St. Benedict's First Easter as a Hermit

Book Two of the Dialogues: Life of St. Benedict

The man of God, Benedict, coming to this foresaid place, lived there in a narrow cave, where he continued three years unknown to all men, except to Romanus...

At length when almighty God was determined to ease Romanus of his pains, and to have Benedict's life for an example known to the world, that such a candle, set on a candlestick, might shine and give light to the Church of God, our Lord vouchsafed to appear to a certain Priest dwelling a good way off, who had made ready his dinner for Easter day.

He spoke thus to him: "Thou have provided good cheer for thyself, and my servant in such a place is afflicted with hunger." Hearing this, the priest rose up, and on Easter day itself, with such meat as he had prepared, went to the place, where he sought for the man of God among the steep hills, the low valleys and hollow pits, and at length found him in his cave. After they had prayed together, and sitting down had given God thanks, and had much spiritual talk, then the Priest said to him: "Rise up, brother, and let us dine, because today is the feast of Easter."

The man of God answered, and said: "I know that it is Easter with me and a great feast, having found so much favor at God's hands as this day to enjoy your company" (for by reason of his long absence from men, he knew not that it was the great solemnity of Easter). But the reverent Priest again assured him, saying: "Verily, today is the feast of our Lord's Resurrection, and therefore it is not right that you should keep abstinence. Besides I am sent to that end, that we might eat together of such provision as God's goodness hath sent us." Whereupon they said grace, and fell to their meat, and after they had dined, and bestowed some time in talking, the Priest returned to his church.

About the same time likewise, certain shepherds found him in that same cave: and at the first, when they spied him through the bushes, and saw his apparel made of skins, they thought that it had been some beast. After they were acquainted with the servant of God, however, many of them were by his means converted from their beastly life to grace, piety, and devotion. Thus his name in the country there about became famous, and many after this went to visit him, and in exchange for corporal meat which they brought him, they carried away spiritual food for their souls.

To Read the Life of St. Benedict: http://www.osb.org/gen/greg/

A Reflection on Chapter 15 of the Rule of St. Benedict

Chapter 15 of the Rule of St. Benedict:
The Times to say "Alleluia" 

From holy Easter until Pentecost without interruption 

let "Alleluia" be said 

both in the Psalms and in the responsories. 

From Pentecost to the beginning of Lent 

let it be said every night 

with the last six Psalms of the Night Office only. 

On every Sunday, however, outside of Lent, 

the canticles, the Morning Office, Prime, Terce, Sext and None 

shall be said with "Alleluia," 

but Vespers with antiphons.

The responsories are never to be said with "Alleluia" 

except from Easter to Pentecost.

Reflection:

          In Chapter 15, St. Benedict regulates the times for saying Alleluia, which means “Praise the Lord!” So why is Benedict so concerned about limiting the use of such a magnificent word? It is because Benedict knew the tremendous meaning Alleluia signifies when it is used in a proper time and place. For instance, Benedict was probably very aware that the only time Alleluia is used in the New Testament is chapter nineteen of the Book of Revelation (verses: 1, 3, 4, 6), the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, the triumphal banquet where all the souls redeemed by Christ unceasingly Praise God for His Salvation. For Benedict, life at the monastery was supposed to be a foretaste of this life in Heaven, this Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Therefore, in anticipation of this Heavenly Life, Benedict might have said, “If we will be unceasingly acclaiming Alleluia when we are in Heaven, how could we not also acclaim it while we are still exiles here on earth?” Clearly Benedict knew and loved the beauty of this word! However, he also recognized that we lowly and sinful exiles have yet to fully attain this Blessed Life. Therefore, the most appropriate times for saying Alleluia are related to the times we most vividly remember the Resurrection: the entire season of Easter, Vigils, that is, early in the morning, the time of day that Christ rose from the dead, and Sunday, the day of Resurrection!                              

Commentary on Chapter 49 of the Rule of St. Benedict: Observance of Lent

What wisdom we find in Saint Benedict when he says that few have the strength to live a continuous Lent, even if it is an ideal. This type of thinking and writing is important because it reflects clearly how Saint Benedict is able to accept lots of different types of monks and not get totally discouraged when they are not all perfect. Just as few have the strength to live a continuous Lent, neither should we expect in any way that we will find perfect monks in any community.

This mode of thinking never takes away the responsibility of the monk to keep striving to lead a better monastic life. What it does is encourage each monk to strive to accept his brothers as they are and to work personally for a better monastic life and to work to strengthen the monastic community and its observances.

