the daughter of my foster mother Chol Aquino from Albuquerque, NM came over the monastery to spend three days and three nights at the canyons.... her visit was a blessing.....she stayed from sat til monday (oct. 21st -23rd) with a friend named Georgina.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
chant in the desert
Seth, my friend from austin texas, sneaked out from inside the church and taped our chant during our Terce (third prayers of the day)
Sunday, October 22, 2006
"The Monastery" airs tonight @ 10pm Discovery channel TLC
"The Monastery" airs tonight @ 10pm Discovery channel TLC
Posted on 10.22.2006 at 00:37
Video Link:
http://tlc.discovery.com/beyond/player.html?playerId=203711705&categoryId=208816820&lineupId=246219232&titleId=247719559
A Letter
From Prior Christian
Our monastery has been involved in a major television project that will begin to be aired on TLC this month, on Sunday, Oct. 22, and the following four Sundays, Oct. 29, Nov. 5, 12 and 19. The five-part (one hour each) series, called The Monastery, was produced by Tiger/Tigress Productions, which did a similar project for the British Broadcasting Corp. at the Benedictine Abbey of Worth in England. The BBC production aired last year.
The British show was so successful that TLC commissioned the same company to do an American version. The premise is simple: five men live with monks for 40 days, sharing fully in the life. We undertook such a venture earlier this year. It took a lot of time and energy, and it is now ready to be presented to the public. We have been involved with the final “look” of the series and are happy with the results. Our hope is that the program, while not strictly a “documentary” on the monastery itself, allows us to become a vehicle of relating to the five men who lived here and those who watch the series. We would like viewers to come away with a better understanding of what monasticism in our day and age is all about and what effect it might have on believers and nonbelievers alike.
As a clearly Catholic monastery, following what is sometimes called a more “contemplative style” of Benedictine life, we hope viewers will come to know better the long and important tradition of the monastic charisma in the Catholic Church. We do not pretend to be actors, but simply men who are committed to the monastic life. It should also be pointed out that the five men who lived with us are “ordinary people” too, but open to learning something from the Benedictine way.
We all very quickly got used to the cameras (there was just one at a time), and we monks tried to present to the men who lived with us some of the teachings and practices of the church, the Rule of Saint Benedict and the customs of our particular monastery. Admittedly, they didn’t take to it all like ducks to water, which was no surprise, but they did make an effort to learn and hopefully were inspired to some degree by the monastic way during their 40 days here. It has to be said that the film crew also received a lot of “teaching,” and seemed to profit from it as well. We kept saying a series could be done just on the film crew!
None of the men came with the intention of joining us full time, or with the hope of “being discovered” by being on television, but to genuinely to experience our life. They all seem to have been touched to some degree by their time here. Hopefully those who watch the series will be as well. We are in still contact with each of the men who came during part of February and March this year, and that speaks well of the experience as a positive one for each of them and for us.
We only agreed to participate in the project after having long discussions with the producers and among ourselves, seeing the British version, and spending much time in thought and prayer, which ultimately led us to make a commitment to the venture. We think it was worth our while.
I should also mention that earlier this year a women’s version of this “observational documentary” concept was aired in Britain. Called The Convent, it was made at a Poor Clares monastery in England, where four women lived with the nuns for 40 days. I have seen the series and found it moving, especially when focusing on the practical and common sense of the nuns in the host monastery.
Here in the United States, after ours is aired, TLC will show the same format filmed at a Trappistine monastery in Iowa, where earlier this year five women lived with an abbey of nuns for 40 days. The program should be as interesting and engaging as ours, though with variations on the theme. The 40 days that comprised all the British and American versions was intentional, as an important biblical number and hopefully a long enough span to bring about some clear results by “outsiders” living in a monastic environment.
I hope you will tune in, enjoy and be inspired by the efforts put into the series.
Prior Christian Leisy, OSB
Monastery of Christ in the Desert
Abiquiu, New Mexico
Oct. 14, 2006
Premieres October 22 at 10 pm ET/PT
More of The Monastery
Meet the Men
Meet the Monks
Get a Sneak Peak
Join the Forum
Get the TV Schedule
Five men struggling to find their way make the choice to give up the good life ... for a life of good. A former gang member, a recovering alcoholic, a cynic, a former Marine and an aspiring Episcopal priest take a leap of faith and join a Benedictine monastery for 40 days.
For the duration of their stay, these five men of varied backgrounds and faiths agree to the monastery’s strict rules and regimen of prayer, study, reflection and manual labor set out by St. Benedict 1,500 years ago — a regimen that the monks believe, if followed correctly, can transform lives.
The Monastery offers unprecedented access into the lives and rituals of 30 Benedictine monks, and follows these five courageous men as they attempt to bridge the divide between the ancient values of monastic life and modern struggles of secular life. Filmed at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in northern New Mexico, The Monastery offers a rare glimpse into a closed community that follows an ancient discipline. The group is guided by Abbot Philip Lawrence, who pairs each participant with a monk as a mentor to share their experiences and daily struggles.
Each of the five hour-long episodes follows the men as they struggle with the rigors of monastic life. Shot as an observational documentary, The Monastery is an unusual and powerful series that details the men’s spiritual journeys in a genuine and authentic format. Throughout their 40-day experience, the men have private video cameras to record their heartfelt thoughts, reactions and revelations.
Will 40 days and 40 nights in a monastery effect life-changing results for these five men struggling to turn their lives around? Tune in to TLC on Oct. 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT to watch their journey — and maybe to begin your own
Meet The Men
Warren Huber
Age: 24
Warren is a self-described introvert who spends most of his time on the computer and reading. He enjoys science fiction and fantasy books, and describes himself as a typical “Trekkie.” He comes from a churchgoing family, but in his teenage years experimented with various religions such as Buddhism, Wicca and Druidism. Warren is an active member of the church and hopes to one day become an Episcopal priest.
His interest in God stems from his passion for physics. Warren says that understanding how the earth works scientifically helps him to better understand its creator. Until recently, he was pursuing a physics degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts but financial problems forced him to drop out. Now working to make ends meet, Warren hopes to soon get back on track to pursue his dreams of finishing his physics degree and going on to postgraduate theology studies.
Tom Kramer
Age: 46
Tom describes himself as a 46-year-old in the body of a 62-year-old with the emotional age of a 7-year-old. Raised Catholic, he attended a Jesuit high school and college, but abandoned his connection to God years ago. Once a successful comedy writer in Hollywood, Tom lost everything to alcohol and drugs, his addictions eventually rendering him homeless. Three years ago, Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step program helped him to get clean, but he has struggled with its requirement of giving oneself over to a higher power.
Since his recent marriage, his life is stabilizing. Now he says he sees how faith makes other people happy, and wants to continue the spiritual search he started inside the monastery to find out whether re-establishing a connection with God can bring him more happiness, too.
William Morales
Age: 35
In the late 1980s, Will was a gang member in Boston who was convicted for trafficking cocaine. While serving six years in prison, his younger brother joined his gang, and after opening fire on police, was shot and killed. Gradually, Will realized the role he had played in his brother’s downfall. He became a practicing Catholic, bent on redeeming himself.
Through the guidance of prayer, Will put his gang experience to positive work, and he made it his mission as a program leader at the YMCA to steer kids in his community away from his old life. Yet his dedication to his job—where he worked 90-95 hours a week-- left little time for his family. Since leaving the Monastery, he has changed jobs and decided to devote more time to his new family. He now runs a different youth outreach program, where he says he’s able to spend both more time with the kids he’s helping, and more time with his own kids. It was his time in the Monastery, Will says, that helped him find a better balance between being a leader in his community and a leader for his family.
Alex Nicoll
Age: 23
Alex is a former Marine, feted as a war hero in his California hometown. He cheerfully describes his stint in Iraq, where he spent most of his time on the front lines, as “the Super Bowl, every day.” Alex lost a leg in his final skirmish — an injury that could have easily proved fatal. Now back home living with his parents, he’s looking for some direction for the rest of his life.
