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Notre potager - Our vegetable and fruit garden

7/1/2022

 
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Les frères ont travaillé très dur ces derniers mois pour construire
notre jardin nouvellement clôturé : les résultats de leurs travaux commencent à apparaître.
"Ce sont vraiment des moines quand ils vivent du travail de leurs mains."
(Règle, ch. 48)

The brethren have worked very hard in the past months to build up
our newly fenced garden: the results of their labours are beginning to appear.
"They are truly monks when they live by the labour of their hands."
​(Rule, ch. 48)

A Homily for the Third Sunday after Pentecost

6/26/2022

 
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​+ “This man receives sinners and eats with them!” We can sense the self-righteous indignation seep from these words—when no other line of attack is possible, an ad hominem slur is never long in coming so as to draw others into a pharisaic rage. “How could he?” “How dare he?” it is decried—without any basis other than a narcissistic fear that what has been done will detract from one’s own security and self-importance. “I would never do that,” it is claimed; and rightly—the “I” concerned being so focused on its own ego and prejudices that it has long-since become incapable of acting in any manner that involves sacrifice, risk or even heroism for a greater good.
 
In the face of this sanctimonious rage, Our Blessed Lord asks: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?” The answer, of course, is that no man would be so stupid as to do this. A lost sheep is lost, probably through its own fault, and must simply be written off. Ninety-nine are more important than one, and leaving them at risk in the wilderness (the Latin says “in deserto”—in the desert) is sheer foolishness.
 
Regardless, Our Lord insists on searching out and bringing home the lost sheep: “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance,” He teaches us in this Holy Mass.
 
This is a truly comforting teaching, for as the Prophet Isaiah reminds us: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” (Is. 53:6) It is consoling to know that even when we fall into sin and error we shall be sought out and carried back into the fold and welcomed with much rejoicing. It gives us hope when despair threatens to devour us. It sheds light when the shadows of death drag us further into their abyss. Indeed, this is one of the fundamental and defining doctrines of Christianity: that grace and forgiveness of sins are available even for the worst of sinners.
 
And yet, the attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees that Our Lord so clearly rebukes in the Holy Gospel of this Mass has a tendency to resurface, even in the Church herself. The temptation for us to become a group of very “proper” people, safely sanitised from any of the serious sins that others commit, and to show scorn and disbelief when people stray, is always present. Writing-off the lost sheep of our day is commonplace: “It’s a sad story,” we recount, “We must pray for him or her,” we say.
 
Well, yes, of course we must pray for those who have strayed. But we must also work for their return to the fold. We must do all that we can to find them, lay them on our shoulders and bring them back. And we must be willing to rejoice at their return and reintegrate them (and not gossip about the sordid details of their past—real or imagined).
 
This is not to condone sin or to make light of it or its consequences. Indeed, this is to take sin so utterly seriously as to mount an urgent search and rescue mission when someone is lost in its byways! We must hate the sin but love the sinner, as the adage goes. We must practice that “true justice” which “has compassion” of which St Gregory the Great spoke at Matins this morning, and eschew the “false justice” which merely metes out cold scorn towards those who have become lost.
 
In our day, unfortunately, justice and compassion rarely travel together. We either drown people in torrents of false compassion that do not call them to repentance, or we use the workings of justice simply to dispose of those who stray—banishing them more effectively than they themselves had done through their sins.
 
St Benedict will have none of this. “Listen, my son, to the precepts of thy master and incline the ear of thy heart; freely receive and faithfully fulfil the instructions of thy loving father, that by the labour of obedience thou mayest return to him from whom thou hast strayed by the sloth of disobedience,” the Prologue of the Holy Rule begins. Speaking later, of monks who stray, St Benedict insists: “the abbot is bound to use the greatest care, and to exercise all prudence and diligence, so that he may not lose any of the sheep entrusted to him.” (Ch. 37)
 
A headline that reads “Sinner becomes a monk” is not really newsworthy—it is a normal reality. Or rather, it is newsworthy, because it announces the Good News that in face of the reality of sin, repentance, forgiveness and reintegration are possible—indeed they are necessary—in monasteries, in our families and in all our different church communities.
 
