Tag: Advent

Advent: Putting Your House in Order

December 6, 2024

A reflection by our Abbess, Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB

I love reading the great prophets during Advent.  In Isaiah, we hear the story of Hezekiah and how his time to die has come, so he turns and faces the wall and prays.  It reminds me of children when they are in trouble, how they go stand in the corner, and I’m sure in one way their hearts are praying, too, “Oh God let this be over!”  But upon hearing Hezekiah’s prayer, God adds fifteen more years to his life.  The part that stands out to me in this reading, though, is when God says to him, “Put your house in order, for you are about to die” (Isaiah 38:1).

Advent is about putting your house in order, which is why the monastic life is considered a perpetual Advent – we are continually preparing ourselves to see Christ, awaiting His coming with eager expectation.  All the more so during this season of Advent.  It’s about living a life that has everything directed toward heaven.  Focus on the things which will last for all eternity.  Don’t waste your time thinking about things that don’t really matter.

When preparing our hearts for Christmas this year, and pondering what gift we are to bring the Lord, let us remember that He says in scripture, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matt. 9:13).  Mercy is to go beyond ourselves, to go beyond our judgments, to give room for what we don’t know.  You may have heard the saying, “Chaste as angels, proud as devils.”  Don’t justify yourself by saying that you fasted all day and so you’re fine, and then go and judge everyone all the way down the hall.  Then what have you really done?  Nothing, you’re just hungry and it hasn’t helped you a bit.  No, we should stand humbly before God.  We need to acknowledge our faults and sins.  We can’t just point fingers and say to God, “Well look at them!”, because God does, and He is looking at you, too.  If you choose to be merciful you will receive mercy (cf. Luke 6:37).  

Remember the power of blessing as one of the greatest gifts.  Sister Angelika, when she was working outside, would see a plane fly over and automatically pray for all the people in it, and ask for God to bless them.  Now that’s a big heart.  That’s how we should choose to live – thinking for the good of others.  Pray for people.  Do your part to change yourself.  Others will follow suit, and you’ll notice it.  It’s the nicest thing to have someone say, “Boy, you’re different” in a good way.  In a house where we live so close in community, it’s far more powerful to live mercifully than to fast all day.  If you can do both, well blessed are you.  But mercy is more powerful. 

Arise, all ye nobles and peasants; Mary invites all, rich and poor, just and sinners, to enter the cave of Bethlehem, to adore and to kiss the feet of her new-born Son. Go in, then, all ye devout souls; go and see the Creator of heaven and earth on a little hay, under the form of a little Infant; but so beautiful that he sheds all around rays of light. Now that he is born and is lying on the straw, the cave is no longer horrible, but is become a paradise. Let us enter; let us not be afraid.

From “The Discourse for Christmas Night,” by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Advent Retreat Registration

November 4, 2023

The Abbey of St. Walburga will be hosting an Advent Day of Recollection
with Sr. Maria-Walburga OSB:

Saturday, December 2nd
10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“Abide in My Love”
—the call of the
Most Holy Trinity

***NOTE: Registration for this retreat day has already reached its capacity***

Begin the Advent Season with a quiet day at the Abbey, pondering the lord’s gift of love and renewal.

Hot drinks, cookies, and good cheer will be provided. 

Please bring your own lunch (refrigerators and microwaves will be available).

The suggested donation is $15 per person.

*There will be an opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Registration is required. Please email our Guest Mistress at aswretreats@gmail.com
or call (970) 472-0612 to make a reservation.

Advent: He Is Coming!

December 17, 2022

A reflection by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB

One of the first readings the Church gives us during Advent is from the book of Revelation: “‘These words are trustworthy and true, and the Lord, the God of prophetic spirits, sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.’ ‘Behold, I am coming soon.’” (Rev. 22:6-7).  And that’s Advent.  He is coming soon.  Either we will see Him when He comes in the clouds, or we will see Him when we die and He comes to us, but one way or another we will see Him!  Am I ready?  Am I ready to see Him?  I think that we should have great joy when we think about this, not because we are confident in ourselves, but because we are confident in Him.  We should put great confidence in Him alone. 

Then we will have a great sense of joy about His coming, and we will strive to live for Christ purposefully at every moment, so that when He comes we are ready.  Part of that means being present to our prayer very purposefully, being present to each other very purposefully, giving a good example very purposefully.  Take the time to notice one another.  Don’t be too busy to notice those who are closest to you – those you whom you may take for granted.  Take the time to encourage one another.  Now is the time.  Now is the real time of joyful conversion.  Don’t wait, even an hour.  Begin.  Let each moment be a new beginning.  And then how bright would this world be – how bright! 