Raised in a secular home where it was common to poke fun at religion, Alex says he had no faith of any kind while in Iraq. But curiosity about faith led Alex into the monastery. He wanted to find out whether the monks could convince him that there’s a God. If they could convince him, he said, they can convince anyone.
Jonathan Willoughby
Age: 30
Jon Willoughby doesn't miss a beat. With a biting comment for every occasion, Jon is as cynical as they come. He doesn't trust kind people because he thinks they are not genuine. He'd like to believe people are good but says you eventually wind up disappointed by their greed or mean spirit. When Jon was a teenager, a close friend shot himself over a girl. Jon says this experience was the foundation for his inability to really commit to a relationship -- or to trust people.
Relationships are about the only risk he’s not willing to take. He's gone to fight fires in Iraq and currently works as a paramedic and firefighter for Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. For fun, he goes skydiving. Jon is hoping the time he spent at the monastery will help him break away from his negative view of the world and think about his attitude to life, but he knows it’s going to continue to be a struggle.
Meet The Monks
Abbot Philip
Abbot Philip Lawrence was born Chester Homer Lawrence in the small town of Buckley, Wash. His father was an electrician and his mother, a housewife. He was the third of five children and the oldest of the sons.
When he was 13 years old, Chester took an entrance exam for a seminary and, for the first time, discovered that monks really existed. From his first contact with monks, Chester was drawn to this vocation by the beauty of chant, the orderly life and the seeking of God. Chester entered the seminary at age 14. He entered monastic life at Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon in 1964, when he was 20. In 1968, Chester made his final vows to leading a monastic life and, at this time, was given his name in religion, "Philip."
Abbot Philip earned a bachelor of arts in philosophy and a master's in theology with a specialization in scripture. He has also done some graduate studies in philosophy.
In 1974, he entered the Monastery of Christ in the Desert as an experiment for one year and has been there ever since. In 1976, he became the superior of that community, and in 1996, he became its first abbot.
The Monastery of Christ in the Desert is a Benedictine community affiliated with the international Subiaco Benedictine Congregation.
Favorites:
Movie: I love comedies, especially hilarious and subtle comedies. When I was younger, I liked Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. I really enjoyed City Slickers ,especially since it was filmed very near the monastery.
Food: Food is difficult, because I eat everything and love it! If it were my last meal on Earth, I would probably have pasta amatricia with a nice red wine.
Animal: My favorite animal is the horse. My favorite pet is Greta, a chocolate Labrador who lives here at the monastery.
TV Show: When I grew up, probably my favorite show was Jackie Gleason. I also liked Father Knows Best. Since I entered a seminary in 1958, and then the monastery in 1964, there was very little television watching. But I love watching sports and news. Here, at Christ in the Desert, we don't have TV and so it is only when I am out of the monastery that I watch.
Book: I love detective novels, especially those of Martha Grimes. I love poetry. I love The Human Comedy, by William Saroyan. I love the short stories of Flannery O'Connor.
Prior Christian
Prior Christian was born in Portland, Ore. He was raised Catholic and attended a Catholic grade school. He started at a public high school, but spent his last two years at a school run by Benedictine monks. He joined the monastery right after graduation. In 1977, Prior Christian’s desire for a smaller, more contemplative monastic life led him to the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, where he's been a member ever since.
Prior Christian has served in several positions at Christ in the Desert, including novice master, cellarer and assistant to the abbot (his current role). On occasion, he has assisted at the two monasteries in Mexico that are dependent on Christ in the Desert. Over the years, Prior Christian has given numerous lectures at spiritual retreats throughout the monastic communities within the United States. In 2007, he will host a week of conferences for Benedictine nuns who have a convent inside the Vatican gardens.
He has traveled the world, studying icon painting in Italy and France and theology in Rome. He speaks Italian, Spanish and English.
Favorites:
Movie: Remains of the Day
Food: Pasta
Animal: Horse
TV Show: Joan of Arcadia
Father Joseph Gabriel
Brother Joseph Gabriel was born in Buffalo, N.Y. He earned his bachelor of arts in philosophy and psychology at the University of Buffalo in 1971. Following graduation, he entered the Congregation of the Passion (a.k.a. "the Passionists") and professed his vows in 1972. He continued his theology studies at St. John's University in Jamaica, N.Y., simultaneously earning a master's in moral theology and a master's of divinity in 1976.
In 1976, he was ordained a priest at the Passionist Monastery in Jamaica, N.Y., where he worked as a preacher of missions until 1984. Brother Joseph Gabriel then moved to Pittsburgh, Pa., where he worked as a public relations officer, development director and strategic planner for a variety of health care and educational organizations. In 2000, he began a process of discernment to return to religious life by working in a mission in Haiti. He entered the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in 2001, and made a solemn profession as a monk in 2005.
Most recently, after the completion of filming The Monastery, Brother Joseph Gabriel was appointed prior administrator of St. Benedict's Abbey in Petersburg, South Africa. He is now referred to as "Father Joseph Gabriel."
Favorites:
Movie: Old - Sunset Boulevard and All About Eve Modern - (sort of) Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias
Food: Pasta, what else! And Brother Rodrigo's enchiladas.
Animal: The Airedale terrier.
TV Show: I never was much of a serious TV watcher but I was sort of hooked on Falcon Crest and All in the Family.
Books: By P.D. James; John Grisham and Anita Shreve.
Visiting Christ In The Desert
Related Articles
The Daily Schedule
St. Benedict's Beginners Guide
Meditation Practices
Benedictine Resource Guide
What To Expect
Are you interested in experiencing a spiritual journey similar to the men on the show? Has your life become too complicated? Are you searching for inner peace? Maybe you want to explore another way of life. There are a lot of Benedictine monasteries within the United States and Canada, as well as around the world, that welcome guests to visit for the day, several days or even longer and experience living by the Rules of St. Benedict. For a comprehensive listing of monasteries in the U.S. and Canada, click here. To find monasteries around the world, click here . (Note: by clicking you will be leaving TLC.com )
During your retreat, the key elements of monastic life are emphasized: charity, prayer, spiritual reading and manual labor. Retreats are self-guided journeys. Do not expect, as the men in the show, to follow the brothers’ daily schedule or to attend class. Rather, you will be invited to attend several daily events with the monks, including common prayer, meals and work time. Attendance, however, is not required. The rest of the time is yours to do as you wish. To achieve the greatest understanding of monastic life, visitors are encouraged to spend several nights in the monks' guesthouse and to be open to silence, solitude, reading, meditating, reflecting and praying.
What else can you expect when you visit a monastery? We posed a few general questions to Brother Andre, the guestmaster for Christ in the Desert; he is in charge of attending to the day visitors as well as the resident guests. He was kind enough to use his free time (which isn't much; if you haven't done so already, read the Daily Schedule to get a sense of the brothers' day-to-day life) to answer.
Who comes to visit?
The short answer is everybody. People from all walks of life and religious affiliations, and some with no church background, make retreats with us. Many times more non-Catholics than Catholics come to us. Yes, many are professionals, such as teachers and counselors, but housewives find their way to us too. Many come from Santa Fe, Texas and California, and more and more from places like New York City. Small town folks visit us too.
What rules can visitors expect to follow?
Be respectful of our silence. Stay within the area assigned to guests and visitor. No entering into the monastic cloister. No talking during meals. Be aware of the needs of their fellow guests. Understand the brothers cannot engage in conversation with each guest all the time. Use the time at the monastery for quiet time and reflection.
How much does a visit cost?
In accordance with the Rule of Saint Benedict, no fees are charged to guests. However there are suggested donations according to the type of room that is available. The donations are used to help our dependent monasteries in Mexico and Chicago, but mostly to help keep our own monastery going.
What kind of work is required of visitors?
Guests can volunteer their time by helping with chores like cleaning the guesthouses, weeding or
watching the gift shop. None are required to assist in our work, but we appreciate those who do.
What kind of meal can be expected?
Yesterday, we had fried chicken, beans, rice, corn, salad, our own homemade bread, and water to drink. We do not eat red meat, so chicken and turkey are common, but we don't serve these every day.
What is the most common time of day for the brothers to meet with visitors?
