Oblate letter of
the Pluscarden Benedictines, Elgin, Moray, Scotland. IV30 8UA.
Ph. (01343)
890257 fax 890258
Email
Easter—Pentecost—Summer—2012
MONASTIC
VOICE:- From a sermon of St Bernard of Clairvaux on Ss. Peter & Paul for
the Summer season:- “The Church
recalls the Apostles' death with an especially solemn feast. Today Peter was
crucified; today Paul was beheaded: this is the reason for today's feast; this
is the cause of our present rejoicing. By making a festive and joyous day on
these anniversarie of death, the Church undoubtedly possesses the Spirit of the
Bridegroom, the Spirit of the Lord, in whose sight, as you find in the psalm,
precious is the death of the saints. How many people do we believe were present
when the Apostles underwent their sufferings who in no way envied their
precious deaths? For 'to the eyes of the foolish they seemed to die, and their
going was considered an affliction. So indeed, 'to the eyes of the foolish they
seemed to die': 'But to me,' the prophet says: 'your friends have received
honour beyond measure, O God; their sovereign power has been strengthened
beyond measure. Brothers, to the eyes of the foolish, God's friends seem to
die, but in the eyes of the wise they are judged instead to be asleep. Lazarus,
too, was sleeping, because he was a friend; and 'When he gives sleep to his
beloved’, behold the heritage of the Lord. Let us strive, brothers, to live as
the just lived, but let us long even more to die as they died. Wisdom reveals
the final end of the just, judging us there where she finds us.”
FROM THE
OBLATEMASTER’S DESK: The Summer of
Easter follows hard on the heels of
our Lenten spring-time. With the harvest of Pentecost the reapers put in their
hooks and before we know it we have the harvest of Ss. Peter and Paul on the
29th June, the harvest of whose martyrdom we celebrate. St Bernard
draws our attention to the remarkable fact of our celebration which in
retrospect makes our celebration of the Easter Triduum even more remarkable.
Can we really be celebrating the empty tomb and the presence of the Risen Lord
when it has cost the abandonment of Holy Thursday and Good Friday’s painful
execution?
Can we really celebrate the great edifice of the
Church’s living stones when their foundation rises from an upturned cross and a
bloodied chopping block?
I
was surprised when once remarking to my GP, Dr. McClure of Elgin, that I would
have preferred if our former Oblatemaster Fr. Maurus had died an ordinary death
when he transfixed me with his eye, as is his wont, and said, “Yes, and what’s
an ordinary death?”
We of all people should not have to be reminded of the
extraordinary nature of our transitus from this life to the next. How could it
be ordinary! A former bishop of the diocese of Aberdeen, now an Archbishop, remarked
at his own Mother’s funeral, that in her dying gasping moments it was like a
birth-pangs, and so it was. And so it is for all of us with the eye of faith,
however abandoned be our passion truly following our Master and His chosen
apostles. The whole of life in its winters and its spring times only gives
glimpses and hints of the summer-time, the Sabbath of summer-times where
harvest overtakes its proper season and makes it redundant! May we all echo St
Bernard’s implied “Maranatha!”—“Come quickly Lord!” of his summer-season
sermon—and not be found wanting or unready by His grace! Our Lady, Mother of
God, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Books A postulant Oblate from the Black Isle was asking me
about fiction. This as we know can be spiritually profitable especially if
works of art like “The Betrothed” by Manzini are in view.
A more recent author notable for his spiritual vision is Michael
O’ Brien. I’m reading “Plague Journal” at present. His most recent is I
understand “The Father's Tale: A Novel”--- "A
modern retelling of the parables The Good Shepherd and The Prodigal Son." Canadian bookseller Alex Graham is a
middle-age widower whose quiet life is turned upside down when his college-age
son disappears without any explanation or trace of where he has gone.-------There
is quite a list of others all of which are meaty in religious terms— that is in
terms of life, real life.
Prayer Intentions
and News
Please pray
for Bishop Hugh, Abbot Anselm,
our juniorate & noviciate and especially Br.Cyril Our newest novice (formerly
“Jakub”), & for our sick monks.
