~Contributed by Kaye Lathe
Gift giving is not the love language in our house, and it really isn't my husband's love language. One year, he gave me a set of stainless steel mixing bowls for Christmas. His consternation was great when he realized that he had omitted a size, and then went on to give me the missing 6 quart bowl for Mother's Day. After 16 years of marriage, I have grown to really appreciate it when I receive a surprising gift.
For my birthday this year, I was not gifted with something practical that would serve the house (such as bowls, gardening shears, or silverware extensions), I was gifted a retreat to a Trappist abbey, at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carlton. Being a person who enjoys luxury, and good conversation, I was a little dismayed when I saw that the retreat would be largely silent (the evening meal can be chatty, but the rest is quiet) and that the rooms and food would be basic accommodations only. But, my husband who only goes to mass with me because he loves me, researched and found this very Catholic retreat for my enjoyment. I wasn't going to turn it down.
When I arrived in my room, the first thing I noticed was a rocking chair in my room, with a battered and thumbed through Bible on a small table next to it. Immediately, my mind was set at ease with that evidence of time well spent. I would go on to spend hours sitting in that chair, reading the Bible, and Father James Martin's excellent book, Learning to Pray. Five times a day, (well, not the 4:30 in the morning session, so four times a day) I joined the monks as they sang the Liturgy of the Hours. It's meditation in action. You can read along silently if you like, or listen only. All I know is that some tension I was holding uncoiled completely as I listened, and prayed.
I am a chronic insomniac, and often don't sleep much for at least the first night or two of traveling. I slept beautifully, and deeply. The grounds have some lovely hiking, which I also took advantage of. Right outside the room, I had a view of a lovely pond which had some chairs set up, inviting you to have a seat. I did, of course. I also experienced some glorious napping. At one nap, I woke up with a Bible verse in my mind, and mulled it over, trying to think of what it could mean. I didn't know where to find it, and couldn't investigate easily (no Internet access in my room.) When I went to the next Liturgy of the Hours session, the monks sang those verses, and it brought an understanding to my mind.
Another goal I had there was to have a spiritual direction session. When I arrived, it turned out that it wasn't possible. With COVID, the number of monks available had diminished, and there seemed to be a miscommunication. I could have gotten angry, and ruined the rest of my time there, but I just prayed and accepted whatever God's will was in this situation. A fellow retreatant even heard that I couldn't have the session (he was in the office at the same time as me) and became a bit aggravated on my behalf. He said we could talk, and we had a nice conversation. He was a very interesting man with some unique life experiences, and while he didn't help me with my issues, I did find some inspiration from him. I felt at peace with everything.
That evening, I had a fun dinnertime conversation with the other retreatants, and we were in the dining room for quite a while. One of the monks came in to clean up, and people started to drift away. I had a feeling I should stay and wipe the table. The thought happened more than once, so I followed that intuition. So, I grabbed a sponge and wiped the table, Then the monk and I ended up chatting and having a laugh. Talking further, he related an experience to me about a conversation he had with a woman at Winco, which addressed the exact question I had wanted to speak about with a spiritual director. Further, we shared a frank and interesting conversation about faith, my path in faith, and about the mysteries of a God who loves us so much. All in all, I talked with this monk for an hour and a half. This time spent, my friends, did so much to bolster my faith and path with Our Lord. It only happened because God helped me to be uncomfortable, to embrace the possibilities, and to not be fixed on what I thought I wanted or needed. Things unfolded in His way, and I still feel the results. This experience was even what I would call a pivotal moment, where I was changed from the encounter.
Now comes my commercial. Prayerfully consider visiting a Trappist abbey near you, and see what God has for you there. Go, enjoy the rest. Quiet your mind. Hike the trails, meet the people who are there. Drop into contemplative life for a weekend or a week, and see what the Holy Spirit awakens in you. This way of life, of having these abbeys are under threat, with most of the monks being quite elderly now. There aren't enough vocations, and more of the work falls to the younger monks. You might think that there is a later, but I think we all know that isn't a given. This Trappist way of life is something beautiful and unique with hundreds of years of history behind it, imbued with holiness all the way through. Pray for vocations, visit if you can, and open your heart to the possibilities, sitting in quiet, listening for the Lord.
