The Littlest Ones

In monastic circles, "humility" is a much spoken about and sought after virtue. And in the ranks of any monastic community, one finds a broad assortment of personalities and characters, some more humble, generous and unselfish, some more guarded, egotistic and private. Just because someone has taken on the garments of religious life, does not mean that one has become more holy or more perfected. It can work in just the opposite direction. There is actually a great mystery in this. For some folks, a humble and holy manner of life comes almost naturally. For others, a real "metanoia" is needed, and humility can be quite elusive. It is a theological maxim that "grace builds on nature". Some folks possess such a nature that the addition of grace makes for "instant" glory and ready sanctification. In our community here, we have a small contingent of monks whom I have for a long time labeled as the "little ones". Most of these have been in community for a long time and are up in their years.
These "little" monks tend to go about their business unobtrusively. They are regular, dependable, always willing to help when asked, never judging, typically joyful and peaceful, and of course possessing simple piety and prayfulness. In Scripture, we find many passages of vindication for such souls as these. "A humble, broken heart O Lord, thou will not spurn." "This is the one whom I approve, a lowly afflicted soul which trembles at My word". So then, the "littlest ones" whom one meets in life are perhaps the most blessed and the most worthy to identify oneself with. The spirit of the world simply does not follow this logic as egotism reigns and impiety prospers.

The Mystery of "Passive Purgation"

This blog entry is about the action of God's grace in the life of a true believer.

"Passive Purgation" sounds like a medical term, like some sort of treatment for indigestion or irregularity. In actuality, it is a theological term for the action of God's grace in effecting "detachment" in the believer, from spiritual and material objects which have been previously loved excessively (idolatry). What has often been interpreted in the Gospels as describing a "great rapture", wherein the believer suddenly "disappears" from his surroundings, is actually a misinterpretation. What Jesus is referring to, in speaking of "some who are taken, and some who are left behind" is a spiritual withdrawal from earthy thoughts, values and behaviors into a more "heavenly" and "Godly" mindset. Those who have been inspired into Gospel conversions in life understand this perfectly. This may involve alienation from friends and family. Having been "struck" by God at a certain time or in a certain period of life, they enter into a transitional phase of often painful detachment and reorientation which has been traditionally termed "passive purgation". There seem to be periods throughout life when "pain clouds" pass through the soul, which is led into a deeper conformity to God's Spirit and a deeper capacity to love. It might be supposed that the soul needs to understand this mystery, in order to benefit from this mysterious action. Without understanding, it is conceivable that one might be led into some degree of depression and anxiety. Faith teaches us to place a supremely positive value on the often painful mystery of "passive purgation".

Just sit back and eat popcorn....

This blog entry is a reflection on the famous line of Shakespeare: "All the worlds a stage".

Here at the abbey we have quite a diverse and entertaining cast of characters living out varied expressions of monastic life. Community life anywhere has challenges, as people tend to rub off one another's rough edges in the day to day situations which emerge. Those who are attracted to monasteries can be quite eccentric and "abnormal" in their personalities.

Years ago, in the late 80's when I first came here, I had no experience of community life whatsoever apart from life in my immediate family growing up. As a result of this, it became quite easy for me to become fixated on other monk's behaviors and to become annoyed by them. I had monastic ideals in my heart, and these seasoned representatives of such ideals weren't living them to the degree or according to the expression that I thought they should at the time. I had read the books and seen the movies. I wasn't witnessing authenticity according to my expectations...such that had led me to the life. Out of perhaps 15 monks, there might be two or three whom I considered to be role models and authentic witnesses. The others were just "inmates" or "residents" of the monastery, hanging around the soup pot in the kitchen and chatting about worldly things.

As time has gone on, I have learned not to be so concerned about the actions and expressions of others. I have also learned to focus on my own shortcomings, and I have MANY of these. Monastic life is sometimes referred to as a "school of self knowledge". There still are individuals in the community who act out their eccentricities in a way that is WAY too extreme. My current philosophy in relation to such characters on the stage of life is to "sit back and eat popcorn". We don't need to become annoyed, we are witnessing a particular scene that is set before us by the Grand Director of the Play. We can be entertained just as easily as we can become annoyed. And we too are characters playing our roles (each another's audience) out from which other's can extract entertainment. This light hearted approach lowers our stress levels and facilitates an enhanced quality of life. We deepen. Let's all be light hearted about such things that we have no control over. Whether our peers are aggravating, grumpy, loud, smelly or whatever....that is their role to play presently on the stage of life. But let's also choose our role model's wisely and seek to be conformed to the image of Jesus in all we do. This is the best place to be when the curtain finally comes down on our world.

