My status has changed. I am now a Committed Lay Cistercian of Gethsemani. Of course, there has been reason to think I should have been committed before now (pun, groan, please keep reading.). I am perhaps eccentric in some ways, but I feel centered and on the mark with this move. During Vespers on Saturday, … Continue reading My Lay Cistercian Commitment
Merton My Mentor
I have told lots of young people that one of the most important developmental tasks of young adulthood is choosing a mentor. We envision ourselves as an adult in the world doing something we consider important and enjoyable, and we look to someone probably already in the field that is doing just that. One of … Continue reading Merton My Mentor
Retreat! Repeat!
Retreat! When issued as an order it is a stark command to back up and give ground for the sake of regrouping. There are some who are never ready or willing to give ground; they stand on their pride and sometimes fall because of it. Rare is the operation that is nothing but sustained progress … Continue reading Retreat! Repeat!
More like the Monks
I’m heading to a holy place. In a few days I will be driving to the knobs of Kentucky, to Nelson County in the heart of bourbon country, to spend some precious time in silence and solitude. For nearly 30 years I have been making an annual pilgrimage to the Abbey of Gethsemani. It started … Continue reading More like the Monks
Character in the Making 