Christmas Day in the Abbey of St. Walburga Chapel

I also want to point out that in one of the special collects (prayers) that the Church has during Advent, we implore the Lord that “when He comes and knocks, He may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in His praise.”  He comes and knocks in a special way during this season, and it is for us to ask ourselves, “How does God knock on my soul?  Is my soul attentive?  What are the deepest desires of my soul?”  The season of Advent is the season of silence, so that you can be aware of what is going on in your soul, not only the negative things, but also the joyful things.  What do you do throughout the day that makes Christ say, “I’m so happy I knocked on your door!”?  The silence of Advent is a joyful silence, kept so that we can hear His footsteps when He comes, so that we can hear His voice.  It’s a happy waiting, like a child at Christmas waiting for Santa Claus to make noise on the roof.  It’s that sense of waiting in expectation, of asking: “When is it going to happen?”  You don’t want to miss it.  That’s the joyful silence of this season. 

And if anyone feels like a lost sheep this Advent, just remember the importance of crying out to the Good Shepherd to be found.  Why would someone not cry out?  Shame?  Pride?  Self-reliance?  But the Lord hears the cry of the poor, and He wants to find you and be found by you this Advent.  So remember to cry out to Him, and let yourself be found.

The Advent Word—“Come”

December 21, 2021

A reflection by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB

Singing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” before supper in our refectory

What do we hear in the Liturgy during Advent?  “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain… Come let us walk in the light of the LORD… Come and save us,” “I will come and cure them … many will come from the east and the west,” and, “come, oh LORD visit us in peace.”  That word: come.  Have you ever said to somebody, “Oh, just come!” and they don’t do it?  I wonder if it’s the same with the Lord.  When He tells us to come and we look at Him like, “huh?”  The word “come” means a movement forward towards something (I looked it up).  I think this is the invitation of Advent.  Come.  Come in every way you possibly can.  I think it is what Christ does for us.  When we say “come and save us” to the Lord, I don’t think He just stands there with a confused look on His face.  I think He truly comes, and quickly.  When we pray “come, come Holy Spirit, come oh Lord and save us.”  I think He responds more quickly than a flash of lightning.  I think this should be our response also—to hear Him say “come” and for us to do it quickly.  It is our duty to respond when He tells us to come and climb the Lord’s mountain or to come and walk in the light of the Lord.  Our response means something.  Come!  Let us ADORE HIM.  Come, let us sing the praises of our God.  It’s good to think about how we respond to this word, come.

The Power of the O Antiphons

December 18, 2015

A reflection for the beginning of the O Antiphons by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB

This is the week (Dec. 17-23 each year) that we get to pray the great O Antiphons at Mass and Vespers, and we should be excited!  With them, we cry out for God to come and save us. The O Antiphons have a history in the monastic life that is profound, and it’s even possible that St. Benedict himself would have prayed them.  They have been sung in the liturgy of the Church for centuries, likely originating as early as the fourth century in Italy. Boethius mentions them in “The Consolation of Philosophy.”  When we pray them, we’re doing something ever ancient and ever new.  For every age they will mean something different.  And we must look deeply for this meaning, because it is bestowed each time we sing them.  With each O Antiphon, we cry out to heaven once again: “Maranatha! Come!”

O Antiphons-edited contrast

Calligraphy by the nuns of the Abbey of St. Walburga of the O Antiphons (in Latin)

O Sapientia (Dec. 17), O Adonai (Dec. 18), O Radix Jesse (Dec. 19), O Clavis David (Dec. 20), O Oriens (Dec. 21), O Rex Gentium (Dec. 22), O Emmanuel (Dec. 23). God Himself came in all of those titles.  They’re powerful.  We should stand in awe before each one.  Each one should stop us in our tracks.

On December 17 we have the antiphon for O Sapientia: “O Widsom of our God most high, guiding creation with power and love, come to teach us the path of knowledge.”  True knowledge.  True wisdom.  Having wisdom enables us to do everything through the eyes of heaven.  And who is heaven but Christ?  There’s a popular adage right now, “Do what Jesus would do.”  That is exactly what we should be aiming for.  That is exactly right.  We should weigh our decisions on eternity.

In chapter four of the Holy Rule, St. Benedict says, “Your way of acting should be different from the world’s way; the love of Christ must come before all else.”  When we live that way we proclaim where we’re headed.  Our way MUST be different from that of the world.  We must value the things of heaven.  God says “Take care, first, of the things of heaven.  I’ll take care of the things of earth.  I’m the creator of ALL.”  If we live that way, we will die that way: with our eyes on eternity, on Jesus.  He is the one and the only one who will care for us.  He is the only one who will love us and love our souls to the fullest measure.  Nothing can reach the depth of the love that Christ’s love can reach.  Nothing.  Therefore we yearn for Him.  That’s why we’re attentive to the soul. We want it to be filled.  We go each day to pray the prayers of the Church, that we may be filled and walk according to the law of God, not of the world.  And today it’s going to take more to walk the ways of God.  They are not as appreciated or valued as they once were. But if one touches God, one can’t help but to strive to love God.

So strive for the Wisdom of God.  Ask God for the Wisdom of Heaven.  It will be different from the way of the world and it should be.  Have you not chosen a way different?  Hang on to it. Embrace it and do not let it go.

We will see the face of Him whom we long for.  What we read, we will see in the flesh.  As we sing the O Antiphons, embrace them.  Get excited about them within.  Pray them with delight.  Pay attention to what you are singing, because it has the touch of eternity.