The Human Vocation: To Change and Grow

Jesus used many symbols and images when he spoke. He is the consummate poet. "Through Him all things were made" and He alone knows the meaning, purpose and fulfillment behind all facets and features of our created universe. One of His analogies for human life is that of a vineyard which is planted and expected to grow and bear fruit. In order to grow we need to desire and stretch ourselves continually towards the Uncreated Source of life and growth....we need an open heart in order to move ahead in the order of wisdom....listening, thinking, resolving, expanding. An open heart is perhaps a more rare commodity than many folks would reckon. We tend to live in miniature prisons. Consider the various forms of prejudice and discrimination prevalent in our world, ridiculous as they are. Consider labels and constructs such as "conservative" and "liberal" with the polarization and alienation these cause. Consider the bloodshed that has been effected over territories and points of view. Wise people tend to transcend all such things as they transcend their very selves and their cultural influences.

Trees and plants stretch towards the sunlight. We must learn to stretch out our arms upwards with great desire for knowledge and the right ordering of human love in our lives. God invites us to an open heart and a humble spirit. He invites and He provides. Our response to God shapes our eternal destiny. The many material distractions and misalligned attitudes of this world form a crucible of testing for us. Are we aware that we are being tested....that this life is a great period of trial? And we are responsible for being open and receptive to the supernatural growth and development that God wills for us. It is not enough to "grow up" in the world, but rather to grow "fruitful" in the kingdom or "vineyard" of God.

Monks and War Veterans

Here at Assumption Abbey we have a small cemetery in back of our main guest house. There are perhaps some twenty little white metal crosses adorning the graves of the monks who have passed on to their reward.

Among these crosses are some who, in this life, had experienced very noteworthy historical events. Here are a few of these:

Christopher Danz: I knew this monk for seven years prior to his death. He is high on my list for people who gave me great inspiration in my own life of faith. Br. Christopher, was one of the soldiers who parachuted into the Battle of the Bulge at the end of the European Campaign in World War II. He was the guitar player in the monk's liturgy and entertained us with old folksy songs like the "Hatfields and McCoys" at our yearly picnic. When I learned to play guitar, not well but functionally, it was Christopher's finger picking style that I was trained in.

David Blackburn: A soft spoken old monk who was assigned as porter at the main guest house. Polite, courteous and hospitable. Fr David was a sergeant in the Army and was one of those who discovered the reality of the death camps in Germany after the war

Louis Hanick: A monk with a comedic flair. Hard working and dedicated. (The monks ran a block plant before switching over to fruitcakes. Any jokes come to mind?) Fr Louis was assigned to the air strip from which the Enola Gay flew with the atomic bomb that was dropped on Japan.

After World War II, the monasteries flourished and were filled to the brim with candidates. Most of these came to the monasteries as a result of having seen unspeakable atrocities and bloodshed. Their savor for life in the world was taken away and they felt inspired to live for transcendent goals and ultimate considerations. Many of these monks left the monastic life in the early 1960's. Presently monasteries have mostly empty rooms, as the desire for this form of life has waned. If the economy was to collapse or another great war (God forbid!) were to engulf the globe, we would probably witness a surge in the amount of monastic candidates once again.

A Tail of Two Dogs

Charlie and Elijah are two dogs who claim me as their "master". What this means is that somehow I have become the very centerpiece of their lives. Charlie was my mom and dad's dog. My dad had gotten him as a gift as a small energetic puppy. He was too energetic for mom and dad. Charlie would jump on them and often cause cuts on their arms, so I took him to the Abbey to live. For over 4 years Charlie has been my faithful Black Lab. I love Charlie and he loves me. He expresses that love in some remarkable ways. The other week we had a great rainfall which led to the river below the Family Guest House overflowing its banks. The current roared over the low water bridge, which leads up the monastery on top of the hill. So Charlie and I were stranded for a few days. We would walk to the river a couple of times each day and when we got close to the raging current, Charlie would block me from going any further. I mean, he would get very frantic and desperate about it, not wanting me to drown. This is only one small way of expressing his loving care for me.

Elijah, who is mostly Chow, lives at the main monastery by choice. He gets special treats up there after each meal, bones and scrapings, as well as dog food. He waits for me at the bakery each morning as I show up for work. I found Elijah as a puppy down at the river. Someone had dropped him off there. So I am like a "dad" to him I believe. He is a full grown little "lion" presently. Elijah comes down each weekend typically and spends a couple of days at the Family Guest House. Charlie loves his company and they play together constantly. When the river was flooded, Elijah did not allow the raging current to prevent his coming to see me and Charlie on the weekend. He was swept at least a half mile downstream, but made it across to spend a few days with Charlie and I until the river went back down. I marvel at his loyalty and determination for having done this.

