09/2014 via vitae

ViaVitaeWay of Life

The World Community for Christian

Meditation

Benedic t ine Oblates ofThe World Community forC h r i s t i a n M e d i t a t i o n

It may be strange to you that I speak as a monk. I live outsideany monastery. I made my profession 33 years ago and Ihave never had the opportunity (except for some hopelesslyshort periods) to be in a community. And yet I feel deeplybound to the monastic tradition and mystery. In the Orthodoxtradition of monasticism the key themes are stability and obe-dience. As a young man – as a young Russian in exile frommy homeland after the war – there was no outward model ofmonasticism available to me in my Church tradition. I wasforced to look for the interior meaning of monastic stability.

In its exterior form, the stability classic in Orthodox monasticism is a stability of theenclosure. There is a line, in space, beyond which one does not go. But is it the factof being limited by a line drawn on the ground that makes one stable? What doesstability consist in? At that time I began to intuit what now seems certain to me: thatat the heart of stability there is the certitude that I can stand before God wherever Iam; and that it is enough for me to stand before God wholly, immobile, so to speak –the place hardly matters. The place does matter, because it helps or hinders. It iseasier to stand before God in the silence of a cell or the fellowship of an act ofprayer in a convent chapel than in the circumstances of war or in the market place.Nevertheless, it is those circumstances that can serve as a criterion of our stability.To be stable when there is nothing to hinder us is easy; to be stable when everythinghinders us gives us a certitude that we have found our centre of gravity.

One of the Fathers of the ancient Church said that we must learn to live completelyin our skins: not to let our desires and curiosity go outside; to be completely gatheredtogether in the centre of ourselves. Geographical stability is only really a preparationfor that, giving the optimal conditions for the real inner stability. As a young man Itrained to be a doctor. My profession meant I had to spend a lot of my working dayvisiting people. I started to look for a form of prayer that would itself be a form ofstability. And also by detachment from what would be distracting in the outsideworld. I discovered a traditional prayer of the Orthodox Church, commonly calledthe Jesus Prayer, because it is centred on the name of the Word made flesh: ‘LordJesus Christ, Son of God, have pity on me a sinner’. In a way, this is simple. Detach-ment from the outside world is something much more complex when one has to workin it. If one can withdraw to the desert or a cell in a monastery, the outside world isreduced, but even then it does not disappear. We have only to be two or three gath-ered together, and not only is the Lord in the midst of us, but the first problems ofpersonal relations appear! Where two or three are gathered in my name there is al-ready a Parish council! But when we have a job to carry out then often we can bethe prisoner of our work, we find it hard to detach ourselves from it. We can easilybecome human doings rather than human beings.

Anyway, as a young man, I sought for a way of being in the world, engaged in ajob (and it was necessary, simply to live – to eat, to clothe myself, to feed and clotheother people – I was at that time living with my mother and my grandmother), while

Stability and Obedience: Living theMonastic Life outside the MonasteryBy Archbishop Anthony Bloom[Transcribed from a tape recording of a conference given at Notre Dame de laPaix, Chimay, 1972]

BENEDICTINE OBLATE NEWSLETTERNO. 19, SEPTEMBER 2014

To be stable when

there is nothing to

hinder us is easy;

to be stable when

everything hinders

us gives us a certi-

tude that we have

found our centre of

gravity.

Ÿ

Metropolitan Anthony ofSourozh (Anthony Bloom)1914-2003 is being celebratedthis year for the centenary ofhis birth. There is a conference at King's Col-lege London with speakers includingRowan Williams and various Ortho-dox and Ecumenical leaders on theweekend of the 15-16th November.

For information E-mail: [email protected]

at the same time not belonging to the world. I began to dis-cover what I am even more certain of now: that it is onlyobedience, an obedience as radical as that of the Desert Fa-thers, that could detach me from dependence on action, de-pendence on my work (as giving me not only livelihood butalso identity). If you do your work as a work of obedience,only the obedience counts. The work no longer counts, in it-self. It matters little whether it is a success or a failure, pro-vided that you have carried it out as perfectly as you areable.