As we offer this Holy Mass and worship the Father who accepted the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross offered for the forgiveness of sins, let us beg for an increase in true evangelical zeal in ourselves and in the Church that we may never cease in our duty to seek out and bring back those who are lost. +

L'elevage du 2022

6/23/2022

 
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Beaucoup de volailles ont éclos au printemps, et l'été les voit bien pousser :
Many poultry have hatched in the spring, and the summer is seeing them growing well:
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Statement - Communiqué

6/21/2022

 
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In response to news reports of a recent decree of suppression of our Public Association of the Faithful we wish to state the following:
​
- In our Statement of 13 May 2022 we said that if Bishop Rey “judged that we must be publicly sanctioned, we will remain here and live our vows faithfully and wait for better times.” That remains our resolve. Our monastic life at Brignoles continues unabated in fidelity to our vocation according to the vows we have taken before Almighty God.
 
- It is to be noted that the diocese has no control over the assets of the Monastery, which are owned by Monastery’s civil Association. They will continue to be used in accordance with its objectives established according to law and the intentions of our benefactors. 

- The assertion made by the diocesan Chancery that we have refused to meet Bishop Rey is false. Our Prior has continually requested a meeting with him. That we could not be present for one meeting to which we were summoned because the summons arrived the day after the meeting was scheduled, and at another because the Prior was outside of France on the day concerned (and apologised in advance for this and again requested to meet) does not constitute obstinate disobedience. 

- The (unpublished) decree of suppression states that the Bishop wishes to know the identity of the prelate who conferred ordinations on us so as to be able to verify their validity. As our Prior has written to the Bishop, a solution can be found in respect of this. But a solution cannot be found if it is not possible to meet the Bishop personally and propose it. To wait for such an opportunity to be given, and repeatedly to request such an opportunity, does not constitute obstinate disobedience. 

- The Chancery’s list of other motivations for this decree–including the extraordinary and unwarranted interference in this matter by an English abbot, whose assertions are a tissue of lies and narcissistic rants which must now be addressed by the appropriate authorities–are highly canonically questionable and indicate undue haste in the preparation and execution of the decree. These will be addressed in the proper forum. 

Our statement of 13 May 2022 indicated that we took the steps we did in April in conscience, after much prayer, fasting and consultation, for the salvation of souls and out of a “substantial and grave fear” that the Holy See would act against our Bishop and thereby put in jeopardy our ability to continue to live our vocations.

We take no pleasure at all in noting that the Holy See has indeed begun to act against our Bishop, putting at risk his many worthy initiatives and the many good vocations he has welcomed.

We humbly thank Almighty God for His Providence in ensuring that the Monastery now has the means with which to weather this storm. We place ourselves at the service of those who may need to seek refuge during it.

As our Prior urged on Pentecost Sunday, please join us in urgent prayer for Bishop Rey, for our diocese, and in particular for all those whose vocations are now at risk.

21 June 2022

​Ends
En réponse aux informations faisant état d'un récent décret de suppression de notre Association publique de fidèles, nous souhaitons déclarer ce qui suit :

- Dans notre communique du 13 mai 2022, nous avons dit que si Mgr Rey « jugeait que nous devions être sanctionnés publiquement, nous resterions ici, nous vivrions fidèlement nos vœux et nous attendrions des temps meilleurs ». Cela reste notre résolution. Notre vie monastique à Brignoles se poursuit sans relâche dans la fidélité à notre vocation selon les vœux que nous avons prononcés devant le Dieu tout-puissant.

- Il est à noter que le diocèse n'a aucun contrôle sur les biens du monastère, qui sont la propriété de l'Association civile du monastère. Ils continueront à être utilisés conformément à ses objectifs établis selon la loi et les intentions de nos bienfaiteurs.