Charlie and Elijah are great dogs who love people and live a very free life on our 3400 acres of Ozark land. This freedom reveals itself in their degree of happiness. Everyone can see that Charlie and Elijah are two happy dogs. Dog's are great friends and marvelous gifts to us from the hand of Providence.

Caricatures

People who know me, have heard me make frequent references to "caricatures". This is not any sort of complex "theory" for sure, and in fact it is not original by any measure. What my notion of caricatures asserts, is that we all have unbalanced and unobjective impressions of things and categories around us, which either effect attraction (we find what we are looking for) or aversion (we tend to reprobate things which move in the direction of matters we have been conditioned to distrust.) We can find examples which tend to justify our viewpoints; for example, that the practice of formal religion is shallow, ritualistic and superficial, or "conservative" folks are monomaniacal warmongers and are not compassionate, or folks more "liberal" despise boundaries and live especially sinful lives.

The remedy for this is to possess, from a philosophical point of view, a sense of humor. We can see poetry in everything, look through reality around us, dance the general dance of the cosmos, view other people with innate reverence, follow our consciences honestly and closely (God IS speaking to us personally), but leave all ultimate judgement to Him, as we seek to be friends with everyone. Caricatures and stereotypes are signs of immaturity, like a person just out of school who seeks to apply the categories he/she has learned...to put people and things into them and so somehow validate his/her knowledge. Truth be known, we cannot see to know the beginning or end of the people and things we judge. It is best to be transparent and friendly...ghostly in fact. If we walk in the wisdom which refers all things into the hands of the heavenly dramatist, we will somehow draw our needy world onto a higher path. But it is important, for that matter, that we follow closely our deepest voice for guidance and not become wishy-washy and indifferent to the possibility of personal norms and standards to challenge and stretch us.

He Makes His Rain Fall....

One of the realizations inherent in all of creation is the constancy of God's Providence. We live in an ordered universe and we are able to perceive tangibly the actions of the Creator "providing" for all of His creatures. Within our human livelihood, we have experienced this many times, as things seem very often to fall into place quite nicely, according to our own expectations and wants (sometimes seemingly otherwise). Jesus mentions that God makes His rain fall on the gardens of both the "good and the wicked". It falls out from this that we ought not to consider this general providence of God as somehow giving a foundation for absolute confidence in a heavenly reward. If we seem to have things work out for us materially, or in terms of health and growth and prosperity, this is not sufficient evidence that we are numbered among the "good and privileged" in God's economy. Both the good and wicked receive gifts from God as He cares for all creation. Even if our prayers are answered, we cannot presume that our destiny is set in heaven, although it is a good sign that we are praying.

For me, such a hope is more substantially founded if in fact we have the sentiments of Supernatural Life and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit evidenced in out hearts. Such ideals as humility, piety, fear of the Lord, disdain for the world, desire for deepened prayer, instant and spontaneous kindness and unselfishness etc. tend to reveal to us that we possess a heavenly destiny....which really is all that matters. The elementary gifts of Providence, such as the "rain that falls" on our gardens and grows our plants can help us turn to God in gratitude and conversion of life, but these alone do not certify our supernatural standing. I believe that people tend to presume too much from such gifts and perhaps neglect to desire the more valuable ones.

"My Kingdom is not of this World"

One of the most revealing statements made by the Lord Jesus as recorded in the Gospels was his response to Pilate's interrogation asking if He were a king. One doesn't need to dig all that deep or interpret too far outside the literal to understand what he was saying. Here was a worn down, persecuted man, admitting that he was some sort of King in the presence of a political leader, but HIS Kingdom was (is) not of this world.

Jesus is King of another world than the one in which we live. Again, we are taking His words here literally. What we have here is the testimony of Jesus, the "Dreamer", the "Delusionary", the "Psychotic". I speak here of the impression of his audience, any time that he would refer to himself as a King of another world. But the same could be said of other's impressions of us when we assert that "it is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me". We are making known our belief that we are possessed of the Spirit of another Person than ourselves. This is a MYSTICAL assertion. The Kingdom in which Jesus is King is a Mystical Kingdom. But, I believe that Jesus' Mystical Kingdom is more real than the world which we perceive with our senses, because His Kingdom never passes away, while the "visible" world lives (obviously) towards an appointed end. And there are "citizens" of Jesus' Kingdom living in this present world, sharing in varying degree the same (dreamy) mind and outlook as their King; a good many of them when considered cumulatively through time.

