Chelsea.

Hi, I just thought i would share something with you that i found funny. We have a large apricot poodle called Chelsea who is very much part of our community. She has times when she barks and makes lots of noise and she has times when she looks truly contemplative sitting in the garden for hours quite happy being alone.

She does like to make her presence known and felt and likes to be part of everything too. Today at recreation i was asked if i knew what she had done the other day – no said i puzzled – what did she do? She had taken something that was precious to her – her rawhide bone – and left it in chapel in front of the Blessed Sacrament where it was found by Sr Sheila – our sacristan – who had noticed something odd looking and gone to investigate.

As Sr Teresa Mary laughingly said ‘ she left a gift for Our Lord and He gave it back to her.’ No one knows when she did it that day, she just silently went in and out – i guess she felt it was safe there. It was funny imagining her doing it and I think i learned something too. Adele.

Due to a recent comment on this post i feel i should explains so as not to offend or mislead anyone.

Our dog Chelsea is not allowed into chapel or anywhere near the Sanctuary. She does sit outside and wait for us at Mass and Offices but she does not come in. Should she wonder in she is led out. One of the points here was that she managed to avoid everyone and creep in unseen – it seemed important enough for her and it would have taken some effort as there are usually sisters around.

The point of the post is that an innocence creature of God can teach us something – that if we offer things to God he will often give them back to us in a much greater way. It reminded me personally that God loves me so much and wants to give me more than i can expect or imagine, i only have to let go of things, walk away and leave them to Him.

I hope that clears up the misunderstanding, Pax Adele.

My New Name

I have been asked how it feels to have a new name.

It’s rather strange really. At first you don’t really notice much because people tend to address you as Sister rather than using your whole name.

When the list went up on the board for reading at Morning Office  I must admit it was rather exciting actually seeing Sister Mary Magdalen written there. The letters now arrive addressed in the same way but sometimes someone actually calls to you using your whole name and it does feel a little strange. However I have always known it was me they wanted and have not looked around to see who they are calling.

Someone else has asked why enclosed life.

I never really chose the ‘enclosed’ bit. It is contemplative  and monastic life that I felt called to and the two usually go together. You do need a certain withdrawal to embrace the contemplative way.

I personally have felt strongly called to sing the Divine Office. This is one of the reasons why I entered a Benedictine community. For Benedict the Divine Office was the work of God and that is how he refers to it in his rule. Benedictines therefore give great importance to the liturgy which for them is their main form of prayer. From the Divine Office the prayer flows through the rest of the monastery and should continue into our work and all the other aspects of our day.

As Autumn approaches I am trying to do a little work on a bit of woodland garden I have been given. Actually it is at the bottom of the ‘tranquil woodland walk’. In the spring there is a wonderful array of bluebells and daffodils and snowdrops. In summer however not much grows in the shade but I am working on making some little paths and a kind sister has given me a bird bath . This sort of work needs to be done before the bad weather sets in so if there is not so much on the blog sometimes it is beacause we are getting things done before the winter.

Love and prayers Sister Mary Magdalen

Harvest

just click on images below to enlarge

         

These last few weeks we have been busy gathering in the harvest. The rains ruined most of the vegetables but the fruit flourished. We began with red and blackcurrants and gooseberries. Then came the plums and damsons – we had an absolute glut of these and many recreations were spent stoning and bagging plums whilst sitting outside. The result was freezers and bottles full and purple stained fingers. Now we are on to the apples and blackberries which have suddenly all ripened at once. The freezers are already full so some apples are being stored in the shed and others are joining with the blackberries and becoming jam. Our fig trees have surprised everyone by being very generous so i hope to try making fig and apple jam too. Soon it will be pears and raspberries and the harvest will be over. We have been very blessed and we give thanks to God who has provided all this. Over the last few weeks guests  too have been sent away with bags of fruit and jam.

The pictures show Sr Davina, Sr Mary Magdalen and Adele fruit picking.