Life is busier than it should be. When I joined the monastery I thought that my life would be nice and silent with lots of time to pray. However, I quickly discovered that we are as busy, maybe even busier, as many of our lay brothers and sisters. And so it should be - our vow of poverty keeps us working for our needs. So, I have not posted in a while. My duties have kept me busy traveling. and many of our monasteries and retreat houses don't have wireless internet access which makes it hard to post. In any case, I am home now and hope to get back to regular blogging. That is, if God permits it. There is a saying around that states, "man proposes and God disposes". So, may God's will be done!
When I last posted, I was just crossing the French Alps in to France. Our first night in France took us to the mountaintop village of LaSalette, near Grenoble. This is the sight of the 1846 apparition of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to two young shepherds, Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud. Mary's message, as in her other apparitions, was to call sinners to her Son. This apparition has been officially approved by the Church. This means that Catholics are permitted to believe that it happened, but as with all private revelations are not required to believe.
When I last posted, I was just crossing the French Alps in to France. Our first night in France took us to the mountaintop village of LaSalette, near Grenoble. This is the sight of the 1846 apparition of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to two young shepherds, Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud. Mary's message, as in her other apparitions, was to call sinners to her Son. This apparition has been officially approved by the Church. This means that Catholics are permitted to believe that it happened, but as with all private revelations are not required to believe.
The Church built in honor of Mary, adjacent to the site of the apparition.
The site of the apparitions, memorialized by figures of Mary and the children.
Celebrating Mass in the Church.