Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
Last week, I ran across a quote by a French Catholic author of the last century that really resonated with me. “You understand absolutely nothing about modern civilization unless you first admit that it is a conspiracy against all interior life.” (George Bernanos) Even the very roots of the word “civilization” betray its origin, for it comes from the Latin […]
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The Lord manifests Himself to those who stop for some time in peace and humility of heart. If you look in murky and turbulent waters, you cannot see the reflection of your face. If you want to see the face of Christ, stop and collect your thoughts in silence, and close the door of your soul to the noise of […]
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During Lent, I am often reminded of this, one of my favourite stories from the Desert Fathers: Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, ‘Abba, as far as I can I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace and as far as I can, I purify my […]
» Read moreInsignificant man, escape from your everyday business for a short while, hide for a moment from your restless thoughts. Break off from your cares and troubles and be less concerned about your tasks and labors. Make a little time for God and rest a while in him. On today’s Memorial of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, Bishop, Doctor of the Church, […]
» Read moreAs I was praying Prime this morning, I was suddenly reminded of this, one of my favourite stories from the Desert Fathers. I’ve been ruminating on it most of the day. Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, ‘Abba, as far as I can I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and […]
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Ten years ago today, on the night of the 26th of March 2005, I was baptized into the Church at the great Vigil of Easter. I used to think that it was a rare thing that one could point to a specific day, a specific moment, and say with certainty, “that’s it; that’s when everything changed”. As it turns out, […]
» Read moreNormally, we ask the servers, lectors, and extraordinary ministers to arrive thirty minutes before Mass. I was coming from work, and due to the train schedule I arrived an hour before Mass was scheduled to begin. I walked from the train station to the church in a refreshingly cool evening rain. Father was hearing Confessions, and there were a small […]
» Read moreThe Lord manifests Himself to those who stop for some time in peace and humility of heart. If you look in murky and turbulent waters, you cannot see the reflection of your face. If you want to see the face of Christ, stop and collect your thoughts in silence, and close the door of your soul to the noise of […]
» Read moreBoth of my readers will recall that I often reread the Desert Fathers during Lent. Today is the feast day of one of them, Saint Arsenius. He was a wealthy, educated man who gave up everything to worship God in the desert. Quite a contrast with yesterday’s feast of Saint Arnulf of Metz! Benedicta Ward gives the following summary of […]
» Read moreOn the old calendar, today is the feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great, confessor and doctor of the Church (540 – 604). In addition to the above, Saint Gregory was also a Benedictine abbot prior to his election as Pope. So it is in the monastic spirit that today I offer a recent catechesis by Pope Benedict XVI on […]
» Read moreYesterday for World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XVI rather counter-intuitively gave an address on silence. In the spirit of the Desert Fathers, and of the monastic admonition to silence, the Pope spoke of the relationship between “silence and the word”. No dialogue is possible without both of them. In silence, we are better able to listen to and understand ourselves; […]
» Read moreToday is the feast of the man many consider to be the founder of Christian monasticism, Saint Anthony the Great of Egypt, the “Father of Monks”. He was born in the middle of the third century in decidedly Pagan Middle Egypt to a well-to-do, comfortable family. He spent much of his life avoiding the sorts of comforts available to him […]
» Read moreFeeling like I should share this video documentary about the Benedictine Abbey at Clear Creek, Oklahoma. When I was thinking of the New Cluny, this is pretty much exactly what I had in mind, though I didn’t know it at the time. It’s about an hour, so grab some cocoa and settle in.
» Read moreAlthough it does not appear on the Universal (Roman) calendar, today is one of two feasts of Saint Benedict celebrated by Benedictines throughout the world. If it is true that the Irish saved civilization, it’s worth remembering that they did so largely in Benedictine Monasteries. Today, I have three short passages from one of Benedict’s spiritual and monastic forebears of […]
» Read moreDuring Lent, I am reading the Desert Fathers. On occasion I will post sayings that strike me during my Lectio. Yesterday I also received my pre-ordered copy of Pope Benedict’s new book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection, and I’m devouring it. I may have to back up and re-read properly when I’m […]
» Read moreThere are two kinds of people – those who know the value of silence and those who do not. The silent man may be moved to speak, to shout, and even perhaps to bellow in righteous indignation if the circumstances require. He may do so reluctantly or even with fear, but when he is roused he is terrible and, because […]
» Read moreThis is a new start on what I hope will be a spiritual journal as I discern my possible vocation to the diaconate. This site has been moved in its entirety from it original site at http://mundus-tranquillare-hic.blogspot.com/. The old site will be shut down at some point. The phrase that just occurred to me as I was typing this was […]
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