Today is the feast of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr of the 4th C.  and the birthday of our Mother Dilecta.

St. Agnes  was martyred on 21st January c305 AD in the Piazza Navarone in Rome, at the  age of twelve or thirteen. The son of the Governor of Rome proposed marriage, but Agnes preferred virginity.
Her refusal to accept his hand, sent the Governor into a rage, and he threatened to expose Agnes’s parents as Christians, and so face certain death. He tried to persuade Agnes to change her mind by making her walk naked through the city, but her hair miraculously grew to cover her body and save her nakedness. This could not change her mind, so Agnes was burned at the stake, but the flames refused to touch her. She was sent to the lions, who made no attack on her. The son of the Governor goaded the lions who then attacked and killed him. The Father, distraught at his son’s death, pleaded with Agnes to pray for him, and at her intercession he was restored to health. Undeterred, the Governor had Agnes beheaded. Her body was buried in the Catacombs outside the city.

Because of the resemblance of her name, Agnes to agnus (Latin for lamb) she is often represented in Art carrying a lamb. An interesting custom is observed on her feast day. Two lambs are brought from the Trappist Abbey of  Three Fountains  in Rome to the Pope to be blessed. On Holy Thursday they are shorn, and from the wool  the pallium  is woven by the Benedictine nuns at St. Cecelia's in Trastevere. This is the thin stole the Holy Father  gives to a newly consecrated archbishop as a sign of his jurisdiction and his union with the Head of the Church.

Mother Dilecta feeding calves

St. Agnes is also a patroness of gardeners, which is fitting as Mother Dilecta is  in charge of the monastery gardens. We always have a Mexican meal for MD and today being Friday, we will have crab enchiladas, chili rellenos, etc. .  OLE!!!

GERMAN (OCEAN) TV

In July of 2010 a German TV crew came to OLR to film life on the farm as part of a TV series called “mareTV” (“Ocean TV”) which is broadcast twice a month on German television channel NDR. Each film covers a different region or country by the sea with spectacular footage and in-depth stories about people and their relationship to the sea. The director was Carola Meyer. She and her two photographers spent several days here, during the busiest time but managed to film a lot of our life. It aired in Germany December 16th. We were not the only ones filmed but rather a lot of the Seattle area as well (shades of Natl. Geographic!) I have not yet been able to download it but seems all they took for the several days here is ff:

"The nuns of Shaw Island  are a prime example of the special way of life on the Pacific coast. The Benedictine monastery of Our Lady of the Rock even manages a farm. This is not easy on the island, because they never know whether they get the hay dry in the barn. And their alpacas, relatives of the llama, are indeed divine beings, but a little sneaky. Reverend Mother Therese and her sisters are nevertheless certain: it is their place, here they belong".

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

This  is Christmas-tide, which we celebrate to the full in the Monastery, as the world takes down their trees, children return to school and Santa- not to mention the Christ Child- is  but a memory. Today is the 5th day of Christmas-  what are these twelve days of Christmas, which we sing about in carol?  They are the days between Christmas and Epiphany (Jan. 6) when the Magi appear to the Child. Traditionally, in many parts of the world this is the day when children receive their gifts.

While much of the country is digging itself out of snow and ice, or nearly collapsing into the Pacific with rains, it has been mild in our Pacific Northwest area.  We pray that life improves for the many suffering, not only in our country, but other areas of the world.

May the Christ Child enlighten all who sit in darkness and may the hearts of all be open to His love.  A Blessed New Year from all at OLR!

THE GREAT "O"s

December 17

Tonight at Vespers we sing the first Great "O", O Sapientia (O Wisdom).


The seven "O Antiphons" " are prayers that come from the Breviary's Vespers during the Octave before Christmas Eve, a time which is called the "Golden Nights." It is believed they were sung as far back as the 5th C. in France.


Each Antiphon begins with "O" and addresses Jesus with a unique title which comes from the prophecies of Isiah and Micah, and whose initials, when read backwards, form an acrostic for the Latin "Ero Cras" which means "Tomorrow I come." Those titles for Christ are:
    Sapientia-       O Wisdom
    Adonai -          O Lord of Israel
    Radix Jesse  -  O Root of Jesse
    Clavis David -  O Key of David
    Oriens -           O Dayspring (Dawn)
    Rex Gentium -  O King of the Nations
    Emmanuel  -     O Emmanuel  (God is with us)


The Great “O"s not only bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion.  As we daily sing these ancient antiphons, you shall all be included in our song! Many Blessings!

SAINTS AND SALES

In the midst of Advent, with the wondrous feasts of light, Our Lady of Guadalupe & Santa Lucia, we have been busy preparing for the Coming of Christ thru our Liturgy & prayer,  while also  trying to expend some energies on gifts for others and sales to promote our products.  The sale on our small island was a success while the one on the mainland, not so grand!  We have over the years been asked to list some of the products we offer but have not had the means.  I will do so here:  thru some photos.

Friday we sing the first of the O Antiphons: O Sapientia (O Wisdom).  In my next blog I will attempt to explain the significance of these antiphons in the preparation for Christmas.  Blessings, MH
NB  Any of the products can be purchased on line.  Contact me at :  mhildegard@rockisland.com

Herb products

Cotswold wool blankets

Raw Cotswold wool

Sheep hides

Sheep and alpaca roving

Handmade jewelry

Rosaries

CLAIRE & LUCINA

December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
Yesterday our two new Jersey cows arrived: milk cow Claire and her few weeks old heifer calf,  Lucina. The trip down from the farm near the Canadian border was hard on Claire calling for a  stop at Chuckanut  Animal Hospital  though there was nothing wrong. Just a scare! Claire is mom's registered name and we felt in the spirit of the season we would call her daughter Lucina, another name meaning light or brightness.  As you can see they are lovely esp. the calf and  both are very sweet-natured.

It has been a busy week making the plum puddings for sale and for ourselves, the Christmas Linzer tortes and other goodies, and getting ready for an off-island Christmas sale, not to mention orders for hides, fleeces and herbal products. Of course our Advent Liturgy daily leads us into the fullness of the wondrous mystery to come in a  few weeks.  We pray that all the world may know the peace of our tiny island and rejoice in celebration!

GOATS AND SAUERKRAUT

Yesterday Mother Prioress, Rose and I made sauerkraut.  Had 120 lbs of cabbage. Took us 3 hours.  Now it "rots" for about 5-6 weeks. Then we can or freeze it for the year.  This year we salted it right after it was shredded so that made it easier for MP, who always does the tamping to get the water out of the cabbage.  This is necessary to get a good product.

Last week had book club at OLR  and introduced a book called GOAT SONG by Brad Kessler. You ask?  who cares about goats or even the making of cheese?  This book is far more!  All in our club were glad to have read it! The book sold out in two months after first printing. One of those books you tell your friends about and they pass it on. Kessler gives you lots of information on the intertwining of goats and human history. He is a poet at best! Our Mother Noella- "The Cheese Nun"- is mentioned in the book, one of the reasons I chose it. Several times he mentions St. Benedict and there is a chapter on a monastery of contemplative men nearby. (This man is Jewish, which makes his use of Catholic nuns & monks  and Saints all the more extraordinary).

How is the soul like cheese? This is one of the many questions asked by  Kessler.
He provides the answer: "It starts out raw and unformed and tries to reform itself over time. It is constantly corrected and rebuffed, purged of blemishes and taints and sins".

Goat Song is  more than a book about goats and cheese. While we learn much about them,  they are but a path that leads us to contemplation of life itself.
Blessings for the week, MH

Mother Prioress -- cheese instructor

Making  raw milk COW cheeses