Dear Blogosphere,
(Yes, that title has been carefully
constructed to get more Google hits. Just in case you were wondering.)
constructed to get more Google hits. Just in case you were wondering.)
I realize we’ve been neglecting you
terribly. Apologies all round. But the reason is, as always, that word that
starts with “B” and rhymes with “dizzy.” I feel a bit dizzy myself after this
whirlwind semester, but seeing as I handed in the last assignment, for the
markers to do with as they please, just 2 days ago, I have been revitalized
with that priceless sense of liberation and am going to devote myself to our
friends on the interwebs for a bit.
terribly. Apologies all round. But the reason is, as always, that word that
starts with “B” and rhymes with “dizzy.” I feel a bit dizzy myself after this
whirlwind semester, but seeing as I handed in the last assignment, for the
markers to do with as they please, just 2 days ago, I have been revitalized
with that priceless sense of liberation and am going to devote myself to our
friends on the interwebs for a bit.
Liberation has played a major part in oursemester – well, for those of us who took the History subject on the French
Revolution, at any rate. Don’t worry. We’re not wearing red caps or singing the
Marseillaise or starting bread riots or anything like that. We also did
Theology and Literature; for the latter, the postulants and second-year novice
were treated to poetry, while we first-year novices studied fourteenth-century
literature. We are now all brushed up on The Dialogue of St Catherine of Siena
and St Vincent Ferrer’s Spiritual Treatise, which, besides being most
interesting from a literature point of view, give excellent guidance on the
spiritual life. I can highly recommend them.
We’ve also been having classes on the
Passions, as drawn from the Summa, from Fr Belisle, which have been extremely
informative, not to mention entertaining. (Did *you* know that St Thomas
himself recommends “Sleep And Baths” as effective remedies for a sorrowful
heart? Go have a look in the Summa if you don’t believe me! Clearly, St Thomas
was a saint of good, old-fashioned common sense…)
Passions, as drawn from the Summa, from Fr Belisle, which have been extremely
informative, not to mention entertaining. (Did *you* know that St Thomas
himself recommends “Sleep And Baths” as effective remedies for a sorrowful
heart? Go have a look in the Summa if you don’t believe me! Clearly, St Thomas
was a saint of good, old-fashioned common sense…)
That’s about it for Education. That brings
me to Easter. Holy Week and Easter in the Convent are extra special, and you’ll
just have to experience it for yourself to find out what I mean, because I’m
not good enough with words to describe it satisfactorily. In fact, one of our
postulants made it an even special-er week (see, it’s true I’m not very good
with words! What *is* the right word for “more special?” I think I’m turning
into Dr Seuss…) by arriving on Spy Wednesday, just in time for the Sacred
Triduum and all its deep solemnities.
me to Easter. Holy Week and Easter in the Convent are extra special, and you’ll
just have to experience it for yourself to find out what I mean, because I’m
not good enough with words to describe it satisfactorily. In fact, one of our
postulants made it an even special-er week (see, it’s true I’m not very good
with words! What *is* the right word for “more special?” I think I’m turning
into Dr Seuss…) by arriving on Spy Wednesday, just in time for the Sacred
Triduum and all its deep solemnities.
I take my hat off to her – the Breviary is
so different for those three days, leaving green-around-the-ears novices like
myself terribly confused most of the time, that I can’t imagine how bewildering
it must be if you’ve not been much acquainted at all with the Breviary before.
Actually, the Breviary is markedly different for a week or two afterwards as
well, causing not a little amount of stress to creatures of habit like me,
especially when the aforesaid creature is being Chantress. (Being Chantress is
a lovely job in Office, but it means you have to be completely on top of what’s
going on at all times, and this can be hard for a Bear-Novice of Little Brain
to keep up with, especially when there are dozens of extra “Alleluias” where
there were none before. I am thankful for the Community’s patience.)
so different for those three days, leaving green-around-the-ears novices like
myself terribly confused most of the time, that I can’t imagine how bewildering
it must be if you’ve not been much acquainted at all with the Breviary before.
Actually, the Breviary is markedly different for a week or two afterwards as
well, causing not a little amount of stress to creatures of habit like me,
especially when the aforesaid creature is being Chantress. (Being Chantress is
a lovely job in Office, but it means you have to be completely on top of what’s
going on at all times, and this can be hard for a Bear-Novice of Little Brain
to keep up with, especially when there are dozens of extra “Alleluias” where
there were none before. I am thankful for the Community’s patience.)