- L'affirmation de la chancellerie diocésaine selon laquelle nous avons refusé de rencontrer Mgr Rey est fausse. Notre prieur a continuellement demandé à le rencontrer. Le fait que nous n'ayons pas pu être présents à une réunion à laquelle nous étions convoqués parce que la convocation est arrivée le lendemain de la réunion prévue, et à une autre parce que le prieur était hors de France le jour en question (il s'en est excusé à l'avance et a de nouveau demandé à le rencontrer) ne constitue pas une désobéissance obstinée.

- Le décret de suppression (non publié) indique que l'évêque souhaite connaître l'identité du prélat qui nous a conféré les ordinations afin de pouvoir en vérifier la validité. Comme notre prieur l'a écrit à l'évêque, l'on peut trouver une solution à ce sujet. Mais une solution ne peut être trouvée s'il n'est pas possible de rencontrer l'évêque personnellement et de la proposer. Le fait d'attendre qu'une telle opportunité soit donnée, et de la demander à plusieurs reprises, ne constitue pas une désobéissance obstinée.

- La liste des autres motivations de la Chancellerie pour ce décret (y compris l'interférence extraordinaire et injustifiée dans cette affaire d'un abbé anglais, dont les affirmations sont un tissu de mensonges et de divagations narcissiques qui doivent maintenant être traitées par les autorités appropriées) sont très discutables du point de vue canonique et indiquent une hâte excessive dans la préparation et l'exécution du décret. Ces questions seront traitées de la manière qui convient.

Notre communiqué du 13 mai 2022 indiquait que nous avions pris les mesures que nous avions prises en avril en conscience, après beaucoup avoir beaucoup prié, jeûné et pris conseil, pour le salut des âmes et en raison d'une « crainte substantielle et grave » que le Saint-Siège agisse contre notre évêque et mette ainsi en péril notre capacité à continuer à vivre nos vocations.

Nous ne prenons aucun plaisir à constater que le Saint-Siège a effectivement commencé à agir contre notre évêque, mettant en danger ses nombreuses initiatives louables et les nombreuses bonnes vocations qu'il a accueillies.

Nous remercions humblement le Dieu tout-puissant pour sa Providence qui a fait en sorte que le monastère ait maintenant les moyens de traverser cette tempête. Nous nous mettons au service de ceux qui pourraient avoir besoin de trouver refuge pendant celle-ci.

Comme notre prieur l'a demandé instamment le dimanche de Pentecôte, veuillez vous joindre à nous dans une prière urgente pour Mgr Rey, pour notre diocèse, et en particulier pour tous ceux dont les vocations sont maintenant en danger.

21 juin 2022

Fin

Procession de la Fête-Dieu - Corpus Christi Procession

6/20/2022

 

A Homily for the Second Sunday after Pentecost

6/19/2022

 
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+Excuses. Excuses. Excuses. How often we hide behind them! How often we busy ourselves in their many details (real or imagined) so as to avoid dealing with what is essential: the matter to hand in any given moment. “I cannot…” we murmur, rapidly grasping for some tangential activity with which to look busy in order to conceal our fears and perceived inadequacy. “I must be getting on with this…or that…indeed, with anything other than what is being asked of me…”, we fret.

We intoxicate ourselves with excuses—and we can quickly become addicted to their use. So much so that when an invitation comes to us, when something is asked of us (or when anything is asked of us) we run, we hide, we turn inward in fear and most certainly do not accept or do that which is asked of us.
 
If the Church in her Sacred Liturgy through the Holy Gospel of this Second Sunday after Pentecost teaches us anything this morning, it is that there is no place in the Kingdom of God for excuses! Indeed, Our Holy Mother the Church warns us sternly of those who indulge in them: “None of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.” This warning is stark: the banquet is the unending feast of eternal life, nothing less. We can either accept the invitation we receive to participate in it, or we can refuse it—with the realisation that if we do so we shall be justly excluded. The choice is ours. So too are the consequences of our choice.
 