The brothers are not encouraged to meet with the guests privately, as this would not be good for our life as monks. If a monk wishes to speak with a guest, then he must receive permission from his superior. Sunday afternoons would be the best time to do this or during our free/siesta time at about 2-3:30 p.m.
Is one-on-one time with a brother possible?
Usually guests might be seeking spiritual direction or want to go to confession. The latter is no problem as long as the guest is a Catholic and a priest is available; the former request (spiritual direction) is handled on a one-to-one basis if a monk has the time to help the guest.
What are the most common parting remarks you receive from visitors?
They comment on the spiritual and beautiful atmosphere of the monastery and canyon.
What, if anything, do visitors say that they learn during their visit?
Usually they learn to be still and listen to their heart / Creator, God. "Be still and know that I am God."
Learn About Gregorian Chants
A Gregorian chant is an instrument-free, sacred song of the Roman Catholic Church. Listen to the brothers of Christ in the Desert monastery sing and learn, from Abbot Philip, about the tradition and meaning of each of the chants. Enjoy!
Agnus Dei
This is a part of the Roman Catholic Mass that occurs almost immediately before communion, while the priest is breaking the consecrated bread. It was introduced into the Holy Mass by Pope Sergius I in the year 687. He decreed that it be sung during the breaking of the consecrated bread. At Christ in the Desert we sing this chant in Latin or English in settings from the 10th through the 15th centuries.
This particular arrangement is from the 14th century. The words reflect the words of Saint John the Baptist in the Gospel: Behold the Lamb of God, behold the one who takes away the sins of the world. The song helps us focus our attention on the fact that God is truly present in the consecrated bread and wine and wants to take away our sins.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alleluia, Confitemini
This is the Alleluia used for the great Vigil of Easter, which is the high point of our Roman Catholic Liturgy for the whole year. We have not sung Alleluia during the days of Lent that precede Holy Easter and now, after such a long silence, we burst into this wonderful musical setting of an Alleluia from at least the 10th century if not earlier.
Alleluia! Trust in the Lord for He is good and His love endures for ever! The celebrant intones the antiphon three times, each on a slightly higher note, and those who are present repeat the alleluia. Then the verse is sung and finally the Alleluia is repeated once again. This Alleluia bursts forth and expresses the great joy and delight that we feel in the celebrating the Resurrection of the Lord.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cherubic Hymn
This is a hymn from the Eastern Churches which is used in their Divine Liturgy and has been used since near the end of the sixth century. The particular arrangement that we sang for this recording is one of many, many arrangements for this hymn, from the Byzantine Church, in modern harmony in the major mode.
At Christ in the Desert, at one period of our history, we sang many hymns and antiphons from the Eastern Churches. For a medium sized monastic choir, we found that singing the Gregorian Chant with no harmonies worked for us much better and today that is what we do. But the wonderful beauty of the four-part harmony of some of the music from the Easter Churches is hauntingly beautiful. Many people who hear this hymn immediately sense its spiritual invitation to let go of all of their troubles and enter into the mystery of God’s presence.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dawn
This is an English translation of part of the Latin hymn “Aurora lucis rutilat,” and this part is used for the Hymn of Lauds during Easter Season here at Christ in the Desert. The Latin hymn is from the 4th to the 6th century and its author is not clearly known at all. It is called an “Ambrosian” hymn because it was at one time attributed to Saint Ambrose. The music is full of life and echoes the words so that all of the Easter Season Lauds have a feeling of joyful praise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gloria
This is a song of joy and gladness that is sung in the Holy Mass on great occasions. The first words echo the words of the angels in the Gospels as part of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a Doxology, which means a song of praise to the Holy Trinity.
In our singing at Christ in the Desert, the Gloria is sung either in Latin or in English—but always with traditional Gregorian melodies—on feastdays and solemnities. We sing this song with many Gregorian settings, mostly from the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. Those who wrote these Gregorian melodies are simply part of the tradition and are generally not known by name. This particular Gloria is from the 10th Century. Spiritually in our Roman Catholic Mass, it expresses the joy of the celebration and invites us to reflect on Jesus our Lord as both God and human.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nos Autem
This piece is the Entrance Song for Holy Thursday, the celebration of the Last Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Latin text is taken from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians.
The music goes back to at least the 10th century. At Christ in the Desert we use an English translation and adaptation of the melody for Holy Thursday. The spiritual meaning is very clear: all of our meaning and our life comes from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sanctus
This is one of the oldest musical elements in any of the celebrations of the Holy Mass and is mentioned already by Saint Clement of Rome in the year 104 A.D. The singing of the Sanctus takes place after the Preface, which introduces the most solemn part of the Holy Mass, the Eucharistic Prayer. The Sanctus is a song of praise to God for the marvelous works that He has done in creation and in redeeming us. The words are taken from the Prophet Isaiah and from the Psalms. Spiritually we are invited to become aware of the divine presence in all that is and has been and to focus that awareness in this particular celebration of God’s presence among us. The musical settings of the Sanctus come from the 10th through the 15th centuries, but mostly from the 12th and 13th centuries. This particular Sanctus is from the 11th century.
Monastery Memories
* Tom Kramer
As a recovering alcoholic and Catholic, I thought living in the monastery would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain spirituality and confront my religion. I was told I needed God working in my life to stay sober, and what’s a better place to find God and Catholicism than in a monastery? Read more...
* Will Morales
Working and living among the brothers at Christ in the Desert was an experience that I was not prepared for. I can honestly say that I don't regret going through the process, but I can assure everyone that I will not be doing it again. Read more...
Abbot Philip Prior Christian Father Joseph Gabriel
Tom Kramer Will Morales
What was it like for the brothers of Christ in the Desert to host the men? And what do the guests think of their time spent at the monastery, among the monks? First read the Monk's reflections on the show and the guests.
* Abbot Philip
Because I was asked to teach the participants and interact with them every day, I think that what struck me with most force was the desire to make faith at least a little understandable. For me, it is never enough simply to say: "I believe." Read more ...
* Prior Christian
As prior and workmaster here (the one who hands out the assignments for daily work), I was struck by the respect the participants showed me, even at times treating me like an elder; though I don't feel like one at 53 (though admittedly I'm older than any of the men.) Read more ...
* Father Joseph Gabriel
What most affected me during the time of the visit? Positively, the bond of friendship that developed between and among the participants and the obvious care they grew to have for each other. Read more ...
What do the guests think of their 40 days and 40 nights at Christ in the Desert? Click here and find out!
Benedictine Meditation Practices
Meditation, in our tradition, is fairly well described in the book, Finding Sanctuary: Monastic Steps for Everyday Living by Abbot Christopher, of Worth. But I would sum it up like this:
First, learn to be quiet, both externally and internally.
This takes a long time, but should be practiced every day. Start with at least 15 minutes of silence and inner quiet. It takes practice to come to be quiet interiorly for 15 minutes!
It is not a matter of willpower but a matter of learning how to sit and not let thoughts take us elsewhere. For some people, just listening to their breathing is enough to hold their attention and slow their thoughts. For others, repeating the name of God or a short phrase, such as "God is love," is enough.
Everyone will have times when it seems impossible. Those who persevere will eventually be able to do 15 minutes of this quiet, attentive presence and then can lengthen it to a half-hour or even an hour.
In our Benedictine life, it is ideal if we can spend at least two half-hours each day in this type of meditation. At the heart of this type of meditation should be a simple awareness of God's presence, perhaps with a simple gratitude for his love or the awareness that we live our lives for God.
The other type of meditation particular to monks practicing in the Catholic tradition is called lectio divina, or "holy reading." This is not just any type of reading, but a slow reading through which we seek to know God. The text should be Holy Scripture (the Bible). Occasionally it can be a book about Scripture.
This kind of reading is guided by three principles: belief that the text is God's gift to us, belief that reading it slowly over and over will profit us, and belief that God will speak to us through the text. We monks try to practice lectio divina for at least an hour each day.
Once again, it is the faithful practice of this discipline that calms the mind and allows the monk to enter into a whole different dimension of living.
