Abbey News
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Review of Life
A couple of times a year we hold a community review of life. It is a time of communal and personal examination of how we are doing with regards to important aspects of our monastic life. In chapter this morning we had such a review taking a good look at our practice of monastic enclosure. The Constitutions of our Order, approved in 1990, say in part:
. . .It belongs to the abbot to give permission when, for an appropriate cause, outsiders come in or monks go out. The necessary discretion is to be maintained in the use of means of social communication, namely, radio, television and the telephone (today we have to add Internet). These can be permitted only if the special character of the contemplative life is safeguarded. . .
About fifty years ago the observance of enclosure was a good deal simpler than it is today. Among the developments effecting it are older brethren have need for frequent doctor's appointments, complexities of business meetings, need for the assistance of employees and specialists working in the monastery and the arrival of the Internet. The operative and ever-challenging sentence in the Constitutions is the last one quoted above: These can be permitted only if the special character of the contemplative life is safeguarded. That is our challenge these days as we review the enclosure. Sounds of the Season
Living out here in the midst of valleys, fields, ponds, gardens and woods one can easily mark the passing of the seasons by the sounds and sights and fragrances that come wafting our way. This past week the cacophony of crickets, locusts, katydids and who knows what other local critters began their 'strumming' marking the arrival of mid-summer. It is always good to welcome them back even though their arrival heralds the coming of autumn only seven weeks away. And after that. . .
With their arrival our senior observer, Edgar Aparacio, completed his observership and returned to Toronto. He will be winding up his affairs there, burning his bridges as some say, before returning as a postulant in the near future. Pray all goes well for him at this time.
Home Again
A few weeks ago we mentioned the evacuation of the monks of New Camaldoli from their monastery because of the threat of the California forest fires. The most recent news is:
The monks of New Camaldoli Hermitage returned to the monastery on Monday, 14 July, after their emergency evacuation from a California forest fire. The guest house opened again to visitors on Friday, 18 July. On Sunday, 27 July, the community celebrated Mass in honor of the 50th anniversary of the founding of New Camaldoli. The actual anniversary is Tuesday, 29 July. Fr. Thomas Matus OSB Cam offers more information on his blog.
|
