David Neff OblSB
Wednesdays: Fr Mark OSB
Fr Michael Peter OSB
Thursdays: Bp Peter OSB
Sr Phoebe Elizabeth OSB
Fridays: Br Thomas Bartholomew OSB
Please add this cycle of prayer to your individual daily cycles.
It will be planting time soon here at the at the Hermitage. We are planning to expand our garden area this year. This will allow us to be able, hopefully, to have a better excess to donate.
Speaking of donating, we were able, thanks to some that were generous, to meet our goal for Mary’s Meals for last year. We hope to repeat our goal again this year.
Chapter and Retreat:
As we wander into another year smitten by the Covid virus, it again does not seem we are going to be able to convene a “in-person” Chapter and retreat for the foreseeable future. The Monastery of the Holy Spirit is still on shutdown as are seeming all other feasible places for us to meet. We will continue to monitor the situation.
+ Peter OSB
