Monday 1^st – Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

Mary is Mother of God because she is the Mother of Jesus, God and Man.  Being the Mother of Jesus she is also the mother of each of us.  At the time of the second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI solemnly proclaimed Mary Mother of the Church.  This took place in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome and I just happened to be there!  A wonderful memory!

It is also the first day of the new year.  This passed off here with a great calm and simplicity.  After Lauds we met in chapter for the traditional exchange of New Year wishes.  The Mass was at 8 o’clock, as on ordinary days.  The Abbot went to celebrate Mass with the sisters at Assomption at 10.15, after presiding our Mass here.

We wish a happy and holy New Year to all our friends.

Tuesday 2^nd – A Father Nicholas came by appointment to see the Abbot.  This Father Nicholas is a priest of the Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church in North America.  He is a Canadian.  He is living at the little village of Beersville, which is half way between here and Moncton, on a little dirt road.  His bishop bought the property with a view to establishing a monastic settlement there with a monastery of monks, one of nuns, a house for married couples who wish to dedicate themselves to the Lord and a retreat centre.  Will the vocations materialize?

Wednesday 4^th – In chapter the Abbot explained the icon of the Nativity.  This icon is rich in details and it is interesting to see how each detail has been inspired by passages from the Bible.

Friday 5^th – Quite a serious problem occurred in the two chicken barns where we have 42,000 roasting birds.  Some sort of malfunction at the mill from which we buy our feed had resulted in too much salt in the feed which caused the chicks to drink too much water and gave them diarrhea.  The manager had to call in extra workers to change the litter.  The feed suppliers came and changed it.  The problem was overcome with a certain amount of loss.

In chapter, the Abbot commented on the liturgy of the Epiphany.

Saturday 6^th – A lot of rain this morning.  This is not normal for the month of January.  All the snow has disappeared, or very nearly.

Monday 8 – Dom Bede’s 64^th birthday.

This morning the forecasters announced a mighty snowstorm, turning to rain in the late afternoon.  All the schools were closed.  Here it was not so terrible.

Tuesday 9 – The season of festivities is over.  In the liturgy we are back to the so-called Ordinary Time.

Wednesday 10 – In chapter, the Abbot showed us the big and beautiful icon of the Nativity, 17” x 25”.  It was ordered at the end of November, with the hope that it would arrive for Christmas, but only arrived the day after the Epiphany, from Oregon.  The idea is that it will replace the crib in the chapel and be placed beside the altar, as we had the icon of the Resurrection during Paschal Time.  It is very nice.

Thursday 11 – Brother Henry was back for dinner.  He is very much better.  Deo Gratias.

Friday 12 – Father Graham went to Moncton.  His primary reason was to return a new type of intravenous system that Brother Henry had been using and, since it is very expensive, the extra-mural team at Moncton Hospital wanted it returned as quickly as possible.  Brother Henry still has to be on antibiotics until January 22^nd.  The extra-mural nurses from Miramichi have taken over Br. Henry’s care.

Our friend, Reno Poirier is with us for a few days.  He likes coming here from time to time.

We prayed for the sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame on the occasion of the feast-day of their foundress, Saint Margaret Bourgeois.  They have been very engaged in Atlantic Canada.

Saturday 13 – Feast of Saint Aelred of Rievaulx, and English Abbot, like ours.

Sunday 14 – The family of one of Br. Leo’s deceased brothers came to congratulate him in advance.  A very joyful and lively family.  Brother Leo will be 80 on Thursday.

Monday 15 – Feast of Saints Maurus and Placid, disciples of Saint Benedict.  Saint Gregory, in his Dialogues, tells how one day the little Placid fell into the river and carried away by the current.  Saint Benedict saw this in a vision and sent Maurus to go and fish him out.  Full of the spirit of obedience, Maurus ran out onto the river and dragged Placid to the bank by the hair, and only then did he realize he had walked on the water.  When I was a little oblate of 14 years of age, I also dragged another oblate out of the river, but I did not walk on the water, rather in the water!

