Photo: Before the Profession of Vows Liturgy,
Chapel of the Apostles, Sewanee, TN. 2010
Chapel of the Apostles, Sewanee, TN. 2010
So you say that there are only seven sacraments? Really? No way! What about the burial office? And what about monastic profession? I believe that there are more than seven sacraments--external, visible signs of an inward spiritual grace. For me, I cannot imagine grace being contained and complete in mere seven. More of that later...
On the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter (Jan. 18th), I professed simple vows in the Order of St. Anthony the Great. The "OPC" Brothers and Sisters are a mixed contemplative community in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, GA. Founded in 2006 by Abbot Kenneth Hosley, OPC, the young order is in process to seek full recognition by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church. To date, we have 8 members under vows and several postulants. We seek to embrace a rule of the contemplative life that helps teach others the richness of the Christian spiritual tradition and cause renewal in our Church.
My heart was full that night; God has called me down a new road in my life and one that gives voice (or silence!) to a very important part of me. More over, I had a lot of dear friends present with me--and many who were unable to be there praying for me--which impressed upon me the love that so many have for me and our Church. I was, and still am, in awe.
As part of my discipline, I decided to write an icon of our Order's name-saint, Anthony the Great and present it to the Order upon my profession. Admittedly, I got the idea from seeing the Icon of the Brotherhood of Gregory the Great.
It is the largest icon to date that I have completed. It was exciting to see the image come alive and then to customize it with important emblems from the Order. I painted a frame to surround the saint and placed the Order's initials in each corner, OPC, which is Ordo Precis Contemplativae or "Order of Contemplative Prayer."
The flash does do justice to the brilliant color. Anthony's hands are holding a scroll with the Order's motto, Silentio Coram Deo, or "Silence before God." I began this icon at the beginning of January, and it helped me get through the GOE exams! I can see an improvement in my hand each time I write an icon, plus a willingness to embrace imperfection (which is something that I've been working on for years). The icon was blessed during a Eucharist in the Seminary's Chapel by our Associate Dean of Community Life. It was graciously received by my abbot and will travel to Atlanta to live with our Order.
~Silentio Coram Deo
