The Silent Life Chapter 1 The Monastic Peace

Purity of Heart

Solitude, poverty, obedience, silence ad prayer dispose the soul for (its) destiny in God. Asceticism itself does not produce Divine union. It only disposes the soul for union, The carious practices of monastic asceticism are more or less valuable to the monk in proportion as they help him to accomplish the inner and spiritual work that needs to be done to make his soul poor, and humble and empty, in the mystery of the presence of God. When ascetic practices are misused, they serve only to fill the monk with himself and to harden his heart is resistance to grace. That is why all monastic asceticism centers in the two great virtues of humility and obedience which cannot be practiced as they ought to be practiced, if they do not empty a man of himself.

The Silent Life by Thomas Merton - Part 1.

A series of quotes (and possibly reflections) as we pursue this text.



From the Prologue:


The monk is one who leaves behind the fictions and illusions of a merely human spirituality in order to plunge himself into the faith of Christ. Faith is the light which seizes upon the inner depths of his soul na delivers him up to the action of the Spirit, the Spirit of liberty, the Spirit of Love. Faith takes him, as the power of God took the ancient prophets, and "Stands him on his feet (Ezch. 2:2) befor the Lord. The monastic life is a life in the Spirit of Christ, a life in which the Christian gives themselves entirely to the love of God which transforms him in the light of Christ.

updates

Have updated some of the books and CD's we've been listening to lately -
right hand side, just scroll down..

And yes, now some of them are finally done!

he's here

Peter Waller, artist and sculptor extra-ordinary, is staying with us a few days. Pete was a member of the community last couple of years,while he was studying Fine Arts at Curtin University. Last year he moved to Tasmania (sob sob!) to do honours, and now, post graduate work in scultpture, using the university's excellent wood working studios.

Pete is in WA for his first solo Exhibition at Gallery East. Click on the link and check out his beautiful work, and the lovely 15th Century Zen prints which and being co - exhibited.

Pete is also reading Thomas Mertons "Mystics and Zen Masters"
Anyone had a read? It looks amazing!!!

The Best Spiritual Advice You've Ever Been Given...

Lets put together a compendium of advice we've been given that REALLY helped us grow.Email me or comment and I'll put it up.



Chris:
I'd like to say it was "Shut up!" but in fact it was from a Benedictine monk and was "You must attend to all the dimensions of your life - physical, emotional, spiritual, sexual, psychological, relational - if any of these are out of balance, then its tough going".
This stopped me worrying about alot of things, taught me to take one thing at a time, and look at myself with honesty.

Vows from the past

Thining about the year again, here's some of the promises we made as a community 18 months ago. Worth remonding ourselves of these again...
(If you want to read the original post it is here)

Although we have been meeting together for the last 7 years - can you believe it? - last night we celebrated our First anniversary as the Transfiguration Community. To mark this occasion, we made promises, not vows, to support our community life. Here is what we promised:

We will honor:T
he light of our Benedictine Heritage.
May we always value silence, stillness and prayer

The light of Hospitality.
May we always nourish one another.

The light of Relationship.
May we always remember to value one another, married or Single.

The light of compassion.
May we always be generous in our care for one another.

The light of work.
May we always value each others occupations and activities.

The light of our children.
May we always see them as gifts from God.

The light of faithfulness
May we continue to be faithful to our community life.

The light of honesty
May we continue to share with humor and truthfulness.

The light of Openness.
May we always be open to the work of the Spirit within us.

The light of newness
May our minds not be closed to the adventure of faith.

Can we be killed by the hero's we love? Authentic Spiritual life and finding our own way...

Right folks. January seems a good time for this sort of reflection as we ponder the year ahead as individuals and as a community...

No one is a Christian in isolation. We are all instructed in the way of Christ in someway. For some, it is a personal contact, for others it is growing up in a family of faith where many points of contacts are made. Others may pick up a book which changes their life and want to find more, or an Internet page, or radio broadcast or an mp3 or in fact anything where we dialogue with someones experience in some way and allow it to speak. whatever the medium, somehow we here the message of Gods love from another and it changes us. And we keep on this road until we take our final breath...

