Archives for July 2017

This week we have the joy of receiving a new postulant into our community. With this beautiful event comes a new impetus to examine one’s own vocation, and the meaning of vocation in general. How true are the words of St. John Paul II: “A religious vocation is a gift, freely given and freely received. It is a profound expression of the love of God for you, and, on your part, it requires in turn a total love for Christ. […] If someone among you hears Christ’s call to a complete gift of self in the religious life … have the courage to say yes generously and firmly…” (Address to Youth, Rome, Italy, 1989).

Our foundress, when she was still alive, often gave conferences to the Novitiate. She would sometimes say that it was not enough to rest on one’s entrance into monastic life and the memory of the good will that it required. The following of Christ had to be embraced anew every single day, as though it were the first and only day.

May all of us, both those already consecrated in religious life and those discerning the religious vocation, be renewed in Spirit to give—and live—our unwavering yes to Christ!

 

Summertime in the monastery is a unique time to enjoy God in nature. With the warm weather, we are easily immersed in the wonders of creation through walks in the woods, visits to the gardens, or quiet moments around the pond.

Behind our monastery we have a little hummingbird feeder, which has drawn quite a few of these amazing little birds. Since they aren’t at all timid, we have the joy of observing them up close to enjoy their iridescent feathers, buzzing wings and mouse-like chirps. And yet, before we had the feeder, one would rarely catch a glimpse of a hummingbird. It makes one wonder about all the many hidden treasures of God’s creation that remain unseen!

One beautiful aspect of contemplative life is this very element of hiddenness. Many will never know that this form of life exists, and yet it is precisely because we are concealed that God’s grace is multiplied and extended to the world. For he is often revealed in understated ways: “The Lord was not in the wind … the Lord was not in the earthquake … the Lord was not in the fire” (1 Kgs 19:11-12). We live only for God and his purposes—so often invisible to the ordinary observer—and according to his designs. “And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave” (1 Kgs 19:13).

May we carry on in our daily life, as does the tiny hummingbird or unnoticed flower, glorifying God in our quiet, hidden way.

 

Many churches, and the great cathedrals in particular, are built of stone, which is a way of symbolizing the steadfastness and permanence of God. “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is an eternal rock”, says the prophet Isaiah (Is 26:4). He is always present, always with us, supporting us as the solid rock under our feet. The stone edifices erected throughout the world aim to reflect this spiritual reality.

When guests come to stay with us here at the monastery, they sometimes comment on the peace they experience in knowing that we’re always here, always praying the Divine Office. They come for a retreat, return to their daily life, and when they come again, they find us praising God as before. Day in and day out our prayer continues, anchored by our vow of stability to our community and love for God. In a world that is constantly changing, there is comfort in knowing that even in the midst of society’s unpredictability, a monk or nun’s life of prayer remains the same.

The constancy of our monastic life is, as the stone which makes up our place of worship, a sign of God’s presence. It is a product of his very own constancy, of the continuous flow of grace which supports us. He is the Faithful One, and we hope to be a reflection of his faithful love for all people.

“There was a man of venerable life … blessed by grace and in name”, begins the famous biography of St. Benedict, written in 593 A.D. by St. Gregory the Great. Today, nearly fifteen hundred years after St. Benedict’s death, men and women all over the globe are still finding inspiration in the life and rule of this “father of western monasticism”. Even those in the business world and people of other faith traditions are discovering that his wisdom applies to their own journey through life, simply because of its breadth and balance.

As we honor this larger-than-life monk from a small town in Italy this week, we celebrate all the good that can be done through one man who is completely oriented toward God. May he intercede for us all, that we too might be as devoted to Christ and the life of virtue as he was!

A wise monk once said: “We are to be still points in a world that passes around us.” In the busyness of everyday life, perhaps it is difficult to imagine how this could be possible. And yet, that is what monks and nuns are called to be—a sort of “eye” in the center of the storm.

Even in a monastery, many things need to be done: pay the bills, do the dishes, make the cheese, clean the church. What then could it mean to be a point of stillness? Well, perhaps a key to living a contemplative life is to keep peace in one’s soul even in the flurry of activity.

The source of this peace is, in fact, not so much a what as a Who. It is God—Christ in the center of the soul—who keeps his creatures at peace, loving them into a supernatural stillness. It is a product of being cared for by the Father, being led by faith. It is a gift that God wishes to give to everyone, to whomever will “come to the water and drink” (Is 55:1), for “as members of one body you were called to that peace” (Col 3:15).