So, for Saint Benedict, even though he recognizes that the monk cannot live a continuous Lent, he still recommends various ascetic practices during Lent. It is clear that the monk should add "something" to his normal style of living monastic life during Lent. Saint Benedict is not shy about suggesting that the monk can deny himself some food, some drink, some sleep, some needless talking and idle jesting... We can understand about giving up a little food and drink, but it sounds like Saint Benedict accepts a certain measure of needless talking and idle jesting in those times which are not Lent! Probably it is simply the realism of Saint Benedict shining through in his Rule once again.

But whatever the monk does, he must receive blessing from the abbot. Monastic life is not a private life! We need to open our hearts and our souls to the abbot, always with prudence, of course, but nevertheless a true openness. This is one of the most difficult aspects of monastic life today, when we are all used to lots of privacy and also used to making our own decisions.

For Saint Benedict, being a monk means never taking a decision by oneself--ever! Always a true monk must include his monastic superior in any decisions that he takes about his life or way of living the monastic life.

May we all grow in the aspects of monastic life mentioned in this Chapter. May we strive to be strong and to offer something to the Lord. May we learn to ask our abbot's blessing on our lives and on our decisions.

 Philip Lawrence, OSB, Abbot of Christ in the Desert

For more commentaries by Abbot Lawrence, visit: http://christdesert.org/Detailed/919.html 

Lent

From Chapter 49 of the Rule of St. Benedict:
The Observance of Lent

The life of a monk ought to be a continuous Lent. Since few, however, have the strength for this, we urge the entire community during these days of Lent to keep its manner of life most pure and to wash away in this holy season the negligences of other times. This we can do in a fitting manner by refusing to indulge evil habits and by devoting ourselves to prayer with tears, to reading, to compunction of heart and self-denial. During these days, therefore, we will add to the usual measure of our service something by way of private prayer and abstinence from food or drink, so that each of us will have something above the assigned measure to offer God of his own will with the joy of the Holy Spirit (1 Thess 1:6). In other words, let each one deny himself some food, drink, sleep, needless talking and idle jesting, and look forward to holy Easter with joy and spiritual longing. Everyone should, however, make known to the abbot what he intends to do, since it ought to be done with his prayer and approval. Whatever is undertaken without the permission of the spiritual father will be reckoned as presumption and vainglory, not deserving a reward. Therefore, everything must be done with the abbot's approval.

Monastic History: Origins of Monasticism (Part 3 of 3)

Antony of Egypt (251-356 AD) cont.

 

Retreating deeper into the desert, symbolizing his deepening combat with the devil, Antony came upon an old abandoned fortress where he spent the next twenty years of his life cloistered in spiritual combat. Though he had locked himself in the fortress, his reputation for holiness drew many people into the desert, seeking him for spiritual wisdom. At this point in the story, the author, St. Athanasius, partially begins to reveal his underlying

St. Antony of Egypt, Desert Father

intentions for writing the text; for, he tells us that when Antony emerges from the fortress for the first time, his skin is beautiful, his eyes are bright, and his teeth are white (this typically is not the expected image of an ascetical man who has been locked up in a fort for many years). However, contrary to the heretical Arian sects and the dualistic/neo-platonic views of the body prevalent in his time, Antony’s beautiful bodily appearance is intended to show that holiness heals the disharmony of body and soul, and brings us back to a preternatural state. Antony’s appearance seems to personify humanity before the fall of Adam and Eve. Therefore, since God created the physical world and called it “good”, and because Christ Himself took on our human flesh through the Incarnation, for Antony (and Athanasius), the body is not seen as “evil”, deserving to be punished, as the Arians believed, but rather, the body is good!

In addition to giving us a natural aversion to the heresy of Arianism, during Antony’s life, a time in which monasticism was widely practiced but not properly structured, St. Athanasius presents Antony as a prototype for monks, a model for emulation. Overall, Antony is a model for a monk’s spiritual formation; he is a model of discipline and holiness. For Antony, the focus of monasticism is not the Arian torture of our “evil” human bodies but rather, it is the primacy of charity and a complete focus on Christ, acknowledging our own weakness and inability to do anything without Him; victories of the ascetical life are victories of Christ conquering within us, body and soul. In this white martyrdom, the motivation and focus should be “for the kingdom of God”. Therefore, the greatest glories of the ascetical life are not merely ascetical prowess but the litmus test of charity.



