NEWSLETTER OF NOVEMBER 2024

Thank you, Ernest! – As most of you know, Ernest Valencia, was a member of our Lay Advisory Board when we moved to the current land in 2008 and since that time was the head mainte[1]nance foreman for the construction of our current monastery in Gobernador. We appreciate all the work he voluntarily did for us, giving us advise and communicating with other building contractors. Many times, we would have to call him after off normal working hours to take care of no electricity, no water, etc. He was always very attentive to our building needs. In gratitude we ask God to bless Ernest abundantly with peace and good health!

From our Prioress – Greetings from Gobernador! As you know our life here in Gobernador, New Mexico is dedicated to praising and worshiping God. Daily, I thank God during Lauds and Vespers for the many blessings we receive from God and the people. To mention a few of our blessings: The vocation to be a part of the Catholic Church, a Benedictine nun, beauty of the desert, the generous people who support our way of life in so many ways such as your generous financial gifts, groceries, work, etc. Others come to visit the monastery or spend time at the St. Benedict Guesthouse which bring us joy with their presence. Soon we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day. You and your loved ones will be remembered that day. I am sending you my heart filled gratitude and prayers. Sister Hilda

Retreat Time – Last month, we had our yearly retreat (Sept 9-12) with Fr. John Brahill, from Marmion Abbey, Aurora, Illinois. It was a time of deep refection and rest! We began the retreat with a DVD, “Paul Apostle of Christ.” Its an excellent movie about how Luke goes to Rome to visit Paul in prison. The movie captivates the death of Paul with Luke who persists in writing a book that described the birth of the Church. True episodes are found in the Acts of the Apostles; however, there are 13 books attributed to Paul the Apostle in the Epistles of Paul or Letters of Paul. Fr. John gave two conferences a day with written questions to think and pray about. One of the first questions after Fr. John spoke about the Emmaus Journey, was “How do you envision yourself ‘walking with Christ?’”

We Welcome New Saints– We Welcome New Saints “I am a Christian and I will die as a Christian” These are the words of Blessed Manuel Ruiz López, who was superior to eight friars, his companions and three Maronites who were missionaries in Syria. On July 9, 1860, by the Druze, and other Muslim groups who opposed Christianity brutally tortured Manuel Ruiz and his companions for defending the Christian faith, “Martyrs of Damascus.” On October 20, 2024 Pope Francis decreed the canonization of not only Blessed Ruiz but two women. Blessed Elena Guerra, born in Italy (1835–1914) known as “an apostle of the Holy Spirit.” Also included Blessed Sister Blessed Marie-Léonie Paradis, from Canada, founder of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family. Her focus was to support educational work in Guatemala, USA, Italy, Brazil, Haiti, Chile, and Honduras. Included with the other saints, there is Italian Blessed Giuseppe Allamano, known as a father figure of Jeus, founded religious congregations for women and men. On November 1, All Saints Day, we pray: Lord, as the saints in Heaven adore You for eternity, I beg for their intercession. Saints of God, please come to my aide. Pray for me and bring to me the grace I need to live a holy life in imitation of your own lives

