Patience
As after a gloriously azure morning clouds descend and the snow begins to drift, the abbey of Tamié nestles with perfect serenity in the mountainside 900 metres above sea level, resembling a mother bird spreading her wings to protect her brood. She has sat there for almost a thousand years. She has seen all sorts of weathers come and go. She has seen fat years and lean. ‘But the mercy of the Lord is everlasting.’ This has been the constant refrain of the monks living within her, one generation succeeding another. The words have been borne out by experience. Saints have gone forth from her, and martyrs. Even a bishop. Today she lies there discreet, almost invisible. At the opportune time her white walls will stand out in bright contrast to her green surroundings. For winter will yield to spring, and the pear trees will bloom. An image of the Church in her mystery.
