The Benedictines Strike Back

[puellapaschalis]

Three days or something, but that's not what this is about.

A few weeks ago a friend and I began a weekly prayer group, praying the Scriptural Rosary followed by either some prayers to the Holy Spirit, the Litany of Loreto, or (as we're now in Eastertide) the Regina Caeli. We alternate leading the decades and dedicate each one to a particular intention. Each time we've dedicated (at least!) one decade to vocations to the priesthood and religious life (we're both discerning so it's close to home).

Today I got a letter from my Oblate Master in England. He passed on the news that recently the Nov Master there has received many enquiries from men discerning monastic life, one of which seems quite likely to begin his postulancy soon.

God is good! Let us praise Him unceasingly!

Love and (lots and lots of) prayers,

PP

[OLAM Dad]

3 days!!! Edited April 24, 2006 by OLAM Dad

[Resey]

[quote name='puellapaschalis' post='958539' date='Apr 23 2006, 08:33 PM']
Hey Resey,

how cool! I'd only heard about St. Peter's before in the way of OSBs in Canada. Ontario and Qubec definitely need some good, solid Benedictine presence. Maybe there will be some new foundations there soon

There's nowt wrong with an OSB-crazy family! Benedict's Rule is also lived by many families throughout the world; it's an excellent guide to Christian living. Not to mention all the many professionals out there who also live the Rule as far as they can, so I'm sure Benedict will guide and bless [b]you[/b] too

Love and prayers,

PP
[/quote]


Yep its pretty cool . Until my siblings say "Therese got excommunicated" when I get in trouble or "I cant talk to an excommunicated person or ill get excommunicated"...hehehe its fun though. They always threaten to use the whole st benedict rule in our house. And im like "Eeeek!".

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='Resey' post='959372' date='Apr 24 2006, 11:27 PM']
Yep its pretty cool . Until my siblings say "Therese got excommunicated" when I get in trouble or "I cant talk to an excommunicated person or ill get excommunicated"...hehehe its fun though. They always threaten to use the whole st benedict rule in our house. And im like "Eeeek!".
[/quote]

Oh my!

Please tell me you also prostrate yourselves at each others' feet and wait for your superior to say "It is enough!" after which you're not excomunicated anymore!

Love and prayers,

PP

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='OLAM Dad' post='959361' date='Apr 24 2006, 11:17 PM']


3 days!!!
[/quote]

Michael, I have no idea how I missed this post mea culpa!

Yes, three and a little days. I had a meeting with my parish priest today. Unfortunately it perhaps wasn't as constructive as it could have been - I was in a bit of pain and couldn't concentrate properly. But he did give me useful advice (as always) and I sent him a semi-apologetic email afterwards explaining things.

I've just been out with a friend; we had dinner and then headed to an Irish pub nearby. I've re-discovered that I love Irish music. What are the chances that a monastery will let me bring my violin with me? :

Right, I'm going to (very belatedly) start some serious preparation for my visit. Otherwise I'm not going to be using my time there properly. Please pray for me, everyone, that I can open my heart to properly discern God's will regarding myself and this place!

Love and prayers,

PP

[stlmom]

Prayers to Sts. Benedict and Scholastica for a joyful visit!

[VeniteAdoremus]

Double-posted due to slowness of uni computers... how does one delete such things?

Edited April 26, 2006 by VeniteAdoremus

[VeniteAdoremus]

Have a good time, PP

I'm leaving for Pisa, Assisi (WOOOOOOOOT) and selected other ice-cream and espresso-containing places tomorrow at 5 am (WHYYYY?). So wish me a good choir tour please

Oh, and what do you want me to bring you from Assissi (WOOOOOOOOOT), a crucifix, yet another rosary, or something else? :

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='VeniteAdoremus' post='961349' date='Apr 26 2006, 12:51 PM']
Have a good time, PP

I'm leaving for Pisa, Assisi (WOOOOOOOOT) and selected other ice-cream and espresso-containing places tomorrow at 5 am (WHYYYY?). So wish me a good choir tour please

Oh, and what do you want me to bring you from Assissi (WOOOOOOOOOT), a crucifix, yet another rosary, or something else? :
[/quote]

Have a safe journey VA! And sing well for me

A rosary or prayer card would be lovely. Thank you for offering

PP

[puellapaschalis]

Right then Just a few hours left to finish packing and get some sleep and then I'm off.

Please keep me in your prayers over the next few days. An old back problem that I've been lax in trying to fix has returned with a vengance over the last few days, culminating in visits to the physio, doctor and now I'm kind of drugged up a lot of the time. Valium is a bizarre thing. I'm worried that the pain will prevent me from really concentrating - but then I am a famous over-worrier as it is. So I'm praying that I can just keep my head clear and myself on an even keel.

My train travels through Cologne. Anyone who was at WYD last August will know how you can see the Dom from the train station. I'll be gazing at it and remembering all my experiences there last Summer, and praying for everyone here on VS.

