A very blessed and grace-laden New Year to all of you!
2020 had been a very challenging year for all of us. We will not forget this year, for we all suffered when COVID 19 broke out and spread like wildfire in all parts of the earth. Suddenly, we found ourselves – rich and poor, strong and weak – on the same ship, though in different cabins.
Yet, there is much to thank God for this past year. We saw God’s hand and His loving care despite danger and fear. Our Lord had not abandoned us, though people of different opinions and beliefs believe otherwise.
People say we are close to God, and therefore, we do not suffer what a layperson undergoes; or spared deep suffering and pain because Christ loves us. On the contrary. Following our crucified Lord, we are continually called to take up our crosses and follow him unwaveringly. Even as a contemplative religious community, we are not spared the fear and insecurity brought by the pandemic. We are exercised in faith and hope. We rely on our Lord’s grace and enlightenment at all times.
And so, to thank God for His love and care, and to ask Him for blessing, healing, and protection for the new year, not only for us but for the whole world, the younger members of our community gathered at midnight and met the New Year by singing (in German) the Te Deum ( You are God, we praise you). Attached in PDF is the translation in English: click here