I am a believer in Jesus as King of another world. If Jesus were King of this world, it would be vastly different than it is. And those who follow and worship Jesus the King, necessarily live as strangers to this world, waiting patiently for the consummation of the ages. Jesus has given us eyes to see and ears to hear.

Our Field of Reference

“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

The words of Jesus quoted above refer to our way of looking at things.

One of the fundamental characteristics of our human personalities is the tendency to judge people or circumstances merely upon our own limited presuppositions and experiences....our internal blueprint for right and wrong. Not to say our judgments are necessarily flawed or wrongful for this tendency, but it is well for us to be aware of how limited we are in our appraisals. The pattern is universal, but the amount of truth and wisdom which any individual is blessed with varies. Jesus' internal blueprint, the eyes with which he looked out upon the world and each soul was flawless and balanced; without error or "caricature". Wisdom not only enlightens the judgment of the individual, but also moderates or blocks the inclination. The thrust of wisdom moves always towards friendship on the highest level of moral integrity. To put it another way, perhaps with greater "poetry", one might say in all wisdom, "everyone is invited into my house". But that doesn't mean that one's house has no rules written on its walls. The rules, if they are written in wisdom, were therefore written by the hand of God and cannot be erased. So those invited into one's house have their choice to remain or stay (in friendship), in response to the prescriptions of Wisdom. But our position maintains the invitation ongoingly if we are living in Wisdom, even if we suffer for it.

Often times it is "safe ground" for us to remain neutral rather than pass sentence. That doesn't mean that there are not rights and wrongs in terms of categories and behaviors considered in the abstract and, as such, revealed by God for our safety and wellbeing. And these principles need to be upheld and communicated. It is just that, in the legislative application of such standards we often error, or we are prone to error. For example, it is sometimes said that, "the faults that we most readily identify in others are in some way native to ourselves". This, of itself is no big deal. We identify things most inwardly familiar to us. It is just that our propensity to pass judgment comes into the picture, as we give a cold shoulder or produce some degree of uncharity in the presence of other's faults. Some psychologists would say that we do this in order to leverage or justify ourselves. If we are outspoken about the faults of others, many times we reveal our guilt in the same moral areas to the audience we are speaking to. The blueprint which we reference in our judgments is very likely our own(fallen) selves....and how imperfect is that blueprint? It is better to remain neutral in a spirit of charity than to judge our neighbor. It is allowed to us to make known in charity what has been revealed, but it is the position of God alone to judge or to pass sentence. It follows that everyone needs to be honest and careful in following their own inner lights of conscience, but also to remain friendly, tolerant and generous in their relations to others....leading by example

The Angelus

The primary image which graces this blog, showing the man and wife at prayer in the field is named "The Angelus". It is just loaded with content and symbolism. Looking carefully at this painting one sees the church steeple in the background. At that point in history there were no clocks as we know them today. Rather, for the simple man and woman, time was maintained through the tolling of the monastery or church bell, and as this bell was rung, this became a reminder or impetus to prayer. The Angelus is a prayer which recalls the basic mystery of the Incarnation. In the Middle Ages, cities were built around monasteries, and the monks with the ideals they pointed to were the primary role models for the citizens of each city. Today we don't very much esteem such kinds of role models, but for the most part, through the powerful prompting of the media, we are enamored by exemplars who "image" or witness to the ways and means of "human" life which, unfortunately, turn us away from true and wholesome human identity and the proper recognition of "who we are", "where we stand", and "what we need".

A Poem of Great Depth

Francis Thompson, it is said, was discovered inebriated and on the verge of death, sleeping under a cart in a merchant's bizarre in England. He had a remarkable treasure on him: a poem he had just completed. He was taken in by benefactors, was cared for without ever really overcoming his ills, and went on to write other poetry not as famous but beautiful. The symbolic imagery in this work applies well to each soul in its contemporary plight. The whole poem is extensive, so I have included a few more accessible stanzas.

