GOLDEN JUBILEE

 

This year on the feast of St. Benedict, July 11, I celebrate my Golden Jubilee of vows. For me this is the time to thank the Lord  for the many gifts  I have received in my vocation to the monastic life.

This celebration is really about God and His merciful and faithful love which has been the anchor of my religious life.  Rather than a huge celebration where family and friends from all over come, and who I would probably be able to spend only 10 minutes with each and not in depth, I asked to have only priests come, to celebrate the Mass and a dinner with the Community.  Our chaplain in residence, a great Benedictine and our Prioress are cooking the feast- which will be in our barn.  (Stay tuned).

Then during the year family and friends will come and we can share each to their own charism.  Cousins from California were here recently to kick off celebrations.

Why have I asked to have priests at the forefront of this special day? When pondering what priests mean in my life, the bottom line is simple! Without the priesthood there would be no Church, as there would be no one to celebrate the Mass and consecrate the Body and Blood of Jesus, the spiritual  food that sustains us.

For me the priest is Christ's own representative as he partakes in the priesthood of Jesus- our Great High Priest- and precisely at a time when the holiness of priests in under attack, they need all the support they can get.

Not only will I have five priests here that day to celebrate, but I will have Masses said by one Bishop, a monsignor and 14 other priests.  Celebration does not get better than that!

Photo:  My Goddaughter, Amie Hood Garibaldi