WELCOME

Welcome to the "Benedictine Beacon," which focuses on
how ancient monastic thought might impact upon the issues
and interests held in our own time. Likely it would be more
beneficial to go to the earliest input--which is the "Introduction"
and then move your way forward.

(57) Renewal

"Wax and wane it will...the monastics say it this way:
A pilgrim was walking along a road when one day he
passed what seemed to be a monk sitting in a field.
Nearby, men were working on a stone building.
'You look like a monk,' the pilgrim said.
'I am that,' said the monk.
'Who is that working on the abbey?'
'My monks,' said the man. 'I am the abbot.'
'Oh, that's wonderful.' the pilgrim said, 'It's so good to
see a monastery going up.'
'We're tearing it down.' the abbot said.
'Tearing it down?' the pilgrim cried, 'Whatever for?'
'So we can see the sun rise at dawn,' the abbot said.

To lose something is often to renew it."
[Joan Chittister, O.S.B., THE FIRE IN THESE ASHES:
A SPIRITUALITY OF CONTEMPORARY RELIGIOUS LIFE,
1995, p. 77.]

Comment: Sr. Joan is a famous Benedictine, belonging
to a priory in Erie, PA. She has authored a number of books,
and this particular book is about the decline of the religious
orders--in that their numbers are dwindling, and their average
age is rising. Sr. Joan has hope and ideas how this situation
might be curtailed. But it has been some time since the
above book was published, and the decline continues.

I used to say "alas," after such a remark. But lately I have
been re-thinking this situation. First of all, the decline seems
"historical." It does not seem a temporary matter, though some
hoped it would be. It appears to be an on-going event (or
problem).

However, viewed as "historical," I have to wonder whether
the Spirit is devising new ways to be a monastic or religious.
Perhaps the hope for "renewal" might eventually be placed far
beyond the walls of a monastery--even beyond a particular
group or organization.

Still just pondering, but more and more there's continuous
emphasis on the religious life, the monastic, out-in-the-world.
Monastic forums, even back in the 1980s, talked about the
"New Monk" as described in Raimundo Panikkar's book
BLESSED SIMPLICITY: THE MONK AS AN UNIVERSAL
ARCHETYPE. Lots of ideas have surfaced during these
forums, and in monastic articles ever since.

Whether devised or accidental, these past three decades
many of the best monastic minds have essentially been
writing for a wide consumption of readers, who live outside
the walls. In effect their books are explaining their Tradition.

Once it was thought in Panikkar's forum that perhaps
monasteries could be like teaching facilities, enabling the
"New Monk" when it came to any serious monastic formation.
As far as I know, this hasn't happened in any depth--though
secular members of religious and monastic orders do receive
at least the rudiments.

Regardless, I am beginning to believe--whether unconsciously,
whether consciously--Benedictine monks and nuns have
definitely been spreading their Tradition's teachings through
the written word. And, in the end, this may be the best course
to take!

Not everybody can journey to a monastery, but they can
pick-up a book. Also, nowadays, we live in an expansive
world of Communications, where one can just flick on the
computer. In the old days one could trudge to the library or
the bookstore, but now it's easier switching to the Internet.

Anyway, the Benedictines have been busy--long building
websites, attending Net discussion groups, putting their
articles and abstracts online, advertising their upcoming books.
They seem nearly a "natural" in this world of Communication.
Why not, these are the folk who started the whole thing--way
back--with their scriptoriums!

In the end, these "historical" events could end-up strangely
surprising. Renewal is hopeful, but not predictable.

(56) A Book most Worthy

Awhile back I came across a really excellent book, as put:
[Laura Swan, editor, THE BENEDICTINE TRADITION:
SPIRITUALITY IN HISTORY,Liturgical Press, 2007.]

Comment: For now I am not going to focus on something
specific in this book, but rather generally approach it. Laura
Swan, O.S.B. is a writer and spiritual director, and a member
of a Benedictine priory in Washington State.

As the editor of this book, she must have brought together
some of the best Benedictine minds when it comes to their
traditional history. The forepart of the book focuses on
those historical Benedictines who provided the supportive
foundations of their tradition. The articles are beautifully
written, very complete--and are also beautifully spiritual.
It's a good "read" all through!

