Tightly wrought
Deep down in the depths
In places perceived as dark,
Hidden from view,
Maybe forgotten
Or perhaps feared,
Is a knot,
Gordian like,
Tightly wrought,
Unbreakable,
Protective,
Of the one who is its creator,
Even if brought forth unknown
In ignorance.
Purposeful none the less
Even if its time is outlived,
It cannot be undone.
The burden heavy,
If not felt,
Its influence seen
The effects witnessed
By those who know the one suffering,
Who perhaps see their r
To look into one's own heart
I suppose in reality if we wish to grow as human beings, and by that I mean to become more loving, compassionate, and empathetic, which by the way is harder than it sounds; is the work of a lifetime,
lived out one day at a time. Many of our ‘virtues’, can, in reality, be mostly compulsive, and in the end, we can become burned out, resentful, and bitter. I have been there,
and over the years have looked upon these ‘negative’ responses to others as a signal to
I am challenged by those I live with
Every day in community life I am challenged by those I live with. It is my own limitations, wounds, and yes my desire to be the center of the world, the community,
even if unconscious, that causes many of my problems. The “Conversion of Manners’ vow,
gives me a way out, in the sense that it leads me to take responsibility for my situation and to not seek to blame others.--Br.MD
Leadership and service
In community life, be it marriage, or a monastery, or even in the workforce, it is service that we are called to. To serve, freely, without compulsion can lead
to a sense of purpose, and even of love for those one lives with, or who is a workmate. Those in charge, in fact, if they do a good job, are the greatest servants.
I have found that men and women of power, who do care for those they are responsible for, get back one hundred and one percent. It is that ‘one per
MARCH NEWSLETTER FOR MONASTERY RETREAT HOUSE
Life at the Monastery (March Newsletter for the Retreat House)
Hello, my friends,
All is well here at the Monastery. It is hard to believe we have had this virus with us for almost a year now. The time has just flown by, yet it also seems to me that this virus has been with us forever. I find it strange how it can feel like both things at once.
We all received the first vaccines on the 11th of January, and the second on the 12th of February.
Letting others see us
The puzzle slowly gets put together as life moves on, but this can cause the inner struggle, and awareness, to become sharper, and more painful since the opposing elements in the psyche become more apparent. So growth can often seem to be losing ground, when in fact, the simple ability to see one's self truthfully is all that is happening. This can be freeing since self-knowledge, while not leading to more peace, the opposite really can slowly turn a life around to somet
A sign of openness
The inner struggle is a sign of openness to change and growth. When there is none, then it could mean deep healing after a long inner journey, or simply not caring.... or a lack of insight that is necessary for any kind of life that leads somewhere. Anywhere that is not filled with the will to power, of trying to fix and control those who are around.... be it family or the workplace in the vain attempt to find some peace.-Br.MD
Healing Fire
Just as a covered object left out in the sun cannot be penetrated
by the sun’s rays, in the same way, once the covering of the soul is removed,
the soul opens itself fully to the rays of the sun.The more rust of sin is
consumed by fire, the more the soul responds to that love, and its joy increases.— Saint Catherine of Genoa
The paradox of the Christian path is that we are called to oneness with God, but we are also called to two-ness. Within the Trinity, there is a d
The human journey and Holy Week
The human journey is often a difficult one. With stops along the way, of true joy and hopefully, of love, that rejuvenates us. In the last week of Jesus’ life, he knew what was coming, was distressed, but still believed in his Father's loving presence in his life. His humanity had to deal with all the anxiety that went along with this journey. He did not try to escape but went forward in faith.
All of us will have our 'Holy Week' as well, as our Gethseman
Holy Saturday
I broke the cycle of evil and death
Yes, my child, as you sit with me in my tomb,
you experience the coldness of death,
the emptiness left when life is poured out,
it was a horror for me, it was not pretended,
for I took it all on out of love,
all the deaths of all my children throughout time,
and still, carry that within my heart,
for love never forgets, and is stronger than death.
My death seems to be the end, yet in my sufferings, like in death,
I took on
Easter 2021
We have our Easter Vigil at 4:20 AM. Before the pandemic, we would have around 150 people come for our Vigil service at that time. For the last two Easter’s, we have done it without guest. The experience is two-sided. We miss the guest and will be glad when we can have them back. It is also nice to be by ourselves for the first time, well, ever. Next year, the chances are that we will have friends, our very good friends, back with us.
The lighting of the ‘fire’ is a hig
Human Relationships
I believe that one reason that human relationships can be so frustrating is because we
unconsciously seek a finite relationship to satisfy the need for the Infinite.
The human journey is a difficult one. The further we go from the center,
I believe the more chaotic it gets. This is not about ‘religion’,
but about a deep spirituality that allows one to live out of one's tradition
in a life-giving way for oneself as well as for others.--Br.MD
Monastery Retreat House Newsletter April 2021
Life at the Monastery
“Rest is in Him alone. Man knows no peace in the world;
but he has no disturbance when he is with God.”
― Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God
Hello My Friends,
I would like to wish you all a blessed Easter, from everyone here at the Monastery!
This is the time of year to really spend some time pondering, about what Easter really means to us as Christians. As Jesus went through Holy Week, it was an exper
MERCY SUNDAY
The receiving and giving love and mercy
We love always to our fullest capacity. Though at first, it may be hesitant and fearful, to open up to love takes courage. We also love out of need and of course instinct. However, as we mature and our ability to have an open heart develops, we can slowly learn to love others for themselves alone; as rare as that may be.
This week in the Catholic liturgy we celebrate ‘Mercy Sunday’. A feast that focuses on the depth of God’s love for us
