I have been reflecting on the idea of commitment lately, particularly since the Sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery witnessed the final Oblation of eight new Oblates on June 6. These new Oblates are the first guests to rejoin us in chapel since the start of the pandemic. The ceremony was livestreamed to include as many witnesses to their commitment as possible. The word Oblate has it meaning in the word, “offering” and the signing of their final Oblation document on the altar is similar to that which each vowed monastic Sister makes when she places her document on the altar and signs her promise to seek God in the service of Christ through the Monastic Way.

We  hope you are enjoying the opportunity to shake hands and hug after many months of distancing and stay-at-home. June has offered us some long, hot days. I hope you have enjoyed the start of the summer with picnics, pool parties, and other gatherings with dear friends and family.

This month marks the beginning of summer in Minnesota. June 20 is the summer solstice, when our planet is tilted so that the Sun shines on its northernmost point on Earth, the imaginary line known as the Tropic of Cancer, about 23° latitude north of the equator. We have longer hours of daylight than on any other day of the year. It is as if the northern hemisphere of the Earth has turned its face toward the Sun, welcoming its warmth and shining light. Certain plants and flowers also have a rhythm of turning toward the Sun, a phenomenon known as heliotropism. In the morning, young sunflowers are turned toward the east, anticipating the sunrise. Throughout the day, they follow the path the Sun traces in the sky, continually re-orienting and turning themselves toward the Sun’s shining light and warmth until sunset in the west. By constantly following the Sun, the young sunflower collects more energy for growing.

It has been over a year now since COVID-19 led to the world’s sudden and prolonged shut down. This past year has been a journey of challenges, causing us to see anew the world around us as we have never seen before. We have often felt isolated, but Saint Benedict reminds us that a journey is not taken alone. God is with us, and we are with each other: “See how God’s love shows us the way of life” (Rule, Prologue: 20). “Prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and may he bring us all together to everlasting life” (Rule, Chapter 72: 11-12).