Dear Friend of Clear Creek Abbey,
There are few things in life as fundamental as a sunrise; children know this instinctively. Adults too, appreciate the fact, though they rarely take the time to acknowledge it. But even they can marvel — at least for a fleeting instant — at the appearance of a new day. Each year, Easter is the dawning of a new liturgical season, the sunrise of a spiritual world where the King of the universe has passed over to the other side. From eternity, the King beckons His disciples to follow Him, to prepare for that other world by living in faith, hope and charity.
Somewhere between the thrusting of the lance in the Messiah’s side and the tongues of fire in the Upper Room, the Church came into its own, bringing true springtime to a fallen world enveloped in ignorance and sin. From Christ’s wounded side were born the life-giving sacraments of the New and Everlasting Covenant between God and man.
In all of this there is no sadness, no cloud to darken the sunrise of the Lord’s Pasch, the great Easter mystery. The Resurrection, the crowning glory of God-made-Man, is the greatest event in the history of the world, as might attest those guards at the Tomb who were handsomely bribed to swear to the contrary.
But where does that leave us, we who have not yet crossed over to the other side but still labor in this vale of tears? We cannot help wondering about the state of things — in terms both of the Church and of the civil society that surrounds us. When it comes to the here and now, there are prophets of springtime and prophets of doom.
One can only admire these prophets of doom: they tend to be fine people, even if a little morose at times. You have to appreciate the likes of a Jeremiah, who faithfully fulfilled his unpleasant mission of telling the truth to God’s chosen people about their imminent disaster; you have to admire a Nathan, who had the courage to confront a great king with his shameless sin. If there is one thing God seems to dislike it is the false prophet of “business as usual” who offers a “best-selling” gospel designed to offend no one — a kind of wolf in sheep’s clothing who ingratiates himself within a society where the sentinels have fallen asleep. So in a real sense, we need prophets of doom in our day as well.
On the other hand, a true prophet must have a comprehensive (not merely “broad-minded”) view. He must see the world as God sees it — as a universe. He must see the forest beyond the trees. If there are still in our day those silly prophets of a world seen through rose-tinted glasses, there are also the foolish prophets of conspiracy theories, the near-sighted prophets of a mundane doom, who have lost from view the overarching and truly Catholic vision of things, who have forgotten what the Lord told His disciples, “Have confidence, I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).
After living the liturgy of Lent, of the Sacred Triduum and of Easter, the monk feels more like a prophet of springtime! This is not because of any worldly optimism to which he is not even exposed, but because of the power of the Christian message itself. Like the Apostle St. John, standing in Peter’s fishing boat and contemplating the Risen One standing on the shore, the monk can only say, “It is the Lord.” Here at Clear Creek Abbey we have ample reason to think more in terms of springtime. Since the beginning of this year we have had two clothing ceremonies, one mandatum (canonical novitiate), a double simple profession and a solemn profession. There have also been many young men discerning a possible vocation at our guesthouse, several of whom are now preparing to enter the novitiate. The “Band of Brothers,” as we called the group of fourteen monks that made the foundation here in 1999, has really expanded (we could be up to forty or so by the end of the year), and the number we originally thought to attain — that is to say about sixty — no longer seems so very hypothetical.
Our construction work has continued, despite the severe winter weather we had this year and the many storms that swept through Oklahoma during the month of April. The church is really beginning to take shape! I am afraid that the photos do not do justice to this imposing piece of sacred architecture. I sincerely hope you will have the chance to come and see it for yourself. Please be assured of the faithful prayers of the monks for all your intentions in this Easter Season and beyond.
In Our Risen Lord and Our Lady, Queen of Heaven,
+ br. Philip Anderson, abbot
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Dear Friend of Clear Creek Abbey,
There are few things in life as fundamental as a sunrise; children know this instinctively. Adults too, appreciate the fact, though they rarely take the time to acknowledge it. But even they can marvel — at least for a fleeting instant — at the appearance of a new day. Each year, Easter is the dawning of a new liturgical season, the sunrise of a spiritual world where the King of the universe has passed over to the other side. From eternity, the King beckons His disciples to follow Him, to prepare for that other world by living in faith, hope and charity.
Somewhere between the thrusting of the lance in the Messiah’s side and the tongues of fire in the Upper Room, the Church came into its own, bringing true springtime to a fallen world enveloped in ignorance and sin. From Christ’s wounded side were born the life-giving sacraments of the New and Everlasting Covenant between God and man.
In all of this there is no sadness, no cloud to darken the sunrise of the Lord’s Pasch, the great Easter mystery. The Resurrection, the crowning glory of God-made-Man, is the greatest event in the history of the world, as might attest those guards at the Tomb who were handsomely bribed to swear to the contrary.
But where does that leave us, we who have not yet crossed over to the other side but still labor in this vale of tears? We cannot help wondering about the state of things — in terms both of the Church and of the civil society that surrounds us. When it comes to the here and now, there are prophets of springtime and prophets of doom.
One can only admire these prophets of doom: they tend to be fine people, even if a little morose at times. You have to appreciate the likes of a Jeremiah, who faithfully fulfilled his unpleasant mission of telling the truth to God’s chosen people about their imminent disaster; you have to admire a Nathan, who had the courage to confront a great king with his shameless sin. If there is one thing God seems to dislike it is the false prophet of “business as usual” who offers a “best-selling” gospel designed to offend no one — a kind of wolf in sheep’s clothing who ingratiates himself within a society where the sentinels have fallen asleep. So in a real sense, we need prophets of doom in our day as well.
On the other hand, a true prophet must have a comprehensive (not merely “broad-minded”) view. He must see the world as God sees it — as a universe. He must see the forest beyond the trees. If there are still in our day those silly prophets of a world seen through rose-tinted glasses, there are also the foolish prophets of conspiracy theories, the near-sighted prophets of a mundane doom, who have lost from view the overarching and truly Catholic vision of things, who have forgotten what the Lord told His disciples, “Have confidence, I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).
After living the liturgy of Lent, of the Sacred Triduum and of Easter, the monk feels more like a prophet of springtime! This is not because of any worldly optimism to which he is not even exposed, but because of the power of the Christian message itself. Like the Apostle St. John, standing in Peter’s fishing boat and contemplating the Risen One standing on the shore, the monk can only say, “It is the Lord.” Here at Clear Creek Abbey we have ample reason to think more in terms of springtime. Since the beginning of this year we have had two clothing ceremonies, one mandatum (canonical novitiate), a double simple profession and a solemn profession. There have also been many young men discerning a possible vocation at our guesthouse, several of whom are now preparing to enter the novitiate. The “Band of Brothers,” as we called the group of fourteen monks that made the foundation here in 1999, has really expanded (we could be up to forty or so by the end of the year), and the number we originally thought to attain — that is to say about sixty — no longer seems so very hypothetical.
Our construction work has continued, despite the severe winter weather we had this year and the many storms that swept through Oklahoma during the month of April. The church is really beginning to take shape! I am afraid that the photos do not do justice to this imposing piece of sacred architecture. I sincerely hope you will have the chance to come and see it for yourself. Please be assured of the faithful prayers of the monks for all your intentions in this Easter Season and beyond.
In Our Risen Lord and Our Lady, Queen of Heaven,
+ br. Philip Anderson, abbot
