LENTEN REFLECTION
By Fr. Abbot Thomas
“Mind your own business”

In my message for the New Year Calendar I mentioned how much noise we have in our world, in our private lives.  There are just a lot of high decibels going into our ears every day.

But on one Sunday, after a talk on noise pollution, a man came up to me and said, “I can quiet the noise around me, and outside of me, it’s the inner noise I can’t seem to control. You know, all the buzzing and chatter of my mind.”  With that he went right to the heart of the REAL problem today.  The buzzing of our brain is really at the heart of our anxieties, depressions, nervous breakdowns, tension, and high blood pressure.  And who knows how much of that inner, mental madness spills over into headaches, backaches, heart problems and hundreds of other physical ills.

There is an interesting book that talks about this noisy and often out of control mind chatter.  It is: The Power of Now,  by Eckhart Tolle (New World Library). He says: “You have probably come across ‘mad’ people in the street incessantly talking or muttering to themselves. Well, that’s not much different from what you and all other ‘normal’  people do, except that you don’t do it out loud. It is not uncommon for the voice (inner voice) to be a person’s own worst enemy.  Many people live with a tormentor in their head that continuously attacks and punishes them and drains them of vital energy.  It is the cause of untold misery and unhappiness, as well as of disease.” (pp. 14-15)

            “Your mind is an instrument, a tool.  It is there to be used for a specific task, and when the task is completed, you lay it down. As it is, I would say about 80 to 90 percent of most people’s thinking is not only repetitive and useless, but because of its dysfunctional and often negative nature, much of it is also harmful.” (p. 18) What can we do about this?

1) Make a Lenten Resolution.  Set aside 30 minutes for quiet, reading, and meditating the FIRST THING you do when you get up. Ten minutes for reading the Scriptures for the Mass of the day.  Read slowly and with total attention.  Then take 20 minutes sitting comfortably and quietly breathing in and out on the two syllables of the word JE-SUS.  Distractions will certainly come, quietly put them aside and come back to the word JE-SUS.  Or JE-SUS MER-CY. Just think of the word only, no images, and keep repeating them in sync with your breathing.

2) During the day try to live totally in the NOW of where you are and what you are doing.  Be really present to the NOW of the moment, in mind, body and soul.  Be aware of what you are thinking and don’t let you mind wander with regret over the past mistakes or sins, don’t let it worry about future problems or events, or start floating into fantasies. If there is a pretty heavy thought or temptation that comes just say: “O Lord, come my assistance. O God, make haste to help me.”  Or use the word Jesus, or Jesus-Mercy to come back to the NOW, the present moment.

May these forty days of grace bring you closer to Jesus Christ and His Mother Mary.  As the old and famous song goes: “Just a closer walk with thee.”

Artist Gary Gurwell stands before his window  in the basement chapel.  The design   is   based   on   a   theme   of Redemption   of   the  world   coming from  the  Cross.  The  swirls of light flowing     outward     symbolize    the Resurrection  and  the  Life it  brings  to all Creation. (The black and white  photo does  not  do  it  justice. Please excuse  us,  or  come   and   see   it  in person!)

ABBEY NEWS 

            December was a quiet month at the  retreat center, as usual by design.   Advent is such a busy season that we do not try to organize retreats until the new year arrives.  Among other seasonal activity, the priests of the abbey spend much of Advent visiting local parishes to hear confessions. We did have a number of individual guests in December, and January brought a return of several groups. Among these was a retreat for church musicians sponsored by the South Dakota chapter of the American Guild of Organists.  These musicians ended their retreat with a concert in the abbey church on January 26. Other January groups included a large AA weekend retreat, the Montevideo Ministerial Association, and the Central Baptist Church.

            For the last few years, the monks have been holding our own annual retreat in early January.  This year our retreat master was Fr. Mark Gruber from St. Vincent’s Archabbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania.    Fr.    Mark    is    a    professor    of anthropology in the Archabbey’s College, and has published a book and articles in various periodicals.   His conferences to the community integrated biblical and family-related topics in a scholarly yet spiritual way.   It was enjoyable to meet a monk from my own (sub-fifty!) age group, and encouraging to hear that St. Vincent’s Archabbey has a fair number of younger members.

