Spring is no respecter of age & can begin in us when we are 20
or 80. We may worry about the presumption of beginning 'out of
season.' Am I too old? Would not the adventure & the risk be
better left to younger persons? This is not the point. Our
business at any age can be spring. It is ours only to assess the
love & presence of God, & to let ourselves go into the 'ever
widening circles', as the poet Rilke once described his life. We
do not have to see the end, the final circle. Rilke said "I may
not ever complete the last one, but l give myself to it."
Perhaps a lifetime is for coming to the place where we freely
give of ourselves at any age, time or place in acts of courage
or trust. Spring is more than the greening maple, the red-winged
blackbird. It is a deep momentum that moves the world toward the
fulfilment of the Benevolent Promise we hear every spring at the
edge of a once & winter pond as it wakes in warmth & song to
another beginning
from 'The Daybook' Spring 1998
Marv Hiles
4.5.16.
The spring lambs are here, hopefully acting as natural lawn
mowers, but I think they probably prefer sitting in the sun &
meditating on life! A lovely, peaceful picture for us to enjoy.
30.4.14.
On this lovely spring morning we remind ourselves of the wise
words of Jean Vanier that we are all called to be human beings
in need of God's mercy
22.4.16.
Yesterday we spent the day with her Majesty the Queen on her
90th birthday. We watched the morning celebrations at Windsor &
then in the afternoon a pre-recorded programme on her life. We
enjoyed our own 'street party' in Patmos! God be praised for her
fidelity, duty & utter selflessness.
17.4.16.
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, it's also a special day to pray
for vocations. For us in the monastery it's a day to thank our
Mother Mary Joseph for all the love & care she gives our
community; we decorate the traditional shepherd's crook with
spring flowers. It's also the day the cuckoo makes his
appearance each year; Sr Jane Margaret has just come in from the
garden at 9.37am to say she's heard him. Welcome back little
bird you're right on time!
15.4.16.
A little glimpse of Spring that we are enjoying. Snow is
threatened today, but surely not in the South East! All is
tranquil, the birds are singing, the faithful ducks are looking
for somewhere to nest & the little spring flowers are popping
their heads up.
12.4.16.
Sr M. Joseph found an interesting document in our archives
giving suggestions to help rectify the 'General decline of
religion in these times'. This was in 1788 - what's new?
7.4.14.
On Tuesday our good friends from the Waldron Hand Bells, called
the 'Parish Pealers', came to
Patmos to give us a recital, & it was wonderful, such a pretty
sound. It all looks so difficult to be able to come in at the
right time but they insist you just have to know how to count!
click on picture
click picture
to hear the tunes
3.4.16.
There is no such thing as too much love!
29.3.16
Here are some Easter pictures
to share with you.
28.3.16.
Several weeks ago Sr. Jane Margaret was interviewed by Emily
Jeffries of Radio Sussex; the interview was split & spread over
4 weeks in Lent on Emily's 'Sunday Breakfast' programme, ending
yesterday, Easter Sunday. The topics varied from Sister's visit
to Rome with Sr. M. Joseph & speaking to Pope Francis, the
rhythm of our daily life, vocation, our recent move, Lent &
Easter & generally what nuns are all about in today's world.
To hear the interview click on the picture & turn your sound up.
I have to add that the beautiful singing at the end of the
interview is not our sisters but the Benedictine Nuns of Notre
Dame L'Annonciation.
27.3.16.EASTER
SUNDAY
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
How wonderful to be able to sing those words again in our
liturgical celebrations after 6 long weeks. We wish you all many
blessings this Eastertide, full of the promise of hope & new
life.
19.3.15.
Tomorrow we begin Holy Week & we are in retreat. We accompany Jesus
on His path of suffering & that means we also unite ourselves
with all the suffering peoples of our world. So very many in
deep distress & anguish, many of them will never make the
headlines of a newspaper, they remain faceless & nameless; they
suffer in silence & anonymity. May you all have a prayerful
& grace-filled few days preparing for the great feast of Easter.
15.3.16.
We are enjoying beautiful sunny, spring days, still with a nip
in the air but the birds are singing & anyday now the cuckoo
will arrive after his long flight. Those of you who have shared
quiet days with us at this time of year will remember how
breath-taking it is to look out onto the thousands of yellow
daffodils in our park. God be praised for his beauty everywhere!
'Springtime is
the land awakening.