This is all wonderful and appropriate and absolutely necessary (as we all know). And a Christian community like ours, where questions are the bread and butter of our life together, are essential. But there is a danger, and it worries me from time to time when i come across certain web pages, or articles, or books. It is the matter of Adoration. Let me explain. It is way to easy too read about the "Giants " of the faith (whatever that means to us - whether it be Augustine, Frances de Sales, Merton or John Paul 2, our minister or priest, or even another Christian...) and think to ourselves "They did x, y and z and that led them to holiness. by copying them i will too...".

Now imitation is the most sincere more of flattery, and of great use as we start our journey, but at some point we have to say "I am me. This is my way. God is with me. So be it" and use the skills and lessons we have learnt from others. Now, please don't get me wrong, I am not against the church setting up guidelines which point out what is helpful - eg the Eucharist, Reading the Bible, the Liturgical year - but all of these things need to take place within the context of our own slow and steady "working out our salvation in fear the trembling". None of this is an excuse to not do our homework theologically speaking. All of our thinking needss to be a balance of head and heart, with a good pinch of risk taking!

I suppose I am thinking about this year ahead as a community. We need not be anything other than we are, and part of that is a discovery! We have a wonderful set of ecumenical menotrs to guide and love us. We need to see what is us, and what isn't, who we are, and above all, pray and trust, and move forward.

Lets Dialogue.

latest sites

Heres a few interesting Sites checked out lately

Louis Louis Exploring contemplative awareness in daily life, drawing from and with much discussion of the writings of Thomas Merton, aka "Father Louie".

CathNews Catholic Headlines from around the world. A wonderful Australian site.

JC Girls This is a little bizzare, but worth a look. Three women from California created JC's Girls as an outreach to the adult entertainment industry. Being mistaken for porn stars is actually part of their strategy...

Hope ya all well

Community New Years Eve

We only took a few photos but hopefully you get the idea it was a fun night!

Ritual and Rite

To Dance with God
Gertrud Mueller Nelson

Have being flipping through this book, and using its incredible wisdom, for years.

Has any one else out there heard of it, used it, or read it?

happy christmas

happy christmas (how to have one)

(Ht tip, Jonny)

Sentence for Midnight

Let us all rejoice in the Lord
for our saviour is born
to the world

true peace
has descended
from heaven

Antiphon for midnight mass

Merry Christmas Everyone.
Love
us

Ten Things I love Starting with The Letter T

Antony asked us to tag ourselves and play this game.

He gave us the letter and we fill in the blanks.

I actually found this quite hard…

I tried to do the first 10 things that came into my mind:

Time. Love it. Need it. Use it. Never seem to have enough of it to do the things I want. I am trying desperately these days to hallow time with prayer – Liturgy of the hours, meditation, writing, but the trap of being a sort of creative, in-the-moment, sort of fellow is that time slips away quickly when the inspiration strikes.

Tradition: It would be all too easy to just think of this in terms of Church Tradition, although I love that. I adore the idea of praying in ancient words, of celebrating vigils and rituals which Christians have observed for centuries (and I don’t find anything tired in rites or rituals…). I also love more folk traditions: Christmas trees, wreaths, St Nicholas Day biscuits, marking the date of Epiphany with chalk, family holidays, the whole shebang.

Talk. Nothing I like more than a good natter (although Coralie would call it a gossip…!)

Transfiguration Community: You Knew this was coming! I love this motley crew of travellers. We meet, we eat and drink, we pray, we love one another. We bring our experiences, our day, our selves, and healing and holiness is begun. A Privilege.

Test Cricket. I grow in appreciation of this game every summer. Strategy, courage, grit, luck, tactics. Up to five days of magic. And this year Australia won the ashes (Yesterday!) which is the equivalent of the world cup – but only Australia and England can play.

