Once upon an early spring day, Sr. Mary Veronica gathered up her beloved novitiate members and headed out to the front of the monastery property. The task at hand: to prune, rake, and clean up the garden areas before flower season starts in earnest.

After an afternoon’s hard work, when the sticks and thorns and tools were piled high in the back of Isidore (our UTV, named after Bl. Isidore, the holy Passionist lay-brother) and Sr. Mary Veronica and Aspirant Abbey were seated in the cab and ready to head back inside, suddenly they realized they had a problem.

Where to put the novice?

As you can see, a solution was found: simply install Sr. Miriam Esther underneath the wood and tell her to hold on!

Indeed, now more than ever in these tumultuous times, we must cling to the wood — not, indeed, the dead wood cleared out of our gardens, but the wood of the Cross, the tree of life. Yes, by holding on for dear life to the Cross, despite the pain, suffering, anguish, uncertainty, and all the rest… yes, by holding on, we will be led to the Easter of joy and new life.

Just look at those smiles! They know that this is but a momentary discomfort which will give birth to eternal joy beyond our wildest imaginations!