For part of my vacation this summer, I spent a week in a Benedictine monastery. The monastery is St Peters' in Muenster, Sask., a small town about 100 kilometres east of Saskatoon. I arrived there at suppertime and a day early, but the monks were not too bothered. I spoke to an elderly man with a wide grin on his face, who was washing the floor of the refectory after supper; he turned out to be the abbot. The abbot is the one who is responsible for all that happens in the monastery.
The Benedictines follow the Rule of St. Benedict, which was written over 1,500 years ago. Their motto translates as "work and prayer" and that is the summation of their activity. Rising at about 6 a.m., they pray the morning office of the Catholic Church, known as Lauds, which is sung in English at St Peter's. This is followed by daily mass and then breakfast. The stricter Trappist monks eat all their meals in silence, but the Benedictines have long been characterized by a more gentle approach to the monastic life, and so breakfast is filled with conversation, always more animated when there are guests present. And this too was another difference from the Trappists; no one is invited to share in their community meals, and guests have their own separate dining area.
After breakfast, retreatants are invited to share in the workload of the monks and I joined in the dishwashing schedule. A choir camp was in session for young people from all over Saskatchewan while I was there so helping with the dishes was a very big job. After that work I took time to walk in the extensive grounds, swat many flies and avoid the bees. The apiary yields fresh honey but I always was timid around bees. I remember some very painful stings from childhood days in Ireland and England.
The middle of the day was celebrated with the Angelus followed by noon prayer. Then it was time for an enjoyable lunch, in silence, as we listened to a spiritual book that was read by one of the monks. Sensibly, the Benedictines schedule quiet time, we might call it nap time, after the chores are done, so gratefully, my hands smelling of strong dish cleansers, I retired to my room for some deep meditation.
The afternoon was a time of quiet reflection for me, as I wandered around the grounds, marvelling at the abundance of life, especially in the graveyard. The community was founded about 100 years ago, and I sat and meditated on the lives of the monks, both living and dead, in the quiet bustle of insect and bird life in the graveyard.
Sung Vespers was followed in quick succession by supper, more dishes and then an extended vigil that included extensive readings from the scriptures. That evening the readings were from the Elijah cycle in the Book of Kings and long excerpts from Romans and Luke's Gospel.
Then it was time to retire, after some private spiritual reading and Lectio Divina. That is prayerful reading of the scriptures, and will be the topic of another article.
Summer is a time for relaxing and giving thanks. We are blessed here in Thompson to have several monasteries within driving distance. They are healthy and wholesome places to Let Go and Let God.
Rev. Eugene Whyte is an Oblate priest and pastor of St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church in Thompson.
