Christmas Greetings from the Priory

What sheer privilege to be gifted with another Christmas! Indeed, each new day is a gift to be received with gratitude and with the present pandemic we have grown more conscious of this truth. For our community at Boars Hill, we are grateful to celebrate another Christmas with our families, friends and all who through their generosity support our calling in life.

While we mourn for the continued pain and loss being caused by the pandemic, we are acutely aware of the countless blessings we have received from the Good Lord this passing year. The beautiful hymn, “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,” by the American, Johnson Oatman, Jr., (1897) constantly reminds me to do this despite the burdens of life, issues of health, fears and anxieties, unrealized dreams and failures, the scanty triumphs grace wins from time to time, and I’m sure you can relate. The refrain goes this way:

Count your many blessings
Name them one by one
And it will surprise you
What the Lord has done

So, where do we start counting? Well, we are grateful for having you in our lives. You are a blessing to us in more ways than you realise. That each of us, in our own little way, working for the glory of God, brings blessings for other members of God’s family, is an empowering thought. So your journeying with us on our communal call towards union with God enriches our own experience of the journey.

Our ministry, whether online or in-person, is also another source of blessing. The pandemic has challenged us to find
new ways of ministry and we have found new friendships across the world. We’ve had to invest in new technologies to
extend our outreach and this could not have been possible without the dedication and support of our benefactors,
team members, staff and collaborators.

Through our various programmes and events, we have continued to support many during this painful period of loss,
fear, and anxiety, empowering them with inner strength and resources needed for such a time as this. We continue to
hear such encouraging, albeit humbling comments like:

“The course has been a wonderful boost for me as I progress on my Spiritual Journey. The Carmelite Ethos and this
Programme is one of friendship, of acceptance and of positive affirmation. How wonderful it is to be surrounded by
Spiritual friends if only on Zoom so far. My eyes and ears have been opened in a loving and gentle way to the lives of the
saints of Carmel, their wisdom and their love of God and neighbour. The Carmelites in Boars Hill are continuing this
legacy as they shine a light before us all.”

“Sacred serenity are two words I took from this amazing weekend of listening. An inner peace came over me from the first
session right through to the end. Listening to God’s invitation to enter His Holy space, being attentive to the offer from
others to enter their sacred space. We heard some wonderful poetry and beheld some wonderful images in the company
of beautiful souls. How delightful! Thank you so much for this break that spoke into my heart.”

Our grateful thanks to our many friends and benefactors who help us with the resources and means for our ministry.
Together we have in little ways continued to advance the reign of God in hearts and minds. It is always humbling to
hear of lives transformed or someone given a little more hope to stay on the journey. All this is evidently and
completely God’s own work though we are often invited to collaborate in this ministry of grace.

The prayers of our dear Carmelite nuns continue to carry us and bless us. To all our dear sisters I would like to express
our deepest gratitude. Also, huge thanks to our students and all who have participated in our different programmes
and events this year and in the past years. You enrich these offerings by sharing so generously your insights, wisdom,
feedback, and friendship.

For our little community here in Boars Hill, the Good Lord continues to preserve our unity through his peace that
binds us together in his love. We look towards the future relying completely on God’s affirming words concerning the
divine plan for us, to give us a future full of hope and promise (see Jeremiah 29:11). For this too, we are grateful.

It is my desire to make this prayer for you:

May God’s presence touch your lives and empower you to embrace your joys and sorrows, hopes and fears this
Christmas. May you be affirmed and sustained in your capacity for trust, faith and love. May you experience in
abundance the inner strength you need to help you through this difficult and painful time.

Be assured that despite the hardships the pandemic demands from us – our essential ministry,
what St Teresa of Avila called “a service of love” remains: a praying community praying for you all.

God bless you and your family, your community, and friends. Thank you for being ours.

Happy Christmas and a blessed New Year full of promise.

In Carmel,

Fr Alexander of Mary Queen Beauty of Carmel, OCD