Is Tiredness Epidemic?

Tiredness and Weariness are often a characteristic of our times together. Whether it is writing reports, travelling long distances , looking after children, planning a wedding or managing a company, all of us have lives that at times seem to sap us of energy.

Paradoxiaclly, this is one of the reasons I think our community works so well - we see the bigger picture of relationship with one another, and God, through prayer.
Sure, some nights we pray Compline rather than Vespers - it's shorter and gives us a chance to drink a Drambuie or two(!), but we still get togther.
We pray. We are silent. We are a community.

We miss Pete as he gets ready for his exhibition and the Smiths as they journey about. Come back to us safe folks.
God Bless ya all.
Chris

Taize & the Spirit

A brief note
Last night we served the anglican community at St Phillip's in Cottesloe, providing a Taize style prayer time (and space) for the evening.
Our prayer was based around Compline combining elements of the monastic hour and Taize to create an environment where the spirit could be invited and experienced.
The response seemed to be very positive and it's likely we'll be running something similar on a kinda regular basis. Keep an eye out and we'll let you know.
Big props to Chris for pulling the thing together and Co for coordinating the musos. Shelle was a fantastic example of servant-hood, throwing herself into everything as needed (from powerpoint to climbing the walls with candles). Thanks for the work, all of you. I'm sure it was appreciated by all involved.
Pax
MJ

And a comment from someone who prayed with us..

Just a short note to say THANKYOU to whoever it was who arranged such a very special and moving service as the TAIZE worship which we had this evening. I found the experience incredibly special, deeply moving and thought provoking, and I feel very blessed to have been a part of it.

Keeping On

Lots of prayer and no updates.

The last month have of course seen us come together each Wednesday, in various groupings and at different times. Our Wednesday nights have been silent and still - most of us more tired than anything, resting in Jesus and resting in the company of each other. Four of us come together to prayer on Monday and Friday nights, and Saturdays we are all out for breakfast.

A prayer which has seemed appropriate for us lately has been:

God your arms are open wide to embrace us
Your spirit draws us in to your community,
Red, yellow, white and black, you welcome us
Male, female, slave and free you draw us in
Like a father welcomes an only son
Like a mother cradles her infant child
You beckon us into your family
To share your love
To share your life
To make us whole
Amen

God Bless you all. If you want to know where our next prayer is email Chris

Back together again

Last Wed night was such a celebration- not only were all of us together for the first time in a long time but we all started the evening with a shared meal. It somehow seems to make the prayer time all the more fruitful if we have met together, eaten, laughed and enjoyed a glass of wine together prior to prayers- that's what community is all about. It also lead us in to reminising about our time together over the years and all the fun we have had along the way- especially one occasion that always makes us laugh.
This week sadly we were back to a small group on Wed but it reminded me that it is important to meet even if it is only a few of us: Jesus said if two or more of you are gathered together in my name I will answer your prayers.
It was great for us all to meet together as a whole community but it is just as important to continue to meet when there are only a few of us.
God Bless
Michelle

Busy Lives

The busyness of our lives has been apparent in the last few weeks. We have struggled to all meet together on a Wednesday night for a few weeks. We missed Jason and Rachael last week although welcomed a visitor to the group- it was great to share what we are doing with others.
This Wednesday we again met in smaller numbers as some of our community were busy with other areas of their lives. We missed Coralie as she was out performing with her vocal group, Matt and Linda's presence was missed also as they were out sharing in a meal with Matt's parents who were visiting for a short while. Those of us who did meet shared a time of chatting, winding down, laughter and a lovely drink (or two).
I pray we will once again be able to all come together as a community this week.
God Bless
Michelle

Engagement

We celebrated the Engagement of Linda and Matt last night. Matt is a founding brother of the community, who met his fiance in New Norcia while on retreat! Linda belongs to the Perth based Catholic group Flame Ministries International, but has become a loved member of our community and attends our prayer as often as her schedule allows. The community worked hard in the kitchen and making music as our service to the new couple.