Please pray for Br. James and our aspirants & for vocations to the
monastery. New Oblates: Ursula Mary
St Michael Humphrey and Margaret Thérèse Graham. Postulant: Margaret Johnston and
all our novices and postulants. Our Oblates alone number about two hundred (in
answer to a question recently).
Please pray
for all the sick & especially: Beth Fallows (who sent me her
beautiful poems which I mention here—thank you-- in case a letter before Ghana
is not possible) ,Gail Schmitz, Marie Claire Hernandez, Bob Clark who has
helped us with the honey for years when he was well enough—thank you Bob!,
James Cairns who is now poorly & in
a hospice ( & for his wife & family ), Martin MacRae, Irene Coultard,
David Paterson & his Wife Angela, for Beth Fraser who despite illness makes
by hand hundreds of rosaries many of which I’ll be taking out to KB, Ghana,
thank you (two Beth’s!), Mary Roche, Poppy Sinclair, Bob Barr, and for all the
sick & their families. Please also remember Mary Tibble who in her day
assisted major surgeons in the theatre and now assists us from her nursing home
in processing our used stamps!!—thank you! (They are all keeping Lent better
than the rest of us—thank you for being “patients” in the real meaning of the
word! --See the Rule!)
We join with Marcin & Kasia in
thanksgiving for the safe delivery of their new baby son, Gabriel.
Pentecost
Lectures :29th – 31st May 2012 at Pluscarden Abbey--
Pentecost Lectures
continued:-Professor Lewis Ayres, Bede professor of Catholic Theology at the
University of Durham. “You Have Revealed Your Glory”—the Mystery of the Trinity
Tuesday 2.45 –last lecture Thursday am 10.15. Free –open to all ( but I think
the accommodation is spoken for—you can check for a cancellation; non-residents
more than welcome-please indicate ( to Fr. Bede) coming –for the soup!
OBLATE WEEKEND JULY 27TH
TO JULY 30TH 2012, This Year-please let me know
using the form below( mark envelope or email “Fr Bede”) if you intend to come-- The monastic guesthouses are booked up
already Here is a list of those
booked to stay AT the Abbey: Pamela Nelson-Shaw, Tricia Kirby, Ursula Humphrey,
Pat Fernandez, Morris family, Brigitte
Mackay, Georgina Quinn, Jane Coll, Ann Morgan, Barbara Van Rooyen, Glynis Stranraer-Mull,
Rebecka Winell-Reid). Men: Martin Gardner, Pat Carrigan, Terry Kirby, Charlie
Muir, Jim Bradley, Steve Fennell, Henry Logan, Frederick and Iain Brodie, Fr.
Francis Wilson (Awaiting cancellation: Edmund Young & Chris McKeown) I shall
append alternative accommodation to the next Oblate letter as before. Fr. Abbot (Anselm!) is giving our keynote
address! Programme as below. Do please
fill in the slip enclosed if you are coming to some part of the Oblate
Weekend—all the parts—even if you have already communicated. Thank you. Address
to Fr. Bede.
OBLATE WEEKEND 2013 2nd to 5th August on
CALDEY ISLAND(WALES!) to commemorate 100th anniversary of the
conversion of the Caldey community. At this stage simply please let me know,after this summer’s
weekend-- Fr. Martin by mail or email ------------------- oblatemaster@pluscardenabbey.org ) ( Your name & contact details) & that you
intend to come. (32 places only,
Prinknash have spoken for six already—Caldey have minimum charges
& there is the travel down to consider)
Groups & Chapters-below
St Mungo’s
Chapter Glasgow:-As announced. Peter Aitken :- 11, Maxwell Grove,
Glasgow. G41 5JP Phone:01414272084. Peter Aitken is the link man.
St Margaret’s
Chapter Dunfermline. Pat Carrigan Telephone: 07853 407 913 . Have just held a
successful Lenten Retreat! Pat Carrigan will keep you informed.
St.
Monica’s Chapter, Thurso. Contact Jane Coll (website manager
Benedictine-oblates) on 01847 851701 or (subscript
line between jane and coll ) 20 miles is “close” up here!
St.
