“Profession is not a kind of graduation: it is not a celebration of what has been accomplished with speeches about a bright future and further accomplishments that lie ahead. Profession is the beginning of a journey into the unforeseeable. A new monk begins it empty-handed. The equipment he has is invisible: the conviction of a calling, faith, and the promises we have just heard. . . . There never was and never will be an ideal moment to receive a calling or to re-commit to a calling. As in the case of Samuel, God enters our story at the least likely moment: God’s time is the present, no matter how favorable or unfavorable the circumstances around us.” – excerpts from the exhortation of Dom Elias on the occasion of the Solemn Profession of Br. Alberic Henry.
Br. Alberic vowed today to link his life permanently with the life of the community of Gethsemani in stability, obedience, and growing conformity to the monastic way of life.
This is a wonderful occasion, not just for Br. Alberic, but for the community as well. We welcomed Br. Alberic into our midst with open arms, literally, as he embraced every member. Br. Alberic also celebrated the occasion with members of his family and with friends who joined us at the mass. The smiles on everyone’s face reflected the overflowing joy of the moment.
We ask for prayers for Br. Alberic as he begins this new phase of his monastic life, empty-handed, as the abbot said, empty but open to receive God’s grace.
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