Reflection for 1 January

‘Red sky at night, shepherds’ delight…’
Many will be familiar with this saying which foretells fine weather the next day.
Heavenly phenomena – the sun, moon, stars, rainbows – have an endless capacity to lift the spirits, even in the most unpromising circumstances. Memorably, in his Holocaust memoir ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ (1946), Viktor Frankl recounts how one evening he summoned his fellow prisoners in the concentration camp outside to witness a spectacular sunset.

‘The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands…’ Psalm 19 (18).

The photograph of the sunset illustrating this post was taken here at Stanbrook on Christmas Eve – a fitting harbinger of the delight of the shepherds 2,000 years ago who, after Mary and Joseph, would be the first witnesses of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, the one who, as God among us, brings hope, not simply of fine weather, but of peace and the renewal of all creation.

Monastic communities follow in the steps of those shepherds as witnesses to the reality of Jesus Christ, born, crucified, risen from the dead and active through the Holy Spirit in our world. Like the writer of the 4th Gospel, a monastic community proclaims, ‘we have beheld his glory’, (John 1: 14) often through difficult and trying times.

Today, 1 January 2025, we the community of Our Lady of Consolation, give thanks to God for his faithfulness through the past 400 years since our foundresses took their solemn vows. We begin a year of quiet, reflective celebration in union with the whole Church as pilgrims of hope, travelling towards the fullness of God’s Kingdom and inviting others to join us on the way.

We wish you every blessing for the New Year and assure you of our prayers as we journey forward together. Please do join us in prayer, in person or via the website.

Text and image ©Stanbrook Abbey 2025