239. The Hound of Heaven

By Francis Thompson (1859–1907)

I FLED Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat—and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet—
‘All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.’
I pleaded, outlaw-wise,
By many a hearted casement, curtained red,
Trellised with intertwining charities;
(For, though I knew His love Who followèd,
Yet was I sore adread
Lest, having Him, I must have naught beside).
Nigh and nigh draws the chase,
With unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy;
And past those noisèd Feet
A voice comes yet more fleet—
‘Lo! naught contents thee, who content’st not Me!’
Naked I wait Thy love’s uplifted stroke!
My harness piece by piece Thou hast hewn from me,
And smitten me to my knee;
I am defenceless utterly.
I slept, methinks, and woke,
And, slowly gazing, find me stripped in sleep.
In the rash lustihead of my young powers,
I shook the pillaring hours
And pulled my life upon me; grimed with smears,
I stand amid the dust o’ the mounded years—
My mangled youth lies dead beneath the heap.
My days have crackled and gone up in smoke,
Have puffed and burst as sun-starts on a stream.
Yea, faileth now even dream
The dreamer, and the lute the lutanist;
Even the linked fantasies, in whose blossomy twist
I swung the earth a trinket at my wrist,
Are yielding; cords of all too weak account
For earth with heavy griefs so overplussed.
Ah! is Thy love indeed
A weed, albeit an amaranthine weed,
Suffering no flowers except its own to mount?
Now of that long pursuit
Comes on at hand the bruit;
That Voice is round me like a bursting sea:
‘And is thy earth so marred,
Shattered in shard on shard?
Lo, all things fly thee, for thou fliest Me!
Strange, piteous, futile thing!
Wherefore should any set thee love apart?
Seeing none but I makes much of naught’ (He said),
‘And human love needs human meriting:
How hast thou merited—
Of all man’s clotted clay the dingiest clot?
Alack, thou knowest not
How little worthy of any love thou art!
Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee,
Save Me, save only Me?
All which I took from thee I did but take,
Not for thy harms,
But just that thou might’st seek it in My arms.
All which thy child’s mistake
Fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home:
Rise, clasp My hand, and come!’
Halts by me that footfall:
Is my gloom, after all,
Shade of His hand, outstretched caressingly?
‘Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,
I am He Whom thou seekest!
Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest Me.’

A Tale of Two Cities

It is often theorized, and perhaps not without a healthy measure of truth, that the life and mentality of the Middle Ages, in Western Civilization, was directed and informed significantly by the writings of St Augustine of Hippo, who lived only a few centuries after Christ. In particular, his book entitled "The City of God", was a very powerful influence in shaping the Middle Ages, in the enormous void left behind beyond the dissolution of the Roman Empire. (One must keep in mind that EVERY empire and political construct, no matter how wonderfully blueprinted, will tend towards dissolution in the end, while other fleeting forms will take shape to rise and fall...all of recorded history bears this out). Augustine wrote this book largely as an "apologia" or defense of the Church, which was being accused by many as being the reason for the fall of Rome....the Christian religion, according to the mind of these "accusers" became an insult to the gods of Rome, with resultant sentence being passed by these gods leading to the death of the empire. Augustine spent himself explaining that the demise of Rome was caused by the inordinate pride of the empire through its imprudent expansionistic leanings beyond its means, and also, more directly by the moral cultural decay which, according to Augustine, was an offence to the true God of heaven and earth. In the second half of this unbelievably influential writing, Augustine speaks of two cities or "camps" coexisting in this world: The camp of those living the life "informed" by original sin...self centered, worldly, vicious, impious...and the camp, largely hidden and comparitively smaller, of the Redeemed, living the New Life of the Gifted Spirit of God. He goes on to foretell, according to his own research, what will be the final disposition of this coexistence.

The Middle Ages, in terms of Christian Philosophy and doctrine, safeguarded an otherworldly mentality....living as if in an alien place....not clinging to the world but looking beyond it in a spirit of piety, prayer and humble work. This was the abiding substrate of Christian Life in the Middle Ages. One problem which evolved, with good intention, was that this faith-based mentality became "imposed" and "legislated" in so many ways, under a leadership which more often failed to live out its spiritual ideals. Despite the "truth content" of the age, original sin yet raised its ugly head in countless ways, especially in the leadership. Nevertheless, the ideals proposed by Augustine are still tenaciously safeguarded by "charismatic" peoples within various cultures, in particular, those influenced by the traditions of the monastic, agrarian and contemplative life.

It cannot be spotlighted enough, just how much our Western Culture has changed in the past 500 years, and in particular in the past 150 years. It boggles the mind! Are we being tested in relation to the world and its seductions, as St. Paul, Augustine and many others have stressed? If so, faith then calls us to a narrow path indeed, relative to the general trends. It is as if God were asking us "will you love Me, or will you choose the passing world"? Which "city" or "camp" do we choose to have our citizenship in?

