FEBRUARY 2014

Monday 3 - The heating system was supposedly repaired. This meant that radiators that had previously worked ceased and those that had not worked got hot. Brother Stephan adjusted the water pressure. After a few gurgles and hisses during the night the house seemed palpably warmer. So the Abbot turned the heating down to save oil!
Tuesday 4 - The annex, built in the mid eighties is actually being re-painted.
Wednesday 5 - The men from Geo Thermal came to continue their investigations into the possibility of our heating the place with geo-thermal installations. All will depend on the size of the investment and how long it will take to pay for itself in savings on oil.
Thursday 6 - The Abbot and Brother Stephan had business in Miramichi. Father Adrien declared that he had been miraculously healed of all his ills and to prove it did an excellent job of washing the floor in the basement. Next day he failed to appear at Vigils.
Friday 7 - The Abbot went with Robert to visit Brother Henry and Father Maurice.
Saturday 8 - The Abbot spent the morning with the nuns. One or two of our members are venturing on the lake on cross-country skis or snow-shoes. Good exercise! The ice, after this long cold spell, must be very thick. There are also ski tracks on the lakeside path we opened up a couple of years ago.
Sunday 9 - The Abbot said Mass at the nuns', because the chaplain, Fr. Clovis, was off doing something else. It was minus 20ºC when the Abbot went on his bike and minus 12º when he came back. Something about the homily must have heated up the nuns and their surroundings. Father Graham presided here. There were less people than usual because it was very cold.

Grotto on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

Monday 10 - Discussion in Chapter about the puzzling seventh degree of humility in chapter 7 of the Rule of Saint Benedict. How can you say with Christ in all sincerity "I am a worm an no man."? Unless a person has the desire to be one with Christ on the cross, with the sense of victory and resurrection always in the background, this type of thinking just makes people miserable.
Tuesday 11 - Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The pilgrims to the grotto were not very numerous. You needed snowshoes or cross-country skis to get there, and neither are very good on the steps, covered in 18 inches of snow. Father Adrien celebrated the World Day of the Sick by going to see the local General Practitioner who found him well. His main problem currently is his stiffness when he wakes up in the morning. Join the crowd! But he bravely trundles into vigils half way through.
Thursday 13 - Br. Stephan spent the morning and evening in Miramichi attending the annual meeting of the farmers of Northern New Brunswick. A winter storm began in the night - a lot of snow, ice pellets, freezing rain, rain, howling wind. Then it all froze up again. The pipe from the well to the chicken barn was discovered to be frozen for the first time in its history. There are no chickens in residence because we are between flocks and the barn floor is being repaired on two levels.
Friday 14 - There was so much snow and dangerous icy conditions that the cook could not get in. Fr. Roger came bravely to the rescue. One of the workers at the chicken barn, who lives up the same remote road as the cook also could not get in. Brother Stephan did not go back for the second day of the farmers' meeting.
Saturday 15 - Father Adrien took advantage of a brighter day to go and see his aging and sick brother and sister in Richibucto, driven by Fr. Innocent.
Sunday 16 - A lot of snow and wind during the night. The snow-blower was in action early in the morning. We have to get the milk truck in and out. Day dawned with a regular blizzard in full force. Fr. Roger presided the Mass. There were no people from outside, because of the weather. We have seven guests, who were intending to leave after lunch. The snow was drifting a lot. Some of the guests got away, some stayed on. Despite it all the cook got in; she had stayed the night at her mother's across the street from us.
Robert left on the evening train, having completed his monastic experience. He now has to spend some time reflecting on whether to come back.