desert day being the first Friday of the month.

Today being Friday, aside from the commemoration of all souls, the community of monkbrothers and monkpriests in my monastery observe its first-Friday-of-the-month desert day
and we follow to the dot the memo/reminder for this matter:

and this is our schedule: then, I set my two alarm clocks at 11:30Am and took a nap (i always do take naps before doing my cell clean-up).

It's not yet that long that I have fallen asleep when moderate knocks outside my door woke me up from my, more or less, 15 minutes of sleep.

When i opened the door slightly, I saw a hand slipping its way inside handing me a piece of paper. It was Dom Mayeul speechlessly staring at me (during desert day- it's a big NO to talk to anyone) with a piece of paper on his hand. Dom Mayeul is an old monk priest of the community who is assigned in making incense for the giftshop. He is more or less 70 years old.

I took it and nod my head as acknowledgment from whatever message he was trying to give me which was certainly written on the paper.

Since I was not wearing my eyeglasses, I just took it from his hand and waved it towards him signalling him that it was okay (whatever the message was)....and signalling him to walk away.

It was only after i wore my eyeglasses that i learned what he was trying to tell me through his sign language:

(tomorrow I will be do one to check the cells and bathrooms of the community together with Dom Andrew) I am not the kitchen manager anymore, and I wonder why he still has to avail of me for such. Maybe, he's just used to me and finds me easy to approach on matters like this. Of course, for heaven's sake, I could not deny his asking a favor, although this would mean a little sacrifice on my part spending for the errand rather than just inside my cell enjoying the blessings of the day.....

well, this is what , i guess, is meant by community life in a religious community like mine.

happy Friday to all of you....

a frivolous desert day at the monastery....

Petty matters are done during the first fridays of the months in our monastery. The day is monastically called 'Desert Day'. in layman's terms, it's holiday...

it is during this day when the monks free from 7Am until 5Pm, hence they can wear their civilian clothes (any getup which makes us comfortable, except the black long habit and gray short work habit),can sleep all the day long, can do their laundry, can clean-up their cell, can make trivial things inside their cells or outside and can watch their favorites collection of DVD movies (old and recent releases).

Today, i thought of attending petty things inside my cell: check on my iPod...charge digicams' batteries... check on my USB flash storage device... arrange my books on the shelf... fold my laundered socks and underwears... make my bed... arrange my books on their shelf, clean my sink, clean the showertiles of my shower room... clean the toiletbowl, and sweep the floor. Indeed very frivolous ones , that reflect how simple monastic life in a monastery is.

desert day blessings...

Today is july 7, friday : desert day at the monastery. this day is intended for the monks and guests in the guesthouse as well, to spend more time with themselves- in silent prayers and meditations (either inside their cells and rooms or outside ). likewise, a monk or a guest can request for a special task if he needs to in spending his solitude. the images below reflect how monks and guests spend their day at the monastery on a Desert Day.

desert day at the monastery from the eyes of Josh Cleaveland

Josh Cleavelend is a friend whom I met a year ago. A Theology student of Princeton Seminary, He took a leave of absence from his routine to be able to make a good break and refresh himself and as well as recharge his energies in preparation for his next work asignment in his Church...
He chose to come back to the monastery to achieve such..
The following images are the output of how he sees the monastery on a desert day.