Hosea, chapter 2, verse 14:
"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her."
Many people question what would lead a person to live a monastic life. The above passage pretty much sums it up for me; the sweetness of my Creator's voice in the silence of my heart outweighs any burden that the monastic way of life could place upon me.
A sincere monastic knows that they do not come to this way of life as a perfect person. I stumble, fall, and lose my way on a regular basis. It is only through the grace and mercy of my Creator that I am able to get back up, dust myself off, and continue on the narrow path that leads me to salvation.
I have been a monk in one form or another for 11 years now. Although I have made my lifelong profession of vows, I still consider myself a spiritual novice. I still have much to learn in the school of God's service; I must learn how to love more, pray more, be kinder and show more generosity to those around me.
I have these and many more lessons to learn, and it will probably take the span of my lifetime and more to learn them. It is my hope that through adherence to my Rule of Life, a sincere thirst for generosity and love, and the help of my brothers and sisters that I will arrive at my death changed for the better.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Monday, August 28, 2017
Recognizing God
There is a saying that I have seen circulating around social media that says, "if you can not find Christ in the beggar on the street, you will not find Him in the Chalice".
Powerful words.
One of the vows that members of the community I belong to take is the vow of Stewardship. This means that we vow to care for the environment in which we live and the people in our lives with patience, compassion, and generosity.
It is part of my Rule of Life to reflect on this vow by regularly asking the following questions:
One example is when I'm in line to check out at the grocery store. Like everyone else, I want to get it done and over with quickly and without as few problems as possible. While I am now a lot less prone to irritation and downright bad behavior, there are many times where I have been less than charitable toward the other people in line and the person working the cash register.
It is not often enough that I catch myself falling into bad behaviors in time to make amends for them. Often times it is only upon reflection at the end of the day that I realize that I could have been kinder, more gentle and more charitable to the people I meet, as well as the environment in which I live. (For example, I could have picked up someone else's garbage, but I made feeble excuses like being in a hurry or not wanting to get my hands dirty.)
So, dear sisters and brothers, now that my dirty laundry has been aired, I invite you to share in the above listed reflections. We can always be kinder, gentler, and more charitable. The real question is are we open enough let our Creator into our lives, so that we may see Its reflection in the world around us?
Powerful words.
One of the vows that members of the community I belong to take is the vow of Stewardship. This means that we vow to care for the environment in which we live and the people in our lives with patience, compassion, and generosity.
It is part of my Rule of Life to reflect on this vow by regularly asking the following questions:
- How do I care for the world around me?
- How do I care for the people in my life?
- Am I able to recognize my Creator's presence in all things and in all people?
One example is when I'm in line to check out at the grocery store. Like everyone else, I want to get it done and over with quickly and without as few problems as possible. While I am now a lot less prone to irritation and downright bad behavior, there are many times where I have been less than charitable toward the other people in line and the person working the cash register.
It is not often enough that I catch myself falling into bad behaviors in time to make amends for them. Often times it is only upon reflection at the end of the day that I realize that I could have been kinder, more gentle and more charitable to the people I meet, as well as the environment in which I live. (For example, I could have picked up someone else's garbage, but I made feeble excuses like being in a hurry or not wanting to get my hands dirty.)
So, dear sisters and brothers, now that my dirty laundry has been aired, I invite you to share in the above listed reflections. We can always be kinder, gentler, and more charitable. The real question is are we open enough let our Creator into our lives, so that we may see Its reflection in the world around us?
Monday, August 14, 2017
What's Love Got to do With It?
When I talk about my vocation with monks or nuns who have been in vows longer than I have, I often hear the phrase "God never said it would be easy, only that it would be worth it". I'm sure many other people on many other paths have heard the same thing, however the choice of living out a monastic vocation (if it really is a choice) is an especially difficult way to live.
One of the key differences between a monastic life and a secular life us that the monastic is called to begin every action out of a place of love. I do not mean the kind of love that spurs romantic interest, but the kind of love that overcomes hate, lifts the broken and comforts the afflicted.
In light of the recent tragedy in Charlottesville, the dispersed order that I belong to held a collective candlelight vigil for the victims of the violence that took place there, but our vigil was about more than just the victims; it was also in hope that love might overcome the hatred that caused the attack in the first place.
As Dr. ML King said, "Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate can not drive out hate, only love can do that".
Let us then strive to cultivate love within ourselves. Each small act of love will eventually add up to large acts of love which can drive out hatred and darkness.
One of the key differences between a monastic life and a secular life us that the monastic is called to begin every action out of a place of love. I do not mean the kind of love that spurs romantic interest, but the kind of love that overcomes hate, lifts the broken and comforts the afflicted.
In light of the recent tragedy in Charlottesville, the dispersed order that I belong to held a collective candlelight vigil for the victims of the violence that took place there, but our vigil was about more than just the victims; it was also in hope that love might overcome the hatred that caused the attack in the first place.
As Dr. ML King said, "Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate can not drive out hate, only love can do that".
Let us then strive to cultivate love within ourselves. Each small act of love will eventually add up to large acts of love which can drive out hatred and darkness.
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