“The” Bands: I tried really hard to avoid any “The” ‘s but at least its at number 6. The Beatles, The Jam, The Style Council, The Church, The Small Faces, The Police, The Who, The Byrds, The Smiths – all some of my favourite bands. Just looking at that list tells me fair bit about myself. I like OLD music and my tastes are a fairly wide …

Thomas Merton: The patron saint of the emerging church movement, given many recent blogsphere posts in his memory. I love Tom’s work – some of the more edgy stuff especially, like his oriental interests (Te Ching???), his letters, outlines for monasteries and hermitages, and especially his notebook he kept when he visited Our Lady of The Redwood monastery. Merton also stands for a whole lot of monastic authors I love like Jean Le Clerq, Ester De Waal, Abhishiktananda, Bede Griffiths, Lawrence Freeman and so the list goes on. Helpful, heavy and hopeful.

Tea. Now hear me, I am a coffee drinker. Plunger in the morning, maccihato when I am out, espresso after a large dinner. But in true thirty something fashion, I am rediscovering the things of my youth – and tea is one of them. It took me to read an interview with the current heir to the Twinnings family about matching tea with food to get me started. He suggested having a large plate of bacon and eggs on thick toast with a cup of their English Breakfast, made to the specific instructions. Being a good little camper, I did as I was told and I was hooked.

Tonsils: I don’t have any, neither does my little boy. He breaths a lot easier at night (less like a freight train) and so do we…

Travel: I’ve only made some tentative steps with this activity, but I love it. I have travelled around a lot of Australia and to New Zealand and some other places. I can’t wait to take the family and explore the world together. Maybe I’ll come and visit some of you!

nearly there

and to help you on your journey, a few helpful links

Andrew Dowsett has been keeping a lovely reflective journey to advent

Ron Rohlheiser writes brilliantly Christmas, Myth, Naivety and Faith

Pray as You go keep on offering great stuff

Blessings

Chris

Quiz

Our friend Bryan was playing this today….

Thought we’d have a go!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Australia. HOT at Christmas. Maybe Hot Chocolate if its cool (like, when would that be…) .
More likely cold beer, cold wine, cold chocolate milk.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wrapped. But that doesn’t stop them being shaken, felt and explored…

3. Coloured lights on tree/house or white?
Lights on tree thanks. House too much trouble actually…

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
First of December. Kids and Coralie put them up. I “supervise” and stalk the corridors feeling stressed!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
BBQ seafood. Cooked outside. With a Nice Semillon.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Mum and Dad went to midnight mass. When they came home, far from being asleep, y brother and I had snuck out of room, opened allof the presents, and as a masterstroke, had convinced grandma that this was what was supposed to happen!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
There’s NO Santa? Or is there more about him I don’t know yet?????

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Only one, after Mass and a glass of Frozen Butterscotch Schnapps.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Lots of home and school made decorations, with other stuff we have. Its fun.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Its 36°C here – snow would be fab!!

12. Can you ice skate?
Yep. Inside only.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
My parents relieving a rather large debt I owed them.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Rejocing in Gods goodness. Family. Friends. Slowing down.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Frozen “lollies and chocolate Christmas pudding”!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Midnight mass. Singing Carols. By Candlelight. Incense. Magic. Mystery

17. What tops your tree?
A Star.

18.Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
I LOVE being given gifts,but watching other recive and appreciate yours is a special magic...

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Once in Royal Davids City OR O Come O Come Emmanuel Bring me to tears actually…

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
I give ‘em out. I don’t eat ‘em!

Play along fans!!!

Advent Reflections

Still here.
Still praying together.
Still eating together.
Still caring for one another.
Loving each other.
Sharing life.

Tonight is a chance for all of us to celebrate the joy of Christmas and share gifts with the children. It is a fitting end to a long year (as those of you who read my stream of consciousness poetry blog will know!). Over the remaining time of Advent, we will meet in various combinations and forms, celebrating the mysteries of this time of year.

Bless you all.


Chris

A time to
Delve deeper into
the loVe of God-
Emmanuel-
Not spending
Too much money

(From Iona)

Rohr Again

Wednesday night's session was a continuation of Monday's talk on healing and wholeness. Richard spent the first session recapping his theme, and giving us a little more detail. After a period of silence and a coffee break, he returned to an hour of questions. This was by far the most interesting part of the evening (apart from the people who really didn't ask a question but seemed to only want to make statements and have Richard agree with them...)

