Abbey News

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Quiet 4th
Well, almost! We're not into setting off firecrackers ourselves but our neighbors surely are. And of course fireworks displays have to be at a time when the local Trappists are bedded down for the night. Some of us may grouse for a moment upon being awakened but only for a moment. The grousing is quickly displaced by prayers of thanksgiving that the booming is that of celebrative fireworks and not of hostile gun fire. And so fervent prayers for our nation are offered throughout the day as well as for those deprived of the freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness, and a festive dinner enjoyed.

Community Dialog
In chapter this morning Fr. John inaugurated a series of community dialogs to begin tomorrow. The topic will be silence, solitude and separation from the world with special emphasis on the use of the modern means of communication. One area we need to consider is the impact they have on our contemplative life and how we can use them to best advantage while keeping them from getting out of hand. Our challenge is to 'monasticize' them, that is, integrate them into our way of life.

Also in chapter Fr. John unveiled preliminary plans for remodeling and expanding of our retreat house facilities but more about that at another time.

Fun In The Sun

St. Benedict does not provide for community recreation as such but apparently sees the re-creative effects of manual labor which provides a needed balance in the contemplative life. Some work can be a bit of 'fun' at times such as waging battle against the algae encroaching on one of our ponds.

This year there was more algae than usual due in good measure, no doubt, to the families of Canadian geese taking up residence there so it was decided to launch an all out attack against it. Taking advantage of help from our observer we see Fr. Marcellus and Joe Bruno teaming up to rake algae to the shore.

Taking advantage as well of our in-house retreatant, here is Br. Isaac and Fr. Bob, OFM, Conv. making a frontal attack.

Actually it wasn't quite as much fun as one might suppose but there was satisfaction in routing a good deal of the enemy and an eagerness to return to a bit of contemplative repose.

Living in the presence of God, according to Benedict, shapes all realms of human life: prayer, work, interaction with creation, and relationships with other people. "Fellowship," that great slogan of our time, was for Benedict no contradiction to a devout love of God. The social dimension is always already religious, for in the brother as in the sister we encounter Christ himself.

Faith in God is made concrete for Benedict in a belief in the good core of the fellow human being. There faith is expressed in a new way of being with one another. That, for Benedict, is the basis of true humanity. It is not an uplifting ideal, but reality that confronts us again and again in daily situations.

Thus Benedict says in the chapter on the monastic counsel that the abbot is to call all the brothers to counsel because "the Lord often reveals what is better to the younger." For Benedict, then, it is clear that the Lord speaks to us through people, that he can speak to us through anyone, even a younger person who may have less experience and knowledge.

Benedict of Nursia: His Message For Today
Anselm Grun, OSB