Abbey News

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Corpus Christi

Today we join the universal Church in celebrating the Body and Blood of Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament. Our liturgy will begin with the Mass of Corpus Christi followed by a procession consecrating the community, cloisters and grounds with the Eucharistic presence of Christ. The procession will return to Church and the Blessed Sacrament will be placed on the altar where it will be venerated throughout the day until Benediction following Vespers.

During the procession the community stops at various 'stations' for a blessing. Here we see Abbot John blessing the community at a 'station' in the chapter room.

On Friday of this week we will be celebrating the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Again the Blessed Sacrament will be placed on the altar for adoration throughout the day until Vespers and Benediction.

New Abbess At Mount Saint Mary's Abbey, Wrentham, MA

From Wrentham's web page: "Mother Agnes Day, our abbess of 22 years, retired from abbatial service on May 5 and on May 20 the solemnly professed members of the community of Mount Saint Mary's Abbey elected as their fourth abbess Mother Maureen McCabe.

Her election was confirmed by Abbot General Bernardo Olivera, and Dom Damian Carr, Abbot of St. Joseph's Abbey and President of the Election, installed Mother Maureen as Mount Saint Mary's Abbey's abbess.  We invite all to rejoice with us in this  continuation of the Cistercian life in Wrentham."

Pictured here is Abbess-elect Maureen McCabe.

Causes For Celebration
Eight priests were honored recently at the Cathedral in Atlanta, Georgia for celebrating anniversaries of their ordination. Included in the group were several priests from our community of Holy Spirit, Conyers, Georgia. You'll find the story at The Georgia Bulletin.

Tomorrow, May 26th, there is cause for another special celebration besides Memorial Day - a 57th anniversary to which the mysterious photo below gives witness. Fr. Jerome clears up the mystery in his homily for May 26th.

The institution of the most holy Eucharist on the evening before the Passion cannot be regarded as some more or less isolated cultic transaction. It is the making of a covenant and as such, is the concrete foundation of the new people: the people comes into being through its covenant relation to God.

We could also say that by his eucharistic action, Jesus draws the disciples into his relationship with God and, therefore, into his mission, which aims to reach "the many," the humanity of all places and of all times. These disciples become a "people" through communion with the Body and Blood of Jesus which is simultaneously communion with God.

The Old Testament theme of covenant, which Jesus incorporates into his preaching, receives a new center: communion with Christ's Body. It could be said that the people of the New Covenant takes its origin as people from the Body and Blood of Christ; solely in terms of this center does it have the status of a people.

We can call it "people of God" only because it is through communion with Christ that man gains access to a relationship with God that he cannot establish by his own power.

Benedictus
Pope Benedict XVI