The March winds
are the
morning yawn'. Kathy
Sue Loudermilk
8.3.16.
As we approach the season of New Life, the
season of Easter, so here at the monastery we too have shared
the miracle of new life as Sr. Jane Margaret welcomed a new
great nephew; her nephew John, his wife Katherine & brother
Sebastian welcomed Joseph Vincent into the family yesterday. God
be praised for a safe delivery & a very beautiful baby.
5.3.16.
This is a short video clip of Sr. Jane Margaret when she
met Pope Francis in early February, at the end of the Year for
Consecrated Life. Click on the picture.
4.3.16.
Pope Francis has called on the parishes and dioceses of
the world to join him in opening up the doors of their churches
and cathedrals for adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation
this weekend from Friday 4th to Saturday 5th March 2016.
Our Chapel door is also open to anyone who calls & every 1st
Friday of the month we have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
all day; so we unite ourselves with all those who are adoring
the Lord this weekend, spending 'special' time with Him.
29.2.16.
You know the song 'You'll never walk alone', apart from being
the signature tune for the Liverpool football team, it should
also be our signature tune in life, because despite having those
times when we do feel completely isolated & alone, the reality
is that we never are. God is always by our side, holding
our hand, if we let Him. We need to be conscious of His presence
in our daily lives, knowing, that like this mother hen's chicks,
we are always protected & loved. If we are brave enough this
Lent we can step out, unafraid into the unknown singing our song
in our hearts.
26.2.16.
There is no such thing as the right place, the right job, the
right calling or ministry. I can be happy or unhappy in all
situations. I am sure of it because I have been. I have felt
distraught & joyful in situations of abundance as well as
poverty, in situations of popularity & anonymity, in situations
of success & failure. The difference was never based on the
situation itself, but always on the state of my mind & heart.
When I knew I was walking with God, I always felt happy & at
peace. When I was entangled in my own complaints & emotional
needs, I always felt felt restless & divided.
Henri Nouwen
21.2.16.
In our world of conflict Sr Augustine of Hippo has some wise
words. With the help of God we can be masters of our destination
& that of our world. With courage we must always be messangers
of HOPE.
19.2.16.
Yesterday a replica of the Shrine picture of Our Lady of
Consolation, found in the church of Our Lady of Consolation at
West Grinstead, came to the monastery for 3 days. Within our
Diocese of Arundel & Brighton the Church of Our Lady of
Consolation is a place of pilgrimage; it was the first shrine in
honour of Our Lady to be established in England after the
Reformation. In this special Year of Mercy it is also the place
of one of the Holy Doors in our Diocese & the replica picture is
visiting every parish during this year.
16.2.16.
This 'Jigsawing' is a serious business! Here we are at
recreation finishing off, at last, the one of Highclere Castle -
where Downton Abbey was filmed. It's all about team work, a bit
like community life.
13.2.16.
From January 28th until February 6th Our Mother, Sr. Mary Joseph
& Sr Jane Margaret were in Rome at the invitation of the
Congregation for the Institutes for Consecrated Life. They
joined over 4,000 nuns from all over the world who came
together to celebrate the closure of this special year for
Consecrated Life. A mixture of conferences, discussions &
greetings, the days were extremely full but a wonderful
experience for all who participated. After the the closing
ceremony 38-40 Visitandines from all over the world stayed on
together for an extra 2 days of discussion. So many photos came
home with our sisters & it's been quite a task putting them
together & now you'll need patience to view them! Click on the
picture opposite
2.2.16.
Today the feast of the Presentation & the end of the year for
Consecrated Life, some of us went to Worth Abbey to join the
other religious of our Diocese for a mass concelebrated by our
Bishop Richard & 30 or more Benedictine monks. There must have
been almost 300 religious at the beautiful, joyous mass. Our
Mother, Sr. Mary Joseph & Sr Jane Margaret are in Rome at the
invitation of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated
Life. They have joined over 4,000 religious who have come from
all over the world to celebrate the closure of this very special
year; but more of their visit after their return.
1.2.16.
As we get older, we get more rickety, our bones go a bit crooked
sometimes causing us to lean one way or another. We aren't as
'perfect' looking as perhaps we once were, at least on the
outside, but what GREAT beauty there still is, both in what we
see & on the inside! The trees you see when you click the
picture opposite are in our woods, still majestic in their
ancient years, still having a magnificent presence & a
well-lived beauty. Their message to us is to make sure you 'Live
until you die'!
