Crib in the Church
O Emmanuel
December 23
O EMMANUEL, God with us, Our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Saviour: COME to save us, O Lord our God. Amen. "O Emmanuel..."
Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel".
Isaiah 33:22: "Indeed the Lord will be there with us, majestic. Yes, the Lord our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king, he it is who will save us".
The Almighty God and creator became one of us. He loves us so much he took our humanity into his Godhood. It’s mind-blowing really how much we take that for granted. Christ came into our world as a baby. He will come back at the end of time but we also need to let Jesus come into our hearts. Sometimes if we are angry or ashamed or hurting we don’t let him. That’s the danger of this season. We can focus so much on the material side, the events the cards, the invitation but we don’t concentrate on letting Christ come into our inner lives. This is an invitation to let Christ come and to look at areas of our life that stop us letting God in. In our inability to forgive ourselves for a previous incident or when we feel shame; we have to let God in, remembering that nothing can make God love us more than he does already.
O King of the Gentiles
December 22
O KING OF THE GENTILES and their desired One, the Cornerstone that makes both one: COME, and deliver man, whom you formed out of the dust of the earth. Amen. "O Rex..."
O King of the Gentiles and the Desired of all, you are the cornerstone that binds two into one. Come, and save humanity whom you fashioned out of clay.
Isaiah 28:16: "Therefore, thus says the Lord God: See, I am laying a stone in Zion, a stone that has been tested, a precious cornerstone as a sure foundation".
This is the universal antiphon. It reminds us that God is not only the God of the Jews but the God of all, the God of the universe. Jesus came to save all humanity and this sixth antiphon clearly addresses the Saviour as the King of the gentiles (Jer.10:7) and the Desired One of the nations. It’s an invitation for Christ to become the Cornerstone of our lives.
O Dayspring...
O DAWN OF THE EAST, brightness of light eternal, and Sun of Justice: COME, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Amen. "O Oriens..."
Isaiah 9:1: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone".
Malachi 3:20: "For you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays".
2 Peter 1:19: "Keep your attention closely fixed on it, as you would on a lamp shining in a dark place, until the first streaks of dawn appear and the morning star rises in your heart".
This title is variously translated "morning star", "Dayspring", "rising sun", "radiant dawn", "and orient". It develops the previous antiphon. It’s my favourite one I think because it expresses beautifully the idea of light shattering the darkness of night, of sin and death, of sickness and despair, with its brightness bringing healing and warmth to cold hearts. Jesus is indeed the true light in our darkness but sometimes we seem to prefer the dark!
More on the O antiphons...
The O Antiphons, those in the Roman Catholic tradition that I am familiar with, are sung words using images from the OT and recited at Vespers from December 17 to December 23 inclusive. They are the introduction to Mary’s prayer which we now sing daily in our evening prayer service. I think the Church of England has the same tradition; they have traditionally been used as antiphons to the Magnificat at Evening Prayer. I think the first letters of the titles taken backwards form a Latin acrostic of "Ero Cras" which translates in common language to "I will be there tomorrow", which mirrors the theme of the antiphons. It’s also seen as a response of Christ himself to the heartfelt prayer of his people: "Tomorrow I will be there". The idea of them is possibly that we have prepared for the Advent of Christ with these seven Messianic titles, and now we are preparing for Christ to come. "Tomorrow, I will come." God has seen our sin and shame, he has heard our cries and condemnations, our trials and tortures and answers them with the promise, and I will be there very soon.
O Key of David
December 20
O KEY OF DAVID, and Sceptre of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: COME, and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death. Amen. "O Clavis David..."
O Radix Jesse
December 19
O ROOT OF JESSE, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: COME, to deliver us, and tarry not. Amen. "O Radix Jesse..."
O Adonai
December 18
O LORD AND RULER of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: COME, and redeem us with outstretched arms. Amen. "O Adonai..."
The O Antiphons
The "O Antiphons" were first used by the Church in the 8th and 9th centuries. They are based on various titles used for the Christ and are scripturally-based short prayers used from the 17th to the 23rd of December.
We were once a novice
In every new stage of our life, we are once a novice. In a moment of challenge, it might be a good idea to refer back to our first day as a novice.
This is how I reflected upon my day of being a Novice and may I humbly share it to you as another way of saying "thank you" for all your prayers and support during my postulancy. Please say a little prayer for me once in a while. God bless you.
Lord,
grant me a heart of a novice
which longs always to live for You
Grant me the spirit of a novice
which zealously always seek to serve You
Grant me the piety of a novice
which fervently prays and fear to sin
Grant me the modesty of a novice
which is always ashamed of abundance
Grant me the humility of a novice
which always seeks to be the first to say 'thank you' and 'sorry'
Grant me the hope of a novice
which can't wait to say the words on the day of her profession
Lord,
renew my life today
as if this is my first day as a novice
A Winter Commitment
Colours are fading
Cold wind is visiting
Frosts are appearing
and so winter is coming
But winter always comes with its commitment
to bring again spring, summer and autumn.
Despite all that we have said about winter
it never fails to fulfil that promise.
