Maxime started as an altar boy at seven years old, in the Monastery of Busy en Othe, in Burgundy, where we used to live.
It was Mama who proposed the idea to him, and he accepted. He saw it as a big responsibilty, and from the start, he treated it attentively and seriously.
In all these years, he has never had a complaining word about the duties or commitment, which sometimes can be onerous for a young boy. Not a single time.
To the contrary, he tries to do the best possible, a goal he has likley reached a few times over, as the sisters say that he is the altar boy that they can trust.
On Easter in 2013, when he was eleven, he insisted on staying up and serving through the entire Easter service for the first time. It is difficult even for adults, as it starts at 11.30 PM, and ends at 3.30 or 4.00 AM. Then there is the feast right after it in the rectory. We were all concerned he was still too young to do it, but he did it through, always attentive, correct and never flagging.
As if there had not been enough praise from the sisters for Maxime over the years, this seemed to dissolve all calls for restraint, and if Maxime's name comes up, they practically swoon.
He was taught by Mere Elisabeth, a dear elderly nun who was actually a Russian/German princess before becoming a nun, and lived till just recently, when she died at 88 years old. She took Maxime under her wing, and taught him with kindness, but with the Germanic thoroughness she was known for.
Maxime, now in his turn, is consulted by any new sisters who appear at the Monastery, about the details of this or that, of what to do precisely "here" during a given moment in the service. And this he does, as he always does, with complete humility and with his quiet, gentle touch.
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Busy en Othe, Bourgogne, May 2009
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Busy en Othe, Dec 2009
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The two brothers after the service, Busy en Othe, 2010
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Potato peeling with sisters after the service, Busy en Othe, 2011
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Busy en Othe, 2012
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Easter, Busy en Othe, 2013
Easter, Busy en Othe, 2014
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Small church, Beaulieu, Normandie, 2014
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Big church, Caen, Normandie, 2014
