The Feast of the Sacred Heart



This Sacred Heart of Jesus mosaic blesses us from the
walls of the Monastery Chapter room.  It was designed
by one of our own artisan sisters and created (at the time)
by each sister placing a tile of the mosaic.

 Happy Feastday!

Today, we celebrate our monastery's patronal feast on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We will begin our celebration with the Liturgy of the Hours at Lauds and Mass in Chapel; the Psalms and antiphons all echoing reminders of the Christ's great love for us poured out through his Sacred Heart.

"Let us love one another with fervent love, endure one another's infirmities; patiently serve and obey one another, and prefer nothing whatever to Christ." ~ Vespers Antiphon

We end our celebration of our feast with an act of dedication to the Sacred Heart at Vespers:

God of all creation, and God of our hearts, on this feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we remember the love with which you first loved us.  We remember the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ who brings us to birth and feeds us with the blood and water flowing from his side, pierced on the cross. 
Inspired by the Spirit of Love, we desire to give our hearts to you, and to make the heart of Jesus our own.  Through his most Sacred Heart we consecrate to you our monastery, the life and work of each member of this community, and our beloved sick.  We ask you to receive this offering, which we make through Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, one with you forever and ever.  Amen. 

Coinciding with our feast, all of our Benedictine family has gathered at the monastery for our spring Community Days and Chapter meeting. Please keep us in your prayers as we celebrate and discern throughout this weekend.  Three times a year the prioress calls us all from postulant to diamond jubilarian to meet and discuss the needs of the community.  St. Benedict explains the reason for this in chapter three of The Rule of Benedict. 

Whenever any important business has to be done in the monastery, let the Abbot call together the whole community and state the matter to be acted upon. Then, having heard the brethren's advice, let him turn the matter over in his own mind and do what he shall judge to be most expedient. The reason we have said that all should be called for counsel is that the Lord often reveals to the younger what is best.

Let the brethren give their advice with all the deference required by humility, and not presume stubbornly to defend their opinions; but let the decision rather depend on the Abbot's judgment, and all submit to whatever he shall decide for their welfare.

Blessings,