At our Easter Vigil service at Turvey Abbey we have always used John’s account of the Resurrection. The text is sung and, as a consequence, I almost know it by heart. The music swells when Mary reaches the moment of recognition and says ‘Rabunni’. It’s as if all time stands still in that moment of …
Author Archives: Turvey Nuns
Eastertide Alphabet (Q)
‘Let us give thanks to the Father, who has QUALIFIED us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.’ During Eastertide we are given the opportunity to explore the richness of our faith heritage. Central to the Paschal Mystery is the truth that it is through God’s initiative that we are redeemed. God …
Eastertide Alphabet (P)
John 14:27-31 ‘Peace I bequeath to you,my own peace I give you,a peace the world cannot give,this is my gift to you. ‘Oh, sister, it’s so peaceful here in the monastery.’ We hear this very often and, of course, there is a good deal of truth in this. We are a low stimulus environment, with …
Eastertide Alphabet (O)
‘OBEDIENCE to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree.’ I have lived for more than 30 years in a Benedictine monastery. It’s impossible to live in a monastery without developing a sound understanding …
Eastertide Alphabet (N)
NEW BIRTH I started writing this reflection in 2025, the day after Pope Francis’ funeral. I was struck at the time by how this short piece of scripture encapsulates the mysteries of our Faith and especially the hope of resurrection. That Pope Francis died when the whole Church was celebrating the Paschal mystery seemed very …
Eastertide Alphabet (M)
During Eastertide I always try to imagine myself into the world of the Early Church with all its enthusiasm and vigour. It doesn’t take long before I meet stories that involve some form of dispute: It is obvious to everybody in Jerusalem that a MIRACLE has been worked through them in public, and we cannot …
Eastertide Alphabet (L)
LOVE John 15:9-17 No one has greater love than this,to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.You are my friendsif you do what I command you. Few of us will be called upon to lay down our lives for our friends. Though we probably all hope that if a big sacrifice of some sort is asked of us …
Eastertide Alphabet (K)
When we pick up and read any of the four Gospels we are being drawn into the world of the Kingdom of God. There’s an inbuilt dynamic of something which is here already, but not yet fulfilled. In Jesus we see what is means for a human being to fully embody the values of the …
Eastertide Alphabet (J)
JOY John 15:9-11 ‘If you keep my commandmentsyou will remain in my love,just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.I have told you thisso that my own joy may be in youand your joy be complete.’ During Eastertide we hear a good deal of John’s Gospel. The themes of keeping …
Eastertide Alphabet (I)
INHERITANCE Living in a monastic community for the past thirty years I am very conscious of my monastic inheritance. This is very obviously visible in the material culture of the monastery, in its wall hangings, icons and vestments. The design of our oratory too speaks of our monastic and ecclesiological inheritance. Less obvious, but every …