Thus, if we hope to share in the Eternal Banquet, if we aspire to the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God in the life to come, we must attend very carefully to the invitations we receive in this life—invitations that call us forth to a more faithful, even radical, following of Christ. This has many applications, from the discernment of one’s vocation in life and in the faithful and courageous perseverance in it, to the acceptance of the crosses suffering, of calumny and injustice and of grave illness when they are laid upon us. Such invitations are rarely gilt-edged, and all of them involve a cost. But, if we may invert the Gospel’s warning: those who do not make excuses and who accept the Master’s invitation, and who faithfully persevere in so doing, shall indeed taste His banquet.
 
One of the most excuse-ridden areas of Christian life is that of vocational discernment. How many times have the expressions “but”, “I can’t possibly”, “if only”, “maybe one day”, “I’m not sure” or “just let me do this first” seduced young men and women into passing year after year without acting on the invitation that Almighty God has written in their hearts to come and follow Him more closely in the priesthood or the monastic or religious life? There are as many excuses available as anyone can want to avoid following Christ—and if we lack the imagination to create excuses, we may be sure that the devil will waste no time in providing them! But they are not the answer. They do not lead to the heavenly banquet. Rather, they exclude us from it. If Almighty God has indeed invited us to follow Him in a particular way, we must respond with faith, trust and courage, lest we find that the place that was to be ours at the heavenly banquet has been given to someone else.
 
So too, in perseverance in our vocation—whatever it is—excuses can grow like a cancer that kills the life of grace at work within us. “I did not sign up for this!” we exclaim indignantly when demands are made upon us, or the going gets tough. “I’ve had enough. I quit,” we shout as we take our hand off the plough, look back and walk away (cf. Lk 9:62) tearing up the Master’s invitation along the way.
 
St Benedict has some advice for us here. He advises the monk commanded to do something he believes to be impossible to make calm representation to his superior, and if the superior insists, to “obey out of love, trusting in the assistance of God.” (Rule, ch. 68) What we deem “impossible” is therefore no excuse: God may well know better than we ourselves that of which we are capable, if only we cooperate with His Will.
 
St Benedict also reminds us that when we meet “with difficulties and contradictions and even injustice” we “should with a silent mind hold fast to patience, and enduring neither tire nor run away, for the Scripture saith: He that shall persevere to the end shall be saved.” (Rule, ch. 7). Our sufferings may be great, but by our faithful perseverance in God’s grace they will be overcome.   
 
Indeed, there is no place in the Kingdom of God for excuses. What there is, however, is grace in abundance and for the asking in getting on with the task to hand, with accepting all that the invitation to the eternal banquet requires of each of us in our particular circumstances. In faith and in trust let us lay down our excuses at the foot of the cross this morning and offer ourselves anew upon the altar, begging for an increase in the graces we need worthily to accept the invitation of the Master and to persevere in fulfilling His Will. +

Pro Ecclesiae Unitate

6/17/2022

 
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Since July last year our Conventual Mass each Friday,
when it has been liturgically possible, has been a Votive Mass 'Pro Ecclesiae Unitate'.
Now that the liturgical year permits it again, we resumed this practice this morning.
Please join us in praying for the unity of the Church at this time.

Depuis juillet de l'année dernière, notre messe conventuelle de chaque vendredi, lorsque cela est liturgiquement possible, est une messe votive « Pro Ecclesiae Unitate ». Maintenant que l'année liturgique le permet à nouveau, nous avons repris cette pratique ce matin.
​Veuillez vous nous joindre pour prier pour l'unité de l'Église en ce moment.
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Notre orgue

6/16/2022

 
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This week our new (second-hand) pipe organ has been installed in the monastery church. We are profoundly grateful to the benefactors who have generously made possible
​this augmentation of our life of worship.

Cette semaine, notre orgue à tuyaux (d'occasion) a été installé dans l'église du monastère. Nous sommes profondément reconnaissants aux bienfaiteurs qui ont généreusement rendu possible cette augmentation de notre vie de culte.