There is another kind of meditation that asks us to use our imagination and think about what we are reading from many different points of view. In this type of meditation, we take a text from the Scriptures and we can imagine ourselves present in the text in many different ways. This type of imagination-meditation helps us understand a text — not so much intellectually, but from striving to experience it.
For us as Christian monks, the point of all meditation is to move us to prayer and contemplation, We have an old Latin summary of this whole process:
Lectio, meditatio, oratio et contemplatio
Lectio ( holy reading) leads to meditatio. Meditatio (in one of the above forms) leads to oratio (prayer, lifting our hearts and our minds to God), which leads to contemplatio (contemplation, being still in God's presence and allowing him to possess us).
*Abbot Philip resides in the Benedictine monastery of Christ in the Desert in New Mexico. The monks of Christ in the Desert, their spiritual beliefs, teachings and rituals can be experienced on TLC's The Monastery, airing Sunday, October 22nd at 10 PM/EST.
Posted on 10.22.2006 at 00:37
Video Link:
http://tlc.discovery.com/beyond/player.html?playerId=203711705&categoryId=208816820&lineupId=246219232&titleId=247719559
A Letter
From Prior Christian
Our monastery has been involved in a major television project that will begin to be aired on TLC this month, on Sunday, Oct. 22, and the following four Sundays, Oct. 29, Nov. 5, 12 and 19. The five-part (one hour each) series, called The Monastery, was produced by Tiger/Tigress Productions, which did a similar project for the British Broadcasting Corp. at the Benedictine Abbey of Worth in England. The BBC production aired last year.
The British show was so successful that TLC commissioned the same company to do an American version. The premise is simple: five men live with monks for 40 days, sharing fully in the life. We undertook such a venture earlier this year. It took a lot of time and energy, and it is now ready to be presented to the public. We have been involved with the final “look” of the series and are happy with the results. Our hope is that the program, while not strictly a “documentary” on the monastery itself, allows us to become a vehicle of relating to the five men who lived here and those who watch the series. We would like viewers to come away with a better understanding of what monasticism in our day and age is all about and what effect it might have on believers and nonbelievers alike.
As a clearly Catholic monastery, following what is sometimes called a more “contemplative style” of Benedictine life, we hope viewers will come to know better the long and important tradition of the monastic charisma in the Catholic Church. We do not pretend to be actors, but simply men who are committed to the monastic life. It should also be pointed out that the five men who lived with us are “ordinary people” too, but open to learning something from the Benedictine way.
We all very quickly got used to the cameras (there was just one at a time), and we monks tried to present to the men who lived with us some of the teachings and practices of the church, the Rule of Saint Benedict and the customs of our particular monastery. Admittedly, they didn’t take to it all like ducks to water, which was no surprise, but they did make an effort to learn and hopefully were inspired to some degree by the monastic way during their 40 days here. It has to be said that the film crew also received a lot of “teaching,” and seemed to profit from it as well. We kept saying a series could be done just on the film crew!
None of the men came with the intention of joining us full time, or with the hope of “being discovered” by being on television, but to genuinely to experience our life. They all seem to have been touched to some degree by their time here. Hopefully those who watch the series will be as well. We are in still contact with each of the men who came during part of February and March this year, and that speaks well of the experience as a positive one for each of them and for us.
We only agreed to participate in the project after having long discussions with the producers and among ourselves, seeing the British version, and spending much time in thought and prayer, which ultimately led us to make a commitment to the venture. We think it was worth our while.
I should also mention that earlier this year a women’s version of this “observational documentary” concept was aired in Britain. Called The Convent, it was made at a Poor Clares monastery in England, where four women lived with the nuns for 40 days. I have seen the series and found it moving, especially when focusing on the practical and common sense of the nuns in the host monastery.
Here in the United States, after ours is aired, TLC will show the same format filmed at a Trappistine monastery in Iowa, where earlier this year five women lived with an abbey of nuns for 40 days. The program should be as interesting and engaging as ours, though with variations on the theme. The 40 days that comprised all the British and American versions was intentional, as an important biblical number and hopefully a long enough span to bring about some clear results by “outsiders” living in a monastic environment.
I hope you will tune in, enjoy and be inspired by the efforts put into the series.
Prior Christian Leisy, OSB
Monastery of Christ in the Desert
Abiquiu, New Mexico
Oct. 14, 2006
Premieres October 22 at 10 pm ET/PT
More of The Monastery
Meet the Men
Meet the Monks
Get a Sneak Peak
Join the Forum
Get the TV Schedule
Five men struggling to find their way make the choice to give up the good life ... for a life of good. A former gang member, a recovering alcoholic, a cynic, a former Marine and an aspiring Episcopal priest take a leap of faith and join a Benedictine monastery for 40 days.
For the duration of their stay, these five men of varied backgrounds and faiths agree to the monastery’s strict rules and regimen of prayer, study, reflection and manual labor set out by St. Benedict 1,500 years ago — a regimen that the monks believe, if followed correctly, can transform lives.
The Monastery offers unprecedented access into the lives and rituals of 30 Benedictine monks, and follows these five courageous men as they attempt to bridge the divide between the ancient values of monastic life and modern struggles of secular life. Filmed at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in northern New Mexico, The Monastery offers a rare glimpse into a closed community that follows an ancient discipline. The group is guided by Abbot Philip Lawrence, who pairs each participant with a monk as a mentor to share their experiences and daily struggles.
Each of the five hour-long episodes follows the men as they struggle with the rigors of monastic life. Shot as an observational documentary, The Monastery is an unusual and powerful series that details the men’s spiritual journeys in a genuine and authentic format. Throughout their 40-day experience, the men have private video cameras to record their heartfelt thoughts, reactions and revelations.
Will 40 days and 40 nights in a monastery effect life-changing results for these five men struggling to turn their lives around? Tune in to TLC on Oct. 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT to watch their journey — and maybe to begin your own
Meet The Men
Warren Huber
Age: 24
Warren is a self-described introvert who spends most of his time on the computer and reading. He enjoys science fiction and fantasy books, and describes himself as a typical “Trekkie.” He comes from a churchgoing family, but in his teenage years experimented with various religions such as Buddhism, Wicca and Druidism. Warren is an active member of the church and hopes to one day become an Episcopal priest.
His interest in God stems from his passion for physics. Warren says that understanding how the earth works scientifically helps him to better understand its creator. Until recently, he was pursuing a physics degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts but financial problems forced him to drop out. Now working to make ends meet, Warren hopes to soon get back on track to pursue his dreams of finishing his physics degree and going on to postgraduate theology studies.
Tom Kramer
Age: 46
Tom describes himself as a 46-year-old in the body of a 62-year-old with the emotional age of a 7-year-old. Raised Catholic, he attended a Jesuit high school and college, but abandoned his connection to God years ago. Once a successful comedy writer in Hollywood, Tom lost everything to alcohol and drugs, his addictions eventually rendering him homeless. Three years ago, Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step program helped him to get clean, but he has struggled with its requirement of giving oneself over to a higher power.
Since his recent marriage, his life is stabilizing. Now he says he sees how faith makes other people happy, and wants to continue the spiritual search he started inside the monastery to find out whether re-establishing a connection with God can bring him more happiness, too.
William Morales
Age: 35
In the late 1980s, Will was a gang member in Boston who was convicted for trafficking cocaine. While serving six years in prison, his younger brother joined his gang, and after opening fire on police, was shot and killed. Gradually, Will realized the role he had played in his brother’s downfall. He became a practicing Catholic, bent on redeeming himself.
Through the guidance of prayer, Will put his gang experience to positive work, and he made it his mission as a program leader at the YMCA to steer kids in his community away from his old life. Yet his dedication to his job—where he worked 90-95 hours a week-- left little time for his family. Since leaving the Monastery, he has changed jobs and decided to devote more time to his new family. He now runs a different youth outreach program, where he says he’s able to spend both more time with the kids he’s helping, and more time with his own kids. It was his time in the Monastery, Will says, that helped him find a better balance between being a leader in his community and a leader for his family.
Alex Nicoll
Age: 23
Alex is a former Marine, feted as a war hero in his California hometown. He cheerfully describes his stint in Iraq, where he spent most of his time on the front lines, as “the Super Bowl, every day.” Alex lost a leg in his final skirmish — an injury that could have easily proved fatal. Now back home living with his parents, he’s looking for some direction for the rest of his life.
