Better late than never to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR! It has been a week of Prayer for Christian Unity and to end the Octave of prayer we hosted an evening service on Wednesday night. Unfortunately not many people came but it was good all the same. They arrived and in true Benedictine style we gave them refreshments and homemade biscuits, .

The actual service just took half and hour and we started with a pryaer : ‘As we pray for and strive towards the full visible unity of the church we and the tradition to which we belong will be changed transformed and conformed to the likeness of Christ’. There were songs including one of my favourites called ‘Blessed be your name’, then followed some Psalm quotations – (if you’d like to look them up they are – Ps 40: 1 – 3, Ps 91: 1 – 2, Ps 121: 1 – 2, Ps 139: 23 – 24, Ps 86: 11).

At the end of the service we had: ‘Changed by Jesus in our serving, send us and together we will go,   ’Changed by Jesus in our waiting………’Changed by Jesus in our suffering…..’Changed by Jesus in ourstruggling…..’Changed by Jesus in our peace-making…..’Changed by Jesus in our loving….. ‘Changed by Jesus in our fellowship….’Changed by Jesus as we unite…….

Then the people stayed on and prayed the office of Compline with us.

Well due to popular demand with people wanting to know how little Skippy is doing here is an up to date report for you animal lovers:     ‘Last week after going to the vets, he lost his 2 Hobbles and was fitted with a new one, because he was trying to do the splits straight away, we had to go back this morning and his other Hobble was taken off. However, Skippy has to try and be quiet for another 2 – 3 weeks (which seems to be an impossibility for him and with Christmas approaching…..well……), we  had to hobble him ourselves within the first hour of getting back because he jumped up and straight away gave out a cry and I think he’s given himself a shock! There will be another visit to the vets in a fortnight’s time……. so please say a prayer to St. Francis who is patron of animals, that Skippy will heal quickly and it won’t come out again otherwise it will be an operation and we as well as Skippy don’t want that! Coco is missing her play pal………..

Just a quick mention on another theme, last week we had an Advent Retreat for 3 days in preparation for Christmas and it was really brilliant and what a way to prepare… there was a powerpoint projection which made it more real!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL! -   GOD BLESS

I know it is a few months since I put up a post, things are very busy here but I just wanted to let all you fun loving pet fans about Skippy …..

This should be a post on pet’s page I guess but it’ll have to do here -  yesterday while playing with Coco, Skippy had a bad fall and as I was trying to help him he gave me (a little love bite in a big way)… he has actually dislocated his hip! Thought he would be home this afternoon, but as he was getting up his hip came out of place again. It looks like it may be an operation job tomorrow!

Coco is missing him and is crying for him, and we miss him too but hopefully he will be home tomorrw or tuesday!

Have a great Advent everyone………..

God bless -         Sr. Davina

Hi everyone……….. just to update you with news on Skippy, he came home yesterday and is ok, a bit frustrated though as he is what is known as ‘hobbled’. His back legs are tied to give him support when walking – so no walks or play for a week or two then he has to be careful which is a tall order for a 15 month old puppy!!! Coco is pleased to have him home, they will have a great time at Christmas again.

Speaking of which I hope you are having a great Advent and I take this opportunity to wish you all a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR, as I may not get back to the computer for a bit. In the middle of christmas cards and in the kitchen tomorrow……… No sign of any seasonal weather at Colwich yet but it’s cold enough! 

Coco & Skippy

To get round now at trying to write up the Come  & See weekend will be a minor challenge I guess. I had an amazing response this year. As you know quite well this is the 3rd year running and it was our best turn out yet – we had 5 participants in the end from a possible 8 as a few had to drop off at the last minute. Still 2 of those participating had been before and that is one thing that has been an encouragement as that means there is something there to attract people back !!!

I started the evening off in the ususal manner of an Introduction talk and gave a copy of a reading from Blessed Pope John Paul II which we use at midday office, so that the participants could use that during the weekend for prayer and reflection. It was on the religious life and the meaning of a vocation.

The first full day (and it was full) had us begin with the holy rule after mass, then we all went outside into the garden and picked lots of damsons and victoria plums, which are now being bottled and made into lots of jam! After lunch I did a talk on Novitiate Formation  -  what takes place and at each step (with some explanation of the ceremony), what is studied during the first few years in the novitiate (depending obviously on the individual). After a brief interval for a break we then had a session on Divine office prep, where we went over the office for the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady.

The following day – after mass Sr. Benedict did a session on our house history, and again afterwards we went out to pick plenty of fruit! In the afternoon there was a treat in store for those taking part as they were invited inside to join us for a recreation tea before they went back upstairs to have the afternoon session by our chaplain, he did a talk on the psalms (I never got to that), and was enjoyed by all. After Vespers and supper there was a recreational period before private prayer in which I talked about the blessing day and showed a few photos!

The final day was fairly quiet as we had Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and it was the feast of Our Lady, email addresses were exchanged and departures took place after lunch for most.

All in all it was really great this year and now I will look forward to next year! So if you couldn’t make it for one reason or another or if those of you who took part would love to come back for another come & see weekend – I’ll see you then!

God bless and please continue to pray for us. I think one of those who took part may come as an Aspirant sometime in the future!