I digress. Easter is lovely in the Convent. Now I come to Excursions. We were so intent
on our study that we held off until Ascension Thursday to go somewhere, but it
was well worth the wait. The Mornington Pensinsula was graced with our presence
for the day, and once again, the good God gave us perfect weather. It is so
true that He looks after His little ones!
on our study that we held off until Ascension Thursday to go somewhere, but it
was well worth the wait. The Mornington Pensinsula was graced with our presence
for the day, and once again, the good God gave us perfect weather. It is so
true that He looks after His little ones!
We also went to Hampton for Mass and the
procession in honour of Our Lady which happened to fall on Mothers’ Day, which
I thought was a most fitting thing. Then we went to a nearby beach to have our
lunch, something which is always nice to have outside. (“Beach” is used
somewhat euphemistically. It was more of a rocky outcrop in a bay with a patch
of sand, as the pictures will show, just so you’re not expecting vistas of gold
stretching into the horizon or anything like that). I had to smile when a
little girl all dressed in pink came running to get a closer look at us, her
unbounded excitement finding expression in a heartfelt “Awesome!!!!” when she
gave pause to her flight to drink us in. The holy habit really does speak to
people, despite what some of our modern friends think.
procession in honour of Our Lady which happened to fall on Mothers’ Day, which
I thought was a most fitting thing. Then we went to a nearby beach to have our
lunch, something which is always nice to have outside. (“Beach” is used
somewhat euphemistically. It was more of a rocky outcrop in a bay with a patch
of sand, as the pictures will show, just so you’re not expecting vistas of gold
stretching into the horizon or anything like that). I had to smile when a
little girl all dressed in pink came running to get a closer look at us, her
unbounded excitement finding expression in a heartfelt “Awesome!!!!” when she
gave pause to her flight to drink us in. The holy habit really does speak to
people, despite what some of our modern friends think.
There was also a whole School Mass for
Corpus Christi, as well as a procession to and from the Convent. Rain
threatened, but held off for long enough for us to openly show our devotion to
Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, our Emmanuel, or God-with-us, as Father said
so eloquently in his sermon.
Corpus Christi, as well as a procession to and from the Convent. Rain
threatened, but held off for long enough for us to openly show our devotion to
Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, our Emmanuel, or God-with-us, as Father said
so eloquently in his sermon.
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| The Altar at the Convent. |
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| Winding our way back to the Church. |
We also had one specially delightful
surprise come to usher in the holidays, and that was a shipment of…books!!! Fr
Pfluger kindly brought them all the way from Goulburn, and we were rather like
a group of kindergarteners in a lolly shop, we were that excited. Books are
bound to find several pairs of loving, welcoming hands in a Dominican Convent J It would’ve done Dr Ludwig Ott good to see the transports of joy
which another copy of his “Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma” caused.
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| Sr Thomas is delighted with our new acquisitions. |
 |
| This one must be particularly interesting… |
Well, I think that should just about bring
you up to date.
you up to date.
Oh, I nearly forgot – please have a look at
the tab off to the right regarding our Convent Building Project! We are growing
and growing, rather like Jack’s Beanstalk, which is a truly wonderful thing,
but we’re running out of room where we currently are, and we are working
towards building a proper Convent. We’ve now got architect plans, but we
desperately need help in terms of funds to get the project moving from
potentiality to actuality, to put it in cosmological terms. Please do help if
you can!
the tab off to the right regarding our Convent Building Project! We are growing
and growing, rather like Jack’s Beanstalk, which is a truly wonderful thing,
but we’re running out of room where we currently are, and we are working
towards building a proper Convent. We’ve now got architect plans, but we
desperately need help in terms of funds to get the project moving from
potentiality to actuality, to put it in cosmological terms. Please do help if
you can!
I hope you’ll keep coming back to see how
we are, and we’ll try and issue the next bulletin a little sooner next time.
Please keep us in your prayers – we’ll do the same for you J
we are, and we’ll try and issue the next bulletin a little sooner next time.
Please keep us in your prayers – we’ll do the same for you J
Greetings to Sr Columba and Emilyn!
Clare Therese here. Emilyn, you disappeared without telling me! I saw Kenny yesterday at Mass and he told me you joined the sisters, so I assumed he was referring to this place. Its so nice to see these updates with photos and all!