Raised in a secular home where it was common to poke fun at religion, Alex says he had no faith of any kind while in Iraq. But curiosity about faith led Alex into the monastery. He wanted to find out whether the monks could convince him that there’s a God. If they could convince him, he said, they can convince anyone.
Jonathan Willoughby
Age: 30
Jon Willoughby doesn't miss a beat. With a biting comment for every occasion, Jon is as cynical as they come. He doesn't trust kind people because he thinks they are not genuine. He'd like to believe people are good but says you eventually wind up disappointed by their greed or mean spirit. When Jon was a teenager, a close friend shot himself over a girl. Jon says this experience was the foundation for his inability to really commit to a relationship -- or to trust people.
Relationships are about the only risk he’s not willing to take. He's gone to fight fires in Iraq and currently works as a paramedic and firefighter for Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. For fun, he goes skydiving. Jon is hoping the time he spent at the monastery will help him break away from his negative view of the world and think about his attitude to life, but he knows it’s going to continue to be a struggle.
Meet The Monks
Abbot Philip
Abbot Philip Lawrence was born Chester Homer Lawrence in the small town of Buckley, Wash. His father was an electrician and his mother, a housewife. He was the third of five children and the oldest of the sons.
When he was 13 years old, Chester took an entrance exam for a seminary and, for the first time, discovered that monks really existed. From his first contact with monks, Chester was drawn to this vocation by the beauty of chant, the orderly life and the seeking of God. Chester entered the seminary at age 14. He entered monastic life at Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon in 1964, when he was 20. In 1968, Chester made his final vows to leading a monastic life and, at this time, was given his name in religion, "Philip."
Abbot Philip earned a bachelor of arts in philosophy and a master's in theology with a specialization in scripture. He has also done some graduate studies in philosophy.
In 1974, he entered the Monastery of Christ in the Desert as an experiment for one year and has been there ever since. In 1976, he became the superior of that community, and in 1996, he became its first abbot.
The Monastery of Christ in the Desert is a Benedictine community affiliated with the international Subiaco Benedictine Congregation.
Favorites:
Movie: I love comedies, especially hilarious and subtle comedies. When I was younger, I liked Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. I really enjoyed City Slickers ,especially since it was filmed very near the monastery.
Food: Food is difficult, because I eat everything and love it! If it were my last meal on Earth, I would probably have pasta amatricia with a nice red wine.
Animal: My favorite animal is the horse. My favorite pet is Greta, a chocolate Labrador who lives here at the monastery.
TV Show: When I grew up, probably my favorite show was Jackie Gleason. I also liked Father Knows Best. Since I entered a seminary in 1958, and then the monastery in 1964, there was very little television watching. But I love watching sports and news. Here, at Christ in the Desert, we don't have TV and so it is only when I am out of the monastery that I watch.
Book: I love detective novels, especially those of Martha Grimes. I love poetry. I love The Human Comedy, by William Saroyan. I love the short stories of Flannery O'Connor.
Prior Christian
Prior Christian was born in Portland, Ore. He was raised Catholic and attended a Catholic grade school. He started at a public high school, but spent his last two years at a school run by Benedictine monks. He joined the monastery right after graduation. In 1977, Prior Christian’s desire for a smaller, more contemplative monastic life led him to the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, where he's been a member ever since.
Prior Christian has served in several positions at Christ in the Desert, including novice master, cellarer and assistant to the abbot (his current role). On occasion, he has assisted at the two monasteries in Mexico that are dependent on Christ in the Desert. Over the years, Prior Christian has given numerous lectures at spiritual retreats throughout the monastic communities within the United States. In 2007, he will host a week of conferences for Benedictine nuns who have a convent inside the Vatican gardens.
He has traveled the world, studying icon painting in Italy and France and theology in Rome. He speaks Italian, Spanish and English.
Favorites:
Movie: Remains of the Day
Food: Pasta
Animal: Horse
TV Show: Joan of Arcadia
Father Joseph Gabriel
Brother Joseph Gabriel was born in Buffalo, N.Y. He earned his bachelor of arts in philosophy and psychology at the University of Buffalo in 1971. Following graduation, he entered the Congregation of the Passion (a.k.a. "the Passionists") and professed his vows in 1972. He continued his theology studies at St. John's University in Jamaica, N.Y., simultaneously earning a master's in moral theology and a master's of divinity in 1976.
In 1976, he was ordained a priest at the Passionist Monastery in Jamaica, N.Y., where he worked as a preacher of missions until 1984. Brother Joseph Gabriel then moved to Pittsburgh, Pa., where he worked as a public relations officer, development director and strategic planner for a variety of health care and educational organizations. In 2000, he began a process of discernment to return to religious life by working in a mission in Haiti. He entered the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in 2001, and made a solemn profession as a monk in 2005.
Most recently, after the completion of filming The Monastery, Brother Joseph Gabriel was appointed prior administrator of St. Benedict's Abbey in Petersburg, South Africa. He is now referred to as "Father Joseph Gabriel."
Favorites:
Movie: Old - Sunset Boulevard and All About Eve Modern - (sort of) Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias
Food: Pasta, what else! And Brother Rodrigo's enchiladas.
Animal: The Airedale terrier.
TV Show: I never was much of a serious TV watcher but I was sort of hooked on Falcon Crest and All in the Family.
Books: By P.D. James; John Grisham and Anita Shreve.
Visiting Christ In The Desert
Related Articles
The Daily Schedule
St. Benedict's Beginners Guide
Meditation Practices
Benedictine Resource Guide
What To Expect
Are you interested in experiencing a spiritual journey similar to the men on the show? Has your life become too complicated? Are you searching for inner peace? Maybe you want to explore another way of life. There are a lot of Benedictine monasteries within the United States and Canada, as well as around the world, that welcome guests to visit for the day, several days or even longer and experience living by the Rules of St. Benedict. For a comprehensive listing of monasteries in the U.S. and Canada, click here. To find monasteries around the world, click here . (Note: by clicking you will be leaving TLC.com )
During your retreat, the key elements of monastic life are emphasized: charity, prayer, spiritual reading and manual labor. Retreats are self-guided journeys. Do not expect, as the men in the show, to follow the brothers’ daily schedule or to attend class. Rather, you will be invited to attend several daily events with the monks, including common prayer, meals and work time. Attendance, however, is not required. The rest of the time is yours to do as you wish. To achieve the greatest understanding of monastic life, visitors are encouraged to spend several nights in the monks' guesthouse and to be open to silence, solitude, reading, meditating, reflecting and praying.
What else can you expect when you visit a monastery? We posed a few general questions to Brother Andre, the guestmaster for Christ in the Desert; he is in charge of attending to the day visitors as well as the resident guests. He was kind enough to use his free time (which isn't much; if you haven't done so already, read the Daily Schedule to get a sense of the brothers' day-to-day life) to answer.
Who comes to visit?
The short answer is everybody. People from all walks of life and religious affiliations, and some with no church background, make retreats with us. Many times more non-Catholics than Catholics come to us. Yes, many are professionals, such as teachers and counselors, but housewives find their way to us too. Many come from Santa Fe, Texas and California, and more and more from places like New York City. Small town folks visit us too.
What rules can visitors expect to follow?
Be respectful of our silence. Stay within the area assigned to guests and visitor. No entering into the monastic cloister. No talking during meals. Be aware of the needs of their fellow guests. Understand the brothers cannot engage in conversation with each guest all the time. Use the time at the monastery for quiet time and reflection.
How much does a visit cost?
In accordance with the Rule of Saint Benedict, no fees are charged to guests. However there are suggested donations according to the type of room that is available. The donations are used to help our dependent monasteries in Mexico and Chicago, but mostly to help keep our own monastery going.
What kind of work is required of visitors?
Guests can volunteer their time by helping with chores like cleaning the guesthouses, weeding or
watching the gift shop. None are required to assist in our work, but we appreciate those who do.
What kind of meal can be expected?
