Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
If you happen to be at Conception Abbey on this day and attend Mass or one of the major hours of prayer, Vigils, Lauds, or Vespers, you will notice that the monks are wearing more than our usual monastic habits. Over the top of the habit, we will be wearing an extra-long, black flowing something with very large arms. This is the monastic cuculla, which we only wear on the holiest of days, for example, Easter or Christmas. This particular very holy day is the Solemnity of the Dedication of the Abbey Basilica. When we celebrate the dedication of a church, we are celebrating the building and its history and beauty, of course. But even more, we are celebrating the community that uses the building for worship. So we are celebrating in a special way all of the generations of monks that have lived in this monastery and followed the way of St. Benedict. And we are also celebrating all the many people who have over the years joined with the monks in prayer and have found a deeper relationship with God with this community of prayer.
I don’t know what readings we will use for Mass in the Basilica on this day: they will be changed. However in the Gospel reading for this day in the season of Easter, Jesus says “I am the vine and you are the branches.” May this vine continue to touch lives and bring many closer to Christ for years to come.
Reflection by Fr. Aquinas Keusenkothen, OSB
Posted in Article for Easter, Daily Reflections