If I may, I'll list the contents:
• Benedict and Scholastica.
• The Venerable Bede, Monk of Jarrow.
• Romuald of Ravenna.
• Anselm of Canterbury.
• Bernard of Clairvaux.
• Hildegard of Bingen.
• Gertrud the Great of Helfta.
• Dame Gertrude More.
• Blessed Columba Marmion.
* Raissa Maritain.
* Bede Griffiths.
• Trappist Martyrs of Tibhirine, Algeria.
• Benedictines and the Chant Tradition.
• Conference of Benedictine Prioresses.

And I especially appreciated the extensive treatment of the
"Chant." In recent years the Benedictine Monks of Santo
Domingo de Silos reintroduced the Chant to the world--and
from their CD sales, the world has loved it!

One of my younger family members is a fairly accomplished
musician, mainly popular music. But once he heard the
Chant he was hooked. He could not get enough of it. So
it would seem there is something that is deeply attractive
about the Chant, drawing people unexpected into its quiet,
soft repose.

Also, I liked the introductory and afterword remarks in this
book--because the writers realized that there is a "future" for
the Benedictine Tradition, in that in some strangely wonderful
way, the special spirituality of the Benedictines is also drawing
people unexpected.

(55) Canterbury Pantocrator

Talking about a window at Canterbury Cathedral,
"For it is there in the centre and from it the window
still continues upward. First, the ascension, then
Pentecost, until the final panel shows Christ in
majesty, the pantocrator, seated on an orb, his right
hand upheld in blessing. *Solus ab eterno creo, cuneta
creata guberno.* Alone from eternity I create all things
and govern creation. Christ dominates the window as
he dominates the Rule.

"For the first offices of the day the light of the rising sun
would come streaming through that window. While this
for us today may be an aesthetic experience, for the
medieval onlooker it was much more. Of all the created
things which to them presented the image of the creator
in varying degrees, light was the most direct manifestation
of God. So not only did they stand daily in the presence
of a dramatic portrayal of the paschal mystery; they also
lived with the vision of the divine light transfiguring the
darkness of matter."
[Esther de Waal, SEEKING GOD: THE WAY OF BENEDICT,
Liturgical Press, 1984, p.80.]

Comment: At the time of this publication, Esther de Waal
lived at Canterbury. She was the wife of the Dean of the
Cathedral.

I was struck by her noting that the "first offices of the
day" were enveloped by the light of this window and the
great Pantocrator--the Lord of the Universe, the Cosmic
Christ.

Not privy to our modern day technology and our current
understanding of Cosmology, I have to wonder how the
Benedictine monks at medieval Canterbury must have
pondered over the universe, their universe?

The world-view back then was far different, set pretty
much in concrete by the Church. It was a layered universe,
with the Earth at its center. It was a fairly complicated
world-view that strangely supported the Church. Alas,
when this world-view tumbled--after scientists were
condemned--some executed--we now have our solar
system, Earth along with its other planets whirling around
our little sun, one of billions in our galaxy, which is one
of millions in our universe.

So, where's the Pantocrator in all this? Big question, with
only a few modern takers trying to work through unto an
answer. But if we wish to continue the Benedictine quest
"seeking God," I imagine we might as well get started.
However, it might mean exercising our creativity in ways
unimagined.

(54) Intuition & Reason

"The experience of the subtle world depends on
intuitive insight...It is important to remember,
however, that in these investigations we do not
discard our reason. The method is to open
ourselves through intuition to these deeper
insights and then to try to understand them,
to relate them and appropriately to systematise
them through the reason. Reason and intutition
always have to be used together."
[Bede Griffiths, OSB (Cam), A NEW VISION OF
REALITY: WESTERN SCIENCE, EASTERN
MYSTICISM AND CHRISTIAN FAITH, Templegate,
1989, p. 266.]

Comment: The late Bede Griffiths was a great
Benedictine soul, who spent many years in
monastic dialogue with Hindu thought. He
was steeped in contemplative experience, oft
based not only on meditation but also
intuition.

Sometimes I wonder about our sense of intuition
when it comes towards our trying to understand
the Godhead. Probably if I really investigated
this as a project, I would encounter countless
paths--some familiar, most unfamiliar (at least
for me).