To read the Life of Antony, by St. Athanasius: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2811.htm

Monastic History: Origins of Monasticism (Part 2 of 3)

Antony of Egypt (251 – 356 AD), Father of Monasticism & Model for Monks

The Life of Antony, written by St. Athanasius, begins with a brief account of Antony’s home life. Though he was born into a wealthy peasantry, Antony’s parents died young, leaving him as the main care taker for his seven year old sister. However, this was not a long term duty for Antony who soon entrusted his sister to the care of a group

St. Antony of Egypt

of Consecrated Virgins in order that he might set out to the edge of society, seeking an ascetical master (an Appa) to teach him the contemplative / ascetical life. While this might seem to be a radical decision, leaving everything, including his sister behind, Antony’s decision was not merely based on a whim; rather, it was a response to a personal call that he heard in Church on two different occasions: the first occasion, Antony heard the Gospel call him to sell everything and “follow Me;” on the second occasion, he heard the Gospel tell him “Do not be anxious about tomorrow”.

After his initial detachment and flight from the world, Antony underwent many temptations in his early ascetical life such as temptations of self indulgent concerns, bitterness, and lust. At times, Antony even questioned his motivation for leaving the world and his sister behind. However, the greatest of the temptations, the temptation of spiritual pride, came in the form of the devil disguised as a little Ethiopian boy trying to trick Antony into admitting that he had mastered the spiritual and ascetical life. Nevertheless, in all of these trials, Antony kept vigil, fasting and praying, triumphing over all of the temptations, not through his own strength but through the grace of Christ.

Following this last temptation of spiritual pride, Antony fled even further, going into the desert, the domain of demons, where he lived in old abandoned tombs. In the desert, Antony experienced trials similar to those of the martyrs in the coliseum; at night, animals of every type came and tried to terrify him and physically assault him. At one point, a friend of Antony found Antony’s seemingly lifeless body. The man carried Antony back to the city and brought him to the Church. Waking up, Antony returned to the desert tombs, questioning God: “Why have you abandoned me?” Upon this question, Antony experienced God in a descending beam of white light. Like before, the triumphs of Antony over temptation were not achieved by him, but rather by Christ in light.

For more information about the Life of Antony, Part 3 of Origins of Monasticism will be posted on September 9.


To read the full Life of Antony, by St. Athanasius: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2811.htm

Monastic History: Origins of Monasticism (Part 1 of 3)

Withdrawal From the World

The word “Monasticism” is derived from the Greek term “Monachos,” meaning “sole,” “single,” or "alone".  Since the earliest days of Christianity individuals and small groups of people have chosen to withdraw from the world in order to live in the

Desert Father: Abba Scisoes

solitude of the desert and the fringes of society.  Although this initial flight from the world could be attributed to various reasons, such as the early Christians’ attempt to avoid persecutions or heavy taxes, it soon became the means by which men and women sought “White Martyrdom,” the daily dying to self and the complete giving of one’s self to Christ. 

   

Developing more or less at the same time in Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt and Cappadocia, as well as in the West, Monasticism was not a phenomenon that sprang up overnight as a finished product.  In fact, early Christian Monks had very different attitudes about what the ascetical life should entail.  Overall, although monastic life was widely practiced, it was not properly structured.  However, it did not take long for a model to arise.  In the Life of Antony, written by St. Athanasius, Antony is presented as a prototype for monks, a model for emulation.  Although Antony of Egypt (251-356 AD) was clearly not the first monk to live in the desert, due to his discipline and holiness of life, he is regarded as the founder and father of monasticism. 

For more information about the Life of Antony, Part II of Origins of Monasticism will be posted on September 5. 

     

Vocation Pilgrimage to Rome!

Ever been on a Vocation Discernment Pilgrimage to Rome?  Come, Pray, and See the Foundations of Benedictine Monasticism!

Each year the St. Vincent Archabbey Vocation Office sponsors The Footsteps of St. Benedict Pilgrimage, a spiritual journey for young, single, Catholic men (age 18-35) who are exploring a Religious Vocation.  