24.1.16.
In the preface to our Constitutions, Our Holy Founder, St.
Francis de Sales tells us 'Be valiant, firm, constant,
unalterable, & so abide that nothing may separate you from the
Heavenly Spouse who has united you together, nor from that union
which can keep you united to Himself; so that having but one
heart & one soul He Himself may be your only soul & heart.'
Today we celebrate with our sisters all over the world the feast
of St. Francis de Sales. Together we give thanks for our
vocation within the Church, we ask Our Holy Founder to bless our
communities that we may each 'Live Jesus' where He has
called us to be, & to enfold within that calling all those who
journey with us in love & faith.
'Walk simply & you will walk confidently'.
St Francis de Sales
17.1.16.
We woke up this this morning to our first blanket of snow of the
year. Utterly beautiful everywhere you look, sounds are muted; l
hope the birds have found somewhere warm to perch out of the
freezing air.
14.1.16.
Look who was sunning himself in our cloister yesterday, he was
only about 2" long & a bit cobwebby!
'We think too small, like a frog at the bottom of a well, he
thinks the sky is only as big as the top of the well! If he
surfaced he would have an entirely different view.'
Mao Tse Tung.
9.1.16.
Look what we got from our dear Sue for Christmas - it's in case
we are suffering from Downton Abbey withdrawal symptons!
5.1.16.
We have just celebrated the birth of Jesus; a child who changed
our world, who changed each one of us. Read opposite the story
of a child who also made a difference in the lives of others.
Click on the picture.
1.1.16.Solemnity of the Mother of God
'What can I give Him,
poor as I am . . . .'
In this New Year of 2016, this Year of Mercy,
we gratefully look back on the past year with its many blessings
& graces. We look forward to 2016 with open hands & hearts,
offering all that is asked of us, knowing that our Merciful God
is patiently waiting to receive our gifts.
On this beautiful feast of Our Lady we pray, through her
intercession, for our world; that amid the terror & turmoil
God's merciful love & peace may reach those places where it is
most needed.
We wish you many blessings for this New Year and send our love &
prayers.
28.12.15. Holy Innocents
Pray. Pray. Pray.
26.12.15.
We share some of our Christmas festivities with you . . .
25.12.15.CHRISTMAS DAY
We wish you every blessing on this wonderful feast. May Jesus
bring you joy & peace & hope to our world.
Venite adoramus
22.12.15.
Although we are in retreat until Christmas day, we are still
busy & one of the 'to do's' on the list is tree decorating; as
you can see Sr. M. Ruth is doing a good job!
20.12.15.
'See how the Virgin waits for Him' . . .
18.12.15.
Last night at Vespers we began the beautiful O Antiphons, one of
the oldest liturgical rituals of the Church. As we pass
through these 'final' days of Advent everyone & everywhere is
very busy, so much to get done, so little time; we try & focus
on what we are preparing for, or rather on WHO we are preparing
for. It's a time of expectation, of longing as we look to
welcoming our Prince of Peace.
16.12.15.
This is the Christian’s joy:
I know that I am a thought in God,
no matter how insignificant I may be –
the most abandoned of beings,
one no one thinks of.
Today, when we think of Christmas gifts,
how many outcasts no one thinks of!
Think to yourselves, you that are outcasts,
you that feel you are nothing in history:
“I know that I am a thought in God.”
Oscar Romero
12.12.15.
Today, as part of this 'Gaudate', joy-filled weekend, Sr
Anne had the grace & joy of receiving the holy habit, & her new
name - Sr. Mary Ruth; she now begins her noviciate.
Please pray for her perseverance as she takes this next step in
her religious life journey. God be praised!
30.11.15.
Yesterday, after two years of formation, two of our Daughters of
St Francis de Sales, Sue & Jan, made their final Consecration to
the Society, during a beautiful mass celebrated by our chaplain
Fr. Jim Hurley. Afterwards we enjoyed a buffet lunch in Patmos.
Our group of Daughters meet monthly at the monastery to share,
pray & encourage each other on the spiritual path they have
chosen; that helped by the spitituality & writings of St.
Francis de Sales, St Jane de Chantal, Fr. Henri Chaumont &
Madame Carre de Malberg they may 'Live Jesus' in their daily
lives.
26.11.15.