However, Fr. Bede blends the intuitive with our
capacity for reason. And that saves the day for
me. I'm not one to go off the deep end, so to speak.

On the other hand, reason can be too much of a
stern master--if we allow it. In the past, even
today, there was occasionally those who demanded
that Reason was the one and only! It was our new
toy, in that we had thrown our other capacities
aside.

But, happily, we have tired playing just with this
one new toy. We have returned to our other
toys, and are even discovering yet newer toys!

Okay--the "toys" are an analogy for our human
capabilities, wrapped in all sorts of potential.
And I do believe the spiritual milieu provides
a platform in which to play, play creatively!

(53) Truthfulness

"Realizing that we are always in God's presence, we strive
after truthfulness and reject deceit and hypocrisy."
[Guy-Marie Oury, O.S.B., ST BENEDICT, BLESSED BY GOD,
Liturgical Press, 1980, p. 39.]

Comment: At the time of publication, Guy-Marie Oury was a
monk of the Abbey of Solesmes in France.

The above little sentence speaks of something immensely
important. Deceit is about deception--not just only about
deceiving someone else in an unseemly manner, but about
deceiving ourselves! We probably engage in self-deception
more than we realize. (Me? I'm guilty as charged.)

As to the "how and why" of self-deception, such remains a
private story for each and every individual. But when we do
engage in deceiving others, well that's another ball-of-wax.
There's all sorts of fraud. One that oft sticks out in our mind is
financial fraud. However, the one that sticks out in *my* mind
is spiritual fraud.

We have had many cases of fraudulent do-gooders, who oft
cover up financial fraud by preying on the spiritual good will
of believers. And it's not only cushioned in Religion, but also
in questionable charities. This all points to yet another issue:
hypocrisy.

People pretend to be who they are not, and such pretension
is usually connected with fraud. But this pretension, too, can
be connected with self-deception. In spiritual ways some of
us can presume a kind of "perfection" that gives them sway
over others, maybe even over themselves! Following specific
spiritual or religious prescriptions, we absolutely know that we
have "got it."

Maybe this is why I like the old Benedictine message that we
"stumble and get up again, over and over." There's a sincere
truthfulness in this old observation. There's also a practicality
in this, as I see it.

Being true to our self, admitting that we might stumble, reflects
our need to improve or to grow, to evolve. Via such truthfulness
we can become more conscious not only of our mistakes but
also of our potential.

There's that biblical adage about Truth that can set you free.
Of course, to be biblically correct, it's about understanding the
Truth of Jesus. Yet this adage has long morphed into other
meanings. But baseline, I believe, is becoming better towards
understanding the Truth about our self, about who we are,
about how we relate in this world, etc. Might take a lifetime,
but monastics realize this.

(52) The Malcontent

"My monastic Odyssey is not quite [an] edifying tale...I was
even as a boy, the sort of person who hid in a barrel and ate
green apples, as a man, the sort of official who quickly became
first mate and thought of mutiny. It has been my fate to stumble
constantly into the wrong camp; my life has been a continuous
political campaign, full of chaos and muddle."
[Dom Fabian Glencross, "Monastic Malcontent," a contribution
in A TOUCH OF GOD: EIGHT MONASTIC JOURNEYS,
Maria Boulding (editor), St. Bede's Publications, 1970, p.137.]

Comment: I can empathize with the late Dom Fabian, a British
monk affiliated first with Downside and later with its spin-off,
Worth Abbey. He died in Peru, where Benedictines were yet
establishing a house in the "Third World."

Continuing, Dom Fabian put: "I am going to step into this world
and leave the rest behind...I have taken off my sixteenth-century
monastic costume because I cannot meet poor men, ordinary
men in a real world, dressed like a sober character in *Star Wars;*
ordinary Christians deserve to be treated with greater courtesy
and consideration. I find more and more that the people I came
to help know more about humility in the face of adversity,
about courage and self-discipline amid real personal difficulty,
than I have..."
[Ibid, p. 151.]

Just pondering, but maybe this malcontent monk might be the
face of the Benedictine future as it moves beyond the walls,
out into the world. Dom Fabian was an honest man, who did
not worship the forms but rather worked and lived in the *Real.*