Monte Cassino

The 2013-2014 tentative schedule:

• Fri. Dec 27: Leave from your most convenient airport for Rome
  
• Sat. Dec 28: Meals and Prayer at St. Anselmo, the international Benedictine House of Studies, and free time in Rome
  
• Sun. Dec 29: Visit Norcia, birthplace of St. Benedict and his twin sister St. Scholastica
  
• Mon. Dec. 30: Free day until Solemn Vespers with Pope Francis in St Peter’s Basilica
  
• Tues. Dec 31: Mass - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God with Holy Father & Tour of St. Paul's Outside the Walls
  
• Wed. Jan 1: Free day in Rome (Tour churches in Rome, Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, Coliseum)
  
• Thurs. Jan 2: Visit Subiaco Abbey, location of Saint Benedict’s cave and first monastery
  
• Fri. Jan 3: Visit Mt. Cassino, Benedict’s famous Abbey where he wrote his Holy Rule
  
• Sat. Jan 4: Papal Audience, Vatican Museum Tour, and free day in Rome
  
• Sun. Jan 5: Return to U.S.A.

Subiaco Abbey

More information about attending the Discernment Pilgrimage can be found on our Vocation Website:

http://www.stvincentmonks.com/Rome2010

And don't forget to ask about our Vince Sarni Family Scholarship of $700! 

Norcia Abbey Church

Benedictine Vows (Part 3 of 3)

After a year of discerning one's vocation in the Novitiate, a Benedictine Monk Professes Three Vows: Obedience, Conversion of Life, and Stability.  I hope to offer a separate reflection on each of these vows; today we will take of the vow of "Stability" by which a monk seeks to live the monastic life in the context of a specific community, supporting the community through his work and prayer. Below is a passage taken from Thomas A. Kempis' spiritual masterpiece, The Imitation of Christ.

Stability

True Solace is to be Sought in God Alone

Devout persons always carry Jesus, their Consoler, with them, and say to Him: "Be with me, Lord Jesus, in every place and at all times, that I may have the special grace to forgo all human solace for love of You; and if Your comfort is withdrawn, let Your will and Your just trial of me be like the greatest comfort.  For He will not always rebuke, nor will He remain angry forever (Ps 103:9)
      

Benedictine Vows (Part 2 of 3)

After a year of discerning one's vocation in the Novitiate, a Benedictine Monk Professes Three Vows: Obedience, Conversion of Life, and Stability.  I hope to offer a separate reflection on each of these vows; today we will take of the vow of "Conversion of Life" by which a monk promises to take up his Cross each day, dying to self in his loving service to God and to neighbor. Below is a passage taken from Thomas A. Kempis' spiritual masterpiece, The Imitation of Christ.      

Interior Conversion

Our Lord says: "The Kingdom of God is in your midst" (Lk 17:21). The only way your soul will find rest is to turn to God with your whole heart and abandon this wretched world.  Learn to despise exterior things and give your attention to the inner things; then you will see the Kingdom of God come within you...

Lose no time, then, faithful soul, in preparing your heart to meet Christ, the Beloved, so that He may come and live in you. Does He not say: "Whoever loves Me will keep My word,... We will come to him and make Our abode with him" (Jn 14:23)?  Therefore, make room for Him in your heart and shut out all others... 

When our Lord lived on earth He was looked down upon by people, and in the hour of His greatest need, He was left by His friends to bear insults and shame. 

Can you dare to complain when Christ was so willing to suffer and be despised?  Do you expect all to be your friends and patrons, when Christ was surrounded by enemies and slanders?

If all goes well with you on earth, how can you expect to be crowned in Heaven for a patience you never practiced?  How can you be Christ's friend if you will not be opposed? Therefore, you must suffer with Christ and for Christ, if you want to reign with Him...

Those who love Jesus and the truth, who lead an interior life free from unruly affections, can turn to God at will, life themselves up in spirit and repose in Christ with joy.

Benedictine Vows (Part 1 of 3)

After a year of discerning one's vocation in the Novitiate, a Benedictine Monk Professes Three Vows: Obedience, Conversion of Life, and Stability.  I hope to offer a separate reflection on each of these vows; today we will begin with the vow of "Obedience" by which a monk strives to hear and obey the Word of God in the person of the Abbot.  Below is a passage taken from Thomas A. Kempis' spiritual masterpiece, The Imitation of Christ.        

Obedience

Thomas A. Kempis

To be obedient, to live under a superior - not seeking our own will - is great virtue.  It is safer to obey orders than to give them.  Many obey more out of necessity than for Charity's sake.  These find it burdensome and complain easily; but they will never have liberty of spirit until they submit wholly to authority for the love of God.  