We are in the depths of repairs, renovating the renovations &
have been for several weeks now! Once again various floors are
up, tiles are removed, walls are re-done, re-rendered & then
re-painted. Workmen are in banging, sawing, adjusting; so many
rooms we aren't able to use for the forseeable future. This
wasn't in the brochure on house moving! We don't really expect
to be finished much before Christmas, if then! But we do have a
roof over our heads & we can adapt to our situation so are
blessed more than many others.
We have almost finished clearing the old monastery; sisters were
up there this morning sweeping, bringing back more treasures &
throwing others into yet another skip! The sun is shining in a
blue sky & for November & Thanksgiving Day we have a lot to be
thankful for.
23.11.15.
A letter penned by Antoine Leiris,
whose wife, HELENE was murdered while attending the concert in
Paris where so many people were
indiscriminately slaughtered.
“On Friday night you stole the
life of an exceptional human being, the love of my life, HELENE,
the mother of my son, but you won’t have my hatred.
I don’t know who you are and I don’t want to
know – you are dead souls. If this God, for which you kill
indiscriminately, made us in His own image, every bullet in the
body of my wife will have been a wound in His heart.
So no, I don’t give you the gift of hating
you.
You want me to be afraid, to view my fellow
countrymen and women with mistrust, to sacrifice my freedom for
security. You have lost.
I saw her finally (in the morgue) after many
nights and days of waiting. She was just as beautiful as when
she left on Friday night; just as beautiful as when I fell
hopelessly in love with her over 12 years ago.
Of course, I’m devastated with grief; I admit
that small victory, but it will be short lived. I know she will
accompany us each day . . . .
We are two, my son and I (Melvil) but we are
stronger than all the armies of the world.
I don’t have anymore time to devote to you; I
have to join Melvil who is waking up from his nap. He is barely
17 months old. He will eat his meals as usual, and then we are
to play, as usual and for his whole life this little boy will
threaten you by being happy and free: because no, you will not
have his hatred either.”
21.11.15.
It is the custom of our Order that each year on November 21st,
feast of the Presentation of Mary, the sisters publicly &
individually renew their vows during Mass. We unite ourselves
with our sisters throughout the world; for each it is a very
special moment, renewing our commitment to 'Live Jesus' as
Visitandines & Daughters of Prayer. Afterwards each sister
writes & signs her vows in the Vow Book.
God be praised!
'Grant us O Jesus
holy & sweet love
of our souls,
that the year in which
each sister
shall inscribe her oblation
in this book
may be a year
of sanctification for her;
the day, a day of salvation,
the hour, an hour
of lasting benediction'.
St. Francis de Sales
19.11.15.
"Later that night
I held an atlas in my lap,
ran my fingers across the whole world,
and whispered 'Where does it hurt?'
it answered -
everywhere
everywhere
everywhere."
Warsan Shire
18.11.15.
Praying specially for -
17.11.15.
Tonight we go into retreat for 3 days prior to our renewal of
vows on the 21st, feast of the Presentation. Please pray for us
as we remember you & all your intentions; we have so much & so
many to pray for.
10.11.15.
There are many faces of love, there are many
expressions of it; there
are so many ways to say ‘I love you’ as listed in the picture
opposite. God too uses many different ways, each & everyday, to
show His love for us; the very fact that we ‘are’, that we
exist, is proof of His love. Instead of looking for the ‘larger
picture’, let's look for & recognise the small gentle ways of
how He shows us His love, stays with us in all the events of our
lives & holds us in His loving arms. Let us be there in those
soft, still moments, for others, so that there will be less
people who are lonely & who feel unloved in our world today.
8.11.15.Rememberance Sunday
We are indeed the lucky & unlucky ones, as we are the ones who have lived
to tell the tales of those we knew.
We are the ones who carry the scars
of things seen, done & lost.
We are the ones who must never
let those who are not here
be forgotten by the new.
We are the ones who will never
need to be reminded that
'We will remember them.'
As we are the ones who will always
remember those we forever call friend.'
Anthony Devannyas
4.11.15.
What lights up your life? We're now
in the month of November, the month of the Holy Souls; we pray
especially for those who have died that they may enjoy the light
of God's eternal glory, that they may see His face. We are each
called to be beacons of light & hope for others, dead or alive;
to let Jesus shine in us; for us Visitandines to 'Live Jesus'
not in any 'spotlight' way but gently, softly, graciously.
30.10.15.
Sr. Jane Margaret's great nephew, Sebastian, celebrated his 2nd
birthday this week. With his beautiful & mischievous smile
he brings joy & captures the hearts of all those whom he meets.
