Archive: by Julian Cleary, OSB

Christmas in the Monastery ...by Sr. Julian

Although the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours are the essence of our Advent and Christmas seasons, we do manage to celebrate in other ways too! After a wonderful Thanksgiving feast prepared by our Chef Nico, we gather in our community room to draw Kris Kringle names. All during Advent, we keep the secret of whose name we have chosen and may offer special prayers and little gifts anonymously for this person.

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Advent Statio ...by Sr. Julian

Statio. It’s a different kind of word; almost seems incomplete, like it should be station or stationary or something. Statio is a Latin word (pronounced "staht-see-oh) meaning station or position. One early use was a Roman stopping place where travelers could find shelter and change horses.  Over time it has become known as a pause or transition.

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Space and Privacy ...by Sr. Julian

When I was growing up, ‘space’ meant outer space: galaxies, planets, even black holes. I became curious about the time when ‘space’ began to mean something personal. Around 1963, cultural anthropologist Edward Hall began identifying various forms of distance (Proxemics: “study of the amount of space that people feel it necessary to set between themselves and others”). Later, Neuropsychology came along and began to investigate ‘space’ in its extrapersonal, peripersonal and percutaneous forms.

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Mother Ocean

Our ocean mother covers almost 75% of our earth with her mantle of water! From these massive and majestic ocean bodies we receive so many gifts: marine life, the enjoyment of beauty beyond measure, oxygen from photosynthesis (the breath of life), nutrients, weather and climate influences, a source of transportation, a source of food, a source of swimming and recreational activities--and the list goes on and on! Our oceans bring us joy too! Recently I had the opportunity to enjoy the…

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Aging with Agility ...by Sr. Julian

                  Image: Freepik. comWhen I think of the word ‘agility,’ I think about moving easily and quickly or being flexible in your body.  I see older folks around me that seem to have this agility ability. As I near the end of my sexagenarian years, I feel less spry. Does this mean I lack any agility at all? No! Perhaps I am just less nimble or dexterous. The other day I was sewing a button onto a blouse.

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Has Everything Changed Since Covid? ...by Sr. Julian

Since the Covid pandemic has eased somewhat, I hear often “Everything has changed since Covid. ” Do you hear that too? Sometimes it seems almost like a lament. And I begin to think about what has changed. People are traveling again. They were traveling less during Covid, but since 2023 people have begun to travel more and more regularly. I am not sure if the post-Covid pandemic travel is back to pre-Covid ‘normal,’ but travel has certainly increased.

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A Cat in the Monastery ...by Sr. Julian

A few years ago now, a lovely little cat appeared at our back door. She was thin but beautiful. We knew she was a tabby, but I had never heard of a brown mackerel tabby. Was this a fish cat or a cat fish (but not really a catfish)? With light-filled emerald eyes, she looked up at us from the bush she was hiding in and said “Feed me. ” We began to feed her.

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A Mug for All Seasons ....by Sr. Julian

Our lives here at St Placid Priory have a daily rhythm which is guided by a liturgical calendar. Isn’t a calendar just a calendar? Well, no, not always. The liturgical calendar is both different and similar to a normal everyday calendar. Both the liturgical and secular calendars mark special seasons such as Christmas and Easter. But the liturgical calendar also reflects which days are Catholic solemnities and feasts and seasons such as Lent and Advent.

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Many Hats!

Hi, I'm Sr. Julian. Welcome to our Priory Blog. Glad you're stopping by. . . . Before coming to the monastery, as an attorney I helped folks get Social Security disability benefits, and I'm interested in immigration law and have some experience in that.

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