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This is the night when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld!
Join us for our Easter Vigil at 9:00 p.m. in front of the south entrance to the monastery, where we will begin our procession of the Paschal candle to the church.
May you have a blessed Easter!
"I have greatly desired to eat this Passover with you," the Lord says to us today (Luke 21:15). The holy season is upon us. As we enter into this most sacred time of the year, all are welcome to join us as we enter with the Lord into his holy Pasch, the completion of our Lenten journey, and the fulfillment we have all longed for.
During this week of Catholic Schools Week, we are proud to continue our mission of serving the Church and the public through education and formation of character in every generation.
#catholicschoolsweek #catholiceducation #monasticlife
How do the monks of Saint Martin's Abbey celebrate Christmas?
A few days before Christmas, a few monks will go out and receive a donated tree to set up in our community room (our living room, as it were). On the evening of December 23rd, we gather as a community to decorate the tree, while we also share some of the cookies and baked goods that have been gifted us by friends of the abbey.
The next evening, December 24th, we gather to bless the Christmas tree and sing "O Tannenbaum", a longtime tradition of our abbey.
Much like the rest of the Western world, we exchange Christmas gifts on the night of Christmas, following any advice or hints that each monk left on their "Kris Kringle" form, which were randomly distributed shortly after Thanksgiving. (The "Kris Kringle" format of gift exchange may be more familiar to you as "Secret Santa.") That way, every monk receives one gift, and is given an opportunity to express generosity and charity towards another monk during the days leading up to Christmas.
In previous years, we would also share music, poetry, or short stories related to Christmas. This year, some brothers have gathered together to read through Charles Dickens' unabridged A Christmas Carol through the Christmas season.
The pictures above show our Christmas night festivities as a community this year.