The pain of a rural town in Iowa

Two huge and cataclysmic realities descended on Parkersburg, Iowa in the past year and a half. The first was the force of an F-5 tornado which reduced nearly the whole town, which was not a small town by any means, to splinters as can be seen in the picture. Here is a link from the moment the tornado passed through...footage from a bank camera panned out on a small cozy house. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAPnbzHvIKs&NR=1

The second devastation was the random murder of perhaps the most significant and respected person in the town, a high school football coach who had an incredible legacy for motivating young men. As many as five of his players became pro. These two catastrophes have made many residents in this town search their souls deeply and seek to reaffirm their faith in a benevalent God. Today I watched a very moving segment on ESPN that showed footage of the tornado and also of the coaches funeral procession with high school football players from the state of Iowa lining the streets. In the background one could see all the new buildings that were built out of the devastated town. The best testimony among those who were interviewed spoke the words from Isaiah: God's ways are mysterious to us, they are not often as we would wish. In the end analysis, there is only glory somehow, and the reality of Parkersburg, and all other situations of pain and loss, somehow carry a sign value and the means to cause us to be awake to ultimate reality, and to grow mature.

Cool, Crisp, Envigorating Mountain Air

Having arrived two days ago, and having gotten my "mountain legs" back from a year of absence, my spirit is elevated to peak level once again. I know there are lots of great destinations for people to make vacations, but I can't seem to get enough of the Rocky Mountains. Walking mountain paths, with a gentle, warming sun beating down upon a slightly cool and crisp ground level atmosphere. Pine trees and wild flowers, birds of prey overhead, snow capped peaks in the distance and a small pedestrian town bent on environmental consciousness....not hardly a speck of litter anywhere to be found. This is Frisco, Colorado. I'm here for a month this time, having made the two day ride on my old Yamaha. So satisfying to have gotten off the interstate and unloaded my bags. My life now is free enough that I could seek employment here, but my primary allegiance is to the monastery where I have lived for the past five years. So this is merely a first class extended vacation at best.

Assuming She is Our Mother

Today is the Feast of the Assumption. The monastery I have been affiliated with for most of my adult life is named for "Our Lady of the Assumption". For many people, having a devotion to the humble, historical person "Mary from Nazareth" must seem rather mysterious, fanciful, and quite abstract. But this very deep devotion, from the perspective of Christian Faith is quite compelling and attractive, when thought through completely.

According to Christian Revelation, with the spotlight on Redemption of Humanity, we come interestingly into the possibility of a "new" human life, or more precisely a "new" human family.

"In the beginning" in Sacred Scripture, we learn of the origins of an original human family, at a point when the Creator breathed into the developed species a living rational spirit, bearing the image and likeness of the Divine. At this point we are told that both "male and female" were formed, with the woman to be named Eve, Mother of all the living. According to the account, it was through the woman that temptation was first consented to, and sin entered the world infecting both the man and woman. With sin came many maladies and evil currents which obviously infect our world up to the present hour.

In the new Redeemed Humanity, Jesus is (the "New Adam") and Mary ("Behold your mother" John Ch: 19) becomes the New Eve, the Mother of the Redeemed Human Family....all believers and receivers of the redeeming love of God. Mary is a mother in the order of faith, living and active on the level of spirit and life. So we are called to love and thank her. The Feast of the Assumption commemorates and celebrates her place in the afterlife...she who said "yes" to God, unlike the first mother Eve, and conceived our Redeemer in her womb. When the curtain comes down upon our world and all falsehood and vanity will vanish, these Realities will shine forth in all their splendour. It is well for us to believe in what God has revealed!

Life or Death

Referring back to the book The End of the Modern World by Romano Guardini:

Guardini, in this deep and penetrating analysis of human civilization, ends up making a distinction, not peculiar to himself, between two contemporary ages or worlds, the Modern World and the Post Modern World of Mass identity. The Modern World, which actually began centuries ago, during the Age of Enlightenment, Post Renaissance, Post Reformation, transferred mankinds perception of the "infinite" from God and His dwelling place, to the material universe of possibilities. The Scientific Revolution broke the shell of the Middle Age perspective most definitively and the "Modern World" gradually came to birth, flowering in the age of technology, which of course is upon us at present. According to Guardini, this technological wash has unrooted man from his contemplative and reflective traditions. Appreciation of abstract and "revealed" truths has been supplanted by material utilitarianism....a focus perhaps almost exclusively on material things for practicality and purpose. In a summary paragraph, Guardini writes:

"The modern era was fond of justifying technology and rested its defense upon the argument that technology promoted the well being of man. In doing so it masked the destructive effects of a ruthless system. I do not believe that the age to come will rest with such an argument. The man engaged today in the labor of technology knows full well that it moves forward in final analysis neither for profit nor for the well-being of the race. He knows in the most radical sense of the term that power is its motive...a lordship of all; that man seizes hold of the naked elements of both nature and human nature. His action bespeaks immense possibilities, not only for "creation" but also for destruction, especially for the destruction of humanity itself. Man as a human being is far less rooted and fixed within his own essence than is commonly accepted, and the terrible dangers grow day be day. Once the "autonomous" state has broken all bonds (with inherited wisdom?) it will be able to deliver the last coup de grace to human nature itself. Man's relations with nature have reached the point of final crisis: man will either succeed in converting his mastery into good....then his accomplishment would be immense indeed....or man himself will be at an end. "