Gift giving is not the love language in our house, and it really isn't my husband's love language. One year, he gave me a set of stainless steel mixing bowls for Christmas. His consternation was great when he realized that he had omitted a size, and then went on to give me the missing 6 quart bowl for Mother's Day. After 16 years of marriage, I have grown to really appreciate it when I receive a surprising gift.
For my birthday this year, I was not gifted with something practical that would serve the house (such as bowls, gardening shears, or silverware extensions), I was gifted a retreat to a Trappist abbey, at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carlton. Being a person who enjoys luxury, and good conversation, I was a little dismayed when I saw that the retreat would be largely silent (the evening meal can be chatty, but the rest is quiet) and that the rooms and food would be basic accommodations only. But, my husband who only goes to mass with me because he loves me, researched and found this very Catholic retreat for my enjoyment. I wasn't going to turn it down.
When I arrived in my room, the first thing I noticed was a rocking chair in my room, with a battered and thumbed through Bible on a small table next to it. Immediately, my mind was set at ease with that evidence of time well spent. I would go on to spend hours sitting in that chair, reading the Bible, and Father James Martin's excellent book, Learning to Pray. Five times a day, (well, not the 4:30 in the morning session, so four times a day) I joined the monks as they sang the Liturgy of the Hours. It's meditation in action. You can read along silently if you like, or listen only. All I know is that some tension I was holding uncoiled completely as I listened, and prayed.
I am a chronic insomniac, and often don't sleep much for at least the first night or two of traveling. I slept beautifully, and deeply. The grounds have some lovely hiking, which I also took advantage of. Right outside the room, I had a view of a lovely pond which had some chairs set up, inviting you to have a seat. I did, of course. I also experienced some glorious napping. At one nap, I woke up with a Bible verse in my mind, and mulled it over, trying to think of what it could mean. I didn't know where to find it, and couldn't investigate easily (no Internet access in my room.) When I went to the next Liturgy of the Hours session, the monks sang those verses, and it brought an understanding to my mind.
Another goal I had there was to have a spiritual direction session. When I arrived, it turned out that it wasn't possible. With COVID, the number of monks available had diminished, and there seemed to be a miscommunication. I could have gotten angry, and ruined the rest of my time there, but I just prayed and accepted whatever God's will was in this situation. A fellow retreatant even heard that I couldn't have the session (he was in the office at the same time as me) and became a bit aggravated on my behalf. He said we could talk, and we had a nice conversation. He was a very interesting man with some unique life experiences, and while he didn't help me with my issues, I did find some inspiration from him. I felt at peace with everything.
That evening, I had a fun dinnertime conversation with the other retreatants, and we were in the dining room for quite a while. One of the monks came in to clean up, and people started to drift away. I had a feeling I should stay and wipe the table. The thought happened more than once, so I followed that intuition. So, I grabbed a sponge and wiped the table, Then the monk and I ended up chatting and having a laugh. Talking further, he related an experience to me about a conversation he had with a woman at Winco, which addressed the exact question I had wanted to speak about with a spiritual director. Further, we shared a frank and interesting conversation about faith, my path in faith, and about the mysteries of a God who loves us so much. All in all, I talked with this monk for an hour and a half. This time spent, my friends, did so much to bolster my faith and path with Our Lord. It only happened because God helped me to be uncomfortable, to embrace the possibilities, and to not be fixed on what I thought I wanted or needed. Things unfolded in His way, and I still feel the results. This experience was even what I would call a pivotal moment, where I was changed from the encounter.
Now comes my commercial. Prayerfully consider visiting a Trappist abbey near you, and see what God has for you there. Go, enjoy the rest. Quiet your mind. Hike the trails, meet the people who are there. Drop into contemplative life for a weekend or a week, and see what the Holy Spirit awakens in you. This way of life, of having these abbeys are under threat, with most of the monks being quite elderly now. There aren't enough vocations, and more of the work falls to the younger monks. You might think that there is a later, but I think we all know that isn't a given. This Trappist way of life is something beautiful and unique with hundreds of years of history behind it, imbued with holiness all the way through. Pray for vocations, visit if you can, and open your heart to the possibilities, sitting in quiet, listening for the Lord.