            Our remodeling projects written about in past issues are still coming along.  The new greenhouse is in use, but Br. Chris is still adding more lighting and equipment for hydroponics.  Hydroponics is the science of growing plants in water instead of soil.  Br. Chris is investigating it as a way to grow vegetables during our long Dakota winters.

            The renovated basement chapel received its finishing touch with a stained glass window designed by artist Gary Gurwell.  Gary lives in Rapid City and this was the first church window he has designed professionally.

           The work of cataloguing and preserving the Indian Center’s historic photos, which was featured in last summer’s issue, has also continued.  Outside assistance came to us from Mr. John Hirschman of the EROS Center near Sioux Falls. The Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center is a data management, systems development, and research field center for the U.S. Geological Survey's National Mapping Division.  The U.S. Geological Survey is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior.  They assisted us as part of their local outreach effort to preserve resources  of  historical  value  in  this  region.   Our collection of over 30,000 photographs, especially the 200 glass plate negatives, was considered a unique resource with educational importance.  We saw the impressive results of this digital image transfer recently, when they displayed a poster-sized print from a photo taken in 1890.  The photo of an American Indian on horseback was beautifully clear even at large magnification.

The addition of a door in the middle of the first floor corridor effectively turned a section of the monks’ wing into an infirmary area.   Br. Paul and maintenance man Howard did the remodeling work that gives some much-needed privacy to the monastic wing, also creating a semi-cloistered infirmary where guests can enter to visit.  Br. Rene has been our infirmarian for years, but the advancing age of the community will require a part-time nurse to assist him in the near future. The younger members of the community also take turns assisting Br. Rene or filling in when he is away.

            At the moment, three community members use either wheelchairs or electric carts to get around the building.  This year will require some remodeling of the rooms in the newly-created infirmary area as we accommodate aging members of the community.   Monks are only sent to nursing homes if it is not possible to give them the care they need at the abbey.  We expect the financial demands of caring for our elderly to keep increasing in the coming years.   This may be a good time to remind our benefactors how important their support is to Blue Cloud Abbey, as we meet this commitment to our oldest members.          -Fr. Matthew

        LENTEN READING AGAIN
                            By Fr. Matthew

             In the 48^th Chapter of the Rule of St. Benedict, he describes the work schedule for monks.  Then St. Benedict suddenly changes the topic to a book that should be assigned to each monk for reading during Lent. While he does not recommend any particular books by name, Benedict does consider it important enough to have senior monks check up on the others. Times set aside for reading are not to be wasted or used for other activities. So we can see how important spiritual reading was, and still is, for monks. In Benedict’s time, the sixth century, there was of course a smaller selection of books to choose from.

Last year’s column on suggested books for Lent inspired the most reader feedback of any newsletter in my memory.  Since the responses were generally quite favorable, we’ll try it again this year.   I read a smaller number of outstanding books this year, but with one exception as noted, all these were actually published in 2002.   I would not assume that these even scratch the surface of the Catholic or Christian literature published last year, and I can’t predict if our readers will find them as helpful  as I  did.  As  an assist  for  prayer,  there is probably no book better than the Bible itself.  The books reviewed here are aimed more at the head than the heart.  So if you feel the need to learn more about your faith this Lent, they may be useful.

 Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church – A 2000 Year History, H.W. Crocker, Forum (Prima Publishing).  Written by a relatively young convert to Catholicism, this 400-page history has been among the top sellers at religious bookstores.   Written for the average adult reader, it gives a concise overview of the Church through the centuries.  Crocker writes from a definitely pro-Catholic point of view, explaining and defending the Church’s side in many historical controversies. I found this interesting if only a refreshing change from most histories written during my lifetime.   The reader might occasionally disagree with the author and still appreciate his clarity and readability.   Instead of the modern tendency to contrast the power of Jesus Christ against the Church’s weaknesses, Crocker tries to show how Catholicism has in fact been the historical embodiment of Christ. The doctrinal and political debates of the centuries take on deeper meaning when we see the Gospel raising questions that each age must struggle with, and answer with varying degrees of success. A history like Triumph reminds us that the modern Church is going through neither the best nor worst of times.  The most amazing fact about the Church is its unbroken survival through the ups and downs of civilization.  I would recommend this to anyone who has never studied Church history before, or who feels the need for a refresher course.