The whole Transfiguration crew wish them the very best for a happy, peaceful and long future together.
Chris

Easter at New Norcia

As usual, a large number of the community made the 100km trip North to spend Easter with our Benedictine Friends in New Norcia. The celebration of Our Lords passion and resurrection is celebrated with great simplicity and depth, allowing the real joy of this season to shine through.
Paticularly special this year was the beautiful music selection, drawing heavily on chant and Taize, and Easter night drinks on the Organists front lawn!

As we discussed the impact of the weekend last night, over a cup of tea and a hot cross bun, the words of community and peace came up repeatedly. At least for a few short days we really LIVE as a community- praying, laughing, sharing and eating together. What a gift!

Easter Peace to you all

Chris

Monday prayers

Last night for the first time this lent I was able to make our prayer time- an extra pray session a week we decided to try out during lent. Coralie and I met with Matt at his place. It was a short 15 min prayer time but it was a great reminder to me to slow down and stop and to devote time to God. At first I kept wanting to look at the time since I had a meeting at 6 but when we got into the prayer time the time didn't seem an issue, time with God was far more important than any meeting.
May you all be able to find a time in your coming week to stop and be with God.
God Bless
Michelle

St Benedict Week 2

We all met for dinner before our study time, and it was great to welcome Pete back amongst us. Continung our study of the rule of St Benedict, we dug around in the rule to see how it orders the monastics life, giving a balance between all of the parts of our lives. Reading chapters of material about food and drink, authority, work and care helped us try and see areas of our own lives which needed more balance and/or time commited to them.

As always we ended with compline - bringing some peace and stillness at the end of our busy days.


Peace,
Chris

Lenten Study

This week was our first lenten talk. We have decided to learn more about the Benedictine life and Benedict himself as we all have some connection with the Benedictine life through our visits to New Norcia's monastry and our interactions with the Monks there. Chris gave a talk detailing some of Benedicts life with many anecdotal stories about what he did, who he worked with and the attempts by others to poison him.
We concluded the evening in prayer using a prayer time regularly used at New Norcia- our Lent Compline prayer was the perfect way to conclude and pray for each other and the members of our group who were unable to join us on this evening.
Take care and God bless.
Michelle

Ash Wednesday

We saw in Ash Wednesday with Vespers as we normally do, but this night in particular was quite prayerful and reflective. During Vespers we listened to a reading by Cardinal Murphy O'Connor, from his address for Ash Wednesday to be given also during vespers in the Westminster Cathedral.
The main thrust of the reading was to do with what stops us from spending time with God. Below is an excerpt from Cardinal Murphy O'Connor's address:
"So if people ask me what they should do for Lent, I am inclined to say, on this Ash Wednesday, you should not try to do without something, but to get something done as if your eternal salvation depended on it. If Lent is to mean anything in our lives, it has to be a season of renewal. The word "Lent" itself means "springtime." The idea is that we die with Christ like the seed in the ground and rise with Him to more abundant life. We die to sin and rise to integrity. We die to selfishness and rise to generosity, especially towards the poor.
Whatever penance we do, whatever we choose to give up or do without, should help us to put on these new clothes, and to grow into stronger, healthier Christians. Each one of us should spend more time in prayer during these 40 days; some time in reading a Lenten book about how better to follow Jesus Christ, and some exercise which involves care for others, perhaps a visit to someone less fortunate than we are. What we should give up is whatever stops us doing that extra thing."
May each of our Lenten journeys be a time of growing closer to God.
Love in Christ
Linda F

New Norcia Reflections 1

I am on retreat with Phil Timms, a friend. It is hot, and about to have a thunder storm.
Here is a little of todays influences.

