The EvangelicalCounsels:Poverty

BenedictinePerspectives: Stability on the Move

MONK LIFEFrom the Vocations Office of Saint Meinrad Archabbey Summer 2015 • No. 6

On the cover: Br. Hugh Ernst, OSB, leads theprocession to the cemetery for the burial of Fr.Cyprian Davis, OSB, on May 21.

FEATURES2......................................................................From the Editor

4-5 ..........................................................The Evangelical Counsels

6-7............................................................Year of Consecrated Life

8-9......................................................Benedictine Perspectives

10-11 .............................................Hospitality Begins at Home

This online publication can be viewed atwww.saintmeinrad.org/monk-life

Produced by the Vocations Office and the Communications Office of SaintMeinrad Archabbey.

Vocations Office, Saint Meinrad Archabbey100 Hill Drive, St. Meinrad, IN 47577vocations@saintmeinrad.org, www.saintmeinrad.org(812) 357-6318

© 2015

Transitions.Whether it’ssomething smalllike breaking in anew pair ofshoes, or big likethe death of aloved one,inevitably the

journey through such transitions is atremendous opportunity for self-discovery and growth.

This is the metaphor of the Christianlife, and certainly the monastic life,that to be a disciple of Christ meansto constantly be in transition. Theminute we think we have arrived atperfect charity, we have certainlyarrived at nothing but vainglory.

Change is difficult; it hurts. Andbecause of the discomfort we oftenfeel in periods of change, weperceive its occurrence asaltogether something to be avoided.But when we learn to see transition,change, journey, as our means toconversion to the life of Christ, anyassociated pain becomes our crossthat we bear in the hopes of seeingresurrection.

We must not only not avoidchange, but seek it out if we expectto make any progress in thespiritual life.

This summer, the monasticcommunity will undergo its owncollective transition, by moving outof our current living space to makeroom for much-needed renovations.

We are fortunate to have enoughspace in our seminary buildings toaccommodate each of the monks ina “temporary monastery” duringthe 14-month project.

This temporary exile will be difficultfor everyone, needless to say, yet itcan and will be a great opportunityfor spiritual growth. And thespiritual growth that happens withinthe individual monks will inevitablyeffect a positive change in thecommunity as a whole.

Living in a temporary space is justanother reminder that this life welive is not our true home. We areall on pilgrimage together to ourheavenly home, with the hopes thatone day we will see the Author ofLife as He truly is. +

From the EditorBr. William Sprauer, OSB

MONK LIFEFrom the Vocations Office of Saint Meinrad Archabbey Summer 2015 • No. 6

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Clockwise from top:

The monks celebrate Mass in the ArchabbeyChurch.

Fr. Sean distributes worship aides to guestsbefore Mass.

The monk softball team, “Bad Habits,” posesfor a team photo.

Monks enjoying an evening walk togetherafter supper.

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2015COME & SEE

WEEKEND

NOVEMBER 8

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The Evangelical Counsels: PovertyBr. John Mark Falkenhain, OSB

number of people working for youand decrease the number of peopleto whom you report.

And if you don’t think money isimportant … well, then, show me amagazine ad in which the modelfor the product is a poor man or ahomeless woman. It’s the messagewe are surrounded by: if you wantto be happy, you need power, sexand money.

Now don’t get me wrong. Power,money, sex and love are goodthings. Wonderful things, in fact.So, why is it that consecratedreligious seem to promise to livewithout these important things:power (obedience), money(poverty), and sex and marriage(celibacy)?

It’s because the message sent out inour society by advertising andmedia is only partially true. Yes,power, money and sex areimportant. But (and here’s wherethey get it wrong) power, moneyand sex are not the most importantcommodities in life. And, contraryto the magazines and movies, theyare not “un-live-without-able.”(Okay, I made that term up.)

The fact is, millions of people in ourworld are oppressed, living withoutpower and control over their lives.There are so many people aroundus – widows, orphans, unwillingsingles, sexually marginalized folks– who are lonely and living withoutsomeone to love. And of course,our cities, our countries, the worldis populated with peopleinvoluntarily living in poverty.

If the billboards were right – thatmoney, power and sex andintimacy were necessary forhappiness, for fulfillment in life –then the poor, the lonely and thepowerless might as well just hang itup. It would be hopeless for them.Enter the evangelical counsels:poverty, obedience and celibacy.