Yesterday, we had fried chicken, beans, rice, corn, salad, our own homemade bread, and water to drink. We do not eat red meat, so chicken and turkey are common, but we don't serve these every day.
What is the most common time of day for the brothers to meet with visitors?
The brothers are not encouraged to meet with the guests privately, as this would not be good for our life as monks. If a monk wishes to speak with a guest, then he must receive permission from his superior. Sunday afternoons would be the best time to do this or during our free/siesta time at about 2-3:30 p.m.
Is one-on-one time with a brother possible?
Usually guests might be seeking spiritual direction or want to go to confession. The latter is no problem as long as the guest is a Catholic and a priest is available; the former request (spiritual direction) is handled on a one-to-one basis if a monk has the time to help the guest.
What are the most common parting remarks you receive from visitors?
They comment on the spiritual and beautiful atmosphere of the monastery and canyon.
What, if anything, do visitors say that they learn during their visit?
Usually they learn to be still and listen to their heart / Creator, God. "Be still and know that I am God."
Learn About Gregorian Chants
A Gregorian chant is an instrument-free, sacred song of the Roman Catholic Church. Listen to the brothers of Christ in the Desert monastery sing and learn, from Abbot Philip, about the tradition and meaning of each of the chants. Enjoy!
Agnus Dei
This is a part of the Roman Catholic Mass that occurs almost immediately before communion, while the priest is breaking the consecrated bread. It was introduced into the Holy Mass by Pope Sergius I in the year 687. He decreed that it be sung during the breaking of the consecrated bread. At Christ in the Desert we sing this chant in Latin or English in settings from the 10th through the 15th centuries.
This particular arrangement is from the 14th century. The words reflect the words of Saint John the Baptist in the Gospel: Behold the Lamb of God, behold the one who takes away the sins of the world. The song helps us focus our attention on the fact that God is truly present in the consecrated bread and wine and wants to take away our sins.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alleluia, Confitemini
This is the Alleluia used for the great Vigil of Easter, which is the high point of our Roman Catholic Liturgy for the whole year. We have not sung Alleluia during the days of Lent that precede Holy Easter and now, after such a long silence, we burst into this wonderful musical setting of an Alleluia from at least the 10th century if not earlier.
Alleluia! Trust in the Lord for He is good and His love endures for ever! The celebrant intones the antiphon three times, each on a slightly higher note, and those who are present repeat the alleluia. Then the verse is sung and finally the Alleluia is repeated once again. This Alleluia bursts forth and expresses the great joy and delight that we feel in the celebrating the Resurrection of the Lord.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cherubic Hymn
This is a hymn from the Eastern Churches which is used in their Divine Liturgy and has been used since near the end of the sixth century. The particular arrangement that we sang for this recording is one of many, many arrangements for this hymn, from the Byzantine Church, in modern harmony in the major mode.
At Christ in the Desert, at one period of our history, we sang many hymns and antiphons from the Eastern Churches. For a medium sized monastic choir, we found that singing the Gregorian Chant with no harmonies worked for us much better and today that is what we do. But the wonderful beauty of the four-part harmony of some of the music from the Easter Churches is hauntingly beautiful. Many people who hear this hymn immediately sense its spiritual invitation to let go of all of their troubles and enter into the mystery of God’s presence.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dawn
This is an English translation of part of the Latin hymn “Aurora lucis rutilat,” and this part is used for the Hymn of Lauds during Easter Season here at Christ in the Desert. The Latin hymn is from the 4th to the 6th century and its author is not clearly known at all. It is called an “Ambrosian” hymn because it was at one time attributed to Saint Ambrose. The music is full of life and echoes the words so that all of the Easter Season Lauds have a feeling of joyful praise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gloria
This is a song of joy and gladness that is sung in the Holy Mass on great occasions. The first words echo the words of the angels in the Gospels as part of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a Doxology, which means a song of praise to the Holy Trinity.
In our singing at Christ in the Desert, the Gloria is sung either in Latin or in English—but always with traditional Gregorian melodies—on feastdays and solemnities. We sing this song with many Gregorian settings, mostly from the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. Those who wrote these Gregorian melodies are simply part of the tradition and are generally not known by name. This particular Gloria is from the 10th Century. Spiritually in our Roman Catholic Mass, it expresses the joy of the celebration and invites us to reflect on Jesus our Lord as both God and human.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nos Autem
This piece is the Entrance Song for Holy Thursday, the celebration of the Last Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Latin text is taken from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians.
The music goes back to at least the 10th century. At Christ in the Desert we use an English translation and adaptation of the melody for Holy Thursday. The spiritual meaning is very clear: all of our meaning and our life comes from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sanctus
This is one of the oldest musical elements in any of the celebrations of the Holy Mass and is mentioned already by Saint Clement of Rome in the year 104 A.D. The singing of the Sanctus takes place after the Preface, which introduces the most solemn part of the Holy Mass, the Eucharistic Prayer. The Sanctus is a song of praise to God for the marvelous works that He has done in creation and in redeeming us. The words are taken from the Prophet Isaiah and from the Psalms. Spiritually we are invited to become aware of the divine presence in all that is and has been and to focus that awareness in this particular celebration of God’s presence among us. The musical settings of the Sanctus come from the 10th through the 15th centuries, but mostly from the 12th and 13th centuries. This particular Sanctus is from the 11th century.
Monastery Memories
* Tom Kramer
As a recovering alcoholic and Catholic, I thought living in the monastery would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain spirituality and confront my religion. I was told I needed God working in my life to stay sober, and what’s a better place to find God and Catholicism than in a monastery? Read more...
* Will Morales
Working and living among the brothers at Christ in the Desert was an experience that I was not prepared for. I can honestly say that I don't regret going through the process, but I can assure everyone that I will not be doing it again. Read more...
Abbot Philip Prior Christian Father Joseph Gabriel
Tom Kramer Will Morales
What was it like for the brothers of Christ in the Desert to host the men? And what do the guests think of their time spent at the monastery, among the monks? First read the Monk's reflections on the show and the guests.
* Abbot Philip
Because I was asked to teach the participants and interact with them every day, I think that what struck me with most force was the desire to make faith at least a little understandable. For me, it is never enough simply to say: "I believe." Read more ...
* Prior Christian
As prior and workmaster here (the one who hands out the assignments for daily work), I was struck by the respect the participants showed me, even at times treating me like an elder; though I don't feel like one at 53 (though admittedly I'm older than any of the men.) Read more ...
* Father Joseph Gabriel
What most affected me during the time of the visit? Positively, the bond of friendship that developed between and among the participants and the obvious care they grew to have for each other. Read more ...
What do the guests think of their 40 days and 40 nights at Christ in the Desert? Click here and find out!
Benedictine Meditation Practices
Meditation, in our tradition, is fairly well described in the book, Finding Sanctuary: Monastic Steps for Everyday Living by Abbot Christopher, of Worth. But I would sum it up like this:
First, learn to be quiet, both externally and internally.
This takes a long time, but should be practiced every day. Start with at least 15 minutes of silence and inner quiet. It takes practice to come to be quiet interiorly for 15 minutes!
It is not a matter of willpower but a matter of learning how to sit and not let thoughts take us elsewhere. For some people, just listening to their breathing is enough to hold their attention and slow their thoughts. For others, repeating the name of God or a short phrase, such as "God is love," is enough.
Everyone will have times when it seems impossible. Those who persevere will eventually be able to do 15 minutes of this quiet, attentive presence and then can lengthen it to a half-hour or even an hour.
In our Benedictine life, it is ideal if we can spend at least two half-hours each day in this type of meditation. At the heart of this type of meditation should be a simple awareness of God's presence, perhaps with a simple gratitude for his love or the awareness that we live our lives for God.
The other type of meditation particular to monks practicing in the Catholic tradition is called lectio divina, or "holy reading." This is not just any type of reading, but a slow reading through which we seek to know God. The text should be Holy Scripture (the Bible). Occasionally it can be a book about Scripture.
This kind of reading is guided by three principles: belief that the text is God's gift to us, belief that reading it slowly over and over will profit us, and belief that God will speak to us through the text. We monks try to practice lectio divina for at least an hour each day.
