This is an abbreviated blog post. Since it's my 4th Christmas here, much has already been covered and the reader is invited to navigate into the past for more "Christmas at the monastery" photos.
December 23rd
We finally were able to get away (after a visit to the car dealer) mid-afternoon which allowed us to arrive (after dealing with NJ traffic) just after Supper. We found our room - St. Benedict - to be incredibly plush by monastery guest house standards. Perhaps they had heard about our wedding the week before and gave us the "honeymoon" suite.
We checked in, made it to the chapel a little before Compline as the first people were gathering for silent prayer. I brought my Fuji camera (which is know for how silent it is) and tried a "test click" before too many people arrived. After Compline the monastery enters The Great Silence (12 hours of silence from 8:30 PM until 8:30 AM), so we retired to the room and read our kindles until late in the evening.
December 24th
Reading late was probably a mistake. I also was probably exhausted from pushing to get a major project (and everything else) finished at work. This has never happened to me before at the Monastery, but I woke up suddenly to huge monastery bell ringing it's 10 minute warning (at 6:50AM) before Matins. I bolted out of bed, pulled on enough to be decent and was just able to stop by the men's room and get to the Chapel as Br. Will was getting ready to ring the bell starting the service.
The rest of the day was the normal monastery schedule up to the Noon meal. I met up with Vicky for (silent) breakfast, then we stopped and refilled our coffee and relaxed until Eucharist at 9:30AM. After that we relaxed and read some more (get the theme here?) on our favorite sofa in Pilgrim Hall before heading to Diurnum (Noon prayers w/ a period of silent meditation) and then Dinner (our mid-day meal).
Decking the Halls
After Dinner, the guests spent the early afternoon decorating the guesthouse for Christmas. There were lots of guests helping (along with a number of brothers) and it was all over in an hour or two.
While we were doing the guesthouse, the brothers took care of the Chapel (and, I assume, the Monastic Enclosure as well).
After relaxing & reading some more, as evening began to fall, I noticed that fog stayed in the Hudson valley all day... clearly Rudolph's services would be required tonight.
Christmas Eve
The monastery's Christmas celebration starts with 1st Vespers at 5:00 PM. This service concludes with a beautiful candlelight procession around the Ambulatory (a passageway that goes behind the chapel) while singing Silent Night. The procession leads to the Creche, which is then blessed. (You can read more about this wonderful Creche in the description from 2011.)
After some Supper (Vicky loved the Ramen noodle bar), we had more time to relax and read before heading down to the Chapel for the late night activities. We had some special music from Brs. Will, Reinaldo and Scott, followed by a midnight Eucharist. After that, the brothers invited everyone (guesthouse guests, as well as people attending the mass) over to Pilgrim Hall for some "Christmas Cheer".
The eggnog was splendid, the food and conversation was great, but we soon retired... even with all the relaxing, we were spent.
Christmas Day
We woke up to find that the fog had lifted. Due to the late night activities, breakfast was delayed until 8:30 AM and the normal monastic schedule was turned upside down.
After breakfast, we had time to relax and read until 11:00 AM when we had Matins.
And at 12:30 we had our Christmas Feast. This included braised lamb shanks, stuffing, potatoes, a ribbon salad, and of course dessert. Br. Peter (now guesthouse manager) brought out those responsible for the feast for appropriate recognition and we had a nice time chatting with our friends and brothers.
The highlight of Christmas for me these past few years has been Laurie's Sticky Toffee Pudding, which is indeed a religious experience best savored at a monastery (you don't want leftovers of this hanging around your house unless you're looking to seriously put on some weight). It was incredible as always.
So after the pudding and coffee and some final goodbyes we headed back down the Thruway and the Parkway in time to light up our own tree, look out on the Raritan Bay and thank God for how truly blessed we have been this past year.
I hope my readers have a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
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