Pope Francis has reminded us overand over what the Catholic Churchhas been telling us for centuries:there is a prophetic dimension tothe lives of consecrated religious.This means that religious men andwomen point to something beyondwhat much of the rest of the worldis accustomed to seeing.

They are supposed to “wake up theworld” to a reality – a joyful reality– which, to participate in, requiresno money, sex or power. Thisreality is the Kingdom of God. Andwhile we will be totally immersed init in the life to come, we can begintapping into its great promise amidthe struggles and challenges of thisworld.

Think of it this way: A monk whoagrees to live poorly remindseveryone, but especially the poor,that contrary to what most peoplein our materialistic world think, it’spossible to be happy, joyful andeven fulfilled if you don’t havemoney.

The nun’s witness of poverty is notso much for the rich, but for theinvoluntarily poor. A brother wholives poorly says to one whostruggles financially: “I find joy andfulfillment in life without having a

In the last issueof Monk Life, Ibegan a three-part serieslooking at theevangelicalcounsels ofpoverty,obedience and

celibacy as characteristic andcharismatic features of theconsecrated life. I said that I would tryto convince you that these threedisciplines, which some might see asreasons not to take up the consecratedlife, are actually the characteristicsthat make a young man or womanliving the life of a monk or nun moreattractive – more charismatic.

I began in the Spring 2015 issue withobedience. Here, we’ll look atpoverty.

I’ve been trying a little experimentlately. Each time I speak to a newgroup of young people, I ask themwhat most people would say are themost important things to have in life.Invariably, the same three or fouranswers roll in: Money! Power! Sex!Love!

This shouldn’t surprise us. Watch alittle TV. Scan a few magazine ads.Check out the billboards along thehighway. Sex is the hook that sells justabout everything from toothpaste tobeer. Power and influence are the realcommodities that come with havingthe top job, the platinum card, thedegree, the title, the Lexus.

There’s even the “power tie,” “powercouples” and the corporate ladderupon which the goal is to increase the

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lot, and I find it in Christ!” (Ofcourse, this means that the monkreally has to live poorly andjoyfully!)

Imagine the potential impact of ayoung, caring, maybe even coolreligious brother in a pair ofWalmart shoes could have on thepoor kid who wished he had thesame expensive shoes as his moreadvantaged peers. Imagine therelief that child’s mother might feelwhen she worries that her son won’tbe happy unless she can give him“the best.”

Imagine the bit of hope restored tothe man about to suffer a pay cut orwho is worried about his job uponhanging out with a brother who haseven less than he has, but is still fullof life and satisfaction.

I had a colleague recentlyapologize to me for the junkiness ofhis car. He seemed embarrassed. Ilooked at him and said: “I’m amonk! You think I care? This isgreat.” He smiled, and maybe hewas a little more grateful andunashamed for what he had.

We have some wonderful models inour Church of men and womenwho have voluntarily taken onpoverty to ease the burden of thepoor (some of them weren’t evenconsecrated religious): St. Francis,St. Vincent de Paul, Blessed DorothyDay, Mother Teresa, Catherine deHueck Doherty.

Their great gift to the poor was notto give the poor all the money andpossessions they had, but rather, tolive happily, contentedly, gratefullyand faithfully with little or no morethan what their comrades in povertyhad. And when someone wonderedor asked, “What accounts for their

joy?”, their answer could only beChrist – Christ in our hearts, andChrist in one another.

Didn’t I tell you these evangelicalcounsels – obedience, and nowpoverty – could be compelling?Charismatic? Attractive?

Truth be told, we Benedictines don’tlive in abject poverty. Franciscansdo a better job of that. But weBenedictines do try to live simply.We don’t have a personal budgetor a personal bank account. Andwhen we need something (a newpair of pants, new shoes) or wantsomething (a new CD or a newbook), we have to ask our superiorif it can be provided.

In so doing, we depend on thecommunity to provide for us.Having to ask for what we needand want makes us accountable,keeps us poor and a bit powerless.

It keeps us mindful, and perhaps evenappreciative, of our brothers who arealso drawing from the common coffer.

And if the monk keeps working atliving poverty a little more radicallyeach year, and if he spends timemeditating on what the experiencemeans, he will eventually understandwhat we hope the teen in the innercity or the unemployed single motherwill know: that in a life partiallydefined by the humbling experience ofhaving to ask for just abouteverything, there is one commoditythat is in endless supply, and forwhich we never have to beg. That isGod’s love.