           The Courage to be Catholic, George Weigel, Basic Books.   Some of you may be familiar with author George Weigel, either from his column in diocesan papers or his various appearances as television news commentator.  His earlier biography of Pope John Paul II was very successful and established him as a notable Catholic writer.  This latest book was written as a response to the many clergy-related scandals reported in early 2002.  Weigel gives his view on how the problems arose, and what should be done about them.  He often uses the phrase “Catholic Lite”, referring to a watered-down version of the faith which he believes led to the scandals.  His arguments do seem logical based on the experience of one who grew up in the 1960’s and  1970’s.   This  relatively  short  book,   however does not explore the issues as deeply as some would like.  Courage almost seems as if it were written and published in a hurry, perhaps to help those feeling confused or disturbed by the scandals.  A personal concern for and love of the Church definitely comes through in Weigel’s writing. While it does generally succeed in that regard, the book’s brief discussion of such serious topics as the priesthood and seminary training may leave the reader wanting more. Still, I would recommend this to anyone seeking to make sense of the tumultuous  events of the past year.          

Br. Rene, at work in the infirmary.  He has been assisting with the abbey’s health care needs for many years.

          The New Faithful: Why Young Adults are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy, Colleen Carroll, Loyola Press.  It is common to hear complaints about the moral decline of American culture.  The combined effects of too much sex and violence in our entertainment, broken families, substance abuse, etc. are said to be crowding out the Christian message in our society. This book shows that the reality is far from being that discouraging, or that simple.   Rather, the young adults of today are turning toward religion in considerable numbers, often in reaction to the very social problems mentioned above.  Carroll gives many examples of how the “baby bust” generation is rediscovering values and beliefs that were rejected by their own parents.  She carefully avoids overstating her case; Carroll is not speaking for the entire generation, but an important segment of it. The book offers many stories and statistics showing how traditional Christian belief still takes root in today’s young people. Reading this should be mandatory for teachers, youth ministers, or any who work with the next generation.

This is the Faith: A Complete Explanation of the Catholic Faith, Francis Ripley, TAN Books. Originally published in 1951, this classic catechism was re-released with considerable updating last year.   Those who recently joined the Church or who simply want to learn more about their faith will find a popular guide like this useful.  The publication and widespread use of the Church’s official Catechism does not make simpler versions like this obsolete.  The official Catechism, assuming some familiarity with theological and biblical language, may be too complex for some readers. Fr. Ripley’s book starts each chapter with basic questions a newcomer is likely to have, and answers them in a logical, point-by-point way.  Some of his 1950’s era examples may seem a bit quaint, but this almost adds to the book’s appeal. Probably too heavy reading for children or younger adolescents, it would make an inexpensive and practical gift if you know an adult entering the church this Easter.  

            The Wedge of Truth: Splitting the Foundations of Naturalism, Phillip Johnson, InterVarsity Press. Because of my own interest in science, I enjoy keeping up with the current dialogues between science and religion.  One common mistake in modern culture is to assume that science and religion are somehow opposed to each other, when actually they deal with very different areas of human knowledge.  If science and religion ever seem to be in conflict, it is usually because of certain philosophical assumptions made by those creating the conflict.  Johnson shows here how even the most educated minds can make these fallacious assumptions without realizing it.  Unfortunately, various stories that come through the popular news media, usually described as “evolution vs. creation” do not do justice to the complex issues underlying the debate.  Johnson attempts to sort fact from speculation on natural history topics.  More importantly, he explains how the conclusions someone reaches often have more to do with their philosophical presuppositions than with the evidence itself.  In a society where something claiming to be “scientific” often gets identified as “infallible”, these ideas are sure to provoke needed thought.  The reader need not agree with all of Johnson’s views to appreciate him raising the questions.

Please  Remember Blue
Cloud Abbey in Your Will
Through the centuries, monks have prayed for the souls of their departed  benefactors.  This may be our most important work!  Including the Abbey in your will supports the Church's future and provides for your own remembrance.  Our legal  name is Blue Cloud Abbey.  We are a religious, charitable corporation located in Marvin, South Dakota.