Peter’s Chapter Aberdeen. 1st Wednesday’s 7.30 Telephone 01224 485 78119 Donview House Seaton Crescent,
Seaton, Aberdeen, AB24 1TZ. Brian Milne will keep you informed
St
Mary’s Chapter Dundee. May 21st and dates as agreed 11.30
at St. Mary’s High Street, Lochee, Dundee. -------info. St Mary’s, ---- Canon Angelosanto
is coordinator.
Moray Group Meeting three to four times a year, in Elgin
they met first then will be Forres and
once a year ( of the “Moray Group”) at the Abbey immediately before the Oblate
Weekend begins. For the Moray locals
really. Maggie Graham is the link person.
PROGRAMME
FOR THIS SUMMER’S OBLATE WEEKEND
*note—non-resident attendees will need to make
their own provision for Friday supper & for breakfast on Saturday, Sunday
& Monday. There are buffet meals for lunch & supper on Saturday &
Sunday for all. Please fill in & send the chit for catering numbers.
(
Moray Group meet 3.30 Parlour 1 St Benedict’s)
Friday Arrival of
residents before Vespers 27th July 2012
Vespers 5.15pm
Supper
for residents 6.45pm (St. Scholastica’s own times)
Compline 7.50pm
DVD
Talk specially made 8.30pm (marquee)
DVD,
virtual presence Bishop Richard Moth Oblate of Pluscarden Abbey, giving a talk
on the Divine Office, specially made for us for the beginning of our Oblate
Weekend.
Repose 9.20pm.
Saturday 28th
July, St Ignatius Loyola û û
Vigils 4.30am
Lauds circa 5.25am
Prime circa 6.45am
Mass+Terce
9.00am
Coffee 10.00am (marquee)
Fr
Abbot : Opening Conference 10.30am (marquee or as announced)
Sext
12.35pm
Lunch
12.45pm (marquee)
None
2.15pm
Talk
from Fr. Bede “To Have a Passion for The Gospel!”
2.30pm (marquee or as announced)
Tea 3.45pm (marquee)
Opportunity
for Confessions.
Vespers 5.15pm
Supper 6.45pm (marquee)
Compline 7.50pm
DVD/slides
on Kristo Buase recent returnee 8.30pm
Repose circa 9.30
Sunday 29th July
Seventeenth Sunday of the year
Vigils 4.30am
Lauds circa 5.45 am
Prime 7.00am
Breakfast after Prime
Terce 9.15am
Mass 10.00am
Talk on the Liturgy of the Day Fr.
Benedict Hardy
11.30am (Church)
Sext 12.35pm
Lunch 12.45pm (marquee)
Talk from Fr Dunstan on “The
Guestmaster” 2.00pm ( marquee or as
announced)
None 4.20pm
Tea after
None (marquee)
Vespers
& Benediction 5.15pm
Supper
6.45pm (marquee)
Compline 7.50pm
DVD Made By the Oblates of Thien Phuoc
Vietnam 8.30pm ( marquee)
Under the Direction of Teresa Ngan Giang
Oblate
Repose 9.30pm
circa
Monday 30th of July
St Peter Chrysologus Memoria
Vigils 4.30am
Lauds circa
5.25AM
Prime 6.45am
circa (30”after end of Lauds)
Breakfast after
Prime
Terce
& Mass 9.00am
Marking
the formal conclusion of the Oblate weekend with sermon from the Oblate Master
& renewal of Oblation during Mass. Those who extend their Oblate spiritual
retreat/weekend to three days by
arriving sooner or departing later there may be a plenary indulgence for such a
three day spiritual retreat, under the usual
conditions.
Coffee
& Farewells 10.00am
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dominic the
Seminarian is sponsored but if any Oblate felt willing to offer sponsorship
then they should let me know & they could be put on a "standby
list". Who knows if sufficient Oblates offer we may manage a second
Seminarian. The standby list would also cover for any unknown extra future
requirements.
God
is good. Wishing you all greetings & you all remain in our prayers,
Paul
Costello(Fr. Martin: “Oblate
organising it for us---Thank you Paul!”)
“Come Holy Spirit”------Blessings from
Fr. Martin