Another glorious day at the monastery with a lot of sunshine and no wind! For the first time, I noticed birds of various kinds. It had been worrying that for a long time there were no birds to be seen as they usually are at this time of the year. I was in the kitchen making a large glass of Inka and saw a beautiful bird which looked like a Robin and then later, a bird looking like a chickadee. As well, there are both bees and bumblebees taking advantage of the weather and abundance of nectar being offered by the variety of flowering plants.
In the evening, I set out an icon of the Annunciation and decorated it with flowers which was then photographed for the benefit of those who are viewing the diary. Even though people are not allowed to attend the services, it is possible to read prayers at home and view any of the icons we photograph so that we are kind of sharing the feastday celebration, in spite of our physical separations. Yes, tomorrow (Tuesday) Archbishop Lazar and I shall again be reading the Obednitsa for the feast and this is the reason for preparing the church this evening.
Hopefully our pious people are remembering the feasts even though there is no gathering at the monastery for the time being. Throughout this period of physical separation, it is helpful to preserve our sense of community by remembering one another in prayer and communicating in the various possible ways. You might say that this is a chance to activate our creativity and dig deep inside to find ways to overcome our temporary isolation and, as is always necessary in life, strive to learn more about ourselves and break down the walls that separate us from God.