Once again, it is the faithful practice of this discipline that calms the mind and allows the monk to enter into a whole different dimension of living.
There is another kind of meditation that asks us to use our imagination and think about what we are reading from many different points of view. In this type of meditation, we take a text from the Scriptures and we can imagine ourselves present in the text in many different ways. This type of imagination-meditation helps us understand a text — not so much intellectually, but from striving to experience it.
For us as Christian monks, the point of all meditation is to move us to prayer and contemplation, We have an old Latin summary of this whole process:
Lectio, meditatio, oratio et contemplatio
Lectio ( holy reading) leads to meditatio. Meditatio (in one of the above forms) leads to oratio (prayer, lifting our hearts and our minds to God), which leads to contemplatio (contemplation, being still in God's presence and allowing him to possess us).
*Abbot Philip resides in the Benedictine monastery of Christ in the Desert in New Mexico. The monks of Christ in the Desert, their spiritual beliefs, teachings and rituals can be experienced on TLC's The Monastery, airing Sunday, October 22nd at 10 PM/EST.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
40 days, 40 nights in a monk’s shoes
TV series demystifies life in a Benedictine monastery
Life in a monastery is ``hell'' -- at least according to Tom Kramer, one of five men who spent 40 day at Christ in the Desert Monastery near Abiquiu participating in the filming of a television show called The Monastery.
The five-part series, which the producers are calling an ``observational documentary,'' recorded the experiences of five laymen who volunteered to live, work and worship as Benedictine monks for 40 days last spring. It is being aired Sunday on The Learning Channel.
``We had to get up at like 3 or 3:30 every morning,'' Kramer said. ``We had to be at church at 4. We'd sing Gregorian chants for an hour. We'd go back to church seven times a day to sing Gregorian chants, over and over again.
``Some of it was in Latin, but most of it was in English for us, and a lot of the words were very violent,'' said Kramer, a television writer and producer who said he learned about the project while looking for work on the Internet.
I was at a crossroads,'' he said. ``I was applying for any job I thought I could do. I applied for this job on craigslist that said, `Would you like to live in a monastery?' I thought, sure.''
As it turned out, the job wasn't what he'd expected -- and the money he got seemed less like pay than just something to offset time lost at work.
Kramer ended up as part of a five-man cast that included a former gang member, a Marine who'd lost a leg in Iraq and a cynical Albuquerque paramedic who told cast members he ``generally mistrusts the church for its wealth while its congregation struggles in poverty.''
Christ in the Desert's prior, Christian Leisy, said the monks there were not interested at first in being the subject of a reality TV-type show but changed their minds after talking with monks at a monastery in England where a similar show was filmed.
``It sounded like a lot of work, a lot of intrusion, etc.,'' Leisy said. ``But we thought about it and prayed about it and talked about it and said maybe it would be valuable to let the world in on some of the methods of our tradition, and we ultimately decided to do it.''
Leisy said a brother from the monastery flew to Texas and another went to California to help select the five men.
Kramer -- who describes himself as a recovering alcoholic and recovering Catholic -- said he was raised Catholic but struggled for years to find a comfortable relationship with God.
``I thought I might be missing something,'' he said. ``Everyone else seemed to either know God and be very content and happy and wonderful, or they are comfortable being atheist or agnostic and it didn't bother them. But it bothered me a lot not to know God, like there was something wrong with me. I was in a kind of dark, desperate phase.''
Kramer said he also was curious about what happens in a monastery.
``Coming from a Catholic background, I knew about monasteries but only in a mythical way,'' he said. ``It seemed so secretive; no one really knows what goes on in a monastery. You can only imagine.''
Leisy said Christ in the Desert's 27 monks soon learned to ignore the two cameramen and the sound man working on the film and carry on their normal routines. ``We didn't feel like we were being actors or pretending to be someone rather than who we are,'' he said. We had our differences of opinion or approach as you'll see, but the community overall took it very well.''
``I think it was hard for some of the (laymen),'' Leisy said. ``The routine of prayers throughout the day, a work period for a certain time, quiet time. You're supposed to be quiet at night, and you'll see by watching the show they didn't always observe that.
``We kind of laughed,'' he said. `` `Come on, you guys, you're only having to do it for 40 days.'
``It's pretty rigorous, not inhuman but a pretty demanding way of life, and it's not for everybody or we'd have more than 25 to 30 guys out here,'' Leisy said.
``For 40 days, we never said a word while eating,'' Kramer said. ``We took one field trip to the Pecos Monastery, and it was the best meal we had in 40 days because we could talk. We did stop at a gas station, and we all got like Fritos and Cokes; that was a big treat, but they wouldn't stop at Burger King or McDonald's or a casino.''
Kramer said some of the laymen couldn't adhere to the monastery's rules and sneaked in liquor, stole the monks' liquor and even ``borrowed a truck to drive into town and get drunk.''
But those bits might not have made it into the show. The contract allowed the monks some editorial control, though Leisy said they didn't exercise much.
He said a promo clip on The Learning Channel shows one monk venting about a man he was supposed to be mentoring. ``He's saying, `There is a part of me that would like to duke it out with this guy,' '' Leisy said. ``He didn't duke it out with him, but it adds some cutting-edge stuff to the show.
"If there had been some huge fight or something, we might not want that on television, so we wanted some editorial rights but there was no need to say, `Cut all this out; this is too scandalous.' "
Kramer said he argued with the monks about issues such as whether the conversion of the sacramental wafer and wine was literal (as the monks believe) or symbolic (as he believes), but that he liked and respected them.
``They were funny and smart, and I trusted them,'' he said.
Kramer said in desperate times in the past, he considered becoming a monk as a last-resort way to survive but that participating in The Monastery cured him of that.
``I thought of it as a way out,'' he said, ``a way of hiding from society. You know you'll be fed. You know you'll have a robe to wear. But after living at the monastery, I realized that is not an answer. If you don't love praying and singing Gregorian chants five hours a day, it's not a good life. It's very hard, so I now know that being a monk is off my list of backup plans.''
SERIES PREMIERE: The first episode of The Monastery will air at 8 p.m. Sunday on The Learning Channel, cable channel 57 in Santa Fe.
Life in a monastery is ``hell'' -- at least according to Tom Kramer, one of five men who spent 40 day at Christ in the Desert Monastery near Abiquiu participating in the filming of a television show called The Monastery.
The five-part series, which the producers are calling an ``observational documentary,'' recorded the experiences of five laymen who volunteered to live, work and worship as Benedictine monks for 40 days last spring. It is being aired Sunday on The Learning Channel.
``We had to get up at like 3 or 3:30 every morning,'' Kramer said. ``We had to be at church at 4. We'd sing Gregorian chants for an hour. We'd go back to church seven times a day to sing Gregorian chants, over and over again.
``Some of it was in Latin, but most of it was in English for us, and a lot of the words were very violent,'' said Kramer, a television writer and producer who said he learned about the project while looking for work on the Internet.
I was at a crossroads,'' he said. ``I was applying for any job I thought I could do. I applied for this job on craigslist that said, `Would you like to live in a monastery?' I thought, sure.''
As it turned out, the job wasn't what he'd expected -- and the money he got seemed less like pay than just something to offset time lost at work.
Kramer ended up as part of a five-man cast that included a former gang member, a Marine who'd lost a leg in Iraq and a cynical Albuquerque paramedic who told cast members he ``generally mistrusts the church for its wealth while its congregation struggles in poverty.''
Christ in the Desert's prior, Christian Leisy, said the monks there were not interested at first in being the subject of a reality TV-type show but changed their minds after talking with monks at a monastery in England where a similar show was filmed.
``It sounded like a lot of work, a lot of intrusion, etc.,'' Leisy said. ``But we thought about it and prayed about it and talked about it and said maybe it would be valuable to let the world in on some of the methods of our tradition, and we ultimately decided to do it.''
Leisy said a brother from the monastery flew to Texas and another went to California to help select the five men.
Kramer -- who describes himself as a recovering alcoholic and recovering Catholic -- said he was raised Catholic but struggled for years to find a comfortable relationship with God.