Des stalles supplémentaires

6/14/2022

 
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Ces dernières semaines, notre menuisier a travaillé à la restauration des stalles supplémentaires pour l'église du monastère. Nous sommes ravis du résultat et de le (trés necessaire) augmentation de capacité qu'ils nous donnent.

In recent weeks our carpenter has been working on restoring additional choir stalls for the monastery church. We are delighted with the result and with the (much-needed) increased capacity that they give us.

A Homily for Trinity Sunday

6/12/2022

 
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+ The first time one assists at the choral celebration of the Divine Office the sight of a group of people rising and then bowing profoundly for the Gloria Patri at the end of each psalm, as well as at other times, is striking. Contemporary Western culture does not behave thus. It is highly unusual, foreign even. It is out of the ordinary and seems to come from another era.
 
Indeed, it does. In the sixth century St Benedict insisted in his Rule that “all rise from their seats in honour and reverence to the Holy Trinity” at the Gloria Patri of the last responsory of each nocturn at matins (ch. 9). Precisely when the profound bow came to augment this display of honour and reverence is not clear, but given the ancient practices of reverencing authority with bows and prostrations, it may reasonably be assumed to be of ancient origin.
 
Certainly, modern, Western, self-sufficient man does not bow profoundly before anyone or anything. In our day even the customary signs of respect for Royalty (when they are around) seem peculiar: we are too egalitarian to bow our heads or to curtsy, etc. And here we come to the crux of the matter: in our world, “I” bow to no one. Monks and others bending their backs in unison whilst chanting Gloria Patri are decidedly odd. Or they are perfectly normal—that is, if God is.
 
For if God is, the supreme “I” of our contemporary culture is in fact His creature. If God is, I owe my existence to Him, and in justice I owe Him my worship. If God is, He deserves at least that we bow ourselves profoundly before His majesty—in body and in spirit and in thought, word and deed.
 
It is appropriate to ponder this a little on this feast of the Most Holy Trinity—God’s own feast, as it were!
 
Yes, God is. He revealed Himself to His people in history, He sent His Son to redeem us and He sent the Holy Spirit to enlighten and strengthen us as we strive to live according to His commandments as His witnesses in this world.
 
Our adoration of Him is the most natural and normal response to this reality, as the riches of the Church’s Sacred Liturgy, developed and enriched out of this disposition of love and worship over the centuries and handed on in tradition down to our day, testify. Those who seek to edit or abbreviate this tradition, or who even posture so as to forbid it, show a profound misunderstanding of human psychology: if God is, we naturally worship Him as optimally as is possible.
 
Liturgical shortcuts and simplifications leave us cheated as creatures of God. Forms of worship or liturgy that focus on ourselves rather than on God move us ever further along the path of that narcissism which leads to nothing other than the worship of ourselves as God. In this respect the furore that erupted when Cardinals Ratzinger and Sarah respectively proposed that it is entirely appropriate to celebrate the modern liturgy ad orientem can be clearly understood: their opponents had long since forgotten (or perhaps had never realised) that “the Liturgy is not about us, but about God.” (Cardinal Ratzinger)
 
“There are more important things to be worried about,” modern man will cry—busy as he may be with good works. Well, no. There are not. For first things must come first. Other things, even very important ones, come later. If God is, worship of Him—the right worship of Him—comes first, as the first three of the ten commandments make clear.
 
If we put the worship of God first, if we monks truly adore the Blessed Trinity, at each Gloria Patri, if our liturgical worship is as generous and beautiful as is possible in our circumstances, the rest will follow naturally. We shall be fired and sustained in works of charity and “make disciples of all nations”, each according to our specific vocation. We shall not fear to teach others to observe all that Christ commanded, even when this radically contradicts the world (or those in the Church who water down her teaching) and comes at a significant cost.
 
May this feast of the Most Blessed Trinity recall us to our fundamental duty of the worship of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit—the most perfect expression of which we offer at this altar in this Holy Mass—and may that worship never cease to purify and sustain us in our vocation to be witnesses to the whole truth of Christ in word and action. +
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