A 2 year old is like having a
blender, but you don't have a top for it!
27.10.15
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their
dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt
17.10.15.
Sr. Jane Margaret was busy during her retreat several weeks ago
making beautiful cards. The pictures don't really do them
justice. Isn't it wonderful that God has given us all different
creative skills; everyone has a gift which they can use to give
Him glory & others pleasure. Let's make sure we don't hide our
light under a bush.
16.10.15.Feast of St Margaret Mary
As we approach the beginning of the Year of Mercy, we ponder on
the love & mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus & especially today
as celebrate the feast of St. Margaret Mary, one of our
Visitandine sisters. We unite with our sisters & friends
throughout the world on this beautiful feast & remember you &
all your intentions in our prayers as we adore before the
Blessed Sacrament all day.
14.10.15.
Two bits of news; last week we celebrated the 90th birthday of
our dear Sr. Mary Elizabeth - she's a wonder to behold, still
doing our accounts & paper-work each & everyday, & then
yesterday we had the joy of our postulant Sr. Anne being
accepted for her clothing in the holy habit. God be praised for
community life.
30.9.15.
Sr. Mary Blogerina is going into her twelve day retreat tonight.
Please say a little prayer for her - &
watch this space!
27.9.15.
Yesterday evening we had a prayer vigil for Refugees. It was a
special moment to reflect that Jesus, Mary & Joseph were
refugees too; a time for prayer & chant, a time to unite
ourselves in love with all the suffering people, fleeing their
own countries in anguish & despair for many reasons.
24.9.15.
Last week we were delighted to welcome some Sisters of St Peter
Claver for the afternoon. They are based in London & one of
them, Sr. Assunta, had been at school with Mother Mary Joseph &
Sr. Mary de Sales; more than 51 years had passed since they last
met so there was plenty to catch up on! We spent a lovely
afternoon together, ending with Vespers before they made the
journey home.
20.9.15.
Seven of us went to Worth Abbey yesterday for the Diocesan Day
for Religious. The speaker was Fr. Michael Holman SJ,
Principal of Heythrop College. The theme was preparing for 'The
Year of Mercy'. We also met our new Bishop Richard Moth. It was
a wonderful day, the conferences gave us plenty of food for
thought & it was good to renew friendships with various sisters
& brothers who attended.
14.9.15.
Guess who came for a visit this evening?
Isn't he cute? We seem to have a lot of toads around the
grounds, some are tiny, mini toads, but all are God's creatures.
11.9.15.
We are praying . . . . .
8.9.15.
On Saturday some of us visited Sr. Mary Dorothy, who is in Holy
Cross Nursing Home just 7 minutes away from the monastery. On
Sunday she celebrated her 96th birthday. We had a lovely couple
of hours together, singing & enjoying her birthday cake; and yes
we got it wrong, the cake says 95!!! But she was still 95 when
we celebrated! God be praised for the wonder & beauty of old
age.
1.9.15.
Today the Holy Father has asked us for a special day of prayer
for the care & respect of all creation.
'Creator God who surveyed all that you had made
& declared it to be good,
give us the ears, eyes & hearts
to appreciate what you have given us.
Forbid that we should walk through our world
without hearing the songs of
the birds,
without
smelling the flowers along the way,
without seeing the glory of the trees,
without marvelling at the beauty of the hills.
May we not be so busy with our work
that we fail to
appreciate the sunshine.
May we not be so preoccupied with the things that money can buy
that we neglect the
riches of experiences which are free.
Give us a sense of respect for the planet you have given us.
May we not burn its forests through carelessness,
nor litter its roadsides &
beaches with garbage,
nor in any way upset the delicate balance of nature.
May we respect it for what it is - the work of your
own hands.'
31.8.15.
At the beginning of the preface to St Francis de Sales' book'
'The Introduction to the Devout Life' he introduces us to
Glycera, a bouquet-maker. Her art was that she could make many
different bouquets & arrangements from the same group of
flowers; the variety was endless. With God no colours clash, no
flowers are 'out of place' together. Surely this is how it
should be with us; that we all fit together, despite colour,
creed or origin. We are all 'God-made' & so it is possible to
create many different varieties & arrangements of the human
race; all equally beautiful, all giving praise to God by their
existence.
Something for each one of us to work at!
26.8.15.