God protect us as we travel
by air or land or sea
keep us safe and guide us
wherever we may be

Love and prayers,

PP

PS Fellow Bennies, feel free to take up this thread and run with it! Keep up the Office and Lectio and all that. I'll share what I can when I get back. Doei!

Edited April 28, 2006 by puellapaschalis

[shortnun]

Prayers of safety and open hearts for Venite and Puella.

[puellapaschalis]

Well I'm back! I think VA is in Italy for another few days though.

Thanks for all your prayers. I've come back with so much to think about; until things are a bit more coherent in my heart I'm withdrawing for a while. Keep the faith, Sisters

Love and prayers,

PP

[stlmom]

Welcome back, hope your visit was good.

[puellapaschalis]

Thank you It was a good visit; I simply feel a bit overwhelmed by grace and joy right now. It's all a bit raw and I'm worried that if I talk about it too much I won't be working with it in the right way. Obsculta is the first word of the Rule, after all

Love and prayers,

PP

[shortnun]

Puella, prayers for you that your heart may be settled in light of the beauty and grace that came from your experience with the sisters.

[puellapaschalis]

Ok. I think I might be at a point where I can begin sharing a little of my visit, but I'm a bit nervous. Would anyone like to help me start with a well-placed question? I have to strike a balance here - I don't want to hog all the goodness that I received and not share with others who would benefit, but at the same time I don't want to bare my innermost heart online (much as you're all lovely, of course!).

Help!

Love and prayers,

PP

[shortnun]

Hmmmm....... here's a tool I've used with high schoolers (so maybe it'll be useful for those of us out of high school too)

One word to describe your visit:

Three words (can't include the one you used above):

One sentance to describe your visit (you can use words you used above):



Additionally, don't be nervous. I don't know if my questions were well-placed, but perhaps it'll get the ball rolling. Also, it's good that you don't want to share your soul over the internet. Do feel free to share as much as you'd like as we're all here to support and pray with/for you.

[stlmom]

Maybe you could just start factually and give us an overview of some of the activities in which you participated. Tell us a bit about some of the sisters, and then as you feel more comfortable you can share your impressions of the time spent. Yes, whatever you can tell us may encourage more on the phorum to consider the Benedictines-- and that would be my wish.
God bless!

[puellapaschalis]

Here goes, then.

The day starts early - Lauds is at 5:30am on most days. Afterwards there's a break of a little over an hour before Terce and Mass, after which the physical work of the day (Labora, as opposed to Ora) gets started. Then at a quarter to midday Sext is prayed, then lunch, and then None.

After None begins the afternoon's work, then Vespers, which is followed by dinner and evening recreation. Compline and Vigils (in anticipation of the following day) is at about 7:20pm.

It sounds quite clinical, like a school timetable. And in a certain way it is. But what reading about it on an internet forum doesn't adequately bring across is how [i]levende[/i] this structure, this rhythm is. What can only be tasted by actually moulding yourself to the monastic horarium is how living, how [i]vibrant[/i] it is. I don't mean that it's always sparking with an intense sense of joy and holiness - monastic life is tough, and the horarium is often the toughest bit - but that it gives a real sense of (to use a cliched phrase) sanctifying the day.

We think of sanctifying as "making holy", which is of course right. But the [i]Sanctus[/i], the Spirit by which the monastic day is made holy, is a [i]life-giver[/i]. The horarium at Ruedesheim somehow enlivens the rest of the day, enlivens it, animates it. It doesn't necessarily make it a bed of roses, but it breathes life and purpose into it; the day becomes a sign of the radicality of the basic, fundamental Christian lifestyle - that in all things God may be glorified, whether by Latin plainsong or cleaning the floors.

In between the Offices I spent most of my time in my room reading Scripture and practising Lectio, or simply resting (my body isn't used to that kind of pattern yet!).

I had chats with a couple of the sisters - Sr. Benedicta (of California fame!) and I went for a walk one morning and had a wonderful discussion about faith, vocation and Benedictine community life. Sr. Lydia is a lady who is very easy to talk to, very approachable and whose laugh is infectious; our second conversation featured swapping stories of Where We Were When Benedict XVI Was Elected Pope amongst other things. I also met a few others (inluding the Abbess, very briefly), including Sr. Agatha, who is the guestmistress - a gentle and holy woman whose lack of English poses little problem when looking after guests like me who don't speak much German!

Many deep impressions have been imprinted on my heart from my visit. It feels strange to think that this time [i]last week[/i] I was still there. Coming back home was such a shock: the world is so noisy! How on earth do we manage to think straight out here?!

I'm not sure what else I can write here whilst still being coherent, so I'll stop here whilst I'm ahead (hopefully). I do hope that this is somehow useful and enlightening to some - and if anyone has some questions then feel free to ask either here or in a PM and I'll do my best to answer them.

Love and prayers,

PP

[stlmom]

So glad to see your post! You have a way of reflecting on your experiences without going all sappy about them or gut spilling, for which I am so thankful. Sounds like you had a lovely time.
I have only a few mundane questions:

How do these Benedictines support themselves?
What is their relationship with the outside community?
Are you more seriously considering this way of monastic life now?

God bless!