This was something I discovered under the direction of myspiritual father. To speak only of my own spiritual father, hewas a man of simplicity and inner freedom that I have nevermet elsewhere. But he was also absolutely exigent. At thetime when I wanted to make monastic profession, after hav-ing been under his direction for about ten years, I asked himthe question and he answered:

“Yes, you can make profession the day you come and sayto me, ‘Here I am’, without asking any questions about thefuture.”

“Yes, but Father, you realize that my mother is sick and mygrandmother very old…”

“As long as you worry about your mother and grand-mother, don’t talk about monastic profession. You’re not trust-ing either in God or in obedience.”

It took me several years to learn that God’s demands are ab-solute. Each time I asked God the question, God answered,‘I am calling you and it is up to you to answer, without con-ditions.” I reached the point, in struggling alternately againstthe will of God and my own lack of good will, where I un-derstood clearly that I had to make a choice. Either I had tosay, “Yes”, or I had to cease to consider myself as a memberof the Church, cease to go to Church, cease to communicate,because to go and receive communion and then say “No”to the Lord is meaningless. It is meaningless to be a memberof the body of Christ and refuse to do the will of Christ. Thatstruggle lasted about half a year. One day I reached thepoint where I could struggle no more. At the time I was teach-ing in an independent medical school, simply to survive. Iremember I left home, without knowing what the day wouldbring, and in the middle of one of my lessons I suddenly un-derstood that the choice had to be made that day, then.After the last lesson I went to see my spiritual father. I said,“Father, I’ve come.”

“You are ready to abandon yourself completely, withoutcondition?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You will make monastic profession next week.”

And then he began asking me the flattest, most banal ques-tions one could imagine: “Have you any sandals?”

“No.”

“Where can we find some sandals for you? Have you abelt?”

“No.”

“Oh, we can ask someone to give you an old belt.” - Andall that in the most practical way but without bothering inthe least about the real problem, which for me was: whatwill happen to my whole life, after this?

At the end of the conversation I expected him to say to me:“Now, there is a place on the floor where you can sleep,” -because that was certainly all that he had to offer me - “andthere you are.” I was determined not to ask a single questionabout the future of my mother and my grandmother, the future of my work. I had really reached the point where Icould say: “I have put my life into his hands, the rest doesnot exist.” When it was all finished, however, he said:

“Right, that’s all.”

“Yes, - er - where am I to sleep?”

“At home.”

“Er - and what am I to do?”

“Continue your life.”

I was rather stunned. He explained to me that now I couldreturn to my former life because I had renounced it com-pletely, it was in God’s hands. Unless God wanted me tochange anything the best thing is always to practice stabilityand stay with what’s there.

Then I asked how I was to live a life of obedience, not livingwith my spiritual father. He answered: “It’s very simple. Con-sider your mother as your Abbot and everyone who needsyou and asks whatever of you as your superior, and obeythem unconditionally.”

So I lived the first ten years of my monastic life with mymother and grandmother (until she died) and teaching in amedical school. The only difference some people saw wasthe rather ridiculous sandals and the unnecessary belt.

It may seem very simple. In a way it is very much less simple.People can ask a great deal. And with a monastic superioror a confessor, you know beforehand that even if he has notmuch reason, at least he has the right to give you orders.Whereas out in the world you are at the mercy of a completeabandonment into the hands of God (if you believe that Godis really the master of everything everywhere) and of anyoneat all – anyone who asks anything of you.

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Benedictine Oblate Newsletter No. 19, September 2014

Dear Oblates and Friends,

We have five new national OblateCo-ordianators: Marina Müller for Ar-gentina, Maria & Albert Zakharovafor the Ukraine and Maksym Kapalskifor Poland. These are countries wherethe Oblate community has grown andit is great to have the help of Marina, Maria, Albert andMaksym. We particularly keep the Ukrainian Oblate commu-nity in our prayers during this time and pray for peace, free-dom and reconciliation in their country. I would also like totake this opportunity to thank Rowena O’Sullivan for all herefforts and love as Oblate Co-ordinator for Ireland over theyears. She has been a great support to many Oblates but isnow retiring. She is a hard act to follow… All the more hardas that it is me who has to follow her! Please say a prayer forme!