The people God loves are precisely those people we meet daily in the streets and on the job. God calls each one to Himself, all of them, just as they are, with their qualities and faults, their joys and their sorrows. He calls them all to share His own inner life, to be perfect as He Himself is perfect. There's no second class call tyo something less, but only the one vocation to the infinite joy of God's very self, for God's love has no restrictions

Fropm Charles de Foucauld

A Year to Grow

Happy New Year everybody.
What does the year hold for our Community?
Still meeting on Wednesday nights. Still praying, laughing, eating and sharing together.
During Lent, we will have a series of talks about St Benedict, the rule and what it means for us.
Passover meal. Easter with the monks at New Norcia. Our community retreat in September.
Lots of love, Lots of God, Lots of Growth.
Hopefully!

Holidays

Fairly quiet at the moment. Many of us are away or busy with family commitments over the Christmas period. Still, the prayer goes on - either alone or together. We DO miss each other and our love and care is brought into more focus because of each others absence. Still, within a fortnight we will back to the rhythm of sharing each others lives in silence and prayer.
God bless you and Happy Christmas
Chris

Compline

Last Wednesday was a quiet one for us. As we have entered Advent the business of our lives seems to have increased exponentially. All of us were pretty shattered by the middle of the week and needed to relax and unwind a little. We spent the night chatting (and trying to get Noah to go to bed). However we didn't neglect our reason for coming together on a Wednesday night. Instead we said Compline, with the advent prayer from the Glenstal book of prayer, a nice little ritual to end the madness of the day and the wind down of our night.
In fact a few of us have been praying Compline on a Friday night before we all head from the Kan's to our own abodes. It really is quite funny sometimes to hear the girls saying the second verse of the Psalm (and Coralie puts such expression into this), "Oh men, how long will your hearts be closed?" Tonight should be no different. We'll say Compline again and (as it should be) it will be constant. One nice piece of stability in this season of business and rushing. I look forward to it.

MJ

So far...

I am really enjoying the stillness and reflection of our "vespers" time with our community still and quiet is not something I'm good at unless I'm reading a book. I enjoy the rhythm of the Psalms and the singing of the Magnificat. I would love to see what we do grow into the wider community, but sometimes I wonder what our neighbors think when they see through our open curtains and see us standing holding hands singing the 'Our Father'. Unfortunately I feel like I would have to justify what we are doing on a Wednesday night now to some people... They wouldn't understand it and respect and value it for what it is.
I'm looking forward to growing through this experience!

Co-Co

Reflection from Wednesday Night

You desire to hear something new,
but I have no news
except that love should renew you.
This commandment is the news I give you
yet nothing is more new

Gilbert of Hoyland
A Sermon on Love

Doing the Business

Just a straight ahead prayer last night - no mucking around!
It is good to be together, to pray and laugh, and to sit in silence as a community.
God is as present in the day to day getting on with things as much, if not more, than in awesome moments or life changing experiences.
If you read this, and you are a pray-er, take a moment and pray for us.
Peace
Chris

Our community

Last Wednesday was the biggest we've had for some time. We did miss Chris and Pete but were really glad to see Jason, Rachel and Lauren. Of course I was back too. The evening started with a quick reminder that no matter what we are going to keep praying on Wednesdays (someone had suggested we skip it).

Chris had asked me to lead so I figured he might have already arranged a reflection or reading but as it happened I winged it. After my stint overseas I felt it was appropriate to talk about how we as a community were still a community even when we're apart. Just because we're not present with each other we are still able to be together in prayer. We pray in inclusive, group language. The Lord's prayer for a start is not, "My Father ... give me ..." but rather, "Our Father ... give us ..." Communal language. No matter where I was in Europe I was able to pray with my brothers and sisters; whether at Mass or on my own; walking on the tracks of Amalfi or sitting in my room in Raynes Park. As a community we share a bond in God and he links us, not only with each other, but with his wider community as well.

I'm looking forward to sharing next Wednesday (tomorrow) with all my little community in the flesh, but even if they're not there physically I know we will be together in prayer.

Peace, Pax, Shalom
Matt J

Email Contact

For information regarding the community feel free to email Chris at
chriskan@australia.edu