Go where you will, but you will never find rest except in humble obedience to the rule of your superior. Many are deceived by thinking that a change of location will solve their difficulties.

In reality, all of us are inclined to do our own will and agree more readily with those who hold with our views.  But if we want to have the presence of God among us, then we must be willing to give up our own way in order to live in love and harmony with others.  Surely there are no persons so wise that they know everything.

Therefore, listen to the opinions of others and do not trust too much in your own point of view.  Perhaps you are right, but by setting aside your own will and following another out of love for God, you will profit by it.

I have often heard it said that it is surer to take advice than to give it!  It is good to listen to every person's advice; but when it is sound, to disagree is sheer stubbornness.  

St. Benedict on Prayer

From the Rule of St. Benedict: Chapter 20 (Reverence in Prayer)

When we wish to suggest our wants to persons of high station, 
we do not presume to do so 

except with humility and reverence. 
How much the more, then, 
are complete humility and pure devotion necessary 
in supplication of the Lord who is God of the universe! 
And let us be assured 
that it is not in saying a great deal that we shall be heard (Matt 6:7),
but in purity of heart and in tears of compunction. 
Our prayer, therefore, ought to be short and pure, 
unless it happens to be prolonged 
by an inspiration of divine grace. 
In community, however, let prayer be very short, 
and when the Superior gives the signal let all rise together.

Reflection on Chapter 20 

In Chapter 20, St. Benedict’s instruction on “Reverence in Prayer” requires us to have certain dispositions: humility, devotion, purity of heart, and tears of compunction.  Firstly, when we pray to God, we must approach Him with “humility” and “devotion” because this is how God first approached us; in “humility” God took on flesh and became man, and in “devotion” to us He poured out His life for the sake of our Salvation.  Therefore, in “humility” we approach God as one who is redeemed at His cost, and in “devotion” we offer ourselves wholly to Him as one who seeks to do His Will. 

Secondly, God does not judge our prayers by their many words, but by our “purity of heart and tears of compunction”.  Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8).  When man is blinded by worldly desire, he cannot “see God,” but when man’s heart solely desires God, he approaches God with the reverence due to Him alone.

Finally, reverence in prayer requires “tears of compunction”.  Tears indicate that we have been touched by Grace.  Therefore, they are both tears of sorrow for our sins and tears of joy for the salvation that has been won for us!     

A Young Man's Monastic Journey (Part III)

This passage is taken from the Epilogue of Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation, by Martin Laird.  It is a beautiful example of radical openness to God from the depths of our hearts. http://www.amazon.com/Into-Silent-Land-Christian-Contemplation/dp/0195307607

Part 3 of 3

He carried on with these jobs for what seemed like years.  One day the abbot asked the novice master, “What about that man who was so intent on making his profession in our monastery.  Is he no longer interested?” 

“He doesn’t mention it much anymore,” said the novice master.

“Is he unhappy?” asked the abbot.

“No, he seems content enough,” responded the novice master.  “He doesn’t say much to anyone.  He goes about his tasks in the garden; he consoles the old monks in the infirmary, and encourages the new ones in the novitiate.”

“Bring him to me,” said the abbot.

The man was brought to the abbot who began to question him: “I was wondering if you were still interested in making your profession.  You don’t seem as keen to do it as you once were when you were making such a thorough study of our tradition.  Have you gone off the idea altogether?”

The man looked at the abbot.  The lines beginning to show round the man’s eyes reflected the fact that he’d been in the monastery a number of years now.  But his face had the freshness and peace of those whose poverty had taught them they had nothing to defend.  The man said to the abbot, “Jesus Christ is my monastery.”

The abbot sat up in his chair and leaned forward.  He gazed into the man as though looking for something, looked into him as though gazing into the heart of mystery.  His gaze fixed on the man, sifting him, assessing every turn taken, every decision made in order to know if this man really knew what he had said.  The abbot stood up slowly, towered over him and said, “You have learned our tradition well.  May I have your blessing?”

A Young Man's Monastic Journey (Part II)

This passage is taken from the Epilogue of Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation, by Martin Laird.  It is a beautiful example of radical openness to God from the depths of our hearts. http://www.amazon.com/Into-Silent-Land-Christian-Contemplation/dp/0195307607

Part 2 of 3

After more than a year the young man was convinced that now he would be able to answer correctly any question the abbot might put to him and he could see, moreover, the abbot’s wisdom in putting him off for a time.  And so the young man told the novice master that he felt he was now ready to make his profession and could he please see the abbot.  The novice master arranged this, and soon enough the young man was brought to the abbot.

The abbot said, “I’m very happy to hear that you still want to make your profession and to live your monastic life among us.  But tell me, why do you feel you are ready to make your profession?”

The young man responded, “I’m convinced that this is what God is asking of me.  I don’t claim to understand it.  I only know it is something I must do.  Moreover, I have been studying our tradition and our charism.  I identify with it very deeply and think it confirms the sense of interior call that I feel.”

The abbot was obviously listening to him very intently and sincerely.  He said to the young man, “What you say is very edifying indeed, and I feel even myself encouraged in the life just listening to you speak the way you do about your conviction of God’s love for you and of his call.  But I think you should go back to the novitiate, back to the novitiate until you are really ready.”

The man was in quite a state as he left the abbot’s office.  He was in fact completely shattered.  He couldn’t imagine what on earth the abbot could possibly have wanted to hear.  He knew he belonged more in the monastery than half of those other wretched monks.  But he returned to the novitiate.  He had already completed his formal studies, so he took to helping in the garden, pruning vines and thinning carrots and also served in the infirmary.

A Young Man's Monastic Journey

This passage is taken from the Epilogue of Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation, by Martin Laird.  It is a beautiful example of radical openness to God from the depths of our hearts. http://www.amazon.com/Into-Silent-Land-Christian-Contemplation/dp/0195307607

Part 1 of 3

The young man settled into the novitiate with relative ease.  He found he liked all his fellow novices and pretty much all the monks he came across.  It wasn't long before he felt certain he wanted to stay here for the rest of his days.  So he went to the novice master and said, “I believe I’m ready to make my profession.”  The novice master said, “Well, the abbot will have to see you about this.”

In due course an appointment with the abbot was arranged, and the young man sad down to speak with the abbot about his vocation.  The abbot asked him why he felt he was ready to make his profession.  The young man said, “Well, I've come to like it here very much.  Everyone is nice to me, and I like all the monks.”

The abbot said, “Well, that is very encouraging to hear, and I’d have to say that we are very happy to have you and we hope that you stay.  But just the same, I think you should go back to the novitiate for a while longer.  It’ll do you no harm.”

The young man left in great distress.  Why didn't the abbot want him to make his profession?  Did he say something wrong?  Was he deluded about his vocation?  Not a little disappointed, the young man returned to his life as a novice.  The abbot’s gentle rebuff ended up teaching the young man a great deal about his own faults and failings and presumption.  He began to grow in self-knowledge and applied himself with great dedication to the study of the monastery’s long history, its traditions, and various customs.  He soon mastered all of this.

Chant Workshop at SVA

In the past 60 years Gregorian Chant research on the ancient manuscript notation and on the evolution of the Gregorian modal system has brought about major changes worldwide in its performance practice. These include the recovery of ancient modes, a more accurate notation used in the new printed editions of chant, and a greatly augmented knowledge base for a reading of the earliest manuscript sources. This intensive workshop, May 23-27, 2011, will be an introduction to these changes and developments. Through historical, theoretical and practical study the workshop will provide a foundation for a historically-informed reading of the Gregorian chant repertoire. It is intended to serve Church musicians who want to explore the use of this repertoire in their music ministry.

Register online

3 St. Vincent Monks installed as Acolytes

(From Left to Right): Fr. Lester Knoll, OFM Cap. (St. Vincent Seminary Spiritual Director), Br. Francis Ehnat, OSB (installed), Bishop George Murry (Bishop of Youngstown, Ohio), Br. Gabriel Myriam Kurzawski, OSB (installed), Br. Nathanael Polinski, OSB (installed), Fr. Justin Matro, OSB (Rector, St. Vincent Seminary)

All Souls (Benedicine Influence)

 

A few pictures from around the Archabbey (a friend of our Br. Maximilian, OSB did a beautiful job in carving the Abbey Seal into a pumpkin).  Also, you can see the beautiful colors in the leaves changing around the Monastery.

-------- 

From: http://www.fisheaters.com

31 October and 1 and 2 November are called, colloquially (not officially), "Hallowtide" or the "Days of the Dead" because on these days we pray for or remember those who've left this world.

The days of the dead center around All Saints' Day (also known as All Hallows') on November 1, when we celebrate all the Saints in Heaven. On the day after All Hallows', we remember the saved souls who are in Purgatory being cleansed of the temporal effects of their sins before they can enter Heaven. The day that comes before All Hallows', though, is one on which we unofficially remember the damned and the reality of Hell. The schema, then, for the Days of the Dead looks like this:

October 31: Hallowe'en:   

unofficially recalls the souls of the damned. Practices center around the reality of Hell and how to avoid it.

November 1: All Saints':

set aside to officially honor the Church Triumphant. Practices center around recalling our great Saints, including those whose names are unknown to us and, so, are not canonized

November 2: All Souls': 

set aside officially to pray for the Church Suffering (the souls in Purgatory). Practices center around praying for the souls in Purgatory, especially our loved ones

The earliest form of All Saints' (or "All Hallows'") was first celebrated in the 300s, but originally took place on 13 May, as it still does in some Eastern Churches. The Feast first commemorated only the martyrs, but came to include all of the Saints by 741. It was transferred to 1 November in 844 when Pope Gregory III consecrated a chapel in St. Peter's Basilica to All Saints (so much for the theory that the day was fixed on 1 November because of a bunch of Irish pagans had harvest festivals at that time).

All Souls' has its origins in A.D. 1048 when the Bishop of Cluny decreed that the Benedictines of Cluny pray for the souls in Purgatory on this day. The practice spread until Pope Sylvester II recommended it for the entire Latin Church.

The Vigil of, or evening before, All Hallows' ("Hallows' Eve," or "Hallowe'en") came, in Irish popular piety, to be a day of remembering the dead who are neither in Purgatory or Heaven, but are damned, and these customs spread to many parts of the world. Thus we have the popular focus of Hallowe'en as the reality of Hell, hence its scary character and focus on evil and how to avoid it, the sad fate of the souls of the damned, etc.

How, or even whether, to celebrate Hallowe'en is a controversial topic in traditional circles. One hears too often that "Hallowe'en is a pagan holiday" -- an impossibility because "Hallowe'en," as said, means "All Hallows' Evening" which is as Catholic a holiday as one can get. Some say that the holiday actually stems from Samhain, a pagan Celtic celebration, or is Satanic, but this isn't true, either, any more than Christmas "stems from" the Druids' Yule, though popular customs that predated the Church may be involved in our celebrations (it is rather amusing that October 31 is also "Reformation Day" in Protestant circles -- the day to recall Luther's having nailed his 95 Theses to Wittenberg's cathedral door -- but Protestants who reject "Hallowe'en" because pagans used to do things on October 31 don't object to commemorating that event on this day).

Some traditional Catholics, objecting to the definite secularization of the holiday and to the myth that the entire thing is "pagan" to begin with, refuse to celebrate it in any way at all, etc. Other traditional Catholics celebrate it without qualm, though keeping it Catholic and staying far away from some of the ugliness that surrounds the day in the secular world. However one decides to spend the day, it is hoped that the facts are kept straight, and that Catholics refrain from judging other Catholics who decide to celebrate differently.

For those who do want to celebrate Hallowe'en, customs of this day are a mixture of Catholic popular devotions, and French, Irish, and English customs all mixed together. From the French we get the custom of dressing up, which originated during the time of the Black Death when artistic renderings of the dead known as the "Danse Macabre," were popular. These "Dances of Death" were also acted out by people who dressed as the dead. Later, these practices were moved to Hallowe'en when the Irish and French began to intermarry in America.

From the Irish come the carved Jack-o-lanterns, which were originally carved turnips. The legend surrounding the Jack-o-Lantern is this:

There once was an old drunken trickster named Jack, a man known so much for his miserly ways that he was known as "Stingy Jack," He loved making mischief on everyone -- even his own family, even the Devil himself! One day, he tricked Satan into climbing up an apple tree -- but then carved Crosses on the trunk so the Devil couldn't get back down. He bargained with the Evil One, saying he would remove the Crosses only if the Devil would promise not to take his soul to Hell; to this, the Devil agreed.

After Jack died, after many years filled with vice, he went up to the Pearly Gates -- but was told by St. Peter that he was too miserable a creature to see the Face of Almighty God. But when he went to the Gates of Hell, he was reminded that he couldn't enter there, either! So, he was doomed to spend his eternity roaming the earth. The only good thing that happened to him was that the Devil threw him an ember from the burning pits to light his way, an ember he carried inside a hollowed-out, carved turnip.  

Model of a Monk (RIP Br. Lambert, OSB)

Brother Lambert Berens, O.S.B., a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey, died Thursday, October 29, 2009. He was the son of the late Peter and Sophia (Randerath) Berens, was born in Lieck (now Heinsberg–Lieck), Germany, on July 4, 1913. He was one of ten children. His brothers and sisters are: Hubert Berens of Heinsberg–Lieck, Anna Zimmermann, of Heinsberg, Peter of Heinsberg, and Barbara Hennen of Heinsberg–Unterbruch. Three of his brothers: Brother Othmar Edmund Berens, O.S.B., Joseph, and Heinrich, and two sisters, Gertrude Lisges and Maria Dombrowe, are deceased.

He received his education in Kirchoven. He made simple profession of the monastic vows on February 11, 1932 at the Benedictine monastery in Ilbenstadt, Germany.

In May, 1939, the Gestapo ordered the Ilbenstadt monastery suppressed, or closed. The monks were told to leave. Brother Lambert was sent to the Benedictine Monastery Kornelimünster in Aachen.

In 1939, he was forced to leave his monastery and serve in the German Army. He was first sent marching to Paris, but when the city capitulated his outfit was marched to the south of France and then marched back to Germany in 1940. Later, when Germany invaded Russia in June of 1941, his troop was sent near Leningrad, where he was wounded. He was wounded a second time during a battle near Shisdra, Russia, in 1942, and a few months later was wounded yet a third time near Leningrad. Finally, in 1943, he was sent back to France, where his outfit executed maneuvers but engaged in no active battles.

On the third day of the Allied invasions in June of 1944, Brother Lambert was taken prisoner and sent to the P.O.W. camp at Ortley, England, and then later to the P.O.W. camp at Fort DuPont, Delaware City, Delaware, where he remained for a year before he was shipped back to a transfer camp in Attichy, France in 1945. He became a free man in January 1946 when he was returned to Bonn, Germany.

Brother Lambert returned to a post–war Germany that was confusing. He returned to his hometown and found his family all well, but his original monastery Ilbenstadt, shut down in 1939, was not reopened. So he returned to the Kornelimünster monastery in 1946. In 1956 he transferred his stability to Saint Vincent Archabbey. He became an American citizen in 1959.

At Saint Vincent, Brother Lambert was in charge of the greenhouse and truck garden (1952–64, and 1965–69). He also worked at Saint Benedict Priory, the Archabbey's missionary apostolate in Brazil (1964–65). From 1969 to 2001 he worked in Saint Vincent Library processing and repairing books, and in his spare time helped maintain the grounds of the Archabbey. In the fall of 2001 he began assisting in the Saint Vincent Archabbey Development Office until his death.

At the library, Brother Lambert prepared books to be added to the collection, prepared items for binding and checked returned items. He also examined the collection to identify Saint Vincent authors, alumni authors, Benedictine authors and Saint Vincent imprints, among other duties. He also conducted an inventory of the entire collection every four to five years and was the only known person to have handled every book in the library.

Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., said “Brother Lambert has been a great inspiration to the entire Saint Vincent community—young and old—his faithful perseverance in prayer and his steadfast commitment to his assigned responsibilities provided a wonderful example of what it means to be a faithful servant.”

In the fall of 1999 Brother Lambert received the Presidential Medal of Honor as part of the Saint Vincent Founders’ Day celebration. College President Father Martin R. Bartel, O.S.B., praised Brother Lambert for his many years of devoted service to Saint Vincent, noting that “throughout his life he quietly served as a model of humble devoutness. His hard meticulous work and dedication to whatever task is assigned him, provide an example to be emulated by both Benedictine and lay colleagues alike. To those that know him well and/or work with him, he is the personification of the Benedictine motto, Ora et Labora (prayer and work).”

The body will be received at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, October 31, in the Elizabeth J. Roderick Center of Saint Vincent Archabbey. Viewing will be held from 7:15 to 9 p.m. Saturday and from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, November 1 in the parlor of the Roderick Center. A Vigil Service will be held at 7:15 p.m. Sunday in the Archabbey Basilica. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., at 2:30 p.m. Monday, November 2 in the Archabbey Basilica. Interment will follow in the Saint Vincent Cemetery.

Blessing of new Icon

During Solemn Vespers on the Solemnity of Saint Vincent De Paul (our Patron), Father Archabbot Douglas blessed the newly added icon of the crucifixion which now hangs above the altar facing the monastic choir.  The icon was designed by our Fr. Vincent Crosby, OSB.