Today began with Mass at 9:00 am. This is a rare thing in the monastery because Mass is usually at 6:30 am. Our Father Provincial did not arrive until about midnight last night after an eight hour drive from New Orleans to Little Rock. So we gave him a break. The last time you saw us at Mass was around Christmas time when we were having it down in our refectory. Well we are back in the upstairs chapel now. This room used to be the orchestra loft for the grand ballroom below when this place was a Masonic country club. On our side of choir are Luis Joaquin Castañeda. He's our vocational director. He drove Javier, our postulant, from Oklahoma City to Marylake the other day. Next to him is Br. Luis Gerardo Belmonte who was up at the crack of dawn making a big breakfast for us this morning which was served after Mass and the Divine Office. Luis Gerardo is a wonderful cook. In back by Our Lady's statue is Brother Bernard, our regular cook, gardener, and general handyman. Bernard welcomes a new cook with open arms, although Luis Gerardo will leave on his vacation soon, so we are enjoying his presence while we got him. Reading the gospel at the lecturn is our Father Provincial, Gregory Ross. After the gospel, our superior Fr. Ralph gave the sermon from the presidential chair behind the altar. Ralph delivered most of the sermon hidden behind the flowers from my place in choir. I had to time my photo op carefully to catch him leaning back in the chair.