He addressed topics of Hell, Letting Go, Ecumenism across Religions, Feminism and God, the Healing process, and a few other issues I have now forgotten!

And we sang that awful song again, and Matt, Coralie and I got the giggles watching the 70 and 80 years old sway to the music....

Here's what I noted down from last night:

• Belief in things doesnot transform. Love does.
• A mystic is simply one who knows by experience.
• You must stand in love in order to see the love in others.
• Our failure to learn from our "sins" is the largest sin of all
• We need to learn to find the divine image in all things or we will find it in nothing.
• Life is not about me. We need to stop self referencing every experience to the "I"
• Demons are the addicitive behaviours we have
• Faith is not long term fire insurance.
• It is heaven all the way to heaven, or hell all the way to hell!
• Jesus cam to earth to take us back into the divine dance. (He spoke alot about the trinity as a dance of love)
• God does not adore us, he loves us.
• You a little s .. t, but also the dwelling place of God!!

Bless you all

Chris

Richard Rohr in Perth - Monday night

Six of us, four community members, good mate PT and Minister (to some of us officially, some un officially...) Malcolm, went to the first of franciscan Richard Rohr's evening lectures on wholeness and healing.

It was a topic I had heard him speak on before, but it was great to see and hear the man "In the flesh" as it were. He speaks effortlessly and engagingly, easily incorporating quotes and examples from patristic, biblical and theological sources. One of the things I love about Richard's teaching is the way he weaves these sources together to help you understand what he is discussing in the physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions, of our beings.

Some of what I remember he discussed was:

• God sees sin as suffering/pain
• YAHWEH - the sound of the breath in (Yah) and out (Weh) breath. God in and out. As close as our breath.
• We have to move downward, not upward, in our spiritual life to gain wisdom. This avoids the dualistic mind of in/out.
• Jesus starts with our suffering not our sin ( our woundedness not conversion?)
• We are spiritual beings seeking to be human, in all its fullness.
• Perfection is the incorporation, not the exclusion, of imperfection

But he may not have meant anything of this - it is just what touched me last night.

A great night all up. It ended with all the crowd standing together, holding hands and singing Leonard Cohens Hallelujah, which I have to say was a little bizarre....

More after Wednesday nights lecture.

Binding Us together

In my darker moments I sometimes wonder what brings us together.
We come from such different backgrounds, spiritualities, lifestages, educations etc.
Michelle maintians that this what binds us - the sense of belonging inspite of our differences - it becomes a true exercise in ecumenism and communion.

Here's some of the different expressions of faith that we have been involved in over the years:

Liturgy of the Hours Taize Everyday With Jesus Tea Ceremony Anglican Catholic Quaker Pray as you Go Benedictine Flame Contemplative Evangelical GFS

Not a bad staring list actually ...

Enclosure

Last night I took the kids to their first swimming lessons. To cut a very long story short - one is a very confident swimmer and the other one thinks that water is of the devil. And I don't say that lightly!

The experience of course brought up all of the concerns, issues and worries that all parents have when something doesn't go right - I am a bad parent, what could have I done differently, and the killer - what will these other parents think of me?

All of this got me to thinking about protecting my kids, and comparing it to the monastic physical and spiritual concept of enclosure. In a monastery the enclosure is the physical space which is off limits to guests. Only the community may go there. It often over looks a courtyard and provides a safe, peaceful and beautiful place to live the majority of your life.

I believe monastics also live in the spirit of enclosure.
Guarding and keeping a safe place within as well as without.
Having a safe place within yourself you are able to return.
Knowing your limits and when to say enough.

I suppose as a parent, part of role is to provide a sense of enclosure in the home.
But, as witnessed by the swimming yesterday, helping my children to leave their own personal enclosure and take a risk is also a skill I can teach them.

I am still struggling with my own sense of enclosure - finding that safe place within me, but that spurs me on to teach my children, once again, what the monks taught me!