Be brave. Be charismatic. Give hope.Do with a little less. Maybe a lot less.Work at being poor and powerlesswith us, that we might offer Christ, ourhope, to the rest of the world,especially the poor and powerless. +

Br. Zachary Wilberding, OSB, reflects during a quiet moment in the Archabbey Church.R

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Community is the context withinwhich personal and spiritualformation take place in amonastery. It is unending. It beginswhen one enters the monastery andit does not end until one's final tripto the cemetery.

Much of monastic life is learned bydoing. It is not a theory of how tolive. Instead, it is a way of life. It isnot easy to live faithfully in amonastic community and remainisolated. The community will bringout the best in a monk, as well asexpose those less-than-admirablecharacteristics that need confrontedand changed.

Perfection is not a requirement tobe a monk; willingness to changeis. Community life provides theneeded support to make thenecessary changes. This is notalways easy and enjoyable.

A monastic community is not amutual admiration society. It is anongoing environment teaching themonks how to be real. Andultimately, Benedictine monastic lifeis about being real.

In honor of the Year of ConsecratedLife, we asked several religious to giveshort testimonials about theirexperience of consecrated life in themonastic setting. Each issue of MonkLife during 2015 will feature theirresponses to these questions:•What does monastic life mean to you?

•What is most important to you about monastic life?

•What is it about monastic life thatbrings you joy?

Fr. Eugene Hensell, OSB

In my experienceof Benedictinelife, the oneaspect that I havegrown toappreciate overall others is thecommunitycontext within

which the life is led, day in and dayout. This community context isrelentless, and that is one of thereasons it is so significant.

While much of monastic life seems tobe lived alone, it is always livingalone together. From the moment I getout of bed in the morning to the time Igo to bed at night, I am surroundedby a community of others.

What this means is that there is notime during the day or night that I amthe sole focus of my attention. Thisforces me always to think of others, nomatter what I do or do not do. Everyaction I take affects not only me, butalso the other monks in the community.

Fr. Godfrey Mullen, OSB

If you keep mycommandments,you will remainin my love, justas I have keptmy Father’scommandmentsand remain inhis love. “I

have told you this so that my joymay be in you and your joy maybe complete.” These words from theGospel of St. John show that truejoy finds its source in the love ofChrist.

Monastic life brings great joy to myheart and soul by reminding medaily of my Christian call to lovedeeply, faithfully and regularly. Inour three vows, particularly, I’mdaily called to greater love,according to Christ’s command.And in the struggle to live thosevows faithfully, there is great joy,through God’s good grace!

The vow of stability calls me to thejoy of finding Christ in an ordinaryplace made extraordinary by thepresence and power of God. Living

Year of Consecrated LifeTestimonials

with a vow of obedience bringsjoyful freedom by entrusting my lifeto the wisdom of others – theabbot, the Rule and the community.

Finally, there is much joy in livingthe vow of fidelity to the monasticlife, simply by the daily conversionthat the life requires. Each day ofmonastic life calls the monk togreater holiness, greater charity,greater compassion. Each of thesevows brings joy by calling the monkto greater virtue in the Christian life.

True joy in the Christian andmonastic heart – at least as far as Ican see – is always paired withgrateful humility, a fundamentalunderstanding that Godaccomplishes great things throughme and with me for the Church andthe world.

Having had assignments within themonastery and outside the cloister, Ihave found that genuine joyobviously resides in the heart andmind of the believer. Living ourBenedictine vows wherever we areleads to a joyful life.

Nov. Peter Szidik, OSB

I love God,and, perhapsmoreimportantly,He loves meback. In myeyes, thisunadulteratedand purely

free love is not only the sturdyfoundation for, but also theperpetual driving force behind, anysolid vocation.

By no means am I perfect. I ambroken. I am fallen. I struggle to

love my neighbor. It could be a lackof patience with another or evenmy own hardness of heart. In themidst of my imperfection, monasticlife is teaching me how to love withlistening ears, an open mind and awelcoming heart.

I like to view monastic life throughthe lens of the parable about thesower found in Matthew’s Gospel.The farmer spreads his seed acrossthe ground. The seed lands in alldifferent kinds of places: a path,rocky ground, thorn bushes andfertile soil.