By Sister Elizabeth – A Reflection on The Rites of Purification and The Sun Dance Ceremony in the Sioux Tradition. The Purification Rite, as the Black Elk account informs, comes before the Sacred Pipe and together with the rite of “Crying for Visions”. The thirst for purification to be able to receive power from God runs deep in the Crying for Visions ritual in the Sioux tradition. The desire to receive strength and health for the whole nation through the lamentation of one person is the main reason the person wishes to do the rite. One man who wishes to purify himself goes up to the high mountain to be able to dedicate his time to praying with God and to unite with all creatures around him, totally alone. The rite deeply touches the contemplative heart of those spiritual people who set aside time as a retreat time to be alone with God, as Jesus himself did during the time of His earthly ministry. The Indian tradition believes that the lament of one person done correctly brings good and blessings to the lamenter and all the people of his tribe. On the contrary, if the manner is not correct, he will receive the curse such as the serpent comes and wraps him (Brown 45). The path of spiritual intercession of one person for all others in this rite of crying for visions is dependent on the character of the individual. The lamenter receives visions for the benefit of the whole people if he is pure and worthy. The rite reminds me of the life of the hermits who often want to be alone in solitude continually praising God to purify himself and pray for others intensely by fasting and praying repeatedly “O Great Spirit, be merciful to me that my people may live” (Brown 57). The lamenter is now alone on the mountaintop, slowly stepping back and forth from the center to the four directions to offer prayers, and always going back to the center because Wakan-Tanka is in the center. The steps should be as slow as possible, and the attention to every movement of the person and of the creatures around him makes the setting of the prayerful scene a perfect contemplative atmosphere, the most attractive manner to me when I read the procedure the lamenter performs in this rite. Reading further, the Black Elk account provides another different view of the Siouan spiritual life. It is not only individuals crying for visions to help their people, it is the social aspect of sacrifices the people perform on behalf of others. The Sun Dance rite is a complex religious performance in the Indian tradition. According to Brown chapter V, the rite involves several days of preparation, fasting, and torturing the flesh as self-sacrifice to provoke visions and divine power to come, also for the good of the people. The rite encourages the generosity of young Indian people to give themselves to their community. The sacrifice they make with the intention to pray for the welfare of the people and, above all, for the strength they need to contribute to the life of their nation as leaders. On the surface of knowledge, the ceremony is cruel and scandalizing. However, religious and spiritual practice requires a devout and generous self-giving spirit to trust in God and put Him above all to participate in the ceremony. The dancers give up their health for religion and tradition for the sake of their people to ask God for visions and strength. The strong desire to be holy people to lead the nation and to keep the tradition on the path God inspires them is the main purpose of the dance. The Sun Dance ceremony combines the practice of spiritual (purification and prayers) and physical (flesh torture) in one sacrificial ceremony that encourages young Indians to renew their spiritual life every year. In the Indian tradition, it is a spiritual treasure that needs to be protected and spread to non-Indian traditions as a type of education although there were times in the past when the ceremony was considered inhumane and violent that it needed to be banned. However, the tradition needs to be understood from the view of the people who carry it through generations. The Sacred Pipe plays an essential role in the Indian spiritual performance that is unique to that religion. The core meaning of it is the universal unity that gathers the powers from all directions of the cosmos into the pipe to offer to God and ask Him for blessings. The desire to be purified As often as possible to be worthy to receive God’s blessing is a particular part of the religious performance which can be seen as the equal of Christian Liturgy and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The rites connect the Indian people with God and express their wish to be at peace with all creatures. God is there, “And how could it be otherwise? All created beings reflect the infinite wisdom of God” (Pope John XXIII). This Wisdom is recognized as the Word of God, the Christ who came to save the world, how can we say that the unbaptized humans cannot be saved by Him?

Work Cited

Brown, Joseph E. ed. The Sacred Pipe: Black Elk’s Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux. University of Oklahoma,1989. Print.

Pope John XXIII. “Pacem in Terris-Encyclical Letter”. April 11, 1963. Vatican.va. Web Retrieved on Oct. 11, 2024.

This year on May 11, 2024, The Saint Leo University in Florida, celebrated the achievements of more than 1,300 graduates. Our Sister Elizabeth Tran received her master’s degree in theology theological studies.

My Life as an Aspirant & Postulant by Irene Olotch – My life as an Aspirant began with a very warm welcome from the community in 2022. I am from Nairobi, Kenya, a country in East Africa, 9,000 miles from Gobernador, NM. Soon, after Mass before the midday, I was very happy to have begun a new stage in my religious life. The following week after I had joined, I began classes twice a week with my teacher, taking in all the subjects which were on Wednesdays and Thursdays as an Aspirant, which included the Rule of St. Benedict, his life as well as a class on the life in the community. On Saturdays we began group Lectio Divina with my teacher from 4-5 pm. As time went by, we were able to share the Gospel readings with the grace of God. After a year, I was admitted to the Postulancy, where I have learned that prayer comes with patience to accept challenges. As I begin the Novitiate, I pray that the Lord may continue to enlighten me. (Irene will enter the Novitiate on November 19, 2024, please pray for her)

Piñon Pickers at the Monastery – The rich history of Piñon nuts dates back thousands of years found in the ruins of Pompeii. The piñon pine is the state tree of New Mexico, and the seeds have provided sustenance many years for the Native people and Hispanic settlers. Every year one can see parked vehicles along the side of many roads in our area. We have a beautiful pine tree right on our property in front of the St. Walburga building and you will find Sister Frances and Sister Elizabeth picking piñons.

Thank you, God, for all your blessings to us for the strength you give each day, and for all the people who make life more meaningful.

Online Retreats – The Benedictine Nuns of Jamberoo offering online retreats. For more information, please click  “Retreats” at Jamberoo Abbey.

Pope Francis’ prayer intentions for November 2024: For anyone who has lost a child
We pray that all parents who mourn the loss of a son or daughter find support in their community and receive peace and consolation from the Holy Spirit.

 

Sacra Mysteria Venerari (Click for more information)

An apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist by Bishop James S. Wall, Bishop of the Gallup Diocese.

MISSION STATEMENT –The Monastery of Our Lady of the Desert is a monastic community of women in the Benedictine tradition.  We profess vows of stability, conversion of life and obedience. Our primary mission, is to seek God through a life of prayer, silence and solitude.  Our way of life frees us to give glory and praise to God, intercede through prayer for the needs of the world and hospitality.