Sounds heavily weighted towards pessimism. For me, it is probably an accurate analysis. Afterall what we have in the world which portends mass destruction is not a matter of science fiction, but reality with a capital "R". At this point one can reflect upon the words of the Gospel concerning the narrow path which leads to life, and the broader path which leads to destruction.

As with Guardini, I personally believe that the proper outlook is not an unrealistic romance for earlier, simpler times, but a melding of the mentality of earlier times with a frugal and measured interaction with practical life in our modern and technological age. This requires discipline and asceticism for which much Grace is given.

My Dogs

Max and Charlie were my two great dogs which I passed along to a farm couple at the time I entered the hermitage community. Dogs are not allowed here, as they tend to bark, which can be annoying for some. Actually, I had four dogs. Lucy and Nigel were two strays who discovered Charlie and Max's food dish one day. I accepted them, making it known to Charlie and Max that they were to be tolerated, and so then there were four who became great adventuresome friends. Lucy is now in Kansas City at a rural residence. She has a dog partner to play with there. Nigel lives at the Trappist monastery down the road. Every morning, when I go to bake Assumption Abbey Fruitcakes, Nigel (who the monks call "Elijah") is lying near to the door of the bakery waiting loyally for me. He chose me, and even though I don't live at the monastery presently, he refuses to bond on that level with any of the monks. So he is still my dog, and gets so excited when I pull in. I take him for a short walk every day and give him affection. I do not have a picture of Nigel, but I do have these two pictures of Charlie and Max. Dog's are symbols of God's playfulness and friendliness. Everything which God created reflects some aspect of the Divine Personality.

Life as an Aspiring Hermit

I presently am looking into the option of joining a group of hermits in the Ozarks. Most of them are nuns, formerly of other expressions, who have desired to enter upon a life of greater solitude and prayer. The picture to the left, which I am not a part of, was taken about a year ago. I have been deeply impressed with the sanctity of this group of hermits. Our central daily occupation here in the summertime, involves tending to a large garden. The quantity of vegetables which we process in the growing season will last throughout the winter months. Hermits are not "closed in" personalities, as might be supposed, but are very friendly and sociable I have found. Life here can be lonely, but we understand why we are here. Few people possess the freedom or inspiration to be hermits. There is a significant amount of people who may desire to be a hermit, but never arrive at the opportunity. It is a life lived for God alone, not ideally an escape from people or circumstances. We are able to exercise works of charity within our little group and its structure of life.

Everyone who comes to attempt to live this life of solitude runs into a wall eventually. It is not easy to live in ones own company with so few outlets (no television, no personal car, no vacations) for an extended period of time, let alone a lifetime. A true hermit will have been given a reason why. Hermits, and people of all other contemplative expressions are affirmed in the conviction that a relationship with God through prayer is of pre-eminent importance in life, and so they witness to this belief outwardly, yet hiddenly in the world.

A Witness to Ultimate Truth

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

Now known as Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, as the formal recognition of his Divine election has taken place in the church, Padre Pio was a man, an instrument, who possessed a special witness to the Truth of Christ the Redeemer. The Holy Spirit of God bestows a variety of gifts on many believers, many of which are mentioned in New Testament writings...prophecy, healing, words of wisdom, etc. Padre Pio, right around the time when this picture was taken (1919), received the wounds of Christ (stigmata) and bore them throughout his whole life as a priest. Needless to say, this drew much curiosity, devotion and enthusiasm from many people throughout the world. It was a remarkable phenomenon, and had been looked into and physically examined by doctor's and scientists. One scientist's evaluation came in a later talk:

"Critics who claim that the stigmata of the likes of Padre Pio are not authentic, have a tough opponent to contend with: MODERN SCIENCE."

"From the medical point of view, the stigmata cannot be considered as wounds or sores, because they do not heal even when treated," Dr. Silvestri explained. "They neither become infected nor do they decompose; they do not degenerate in necrosis, and do not exude a bad odor. They bleed and remain constant and unaltered for years, against all laws of nature."