``I thought I might be missing something,'' he said. ``Everyone else seemed to either know God and be very content and happy and wonderful, or they are comfortable being atheist or agnostic and it didn't bother them. But it bothered me a lot not to know God, like there was something wrong with me. I was in a kind of dark, desperate phase.''
Kramer said he also was curious about what happens in a monastery.
``Coming from a Catholic background, I knew about monasteries but only in a mythical way,'' he said. ``It seemed so secretive; no one really knows what goes on in a monastery. You can only imagine.''
Leisy said Christ in the Desert's 27 monks soon learned to ignore the two cameramen and the sound man working on the film and carry on their normal routines. ``We didn't feel like we were being actors or pretending to be someone rather than who we are,'' he said. We had our differences of opinion or approach as you'll see, but the community overall took it very well.''
``I think it was hard for some of the (laymen),'' Leisy said. ``The routine of prayers throughout the day, a work period for a certain time, quiet time. You're supposed to be quiet at night, and you'll see by watching the show they didn't always observe that.
``We kind of laughed,'' he said. `` `Come on, you guys, you're only having to do it for 40 days.'
``It's pretty rigorous, not inhuman but a pretty demanding way of life, and it's not for everybody or we'd have more than 25 to 30 guys out here,'' Leisy said.
``For 40 days, we never said a word while eating,'' Kramer said. ``We took one field trip to the Pecos Monastery, and it was the best meal we had in 40 days because we could talk. We did stop at a gas station, and we all got like Fritos and Cokes; that was a big treat, but they wouldn't stop at Burger King or McDonald's or a casino.''
Kramer said some of the laymen couldn't adhere to the monastery's rules and sneaked in liquor, stole the monks' liquor and even ``borrowed a truck to drive into town and get drunk.''
But those bits might not have made it into the show. The contract allowed the monks some editorial control, though Leisy said they didn't exercise much.
He said a promo clip on The Learning Channel shows one monk venting about a man he was supposed to be mentoring. ``He's saying, `There is a part of me that would like to duke it out with this guy,' '' Leisy said. ``He didn't duke it out with him, but it adds some cutting-edge stuff to the show.
"If there had been some huge fight or something, we might not want that on television, so we wanted some editorial rights but there was no need to say, `Cut all this out; this is too scandalous.' "
Kramer said he argued with the monks about issues such as whether the conversion of the sacramental wafer and wine was literal (as the monks believe) or symbolic (as he believes), but that he liked and respected them.
``They were funny and smart, and I trusted them,'' he said.
Kramer said in desperate times in the past, he considered becoming a monk as a last-resort way to survive but that participating in The Monastery cured him of that.
``I thought of it as a way out,'' he said, ``a way of hiding from society. You know you'll be fed. You know you'll have a robe to wear. But after living at the monastery, I realized that is not an answer. If you don't love praying and singing Gregorian chants five hours a day, it's not a good life. It's very hard, so I now know that being a monk is off my list of backup plans.''
SERIES PREMIERE: The first episode of The Monastery will air at 8 p.m. Sunday on The Learning Channel, cable channel 57 in Santa Fe.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
a special feature: The Monastery premieres in October 22 at 10pm in TLC
Earlier this year five men—each in the midst of personal crossroads—agreed to take a leap of faith and leave families and jobs, to spend 40 days here at Christ in the Desert. But they weren’t simply staying at our Guesthouse. These five men entered fully into our life of prayer and work, living in community among us. Also as our guests for that period was a crew capturing this experience on film.
For the duration of their stay these five men of varied backgrounds and faiths agreed to the Monastery’s rules and our regimen of “Ora et Labora,” that is, prayer, study, reflection and manual labor as set out by St. Benedict 1,500 years ago. The men featured in the series THE MONASTERY come from all walks of life. Despite their different backgrounds and journeys, all the participants share hope that this journey will provide a new perspective for their daily lives.
As an “observational documentary,“ THE MONASTERY offers a rare glimpse into a contemplative monastic community that follows an ancient discipline. Each of the five hour-long episodes follows the men as they struggle with the rigors and challenges of our monastic life.
Our Abbot Philip Lawrence guided the five participants. He assigned each participant a monk as a mentor with whom to share his experiences and daily struggles. The participants also were furnished with private video cameras in their rooms to record each night their personal thoughts, reactions and reflections during the process. The men’s journeys are authentic; their experiences and revelations heartfelt and genuine.
Beginning Sunday evening, October 22 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT), a five-part series, broadcast on The Learning Channel, will follow their lives. (Please check your local television listings for exact broadcast times).
For the duration of their stay these five men of varied backgrounds and faiths agreed to the Monastery’s rules and our regimen of “Ora et Labora,” that is, prayer, study, reflection and manual labor as set out by St. Benedict 1,500 years ago. The men featured in the series THE MONASTERY come from all walks of life. Despite their different backgrounds and journeys, all the participants share hope that this journey will provide a new perspective for their daily lives.
As an “observational documentary,“ THE MONASTERY offers a rare glimpse into a contemplative monastic community that follows an ancient discipline. Each of the five hour-long episodes follows the men as they struggle with the rigors and challenges of our monastic life.
Our Abbot Philip Lawrence guided the five participants. He assigned each participant a monk as a mentor with whom to share his experiences and daily struggles. The participants also were furnished with private video cameras in their rooms to record each night their personal thoughts, reactions and reflections during the process. The men’s journeys are authentic; their experiences and revelations heartfelt and genuine.
Beginning Sunday evening, October 22 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT), a five-part series, broadcast on The Learning Channel, will follow their lives. (Please check your local television listings for exact broadcast times).
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
the last day of the 40days and forty nights of five men in "the monastery" reality movie
or check out this website:
http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/monastery/monastery.html
Our Benedictine Oblate bro carlo came with his mom elena and auntie lily
another reason for Bro carlo to be happy these past few days was the coming over of his mom and his aunt from California, to visit him in his place at Espanyola- the ever excited carlo brought them too, to the Monastery where they stayed overnight at the Ranch house for a night...mama elena and auntie lily were just too mesmerized by the silence in the canyons...I toured them with carlo around the monastery property and the cloister as well...images below. the two stayed from October 14th till 15th afternoon. They left for espanyola after the 4:00pm Sunday Main Meal.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Fall in the canyons...from the eyes of a pinoy tourist
elvis enjoyed the breathtaking view of the chama valley and its canyons surrounding the monastery.... he and his mom blurted out in saying "napakaganda" and they plan to come back ....in summer when the temperature goes up.
Saturday, October 7, 2006
Elvis and his mom finally made it to the Monastery
After so much postponements from his scheduled flights with his mom to the USA to the point that he missed the occasion of my Solemn Vows in August 15th, finally, Elvis made it and be able to drop a two-day stop over to the monastery. He and his mom arrived in Sept 28th in New Mexico from a short stay at Oakland, and i had to pick them up from Albuquerque airport with another monk brother, Dom Rodrigo. They left the Monastery in the 30th of September and proceeded to New Jersey to visit his niece Hersey who is currently taking her Masteral studies in one of the state's universities.
Here's an account in images of their two-day visit to my community.
Our first station from Albuquerque airport was a ride in Tram up the Sandia Peak at Tramway, Albuquerque.
At the monastery, the next day- tour around the Cloister, to my room, to the Refectory, to the Phase three, meeting with the Abbot Superior, to the Abbey Church, on the landscapes around the monastery property, and to the guesthouse:
Later in the day, our Benedictine Oblate Brother Carlo came up from after his work as Lab tech in Espanyola Hospital to join Elvis and his mom continue with their tour of the monastery....
Here's an account in images of their two-day visit to my community.
Our first station from Albuquerque airport was a ride in Tram up the Sandia Peak at Tramway, Albuquerque.
At the monastery, the next day- tour around the Cloister, to my room, to the Refectory, to the Phase three, meeting with the Abbot Superior, to the Abbey Church, on the landscapes around the monastery property, and to the guesthouse:
Later in the day, our Benedictine Oblate Brother Carlo came up from after his work as Lab tech in Espanyola Hospital to join Elvis and his mom continue with their tour of the monastery....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
