January 1 - Non Recedat Laus!

Were they sipping a glass of champagne, do you suppose, toasting in the New Year? Had they purchased a modest stock of fireworks to shoot off over the Abbey rooftops?

We know what they were doing last night, the nuns of Regina Laudis Abbey. We always know; we can track their days more closely than a UPS package as it makes its way to our door. All are gathered in the chapel at 6:15 each morning for Lauds and Prime, two of the early Offices, celebrating Sext and None at noon, the beautiful twilight office of Vespers at 5:00 p.m., and observing the Great Silence after Compline at 7:30 at night and until their worship begins again the next morning.

Non recedat laus! is their motto . . . Let praise never cease!
So shall it be ours in this New Year. Let praise never cease! As our God and Father looks upon us to see how we are and “where we are” (as if He had to turn His gaze upon us!,) He will find us praising His holiness, extolling His love, and blessing His name and glory and power.

We know that His all-seeing eyes see us always, but how many times does the Scripture mention His turning? “Turn to me and be gracious to me!” “Turn unto me according to thy tender mercies!” “I will not turn away from them, to do them good . . .”

We read, this New Year’s morning, the words of the prophet Joel, which are the words of our God and King . . . “Turn ye [even] unto me . . .” and we will not leave our Sisters, nor our brother Franciscans and Cistercians and Benedictines, to bear alone the weight and majesty of worship and intercession. We will not leave one another alone, the praying mothers and fathers, the worshiping widows, the faithful pastors in our midst, and the youngsters who know not more than to cry out to God. We will chart our days; we will so live before Him that praise shall never cease, here within the walls of Cor Unum Abbey, the monastery of the heart.


Abbaye de Chantelle
used by permission