VISION SPOTLIGHT Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux
Contemplate the cross by Jennifer Tomshack
The central image of Christianity receives unique expression within religious communities. Jennifer Tomshack is editorial director of TrueQuest Communications, publisher of VISION Vocation Guide.
T
HE CROSS IS OUR GREATEST TEACHER,” writes Alice Camille in Seven Last Words. “It was meant to be an instrument of execution, but it became a source of salvation for all. . . . Contemplate it often.” With that advice in mind, VISION invited religious communities to submit images of the crosses that serve as the symbol or inspiration for their distinct way of life. We were delighted to receive photos and stories of crosses made out of every material imaginable—wood, metal, glass, fabric—painted on canvas, fashioned into jewelry, and fit into window frames to adorn the community’s church, chapel, cemetery, or grounds or the members themselves. These simple yet powerful expressions of the central image of the Christian faith are an opportunity for all of us to contemplate the essence of Christian discipleship, particularly as it is made manifest within the diversity of consecrated life.
Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux Vina, California The Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux is home to a community of Cistercian 66 | VISION 2016 | VocationNetwork.org
