Corona burdens many people.
And Christmas is not far away.
Ettal Abbey wants to give a little joy here.
Ettal - The special atmosphere exuded by the inner courtyard of the Benedictine monastery Ettal has shown itself several times in the past at public events.
For example, at the classical concerts as part of the Richard Strauss Festival, at a community concert by local music bands as part of the Bavarian State Exhibition or at the great serenade of the Mountain Rifle Battalion in Werdenfels in August 2018. The procession of the convention on Corpus Christi also takes place every year through this square.
The corona pandemic was or is the trigger that the picturesque inner courtyard with the majestic basilica should take an important place in the planning of church services and celebrations in December.
Abbot Barnabas Bögle: “Christmas is a very special festival for Christians and everyone.
Especially in these difficult days with a lot of scary news, people have a need and a longing for inner peace.
There is also another message.
As a monastery, we want to take this into account. ”In plain English: If the weather cooperates somehow, the Christmas mass on Christmas Eve this year is to take place outside the monastery church.
“We would only go to the church in very adverse conditions such as black ice, rain, extreme cold or blowing snow, otherwise it would take place outside.
We want to tighten the liturgy a little ”, adds Cellerar Father Johannes Bauer.
Large Christmas tree in the courtyard
For the first time, a large Christmas tree from the monastery forest is set up in the inner courtyard, plus a small hut as a nativity scene with Mary and Joseph and the infant Jesus.
Above the arches at the entrances, the fathers want to illuminate old church pictures in the windows.
Father Johannes: “Above the Ammergauer Tor the sequence of scenes from Annunciation, Birth and Adoration is shown, at the entrance to the school there is a picture of John the Baptist.
The whole thing can be seen from the first Sunday in Advent, November 29th.
In addition, we want to illuminate the paths in the inner courtyard with torches. "
If the Christmas mass in Ettal takes place outdoors this year, it would be a premiere.
"As far as I can remember, this has never happened before," says the Cellerar, who remembers that on Christmas Day after the end of the war in 1945, the Christmas masses took place all over Germany because the churches were destroyed.
Traditionally, every year before Christmas, the arrival of the light of peace from the nativity grotto in Bethlehem is celebrated in the Ettal monastery.
This service on Sunday, December 13th at 7 p.m. will also be celebrated in the courtyard.
In these troubled times, Abbot Barnabas would like to invite all those seeking help and advice to pray together and turn to God: “On Sundays during Advent we celebrate services at 7 am, 9:30 am and 11 am.
On the first Advent we would like to hold a devotion with well-known Advent songs with meditation in the church on Saturday, November 28th, at 7 pm local brass music.
The head of the monastery finally emphasized "that our monastery and we Benedictine monks want to give the people in the region, including those who are suffering from this pandemic, a little Christmas joy ..."