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Homily by Abbot Peter McCarthy: 8-24-2016 I am impatient with these branches, this light. The sky, however blue, intrudes. Because I’ve begun to see there is something else I must do, I can’t quite catch the rhythm of days I moved well to in other winters. The steeple tree was cut down, the one that daybreak used to gild – that fervor of birds and cherubim subdued. Drought has dulled many a green blade.

Monastic Life Retreat – August 2016 By Steve Fawver What gifts this community has given to me — gifts that will continue to emerge and grow for the rest of my days. I have been a pastor at Newberg Friends (Quaker) Church for 25 years, and over those years I have driven out to Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey almost every week for some time of prayer and meditation. When I was considering a plan for my four-month sabbatical there was no doubt that I wanted to spend the first month with this community. What a privilege it was for me to join the brothers for the first 30 days of my sabbatical as a participant in a Monastic Life Retreat (MLR).

Monastic Life Retreat – August 2016 By Jacob Hayden Introduction I arrived at Our Lady of Guadalupe trappist Abbey the evening on July 25th, not knowing quite what to expect. The first day Br. Chris greeted me and told me simply to relax for the first few days. I spent the time joining the monks for their periods of community prayer (the divine office) to acclimate myself to the schedule, exploring the woods during the afternoons and reading some books. Upon entering the cloister on July 27th Br. Chris shared the two rules of the Monastic Life Retreat (MLR): rule #1 don’t worry and #2 show up to the divine office.