Metaphorically, I think the seed canbe viewed as God’s Word andthese varying locations as thecondition of our hearts. When theWord dwells in our hearts, it growssimilar to the seed in all its different

environments outlined in that parable.It is not until the seed lands in fertilesoil that the growth bears abundantfruit. Monastic life is showing me howto cultivate that fertile soil.

Our patient prayer and vigilant workspread the seed of God’s Word in myheart every day. Through thefertilization of my soil, which comes inthe form of God’s infinite mercy andgrace, conversion of heart happens.

This monastic community providesme a fresh opportunity every day torespond to my neighbor with “nostrings attached” love and charity,instead of hesitation and hate. Mycommunity has shown me that, whenI love another wholeheartedly withlistening ears, an open mind and awelcoming heart, I truly love the Lord.

Novices Peter Szidik, OSB, (left) and Timothy Herrmann, OSB, compare shirts from theiralma mater on their first day of the novitiate.

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TheBenedictinevow of stabilitymakes theplace wherewe live animportantvalue in ourmonastic life.

Each monk belongs specifically toSaint Meinrad, not to theBenedictine order in general. SoSaint Meinrad, with its beautifulgrounds and its sandstone buildingsand its Abbey Church, is home,even if one of us is temporarilyassigned away from the monastery.

And within the monastery eachmonk has his monastic cell, theplace where he sleeps, reads andmeditates. We do have commonrooms, too, like the church wherewe pray and worship together, therefectory where we eat, and ourcalefactory where we haverecreation.

But within our home here at SaintMeinrad, each of us has his little“home,” his monastic cell. AbbaMoses, one of the great DesertFathers, would counsel his monks:“Go, sit in your cell, and your cellwill teach you everything.” Ourcells can be said to be trueemblems of our vow of stability.

A few short weeks ago, all themonks moved out of our cells for 14months, while some extensive workis done on our monastery building.Ironically, we have moved to St.Anselm Hall, which was the original

monastery that was renovated forstudent housing after we built thepresent monastery.

Despite temporarily relocating tothe former monastic space, it is stillan uprooting experience for us.While we will remain at SaintMeinrad, we will have to give upthe familiarity of our cells and ourcommon rooms here in the house.

However, the larger sense of ourvow of stability means we have thespiritual resources to learn from ourcircumstances. This temporary movemeans basically that it is the samelife, but in a different space. Ourprayer will continue. Our meals incommon will be provided threetimes a day. Our recreation willbring us together every evening. And we will be living with the same

people with whom we are now livingin the current monastery. Thecommunity within which we live ourstability – the monks who are at“home” for us even if we are assignedaway – remains and it is where weseek God.

Homelessness is a terrible problem inour larger society. Many generousbenefactors made the currentmonastery building possible. Wemonks are blessed not only to have agood home, but to have brothers withwhich to share the life we live here.

As we temporarily relocate ourcommunity, we have the opportunity togrow in gratitude for the blessings thatare ours as monks of Saint Meinrad.Generations of monks before usworked to build our home and tobuild up our community, and it is our

Benedictine Perspectives:Same Life, Different Space: Stability on the MoveBy Abbot Justin DuVall, OSB

In preparation for the renovation, several trees were removed from the monastery courtyard.R

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responsibility to pass on this great giftto those who will succeed us. Godwilling, we will not just hand on whatwe received, but hand over a placeand a life that we have done our bestto make even better.

Along with our vow of stability wehave our vow of conversatio, theconversion of our life more and moreto the monastic way. These two vowsare complementary, helping us to holdto our roots while at the same timemaking progress in whatevercircumstances we find ourselves.

It comes down to a matter of faith.Faith has brought us this far. We trustthat it will not only get us through themonths ahead, but will sustain us forthe long term. God is faithful to us,and for this unwavering fidelity, weare grateful. +

From top:

Saint Meinrad grounds crew prepare atemporary parking lot for the monastery’s fleetof cars.

During the renovation, monks will reside in St.Anselm Hall.

The house chapel was moved to this temporarylocation in St. Anselm Hall.

For more photos of Saint Meinrad events, visit:

http://saint-meinrad.smugmug.com

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I knew thatBenedictineswere knownfor theirhospitality, butI didn’t think Iwould actuallyexperience itin such a real

way. In the past 11 months, I’vehad a chance to immerse myself inthe life here at Saint MeinradArchabbey, first as a candidate andnow as a novice. Let me share withyou my story: my handicap, myrecent foot surgery, and howBenedictine hospitality has affectedmy discernment.

