On June 2th, 2014, the Solemnity of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist, our Monastery of Christ in the Desert celebrated its 50th anniversary of being founded on June 24th, 1964.
The celebration in 2014 was joyful and many came to celebrate with us. We celebrated Mass together and had a festive meal afterwards.
As a gift to the well-wishers who came on our Golden Anniversary, we offered live miniature roses bushes to take home and plant.
Some of the roses remained here and were planted in our cloister garden, dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Even after seven years, they are still definitely miniatures, but nicely bloom each summer, as today’s photograph displays.
The rose is a flower traditionally associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary. One of her popular titles is, “Mystical Rose.” The Christmas hymn, “Behold, a Mystical Rose,” extols Mary as “Morning Star, who brought Blessed Light from afar,” her Son, Jesus Christ.
May the Light of Christ lead us all in the ways of love and forgiveness!
Abbot Christian and the monks