Sr. D

Sr. Davina
x

Some added news for you there are still a few places left for the come and see weekend. But dissappointingly -  our postulant has left and made the brave discision that it is not for her after all. Please keep her and us in your prayers. Thanks.    Sr.  D x 

Just to let you all know that the time is nearing its deadline for the come and see weekend in a few weeks. Please could let me know if you are coming as I have some people saying they ‘might come’ and I do have limited places and there may still be some available……

Look forward to meeting those of you who are taking part this year!

God bless
Sr. D

It’s time I updated you on a few things that have happened recently (like in the last week), which I think will interest you all!!!

It was a busy day as usual on Tuesday, but despite that we had someone enter as a ‘POSTULANT’ , so within her arrival at the doorstep we had our very brief ceremony of admittance and I gave a few words of welcome then all gave the kiss of peace. During ‘postulancy’ you live in the Novitiate and keep your own name.

But that’s not all, within half an hour we had a lovely visit from our Archbishop who was visiting the local Parish for Confirmation in the early evening. He chatted with us and he asked us all to share a bit about our own vocational journey, then we altered the time for vespers in which His Grace the Archbishop joined us for.

What a wonderful occassion ….. but now we are preparing for our annual retreat which we will start tomorrow evening until the 8th July, please keep us all in your prayers. 

Thank you and God bless

Sr. D  xxx

We have now come to the climax of the Easter season with the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost and as I wonder on what to say I have tried to take as a basis “ taking up the challenge of living the Gospel values”. These values are of course very familiar with us and we can almost forget some of them without thinking, each day we try to live out the values of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness etc and these are of course just some of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. These fruits, alongside the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit are the foundations in which we can build a life of Holiness. Just a little over a year ago we celebrated a wonderful celebration for the Vigil of Pentecost with 4 readings and taking the form of another Eater Vigil – (the occasion being my Abbatial Blessing Day) and it has been a somewhat very challenging  year both for me and for the Community! It has been said that I have had ‘a Baptism of an introduction to the task of being a superior’, and it no doubt will continue to be!

 Pentecost was originally called the Feast of Weeks and was an agricultural feast which was celebrated in May or June in way of Thanksgiving to God for the grain harvest, (but we can offer ourselves to God instead), it was celebrated 7 weeks (or 50 days) after the feast of Passover. This feast was developed somewhat by the time that Our Lord was living, the Feast of weeks had acquired a new meaning. Since it followed 50 days after the celebration of Passover which commemorated the exodus, Pentecost as it was now called, had become a commemoration of the giving of the Covenant and Law at Sinai after the Exodus. The wind from heaven and tongues of fire in Acts echos Exodus which describes the thunder and smoke on Mt. Sinai when God gave the covenant. It is at Pentecost that we see God’s gift of the new Law, and that new law is the Holy Spirit.

This is something which we are all called to do as Jesus taught us a way by his example, he left us help on the day of Pentecost, we receive this help first at our Baptism, then at our Confirmation but have to continue through life’s little journey. Just as these are the foundations (the gift’s & the fruit’s of the Holy Spirit), for our lives which calls us to a continuous renewal of the way we live. We need to take a step back occasionally and look at the foundations of our rule and see how we can get to the spirit of what and how St. Benedict asks us to live. Our vow of Conversion asks us to be continually open to this and to keep that renewal at heart.   

So going back to living the gospel values, we should go back to 14 short weeks ago when on Ash Wed we were full of zeal to give up everything and anything to do that bit of extra for the Lord in an attempt to better our lives. During these 6 weeks or so we ready for anything, knowing that at Easter all our attempts will come to an end in one sense. But where has that left us now? Have we become too slack again and drifted away? It is a time to be open to the Holy Spirit and to ‘Listen’ as St. Benedict tells us to with the ‘ear of our heart’ as well as our ears and mind, and to deepen our commitment to God through a renewal in ourselves and let the Holy Spirit flow through us – being able to sing along with the responsorial Psalm for Pentecost ‘Send forth your Spirit Lord, and renew the face of the earth’.

It has been wonderful to journey this last year with you even though its been difficult at times, I hope that there is something inspirational in what I am writing.  Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Hello everyone!

Well one year on and I seemed to have survived everything!!!!!!!!!

Just wanted to share a song that was written for the occassion last year. As you may or may not know it is a tradition of our community to celebrate the Abbess’s feast and at the beginning and end of the feast day (both the blessing day and feast day’s – which are March 1st and May 22nd) we have a song which has been specially written for time. One of our Aspirants was asked to perform this challenge and she came up with the following song:

Hymn in honour of the Abbatial Blessing of Lady Abbess Davina Sharp  O.S.B.

Verse 1).

Father, we ask for your blessing today,

Bless our dear Mother in every way,

And may this family forever, we pray

Be filled with your grace Lord, and loving alway.

Verse 2).

Mary our Mother, our Sweetness, our Queen,

We trust in your counsel, your mercy serene,

We place our dear Abbess in your tender care,

Your mantle our refuge, we find solace there.         

Verse 3).

Jesus Our Saviour, Our Lord, and Our Friend,

Your loving mercy on our Mother send,

Lead her and guide her, let her never wend

from Your Sacred Heart Lord, her strength without end.

Verse 4).

Spirit most holy, O Paraclete dear,

With wisdom and knowledge, discernment and fear,

With strength and with counsel , and piety here,

With every grace, every gift now draw near.

Verse 5).

So may we praise You, O Trinity Best,

May You be in all hearts as our living Guest,

From sunrise to sunrise, from east and to west,

Ages on ages, O Godhead most blessed!