Remain in Me
st. benedic t ’ s abbe y
An orientation to your retreat at St. Benedict’s Abbey
Quick Reference • On the first floor of the guesthouse is the front desk, where you sign in. Dial 0 on the hallway phone to contact the receptionist. The lobby is open 8 am – 8 pm, daily.
• Guest rooms are located on the second floor. • The code to enter the Guesthouse is _________
Please ask the receptionist for the current code.
• Parlor rooms are on the first floor, where you
may meet with a monk for spiritual direction and/or confession. Please let the retreat master know if you are interested in this.
• On the ground floor is the guesthouse lounge
and kitchenette for your use. Meals are served there at designated times (see Horarium). There is a light switch at the bottom of the stairs behind the fire pull box.
• Facing the elevator on the first floor, you may
follow the signs to the left in order to get to the Abbey church and the stairwell to get to the crypt. Feel free to explore the chapels and find a quiet place to pray.
• Please be attentive to the signs so you don’t
wander into the monastery cloister (the home for the monks). The cloister is only for monks.
• If you need to connect to the WiFi please ask the receptionist for the password.
• You can reach Fr. Jay Kythe, the Retreat Master,
at 913-360-0081 (cell), 913-360-7873 (room), or 7873 from any monastery phone.
• In case of emergency our Porter, Brother Joseph, can be reached by pressing the button in the glass entrance of the Guesthouse, or by dialing 7850 from the hall phone.
Ta bl e o f C o n t e n t s Greetings...................... 6 Horarium...................... 8 Prayer........................... 10 Silence. . ......................... 11 Work............................. 12 Meals. . ........................... 13 Other Info................. 14 Lectio Divina.............15
G ree t i n gs G od, w e h av e re c ei v ed y o u r m er c y i n t h e m i d st of y o u r t e m p l e Peace be with you. On behalf of Abbot James and the monks of this monastery welcome to your retreat at St. Benedict’s Abbey. This booklet will give you a brief orientation to the day to day life of the monastery which we invite you to participate in, as you desire, during your retreat. But first we may ask, what does it mean to “go on retreat”? Jesus himself would “often slip away to the wilderness and pray” (Luke 5:16). Why? Certainly not to flee what was before him, but to love it more, by staying with the Father who gave it to Him. So we can say that to retreat, in the Christian sense, is not to escape but to enter more deeply into the truth of things, like taking a step back from a painting in order to see more clearly the whole of its beauty, in which shines the harmony of each part. We are also invited into this relationship: “Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me” (John 15:4). It is only in and through the reality the Father is giving to us hic et nunc (here and now) that we can take up the Jesus’ command to remain in his presence, to stay awake and keep watch, await, and meet the source of our lives, who is our happiness, that is, our destiny.
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This “meeting” moved our Holy Father St. Benedict, almost 1500 years ago, to dedicate his life and the lives of his followers to meeting and plumbing the depths of this Mystery in every aspect and detail of life. Or, as it has been put: Quaerere Deum. To seek God. St. Benedict saw that everything is given to aid us on our search for God. This is what allows us to cry out with the Psalmist: God, we have received your mercy in the midst of your temple (Ps 47:10). The temple is the place where we are found by God’s mercy and moved to journey deeper with him into the mystery of his love. For us monks that place is particularly here, St. Benedict’s Abbey. Preferring this encounter with God in this place is the reason at the origin of many of the distinctive gestures and practices of Benedictine monasteries: defining the day by regular hours of prayer, observing silence, praying with the scriptures (Lectio Divina), working and studying together, and keeping the cloister (enclosure) of the monastery. This is the experience we invite you to enter into during your retreat with us. The simplest way to do this is to follow, as you desire and are able, our monastic Horarium (Latin for “the hours”). The following pages will outline our hours of prayer, silence, work, and meals, and give a few introductory and practical notes on each subject. It is our prayer for you that this time of your retreat will be filled with an awareness of God’s mercy in every moment and detail given to you in his temple, in which we are all guests.
