Christmas 2001
Bethlehem Monastery of Poor Clares
Newport News, Virginia
www.poor-clares.org
Our dear Friends,
We greet you with love, in the Child who is Love, as we once again celebrate together Christ, God-made-Man, the only answer to the mystery of human existence and all the problems, suffering and tragedy of this present time.
At this year's beginning, we were fresh out of the Great Jubilee and fresh into a new Millennium. We cried, with our Holy Father, "Duc in altum." We were full of hope for the Church and the world, ready to set out into the deep with and for Christ. This remains our direction, even though the way has been ravaged with a world filled with incredible suffering and violence. It is a new experience for Americans to suffer attack and massive death coming from outside its borders, although we can be blind to the massive destruction of legalized abortion and other evils that put human dignity in jeopardy from within. Our direct experience of terrorism prompts us to look again to God and re-evaluate our priorities, not asking Him "Where were you?" but rather answering His question put to mankind from the beginning of our history of sin: "Where are you?" It can surely be a heart-opener to realize that we are all responsible for what has happened; and it can open our hearts to the sufferings which are a way of life in so many countries. Our novena prayers to the man of peace, our Father St. Francis, were extended to the public in this crisis moment and were prayed before Mass each morning. Lord, make us all instruments of your peace!
Even though we have not yet started to build our new monastery due to very high bids, we have used the cooler autumn months to work on our land at Mt. St. Francis, even as we work to get costs to fit our Poor Clare budget. We ourselves went up there in seclusion on a weekday to see what it is like to work and pray in our Promised Land. Later in the season, many lay helpers, including friends, family, and even high school and college students, came on consecutive Saturdays to clear away underbrush and dead trees in our forests. We thank Mr. Jim Vadis, a professional forester, for directing all the action, and we are most grateful to all of them, and all who so generously provided lunches for these hard workers.
Meanwhile, back in Newport News, we had our annual leaf gathering, which is no small task. In fact, the oak, maple, pecan and long needled pine trees have grown so big that we now work with a good friend who is in landscaping and lawn care as a profession. His equipment makes the work more of an adventure and much less time-consuming. Our grounds, usually thickly carpeted with leaves, regained an almost summer look at an end of a day's work. This is an ongoing project through the season since our balmy autumns make the trees reluctant to shed all at once.
There is definitely a spiritual harvest theme in the Church's calendar as well. Beginning with our Lady's Assumption into Heaven, each liturgical feast adds to a growing crescendo of glory culminating on the solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe. This year, we were privileged to share in a very tender harvesting, not of fruit, but in the form of a pearl, for on August 16th our dear Sister Margaret Mary (her name means "pearl"), one of our Poor Clare sisters in Alexandria, was claimed by the Divine Merchant. And as Christ transferred the treasure of her soul from the sea of this life into the recesses of his Heart, we were privileged to give temporary burial to the shell of her body in our monastery mausoleum until our sisters in Alexandria are able to build vaults on their property. Sister Margaret Mary's presence is deeply and vibrantly felt. We continuously remind her that she is here on temporary transfer to help us at this time. Our outdoor benches were moved to the "In Paradisum" lawn near our departed sisters, where we often go to pray the rosary or one of the Hours together.
Next on the fall agenda was our annual community retreat in late October. Planned for a little later this year, we jumped into it unceremoniously but Spirit-driven when we read the signs of the moment and saw a lull in an arduous planning and bidding process. We felt the quick decision to be right, and confirmation came from day to glorious day as we rested upon the heart of Christ, our Foundation and Master-architect.
November 9th, anniversary feast of the Dedication the Lateran Basilica in Rome, was a perfect day for the dedication of the little local church of our Sister Marie Emmanuel's heart. First profession is also a harvest after the labor of initial formation. Present for the day, and standing in for her family back in Canada, were two Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. This vibrantly Franciscan community was an important link in our Sister's journey to us. How right that they would be with us to offer her to Christ! Sister Emmanuel did a little research on St. John Lateran and its historical councils. Did you know that in 1179 the Third Lateran Council enforced a canon that regulated the retinue of the higher clergy: "thenceforward, the train of an archbishop is not to include more than forty or fifty horses; that of a bishop, not more than twenty or thirty." One week later we had a special Eucharist to mark our 45 years in Newport News. It anticipated our golden anniversary since we will have moved into our Promised Land by 2006! Priests and people from both the peninsula and from New Kent County joined us for this happy event, presided over by Bishop Walter Sullivan, who, by the way, arrived with the retinue of his Mercedes diesel and his priest-secretary.
As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, our Postulant Carolyn also makes ready for her investiture on February 2nd, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, or Candlemas Day. Our Spring newsletter will reveal the new name of Carolyn-become-novice!
We thank all our local friends for their generous participation in the first raffle we ever hosted! Even a few out-of-state friends got wind of it! The winner of the Poor Clare-hand-embroidered Christmas tablecloth is Mrs. Gloria Topp. However, no one lost, for now each sister is daily drawing out a raffle ticket and praying for the name of the friend written on it. We thank you for again supporting this latest fund-raiser for our new monastery.
OUR CHRISTMAS LITURGIES
Christmas Mass at Midnight
Morning Mass at 8:30 a.m.
January 1 - Mass of Mary, Mother of God at 8:00 a.m.
All other Masses are at the usual time.