My story begins 24 years ago, inQuezon City in the Philippines.One fateful August morning, I wasborn. The doctor delivered mealive, but noticed a birth defect.There was an opening in my lowerback, surrounding the spinal sac.Recognizing this condition as spinabifida, the doctor advised myfamily that I had to be operated on,or else I would develophydrocephalus (spinal fluid couldaccumulate in my head) and I couldbecome mentally disabled. Orperhaps I could die.

My relatives agreed. Several hourslater, the doctor declared theoperation a success, but said thatthe damage in my spinal cordaffected my lower extremities.Despite the surgery, I still had aclub foot. I would grow upwheelchair-bound.

God, however, had other plans. As thedoctor expected, I grew up with clubfoot – my right foot was turned out tothe side – but I was able to walk. I hadtrouble walking long distances, standingfor more than a few minutes and usingstairs. Otherwise, I functioned well andexcelled in my studies.

In 2006, my mother and I moved hereto the United States, and in 2009 theArchdiocese of Indianapolis acceptedmy application to study for thepriesthood. I never allowed myhandicap to get in the way of my life. Iknew that I couldn’t walk longdistances on my own, but God Himselfmoved me like a chess piece to placeseven beyond my wildest dreams.

After years of seminary studies, I feltthe call to monastic life. I applied toSaint Meinrad Archabbey and beganmy candidacy in May 2014. It wasthen that the monks showed me theirfirst act of hospitality: they welcomedme as a person, not simply as ahandicapped man. They acceptedboth my limitations and strengths.

Vocation, however, is not just aboutacceptance, but also conversion.Challenging me to become my betterself, my superiors, Fr. Guerric DeBona,OSB, and Br. John Mark Falkenhain,OSB, encouraged me to take myhealth more seriously and consultpodiatrists regarding my foot. I foundout that, although it would beimpossible to “fix” my foot, the doctorscould reconstruct my ankle to make itmore stable. My superiors gave metheir blessing.

On January 16, 2015, I had myhindfoot reconstruction surgery. Thesurgeon fused some bones in myright foot and placed an externalfixator to keep them in place asthey healed. After the operation, Istayed in the monastery infirmary torecuperate.

An overwhelming number of monkscame to visit me and ask about myrecovery. It was then that I realizedwhat had been obvious for the pastseveral months: this was mycommunity now. As a novice, andnot yet a professed monk, in somesense I am both an “insider” andan “outsider,” but in this difficulttime of recovery, the monks alreadymade me feel as if I was one of

Hospitality Begins at Home:The Story of My Handicap, Recent Foot Surgery, and Discernment

By Novice Charles Peñalosa, OSB

Novice Charles poses for a photo duringfitness class.

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them. One senior monk even saidthat I “belong to the family now.”

So, after 11 months in themonastery, what have I learnedabout my discernment? I found outthat hospitality begins at home andthat it is transformative. In thechapter on hospitality, St. Benedict,in his Rule, writes, “Proper respectmust be shown to all, especiallyfellow monks and pilgrims” (RB53:2).

The monks welcomed me despitemy disability, and in myconvalescence they “served me asChrist Himself” (RB 36:1).Hospitality, thus, challenges boththe “hosts” and the “guests” tobecome their better selves. Mysituation challenged the communityto exercise fraternal charity. I, in

In addition to undergoing foot surgery, Novice Charles has worked hard to lose weight and increase his level of fitness.R

turn, felt the monks’ support andresponded by pushing myself tobecome more the person Godcreated me to be.

As I write this, I continue to recoverfrom my foot surgery. Each daybrings small improvements andsoon I hope to walk better thanever. Although my mobility willalways be imperfect, God still callsme “to run in the way of Hiscommands” as best as I can (RBPrologue 49).

In less than a year, I have come toexperience Benedictine hospitalityin a very real and personal way. Ilook toward the future with hope,and with immense gratitude I thankthe monastic community for itsoverwhelming support andchallenge for conversion. +

Novice Charles sings with the Latin Schola.R

AS I PRAY,

REveal to me

your way for me

to you, lord god.

Amen

Interested in the Monastic Life at Saint Meinrad Archabbey?

Contact Us:vocations@saintmeinrad.orgwww.saintmeinrad.org