Christmas Newsletter 2023
For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder;and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, God the Mighty,the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6
“In the beginning…” As we begin Advent, Holy Mother Church calls to our minds the “Proto-Evangelium” found in Genesis 3:15 where God promises to send a Savior to redeem mankind after the Fall. This year we got a head start by listening to lectures on the Pentateuch by Dr. Brant Pitre. It has been a fascinating study and a wonderful preparation for Advent. “In the beginning...” presents the perennial questions about life – where do we come from and where are we going? Why is there evil in the world and what is the solution to the evil? It is also here, “in the beginning…” that we find these answers. God created us for eternal communion with Him, which man rejected, but which Christ has come to restore to us.
One of the traits of a good Dominican is the desire to study. This means, of course, that one must have a good library full of books. For some time our library has been overflowing with books. Many solutions were proposed but finally we hit on the perfect one: a do-it-yourself round bookcase that fits perfectly at the end of the shelves and still allows one to pass by easily. Even better is the fact that it holds many more books than the regular book shelf!
During the month of the Holy Rosary, Our Lady sent us a young lady to be one of her daughters and Guards of Honor. On her Feast, MaterAdmirabilis (October 20th), Sister Karina from Texas entered our monastery as a postulant. She brings with her a sparkling joy, a great sense of humor and an avid desire to learn. Please keep in her in your prayers as she begins her journey.
Advent is a beloved time for us in the monastery, with many small practices that remind and point us toward the gift of Jesus, Who is coming to live among us, to live with us, to live in us. Advent is short this year, so it is even more important to pay attention, and try to be alert and ready to welcome our Divine Bridegroom when He arrives.
We like to think of those first Dominican nuns in the monastery of Our Lady of Prouilhe, founded by St. Dominic in 1206, to be the heart of the Holy Preaching in southern France. St. Dominic and the Friars used the monastery at Prouilhe as a home base for their preaching. This special charism has endured throughout the centuries, so we are delighted when Dominican Friars visit our monastery in their work of preaching.
When I see the Eternal God wrapped in swaddling clothes,
When I hear the poor cry of the Divine Word,
O my dearest Mother, I no longer envy the angels,
For their Powerful Lord is my dearest Brother!
How I love you Mary, you who made
This Divine Flower blossom on our shores!
How I love you listening to the shepherds and wise men
And keeping it all in your heart with care!
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (this year is the 150th anniversary of her birth)
Mother Mary of the Sacred Heart, O.P. and Sisters