DECEMBER 2009

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DECEMBER 2009

Tuesday 1 – Jean Pierre has come back for a month’s observership. There is movement in the house. I went to Miramichi hospital for a cataract operation. The right eye this week, then, in two weeks’ time the other. Then, as the Abbot said in chapter, “That will be an end of it, because he only has two.”
Friday 4 – Father Innocent is still making his pottery. The problem is finding a way of selling it. Tourists do not come by here in droves. We are looking for outlets. We will be at the farmers markets in Miramichi and Dieppe. For details see the pottery page on the website.
Sunday 6 – Second Sunday of Advent and monthly retreat Sunday. There are no guests, but quite some people at the Mass, because a family had asked to have a Mass said. It was the Abbot’s turn to preside and preach.

Tuesday 8 – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the 35^th anniversary of Father Maurice’s profession

Wednesday 9 – The organization PETA is trying to attack us over our cows and chickens. They want us to go out of all animal and poultry production! The Abbot says that he won’t change a thing. He does not believe that our methods amount to cruelty to animals, nor that they are contrary to Catholic principles. We do nothing that thousands of Catholic farmers the world over don’t do.

Thursday 10 – There was a snow storm last night. But today all is calm. In the refectory we are reading a book based on the writings of Mother Theresa of Calcutta. It is very edifying.

Friday 11 – Somebody stole Fr. Graham’s credit card details and tried to buy furniture with it. Fortunately they did not succeed and the money will be repayed.

Saturday 12 – Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas.

Sunday 13 – Third Sunday of Advent. Gaudete.

Today there was a public clinic for vaccinations against the H1N1 flu at the school in Rogersville. Only four of us from here went to get it. Are they afraid?

Tuesday 15 – I went to the Miramichi hospital as an outpatient to have my cataracts seen to on the second, right, eye. Over in a few hours. I also have glaucoma, which means that I have to keep on taking drops. Br. Gilles drove me.

Wednesday 16 – In chapter the Abbot gave us some pointers for living the Advent and Christmas liturgy, running through the O antiphons again.

Thursday 17 – Father Jean-Marc Guérette came for several days retreat in preparation for Christmas. He is a priest of the diocese of Bathurst.

Friday 18 – The Abbot continued his commentary on the Masses of the Greater Ferias. The annunciations of the great saviours of Israel all lead up to that of Jesus.

Sunday 20 – 4^th Sunday of Advent. The Abbot, Father Graham and Father Clovis went to help the parish priest in Rogersville with a communal celebration of the sacrament of penance.

Monday 21 - In chapter, the Abbot continued his commentary on the Advent reading. Today he presented the history of the bringing up of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem in the times of David and Solomon as the background to St. Luke’s infancy narrative. This helps us to see Mary as the true Ark of the Covenant. The Abbot and Fr. Maurice attended the funeral of Dorothée Cormier, the sister of Mother Alfreda, who is the Abbess of Assumption Abbey, the monastery of our trappistine sisters in Rogersville.
Wednesday 23 – Br. Stephan went to take a huge diesel motor to Moncton to be re-built.
Thursday 24 – Br. Isaac received an excellent fruit cake from his parents in Texas. The Christmas night Mass was celebrated at 7 pm. There was quite a crowd present, but the guest-house has not been very full.
Friday 25 – Christmas Day. We have received so many gifts that we don’t know what to do with them. Br. Gilles saw to the refectory decorations and erected the crib in the guest-house. It is all very pretty.
Saturday 26 – With Christmas falling on Friday, it seemed to stay with us for the whole weekend. May our hearts be a crib throughout the whole year.
Sunday 27 – Feast of the Holy Family.

Monday 28 – There is life in the guest-house: several friends, aspirants, retreatants.

Tuesday 29 – We now have our weekly gospel sharing on Tuesdays after Lauds.

Thursday 31 – Our Trappistine sisters invited us for a special Christmas dinner, with the midday office before it in their nicely refurbished chapel. A pleasant time and an excellent turkey dinner.

Our Lady of Calvary Abbey
11505 Route 126, Rogersville NB, E4Y 2N9
Tel : 506 775 2331 Fax : 506 775 6220
E-mail : CalvaryAbbey@yahoo.com

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