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Hor arium
S t B e n e d i c t ’s A b b e y Prayer | Silence | Work | Meals
6:30 8:15 10:00 12:05 12:20 4:15 5:00 5:25 7:45 8:00
Sunday Vigils & Lauds Lectio Divina – House Silence for 1 hour Mass Midday Prayer Lunch Lectio Divina – House Silence Solemn Vespers Dinner Compline Grand Silence
Monday-Friday 5:45 Vigils & Lauds 8:15 Lectio Divina – House Silence for 1 hour 7:45 Morning Work 11:45 Midday Prayer 12:10 Mass 12:55 Lunch 1:30 Afternoon Work 5:00 Vespers 5:25 Lectio Divina – House Silence 6:10 Dinner 7:45 Compline Note: No public Compline on Tuesday 8:00 Grand Silence 8 • Remain in Me
Saturday 5:45 Vigils & Lauds 6:20 Lectio Divina – House Silence 7:45 Morning Work 11:45 Midday Prayer 12:10 Mass 12:55 Lunch 1:30 Afternoon Work 5:45 Vespers 6:10 Dinner 7:00 Holy Hour for Vocations with Compline Note: During the Winter & Summer break the Holy Hour is in St. Joseph’s Chapel in the Abbey Church Crypt 8:00 Grand Silence
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P r ay e r
“On hearing the signal for an hour of the divine office, the monk will immediately set aside what he has in hand and go with utmost speed, yet with gravity and without giving occasion for frivolity; Indeed, nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God.” - Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 43 Tardiness at the Work of God or at Table • We invite you to join us in the Abbey Church for what St. Benedict calls the opus Dei, the Work of God, that is, praying the Liturgy of the Hours. • Please arrive five or ten minutes early to pick up a prayer book on the racks in the narthex (the entryway of the church) and sit at the front of the nave (not in the choir section with the monks). • The Liturgy of the Hours is the universal prayer of the Church. We pray the psalms together as the Body of Christ. So it is important to pay attention to the words and listen to each other so as to pray in one voice, with no individual voice noticeably louder than the others. • Chanting is different from other forms of singing, such as choral or hymnody. It is generally more gentle and fluid. You can hear this especially at the end of a line, which is not held out, but immediately tapers off. • We recommend listening to the first couple of psalms so as to get a sense of the slower pace and way of singing or speaking set by the monks and then begin praying audibly and softly with the north or south choir. 10 • R e m a i n i n M e
Si l e n c e
“Monks should diligently cultivate silence at all times…” - Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 42 Silence After Compline “Let us follow the Prophet’s counsel: I said, I have resolved to keep watch over my ways that I may never sin with my tongue. I was silent and was humbled, and I refrained even from good words (Ps 38:2-3). Here the Prophet indicates that there are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence… Speaking and teaching are the master’s task; the disciple is to be silent and listen.” - Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 6 Restraint of Speech • We enter into these periods of silence in the monastery in order to listen to the Master of whom Jesus spoke: “You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers” (Matt. 23:8). Silence is an invitation to enter into dialogue with the Mystery of God, our Father. • We have a morning and evening silent period set aside for Lectio Divina, praying with the scriptures. The period of Grand Silence is kept after compline until after the Lectio period the next morning • Note: These periods of silence are kept within the cloister of the monastery but are not expected to be kept outside the cloister (e.g. the guesthouse). However, as you make your retreat here you are welcome to join us in spirit. Many find “unplugging” from devices is a big help in this area. 11
Work
“The brothers should serve one another… Let all… serve one another in love.” - Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 42 Kitchen Servers of the Week “Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore, the brothers should have specified periods for manual labor as well as for prayerful reading.” - Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 48 The Daily Manual Labor • While the work periods in the monastery do not pertain to those making a retreat they are included here in case it is helpful for you in organizing your time of retreat. • If you are a man interested in the monastic life and would like to join the monks in manual labor please let us know. Depending on the day’s work assignment it may be possible.
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Meals
“[The Abbot] should so regulate and arrange all matters that souls may be saved and the brothers may go about their activities without justifiable grumbling.” - Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 41 The Times for the Brothers’ Meals • Lunch and Dinner will be brought to you at the indicated times in the Guesthouse kitchenette (located in the lower level of the Guesthouse). • Dry breakfast (cereal, bread, bagels, etc.) are available along with milk, half and half, butter, jam, peanut butter, cream cheese, etc. • There is a Keurig coffee maker in the kitchenette. Coffee pods can be found in your room and in the kitchenette cabinets. • Please let us know if you have any dietary needs. • Please let us know if you would prefer to prepare your own food. The Guesthouse Lounge kitchen is available to you. It has a fridge, stove top, oven, water heater, coffee maker, and spices. There is a dish rack and soap and brushes under the sink for clean up.
