BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani Abbey - ECPv6.16.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani Abbey
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20270314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20271107T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260618
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260619
DTSTAMP:20260616T045947
CREATED:20260614T104505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260614T104505Z
UID:15075-1781740800-1781827199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - Office for the Dead
DESCRIPTION:A reading from “The Rule of Life for a Recluse” by \nST AELRED OF RIEVAULX \n◊◊◊ \nIf the gifts [God] bestows on his own in the present [time are so great]\, \nwhat must be those he is keeping for them in the future? \nThe beginning of the future and the end of the present is death. Is there \nanyone who has not a natural repulsion for death\, who does not feel a dread of \nit? “Wild beasts guard themselves from death\, preserve life by flight\, hiding- \nplaces and a thousand other devices.” Now then examine yourself carefully. \nWhat answer does your conscience give you\, what is it your faith counts on\, your \nhope promises you\, your affections expect? \nIf your life is a burden to you\, if you are weary of the world\, if the flesh \nbrings you only pain\, then indeed death is something you long for\, to free you \nfrom the burden of this life\, to put an end to your weariness\, to take away bodily \npain. This by itself I consider to surpass all the delights of this world\, all its \nhonors and riches: to have such serenity of conscience\, such firm faith and such \ncertain hope that you do not fear death. Some experience of this will come \nespecially to the man who on occasion\, sighing under the burden of his \nservitude\, has been enabled to breathe the fresh air of a conscience set at liberty. \nThese are the wholesome first fruits of your beatitude to come\, so that at the \nmoment of death the natural horror you feel for it may be overcome by faith\, \nsoftened by hope\, driven away by an assured conscience. \nConsider too how death is the beginning of eternal happiness\, the goal of \nall your labors\, the destroyer of vice. For so it is written: “Blessed are the dead \nwho die in the Lord. Let them rest from their labors\, says the Spirit.” Therefore \nthe Prophet distinguishes between the death of the reprobate and that of the \nelect in the words: “All the kings have fallen asleep in glory\, each in his own \nhouse\, while you have been cast out of your tomb like a useless root\, twisted and \ndecayed.” \nThey indeed sleep in glory whose death is commended by a good \nconscience\, for in the eyes of the Lord the death of his saints is precious.” Truly \nhe sleeps in glory whose falling asleep is attended by angels\, whom saints come \nto meet\, bringing help and solace to their fellow-citizen and withstanding his \nenemies\, driving off those who stand in the way\, repelling those who bring \ncharges against him\, and so accompanying his holy soul right up to Abraham’s \nbosom and depositing it in a place of peace and rest.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-office-for-the-dead-26/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR