O b s c u l t a
Receive Me O Lord the Monastic Vows
The
fullness of the Liturgy a word from the
VOCATIONSDIRECTOR
W hen the third translation of the Mass was released, I purchased a copy of the Daily Roman Missal, to help me with the new language. As I
used this text to guide me in the responses, I found myself also praying the prayers of the priest. And this experience changed my approach to the Mass; as a cradle-Catholic, I spent most of my earlier years zoning out when the priest does “his stuff ” at the liturgy. Ignoring parts of the Mass, I had been leaving on the table some of the most beautiful prayers ever written, neglecting a way of seeing Christ – a way that is, at times, stunning. My discovery of the richness of the Mass points toward a key aspect of liturgy: that it is given, it is a gift to us from the Church. And just like other gifts that we receive, we do not choose them. This aspect of liturgy highlights the fact that liturgical prayer is ascetical, it runs contrary to our wills. Not at every moment, of course, and not in every way, but by the fact that it is given, it is ascetical. For example: praying Scripture can be done as part of the Mass or outside of the Mass, privately. In the former instance I am constrained by the liturgy, that is, I do not choose where the readings come from or how long they are or how many sections will be read; I cannot ask the congregation to stop if I am particularly moved by a passage; and I do not dictate what happens before or after reading the text. The liturgy gives me all of those specifics. Whereas my private reading of Scripture, my praying lectio divina, offers me the freedom to make all of these choices for myself. The liturgy, by its “givenness,” resists my preferences and forces me to adjust – to be formed by it!
2 • Ob s c u lta
There is more. The public aspect of liturgy adds another dimension of asceticism. Doing liturgy as a group insures that it will never be done perfectly! No matter how precise, how attentive, how committed a community may be to having beautiful liturgy, praying with others always means that the weaknesses of other persons will enter into my worship, my prayer. I am forced to suffer interruption (like a crying baby); or disharmony (like Mass-goers reciting at different paces); or different tastes (an irritating hymn selection). Whatever the weakness (or simple difference), all of these things are part of my prayer in liturgy. And they will be until I (God-willing) make it to heaven! The liturgy is ascetical because it is given, and because it requires us to pray with others. As we know, asceticism is a good thing, part of a healthy Christian spiritual life. And asceticism is particularly helpful for discernment. John the Baptist said, “he must increase and I must decrease,” and the same is true for us. Our vocation comes to us as the inbreaking of a New Life, which only comes if we get out of the way. The liturgy is practice in getting out of the way.
b y B r. L e v e n H a r t o n - D i r e c t o r o f Vo c at i o n s v o c a t i o n s @ k a n s a s m o n k s . o rg • 9 1 3 . 3 6 0 . 7 8 4 8
3
MARCHING for life by Br. Benedict Mary Geist
I attended the March for Life this year with Benedictine College. It was a beautiful experience, standing up for life in our nation’s capitol. I was especially struck by how young the March for Life has become, how vibrant, how joyful. To those that see us, we truly rejoice in the gift of life! And our witness has more depth than people realize. Perhaps the most tragic part of the prochoice mindset is the often accompanying lack of purpose. Why is it so important to give life to these babies if all they will do is eat, sleep, work, accumulate wealth and goods, and die? The answer to that question was scattered visibly through the crowd at this year’s March. I saw many priests and religious, especially from our generation. Religious not only witness to the fact that life is a gift, but also to why life is worth living in the first place – to encounter and love Jesus Christ, who formed us in the womb and died for us on the Cross to give us true life! Pope Francis has described the religious as one who “wakes up the world.” May all consecrated men and women offer this witness and rouse our country out of the torpor of a culture of death! At right : Br. Benedict Mary with Fr. Brendan Rolling.
4 • Ob s c u lta
A s kt h e
e x perts
S e rva n t o f G o d L ui gi G ius sa n i on discernment
“ I t’s w o r th the tro uble
when the sacrifice is done for something else th at d o e s n’t w h i th e r l i ke th e au tu m n l e av e s , th at d o e s n’t ro t l i ke a m a n w h o d i e s ; s o m e th i n g el s e that challenges time, something else that grows more beautiful with time, that persists, and that makes even you persist in the same way ”
5
Returning to the Father R e m b r a n d t ’s s t r i k i n g p a i n t i n g R e t u r n of the Prodigal Son is well known. In this earlier drawing , Rembrandt shows a d i f f e r e n t s i d e o f t h e f a t h e r ’s m e r c y. Rather than a calm and warm embrace, the father in this drawing is in midstride and meeting his son, already on his knees perhaps unable to go further on his o w n . Wi t h u r g e n c y t h e f a t h e r r e a c h e s h i s son where he is and lowers himself in an embrace. O u r Father not only w ait s for u s to re tu r n, but he pursues us when we could not otherwise reach him on our own.
6 • Ob s c u lta
7
Receive me
Lord
Monastic Vows “ Re cei ve me, L ord , a s yo u have pro m i s e d an d I shall li ve. D o no t di s app o i nt m e i n my hop e!” Follo w i n g St . B e n e di ct ’s d i re ct i on , fou r m e n pr aye d the s e word s when th e y pro fe s s e d vo ws on D e cem b e r 8 at St . B e n e di ct ’s Abb e y. Vow i n g Ob e di e n ce , St abi li t y, an d C o nver s at i o Mor u m, B r. Plac i du s , B r. B en e di ct , Fr. Jay, an d B r. Ka rel c a s t thei r he a r t s i n de p en den ce o n C hr i s t .
8 • Ob s c u lta
O u r li fe w ith C h r i st a s m o n k s f inds b o th it s s o u rce and expre ssio n in the thre e mona stic v ows . E a ch o ne contr ibute s to th e f u nc tio ning of o u r li fe in th e Ab b e y an d , m o re i mp or t antl y, to the in d i v i dual sanc tity of e ach m e m b e r, ins o f ar a s we p ers e vere in o u r i mp er fe c t ( bu t ver y re al) fo llo w i n g!
Obedience I n ob e d ien c e we s u r re nde r ou r w i l l s to C hr i s t an d fol l o w h i m u nti l d e ath. I n a d d i ti o n to pr aye r a nd S c r i p tu r e, St . B ene d ic t s ay s t hat Hi s w ill i s ma de k no w n t o u s exp re s sly thro ug h b ot h t h e a b b o t an d the o th e r me mb e r s o f o u r c o m mu n i t y. In o b e d i e nc e C hr i s t re ce ive s o u r w i ll s an d le ad s u s t o H i m s el f.
co n t inue d on ne x t p age 9
Stability St . B e ne d ic t ’s Abb e y i s o u r ho m e an d we a llo w G o d to e s t ab l i sh ou r r o ot s her e whe n we l i ve thi s v o w. We co m m i t o u r s elv e s t o l i ve her e an d w i th th i s c o m mu nit y, a l l o w i ng the pr e s ence of C h r i s t to b r i n g u s s ati sf a c ti o n an d le a d u s , t h r ou g h c o mmitm e nt , not m o v i n g ar o u n d whe n t h i ng s g e t d i f f ic ult . E x ac t l y i n t h e m on a s t er y an d i n t h i s l i fe we t r u st th at He w i ll su st a i n u s .
Conversatio Morum O f ten t r an sl ate d “conve r sion t o the mo n a s ti c w ay of l i fe ,” we c om m i t o u r s elv e s t o const a nt l y t u r n ou r s elv e s to w a rd Je su s t hr o u g h l i v i n g ac cord i ng t o t he Ru l e e v er mo re f a it h f ul l y. Th e m o n k i s o n e w h o a c t ive l y t u r ns to w ard C hr i st e a ch d ay, no t o n e who w a s g ive n a h a bi t an d a n e w na me y e a r s a g o ! The d ail y re d i s co ver y o f H i s pre s e nce g iv e s u s o u r ho p e.
10 • O b s c u l t a
MONKVOCATIONS.ORG
answers for discernment
Come & See
April 10-12
Cont act Brother L e ven Har ton: vo c ations@k ansa smonk s .org 913.360.7848 11
St. Benedict’s Abbey Atchison, Kansas 1020 N. 2nd Street, Atchison, KS 66002 Obsculta USPS 290-760 913.360.7848 MonkVocations.org
Winter
2015
•
Ob scu lta
VOLUME
TWO
•
NUMBER
ONE
MONKVOCATIONS.ORG
Obsculta is a tool for discernment & introduction to monastic life Provided by the Monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey. St. Benedict begins his Rule with a simple directive: Obsculta, the Latin for listen.
Pope Francis has asked all religious to “wake up the world.” I invite you to consider a vocation to St. Benedict’s Abbey, and join us in serving the Church as witnesses to a sleeping world. For more information or an Obsculta subscription contact the Vocations Director:
Br. Leven Harton, OSB 913.360.7848 • vocations@kansasmonks.org On the cover: The Betrayal of Christ set in Bone from the Collection of St. Benedict’s Abbey “If this had been done by an enemy... But it is you, my own companion, my intimate friend!” psalm 55