We live in a holy place, a sacred space because of the presence
of God in our midst. We, the sisters, aspire to become holy; our
Holy Founder, St Francis de Sales tells us that it'll take a
lifetime, if not longer to achieve this! We also have 'holy'
logs; they are naturally holy, with the wear & tear of years &
enviroment. Now they make a pretty addition to the front of the
monastery. Click on the picture opposite.
24.8.15.
What does the picture equation add up to?
click on
question marks!
Part of the Angel's message in today's Gospel on this beautiful
feast of Our Lady, told Mary that the 'shadow of the Most High'
would cover her. In all our lives there is both shadow & light.
Some days are brighter for us than others; but there is a deep
beauty in shadow; the light becomes somehow different because of
the shadow. Where there is shadow there has to be light & some
of the worlds greatest artistic master-pieces have portrayed
this. There is an old Maori proverb which says 'Turn your
face to the sun & the shadows fall behind you'.
16.8.15.
A child's world is fresh & new & beautiful, full of wonder &
excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that
clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful &
awe-inspiring, is dimmed & even lost before we reach adulthood.
If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to
preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that
her gift for each child in the world be a sense of wonder so
indestructable that it would last throughout life, as an
unfailing antidote against the boredom & disenchantment of later
years .... the alienation from the sources of our
strength.
Rachel Carson
11.8.15.
This evening we have just had a Vigil in preparation for
Our Holy Mother, St Jane Frances de Chantal's feast tomorrow. A
mixture of prayer, reflections, quotations, readings & hymns. A
beautiful feast for so many as we unite ourselves with our
sisters throughout the world. Tomorrow we'll have Exposition of
the Blessed Sacrament all day, we have so much & so many to pray
for. You will all be remembered in our prayers. How blessed we
are. God be praised!
6.8.15.
This is what 200 cup cakes look like! Jodie & James got married
today & these were part of their wedding dinner. May they be
richly blessed in their married life together. God be praised!
5.8.15.
Our dear Janet comes regularly for her day retreat, she is a
'bird expert' & loves to log all the birds she sees during her
day; but she also works very hard trying to beat the weeds in
Mary's Meadow. (our wild flower meadow)
The first Morning Glory greeted us this morning with its fresh
beauty.
2.8.15.
It's been a busy week making roses! A friend of the community is
celebrating her son's wedding this coming week & as well as the
wedding cake which she herself has made & decorated there are
200 cupcakes, 100 of which will have a sugar paste rose on top.
The finished results are pretty & we were glad to help. Time off
rose making today when at recreation we went for for a stroll in
the lovely summer weather.
30.7.15.
We have just received news that Mother Marie Helene of Annecy
died at midday today. Please pray for her.
May she rest in peace.
28.7.15.
We are enjoying the first fruits of our new kitchen garden. How
blessed are we that our 'vegetable supermarket' is just over the
pathway!
26.7.15.
It's lovely having a glass cloister but it does show every mark.
After a full day of rain yesterday Sr. Anne is tackling the
smudges!
25.7.15.
After their moon landing in 1969, the 3 American astronauts,
Neil Armstrong, Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin & Michael Collins made a
tour of many countries. In Italy they visited Pope Paul VI,
presenting him with a sample of moon rock, he gave them
porcelain statues of the Three Wise Men. Later Buzz Aldrin said
this was one of the most moving moments of their 23 nation tour;
The Holy Father likening them to the Three Wise Men who visited
Jesus at His birth. The Holy Father said that like them the
Astronauts had reached their destination by following the stars
they could see.
Let us too have a sense of vision, hope & expectancy, & in faith
follow the star that God has provided for us today.
24.7.15.
... and more!
23.7.15.
Our courtyard cloister is in bloom!
12.7.15.
Laughter is a smile that has burst!
8.7.15.
The water lilies have risen & the first
ones are out; such simple beauty & a joy to see.
'It took me sometime to understand my water lilies. I had
planted them for the pleasure of it; I grew them without even
thinking of painting them'. Monet
click on picture
2.7.15.
Some of our roses have bloomed & are very beautiful, but it's so
lovely to find a patch of wild flowers that have pushed their
way through the heavy clay & brightened a small patch of barren
earth. That's what we can do if we try.
30.6.15.
The key to happiness is letting each situation be what it is
instead of what you think it should be.
Mandy Hale
26.6.15.
The Wagtails babies have flown away leaving their beautiful
intricate nest.