In chapter the Abbot concluded his commented reading of Sister Aquinata’s article: L’accès au Christ, but first he announced good news: his leg, wounded during the haymaking at the beginning of August is finally healed.

Half of the chickens for frying went to the abattoir.

Tuesday 16 – Tuesday we always have a gospel sharing.  This is a tradition which goes back to the time of Dom Alphonse, our first Abbot.

Wednesday 17 – Since Wednesday chapter is flexible and informal, the Abbot focused it on Br. Leo who was to be eighty tomorrow.  The Abbot indicated the Heads of State and the Pope at the time of Brother Leo’s birth, like Saint Luke did for Jesus.  Br. Leo was born at Barre in the State of Vermont.  He told us about the adventures of his long life.  It was a very enjoyable evening.

Thursday 18 – For Br. Leo’s birthday we had some magnificent doughnuts given by our employees and the cook made a splendid cake.  Is it God’s gift – since yesterday morning it has been a bit on the cold side, minus 20 Celsius?

Friday 19 – Brother Leo began his eighty-first year well.  This morning he had an appointment with a specialist.  He has started producing cholesterol.  It snowed all day, especially in the afternoon.  At least a foot fell.

Saturday 20 – Rémi Martin spent all afternoon blowing snow.

The sisters’ chaplain is away for a few days.  Father Maurice stood in for him at the Mass at Assomption.

Monday 22 – The “Thomas” loader at the barn broke down, yet again.  Br. Stephen spend all day fixing it.  It is the most indispensable piece of equipment for feeding the cattle and for cleaning out.

Br. Henry had his last dose of antibiotics.  He also saw the orthopedic specialist, Dr. Lanoue at Miramichi hospital, who hopes to operate on the other hip in March or April.

Tuesday 23 – A breakdown in the chicken barn this time, the small tractor they use for cleaning out.  Martin Cormier went to borrow one from a chicken producer in Saint Paul de Kent.

This evening Fr. Graham went to the Moncton airport to pick up Michael Galante from California, but currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada.  He found out about us through our website and has come to have a closer look as an observer.  He is a young man in his forties.

Wednesday 24 – We finished reading the Constitutions of the Order in the refectory and resumed the reading of the Rule, in an integral version, instead of the edited one we had, and a different French translation.

In chapter the Abbot told us that we would have to choose a delegate for the next Regional Meeting.  We will do so next Wednesday.  The Abbot began talking about the agenda of the Regional Meeting which is at Saint Benoît du Lac in April.

Thursday 25 – Our chicken-barn manager, Martin Cormier, has sold his house in Acadieville, a sign that he is probably soon going to quit and go back to Moncton.  Elmer Aucoin is also retiring.

Friday 26 – Solemnity of our Three Founders, Saints Robert, Alberic and Stephen Harding.  The Abbot presided at the Mass and preached.  At the Offertory, Father Graham played a nice piece on the recorder with Br. Stephan at the organ.  After communion it was Br. Roger’s turn to play an impressive voluntary on the organ.  He is a postulant of many talents.

Saturday 27 – We have had a rather cold week.  The heavy blanket of snow from last week has not gone away.  We had around minus 20 Celsius all the week and it is still down there.

Sunday 28 – The week of prayer for Christian Unity has not been forgotten.  The people saying the prayers in the liturgy had us praying for unity at every possible opportunity.

Monday 29 – In chapter, the Abbot distributed the different areas of the house for cleaning.  Almost everybody got their bit.  He underlined that this is a way of serving with the Lord who came to serve.

Wednesday 31 – At our Trappist-Cistercian monastery of Our Lady of Joy, Lantao, in Hong Kong (China), they have celebrated Father Nicholas Keo Chi Qian’s 110^th birthday.  He is the oldest priest in the world.

In chapter, the community chose Fr. Graham as delegate for the next Regional Meeting of the Canadian Abbots and Abbesses.