Winter is a good time to reflect upon our commitment that we have made
Neither failure nor success is the matter
What matters most is how we have kept our commitment
Whether it be a commitment to our family or community
Whether it be a commitment to our own self
Whether it be a commitment to God
It is also a good time to open our self to a new commitment
Just as the branches spreading their twigs open
ready to receive a new life
Let us humbly learn from Winter
how to keep our commitment
By doing so
may we bring the richness of spring, summer and autumn
to every life we encounter during our journey.
New videos
If you head to our hospitality page and our oblate page on the Hyning website you will find 2 new videos for you to enjoy! Check out the new programme page as well, it's about to be updated!
Advent
Life is a journey and Advent is a reminder of that in the cycle of the liturgical year. It’s not all about counting down the days to Christmas but about discovering our relationship to the Father who is going to reveal his love for us in the Word made flesh. So many people live under a cloud of worry and angst, perpetually stressed and at war with themselves, knowing down deep that they have sold out to the real world, the material world, yet striving for a deeper spiritual life. Having everything they need but wanting more and more. The devil must have a field day in Advent and at Christmas time feeding people’s greed and selfish desires. Perhaps in today’s world, the true spirit of Christmas is really a desire for more, not peace and good will to all.
Advent can be seen then as a time of getting ready for the Lord’s coming. Well the cynic in us will say well we know when Jesus is coming; it’s only a few weeks away! The date isn’t important! In our Cistercian Fathers there was a special emphasis on the 3 Advents of Christ. Advent is seen as the introduction to this whole mystery. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) sees it as the “sacrament” of the presence of God in his world, in the mystery of Christ at work through his Church, preparing in a hidden, obscure way for the final manifestation of his kingdom.[1] The third Advent was in the heart of the believer. The twelfth century Cistercians placed a special emphasis on the coming of Christ by his Holy Spirit to the Christian person. They contemplate his hidden birth in our lives, his advent here and now in the mystery of prayer and providence. Bernard shows the danger of seeing Advent merely as a preparation for Christmas. It is a real danger in society. This attitude is dangerous and runs the risk of keeping us centred on our present reality in the flesh, failing to recognize the call that God’s plan reveals—the call for our inner transformation into Christ. The invitation that Christ is giving us, is the call to be ready! He warns:
…the remembrance of this condescension is turned into pretext for the flesh. During those days you may see them preparing splendid clothes and special foods with utmost care—as if Christ at his birth would be seeking these and other such things and would be more worthily welcomed where they are more elaborately offered! Listen to [Christ] as he says… “Why do you so ambitiously prepare clothes for my birthday? Far from embracing pride, I detest it. Why do you so assiduously store up quantities of food for this season? Far from accepting pleasures of the flesh, I condemn them. As you celebrate my coming, you honour me with your lips, but your heart is far from me.… Unhappy is the person who worships pleasure of the body and the emptiness of worldly glory; but happy the people whose God is the Lord.”[2]
[1] Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons for Advent and Christmas Season, Cistercian Fathers Series
51, translated by Irene Edmonds, Wendy Mary Beckett, and Conrad Greenia OCSO
(Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 2007).
[2] Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermon Three: “On the Seven Pillars,” paragraph 2, in Sermons, 20-21.
40th Birthday Celebration
On the 17th of November we had our 40th birthday celebration beginning with Mass which was celebrated by the Right Reverend Bishop of Lancaster, Michael Campbell, O.S.A. Nearly 90 people gathered with us including local clergy, religious of the Diocese and many guests and friends of the community. Mass was followed by a buffet lunch and a toast given by Reverend Mother General, Sr.Mary Helen. There were also 4 former prioresses of Hyning and several Bernardines to represent the Order.
We had a special birthday cake especially made by Sr.Michaela and Sr.Mary Stella.
We also had an exhibition on the history of the Order and the establishment of Hyning community, these mainly included images from the Hyning archives and other materials. Sr.Mary Stella also did a presentation on aspects of the Hyning garden.
New novice....
Some good news for the community! Irene who joined us on January 15th 2014 as a postulant is about to become a novice. She will have a 5 day retreat starting on the 2nd of December and will be received as a novice on the 7th December in a private ceremony with the community. We ask you to pray for her and for our community as we welcome her on this new stage of her Bernardine journey!
Irene with Sr. Mary Helen, Prioress General.
40 years of Hyning
November 12th/13th mark the 40th anniversary of the sisters' arrival at Hyning and the first Mass. It is the feast of All the Saints who follow the Rule of St. Benedict. Pray with us in thanksgiving for all those who have helped to build up our community over 40 years, those who have gone before us and our many friends, oblates and benefactors who have helped us in so many ways.
Hyning to Embrace Liverpool
On Saturday, 1 November 2014, Sr.Maria and Irene went to the Embrace Liverpool event which was an event for young people to celebrate, encourage and strengthen their faith. It was a day with several great speakers, workshops, adoration, confession, praise and worship, concluded by a Mass for young people. There is also time to network with other young Catholics and chat to groups and societies in the area.
Here is the link to the official website and some pictures taken during the event.
Here is the anthem for the event.
Card Making Day Slideshow
Here are some pictures taken during the Card Making Day. Click here.
Prayer and Gardening Week Slideshow
Click on here to see the prayer and garden week slideshow created by Irene.