We had a new compost bin delivered last week & looking at it
made me think of religious life, especially early formation. All
the bits & pieces we may think worthless are put in together;
they mix, ripen, mature, get broken down in time to something
richer, finer & more life-giving which can then be used to give
life elsewhere. Isn't that our vocation - to become life-giving?
Check out the progress of our kitchen garden which is looking
good & productive with potatoes, spinach, courgettes, marrows,
runner beans, herbs & any minute lettuces! Click on the pictures
opposite.
24.6.15.
If you can't get to us by car, not to worry, as you see from
opposite we have our own 'runway'! Just jump in your plane & fly
to us! Those solar lanterns can make you dream can't they?
21.6.15.
What joy we had in discovering in the middle of the Peony plant pot in
our cloister courtyard a nest of 5 baby Pied Wagtails. Mum keeps
a careful watch from the roof above & before we
knew they were there Sr. Anne watered them! Mum flew out &
that's how their home was uncovered. This was God's gift to us
today.
click picture
18.6.15.
We have a great crop of gooseberries, one & a half bushes
picked, another five to go. So it looks like on the menu next
week will be gooseberry pie, gooseberry fool, gooseberry jam!
Thank goodness for deep freezers!
13.6.15.
On Thursday we had the joy of welcoming our good friends, the
Anglican Sisters of Bethany; they came to visit with Fr. Peter &
we spent a happy few hours together.
click on picture
12.6.15.Sacred Heart
'Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.'
Joyful blessings & prayers to you on this beautiful feast.
11.6.15.
Sometimes the moments, the days & the months in our lives are
like these stones, they don't always fit neatly & precisely
together; sometimes they feel as though they're only just
balancing on the edge. They pile higher & higher & we feel
perhaps that at any moment there's going to be an almighty
crash. But . . . it doesn't happen, we do keep our balance, the
stones grow higher & how original each one is; how smooth &
shiny they become because of friction, rubbing against each
other, being exposed to the elements.
O Lord my God you hold my days in your hands - how great you
are!
8.6.15.
'Do not look for Jesus away from yourselves. He is not out
there; he is in you. Keep your lamp burning & you will
recognise him.'
Mother Teresa
7.6.15.Corpus Christi
How do we treat other people? In the film & stage musical of 'My
Fair Lady' (George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion) there's a passage
where Eliza Doolittle says to Colenal Pickering "The difference
between a lady & a flower-girl is not how she behaves, but how
she is treated. I shall always be flower-girl to Professor
Higgins because he always treats me like a flower-girl, & always
will. But I know I can be a lady to you because you always treat
me like a lady, & always will." That gives us food for thought.
People aren't just what we see, how they're dressed etc. They're
so much more; respect, encouragement & kindness brings out the
best in everyone. Today on this beautiful Feastday of the
Blessed Sacrament, we look on Jesus & He looks on each one of
us, sees who we really are & loves us.
5.6.15.
I do wish you could have sat with me by the pond for prayer
yesterday evening, it was totally beautiful. There was a breeze
& the birds were singing Vespers on the surrounding branches.
Two of the ducks were enjoying a leisurely swim & all was at
peace.
click on picture
& turn up the sound.
click on pictures
2.6.16.
Our landscape can be like our moods, like our outlook. As these
photos show there is great beauty even when our feelings are
dark & menacing, somehow the light still shines through.
31.5.15.
Today we celebrated the feast of the Holy Trinity & so tomorrow we
will celebrate the feast of the Visitation, put
back a day. We share in joy-filled gratitude with our
sisters all over the world, for our vocations & for our holy
Order of the Visitation.
God be praised!
'It is true that when we let go of everything, Our Lord takes
care of all & manages all. We should let him lead the soul,
which is his little boat, & he will bring us safely to port.
Belong totally to God. Think of him & he will think of you. He
has drawn you to himself so that you may be his; he will take
care of you. Do not be afraid, for if little chicks feel
perfectly safe when they are under their mother's wings, how
secure should the children of God feel under his patronal
protection.' St. Francis de Sales
28.5.15.
A simple equation -
sun+rain =
grass growing very fast!
Sr Clare Chantal is trying her best
to keep it down,
but is she
succeeding?
24.5.15.
As we celebrate the feast of Pentecost today with exposition of
the Blessed Sacrament all day, we rejoice in the election of our
new superior, Mother Mary Joseph. Please pray for her as
she takes up the leadership of our community in this special
year for Consecrated Life.