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O t h e r I n f o r m at i o n Confession – Abbey Church • Mon-Sat 11:00-11:40am • Sun 9:00-9:55am
Adoration • Sat 7:00pm – Abbey Church or St. Joseph’s Chapel in the crypt during breaks • Sun-Fri 9:00am-9:00pm (St. Benedict’s Parish church down the hill) Spiritual Direction • If you would like to meet with a monk-priest for spiritual direction and/or confession during your retreat time please let the retreat master or his assistant know. Places for Prayer • Abbey Church, Blessed Sacrament Chapel (Main Church) • Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel (Crypt) • St Joseph’s Chapel (Crypt) • Return to Nazareth prayer garden and overlook (just south of the guest house). Guides available at the front desk. • Abbey Cemetery (north of the monastery, follow the campus drive down the hill, to the right up past the monastery along the bluff.) • Stations of the Cross (north of the cemetery past the bench and tree and up the hill) QUESTIONS? • Speak with the Receptionist, Br. Joseph (Guest Master and Porter), Fr. Jay (Retreat Master), or Br. Angelus (Assistant) 14 • R e m a i n i n M e
Lectio Divina
“God calls man first. Man may forget his Creator or hide far from his face; he may run after idols or accuse the deity of having abandoned him; yet the living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter known as prayer. In prayer, the faithful God’s initiative of love always comes first; our own first step is always a response. As God gradually reveals himself and reveals man to himself, prayer appears as a reciprocal call, a covenant drama. Through words and actions, this drama engages the heart. It unfolds through the whole history of salvation.” - Catechism of the Catholic Church, §2567
“The written word is the means by which God’s living Word reaches me, the divine act by which he addresses me, questions my whole existence and saves me. I must grasp the full dramatic value of the Word as a Person who reveals himself to my openness, challenging me to commit myself to him.” - Archbishop Mariano Magrassi Praying the Bible
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A Method of Pr a c ticing Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina is an ancient form of Christian prayer that involves a close and prayerful reading of Sacred Scripture. It is a way of encountering the Lord through the words of the Bible, leading to a powerful, enduring sense of the Lord’s presence in one’s daily life. Selecting a Scripture passage: your director may suggest a passage to pray with, or you may select a passage from the Mass readings. Some people pray through an entire Gospel or one of the other books of the Bible, taking short sections one at a time. Start by putting yourself in the presence of God and by saying a prayer to the Holy Spirit to help you to open your heart to whatever the Lord wishes to offer you in the Scripture passage. Now you are ready to enter into Lectio Divina.
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First, read the passage (lectio) more than once— three times is recommended—very slowly, pausing at words that touch you in some way and letting them linger in your mind. Sometimes reading the passage out loud can help. Second, meditate on the passage (meditatio). Ask questions of the text. Imagine yourself in the story or as one of the characters (if the passage lends itself to the imagination). Be aware of words or phrases that appear meaningful or mysterious. Find connections with events in one’s own life or with other parts of Scripture. Third, pray over the passage (oratio). Let the previous two steps lead you to compose a prayer to the Lord, to speak to Him about the Scripture passage and your life. You may be moved to gratitude, adoration, petition, supplication, contrition, etc. Speak to the Lord about what is going on in your life as it connects to the passage. Fourth, let the Holy Spirit work (contemplatio). At this point, God takes over and responds. We must be receptive to all the different ways the Lord speaks to us. Sit in quiet gratitude for His loving Presence in your life. End with simple words of thanksgiving.
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Some sug gested S c r i p t u r e Pa s s a g e s f o r y o u r R e t r e at
Jeremiah 29:11-14 Psalm 23 Psalm 139 Matthew 8:23-27 Matthew 14:22-33 Mark 10:46-52 John 2:1-11 Luke 5:1-11 Matthew 14:13-21 Luke 9:23-26 Matthew 8:1-4 Luke 17:11-19 John 4:5-42 Luke 18:8-14 Romans 8:18-27 Romans 8:31-39 John 20:19-29 Matthew 6:2-34 Isaiah 43:1-7 Luke 15:11-32 John 21
I know the plans I have for you The Lord is my shepherd You know me to the core Jesus asleep in the boat Peter walks on water Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus The wedding feast of Cana The catch of fish and Peter’s call The feeding of the 5000 Take up your cross daily Jesus heals the leper The ten lepers The woman at the well The tax collector and the Pharisee The Spirit groans on our behalf
What will separate us from God’s love? Thomas at the Resurrection Do not worry about your life You are precious to me The prodigal son Peter’s “Yes”
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Notes
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I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. john 15:1-9
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Let us get up then, at long last, for the Scriptures rouse us when they say: It is high time for us to arise from sleep (Rom 13:11). Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God, and our ears to the voice from heaven that every day calls out this charge: If you hear his voice today, do not harden your hearts (Ps 94:8). And again: You that have ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev 2:7). And what does he say? Come and listen to me, sons; I will teach you the fear of the Lord (Ps 33:12). Run while you have the light of life, that the darkness of death may not overtake you (John 12: 35). the rule of st. benedict prologue: 8-14
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Therefore we intend to establish a school for the Lord’s service. In drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome. The good of all concerned, however, may prompt us to a little strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love. Do not be daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation. It is bound to be narrow at the outset. But as we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God’s commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love. Never swerving from his instructions, then, but faithfully observing his teaching in the monastery until death, we shall through patience share in the sufferings of Christ that we may deserve also to share in his kingdom. Amen. the rule of st. benedict prologue: 45-50
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St. Benedic t ’s A bbe y -dominus providebit-
kansasmonks.org
1020 N. 2nd Street | Atchison, KS 66002
