My Visit With The Monks

Happy Easter resurrection. I just got in after spending a few days as a guest of a monastery. A small group attending a small group of monks'. This year one became a priest, one died, they had five novices (the most ever) and a chef instead of a cook (correlation to the most ever novices?). The beautiful liturgy, elegant chants and interesting lectures were terrific, and keep me grounded.

Lent is time to fast from delight, so I snuck out yesterday and bought two big chocolate Easter bunnies to gorge on today, a ritual which I do every year too. I'll be sick to my stomach by tomorrow.

I had a long talk with one of the priests, whom I've known well for 15 years (my troublemaker son went to school there). I told him that I noticed that for the last couple of years I've become ornery. I don't like crowds either. I'm an old man with no tolerance for fools like the swivelhead teen in front of the pew nor the cougher behind. "Stay in community," he essentially said, "tolerate, do discipline of the eyes."


- © 2010 by Willy


P.S., in his talk, this priest quoted Malcolm Muggeridge stating "It's those times of biggest failures when I grew as a man and close to God."