Immediately after he died, in the late 1960's, the wounds vanished mysteriously, revealing no scars at all. Padre Pio, as an instrument of God's mercy and justice in the world, was a human being no different than any of us. But he was somehow chosen to bear an ineffable sign in the world pointing to the truth of the Redeeming Sacrifice of the Son of God. All such manifestations are given to draw the souls of men and women towards true religion...the saving Truth which God has revealed in His Son. Such powerful signs, as the life of Padre Pio was, also serve to vindicate ultimate justice. In the end, it will certainly be seen that more than enough "evidence" was given for mankind to believe and receive the rebirth which has been purchased for us on the cross. Padre Pio was a man of great suffering and so many mysterious gifts. The crucifix was truly the centerpiece of his devotion; so much that he participated in the mystery in the most exacting way possible. It just may be that our present century will have other such extraordinary witnesses of God's love and invitation.

Everyman at Dawn

David Whyte Poem:

A garden inside me, unknown, secret, neglected for years.

The layers of its soil deep and thick.

Trees in the corners with branching arms

and the tangled briars like broken nets.

Sunrise through the misted orchard,

morning sun turns silver on pointed twigs.

I have awoken from the sleep of ages.

Not too sure if I am really seeing,

or only dreaming,

or simply astonished

walking towards sunrise,

to have stumbled into the garden

where the stone was rolled

from the tomb of longing.

The End of the Modern World

In his book, "The End of the Modern World", Romano Guardini drives home his thesis that the "mass man" of the future will increasingly neglect all that has historically gone before. Every preceding age was built upon inherited wisdom of the past to some degree. The Middle Ages presented intellectual life as that which seeks intensely, through study of ancient (inspired) sources, to learn what had already been given, and to develop and synthesize it into a unity. The stages of intellectual pursuit which have emerged beyond the Middle Ages, that which might be framed "classical liberal currents", have pushed to unshackle humanity from the constraints of inherited wisdom, which includes serious esteem for Divine Revelation and the mode of living it proposes. So we have grown more and more dislocated from our historical roots, and, for Guardini, have lost our place...our identity. In the new world of fragmentation, experimentation, technological complexity, superficiality etc. man will struggle to find his way back to truth, and therein to return to the God of his true identity.

This book is a hard read for its terminology. If read through though, one easily comes away having been convinced of the veracity of its central thesis. This book helps to inspire the reader to embrace a more contemplative life, so as to rediscover himself and God...the Goal of Life.

A Bright and Wise Poem

I once knew an old monk who recited poems constantly, often repetitiously. One of his poems concerned the world around us. It is a delightful and very contemplative poem:

You're a big, wide, beautiful, wonderful world

With wonderful waters around you curled

With wonderful grass upon your breast

World, you are beautifully dressed!

The wonderful clouds are over me

The wonderful wind is shaking the trees

It walks on the waters and whirls the mills

And talks to itself on top of the hills

Ah, you are so great, and I am so small

I tremble to think of you world, at all

But as I was saying my prayers today

A voice inside of me seemed to say

You are more than the world

Though you are but a dot

For you can love and think

But the world cannot!

In the Beginning

Welcome to my blog!

I am one who daydreams. I am one who looks both backwards and forwards. The life of popcorn compulsivity I renounce, though I have good friends who seem to get along fine this way. My central role models in life are hermits and monks. There was a period of time in our Western Civilization when this was very, very normal. One of the motives for creating this blog, is to somehow, in my own little way, serve to get people acquainted with the characteristics of day to day life in the Middle Ages. Writing this blog fits well into my own daily life for now, and I'm hoping that it may prove interesting to those who might stop in and check it out.

Has anyone heard of the contemplative life? It is a form of life in which daydreamers like me end up. So I live in a community of hermits. Our belief: Nothing truly matters as much as being recollected, and living a thoughtful, prayerful life. Out of this flows depth of consciousness, empathy and compassion toward others, sensitivity of conscience, and attentivity to symbols. It is this attentivity to symbols in the world, in life, that was a characteristic of the Middle Ages, before the advent of so great a complexity of civilization as we have presently. In outward form, the Middle Ages were simple times, when people more generally abided in a thoughtful, far sighted and prayerful manner. (Yes, fallen human nature was present then too!) This blog, which may take many directions, here at the outset flows out of my love and appreciation of the formal character of the Middle Ages, when men and woman lived beyond this world, a world which was known to be passing away.

The label "Mushroom Cloud Soup" is being applied generally to our contemporary world in all its complexity, and the seeming end toward which it is tending. It is not a description meant to condemn individual persons, but rather one which evaluates and renders a personal judgement upon the general situation of things modern. To me, life has become in many ways less humanly enriching than it once was, though there are yet many opportunities to live well and lovingly.