I hope you enjoy this newsletter. I am grateful to all who havecontributed and to Anne Dillon who puts it all together. Keepwriting and sending me pictures, news, reviews, reflections.Today I was reading John Main, he writes that

“We live in a world that makes great demands on most ofus. In every society now, stress and strain take their toll onthe nervous resources of so many people.

One of the qualities that we as monks have tried to respondto is what St Benedict calls ‘stability’. In the Rule, St Bene-dict gives this stability as one of the principal objectives inthe life of the person who would live their Christianity tothe full. To be stable we need to be sure of ourselves. Weneed to be sure that we are standing on firm ground. Weneed to be sure, confident, that we would not be blownaway by the first storm winds that come up.”

(The hunger for Depth and Meaning: Learning to meditatewith John Main. Edited by Peter Ng – p. 151)

There are so many troubles in the world at the moment (par-ticularly in the Middle East). It is easy to feel overwhelmed.Communication technology has made life easier but alsomuch more complicated. One can again feel overwhelmed.In a rapidly changing world relationships and work can feelunsteady. The great gift of meditation, as John Main says, isto come to stability by being rooted in the gift of our own life.The mantra leads us to the centre. Our own centre is our heart,and the heart of the world is God. Meditation leads us backto the heart. From there, despite all the difficulties of life, wecan live in hope. We learn from our own experience whatour faith teaches us.

“Now this hope does not disappoint us, because God’slove has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit,who has been given to us.” (St Paul’s Letter to the Romans 5:5)

As Oblates our prayer, meditation and Lectio Divina helps usto find our own stability. We are also helped by our fellowOblates. That is what the Oblate cells – which many of thearticles in this newsletter witness to – are all about. I hope thistwice yearly Via Vitae newsletter is also a source of encour-agement for individual mediators and for Oblate cells. JohnMain writes in Community of Love

“I think that what a community is about is support. We really do help one another by our love for one another andwe feel greatly supported that we have you as our friends,and as our brothers and sisters, because that is what itmeans to be part of the oblate community of a Benedictinemonastery.”

United with you in love and prayer,Stefan

Dr Stefan Reynolds Glenville Park, Glenville, Co. Cork, Ireland

[email protected]

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Stefan Reynolds

EditorialCompanions along the Way

Table of contents

Stability and Obedience .............................1

Editorial .....................................................3

News from Argentina .................................4

Sharing our Journey ..................................7

Eileen Dutt on Psalms ................................8

Carlos Juarez ............................................8

Tour of UK Cells ........................................9

Canadian National Oblate Retreat ............12

Benedictines at the Friary ........................12

Book Review: Embracing Solitude ..........13

Book Review: Song of Songs ..................15

End Point .................................................16

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News from Argentina

by Marina Müller

We had meditation with initial and final reading, and thenLectio from the Gospel of the day: Matthew 14: 13-21

Comments: Jesus wanted to retire for pray, but only uponrequest, tells his disciples, "You give them the food" so heinvites us to share with each other to distribute to otherswhat he gives us. He knew where he was going, and thatothers should continue to provide the bread of spiritual lifein his name. All we can do, keep giving a word, a com-pany, a prayer; provide food for the body and spirit.

We did the comment on the oblate way and thevotes involved: stability: how is my personalway of stability in my life and in the Community,in the Oblation way? And concerning the Ruleand following Jesus? In my relationship with theoblation way and others? What does mean sta-bility for me in this way?

Comments: Norberto – Always seek harmony and innerbalance that will exude out, this is achieved with a certainspiritual discipline. Ups and downs can come always, theissue is how one reacts to the imbalances that always come;that's our way of harmony. Stable when I'm making a dis-cerned way, or crazy or falling asleep. As a result of thisstability, things will flow; walking step by step, with a disci-pline that one does freely. I discern clarifying each act inmy life with the Lord, especially when it has more impacton my life. Talking with him dark or unclear situations; andsigns are emerging, a response appears. Deviation is verypossible; we must recognize that one is off, and come backto the way; humbly accept this deviation and return. On theneed for a spiritual accompaniment, it came a very interest-ing alternative suggested by the psychologist whom I attend.He suggested a priest, I know for a tour to the Holy Land, Ihave a very good bond with him; he is now in a parish. Iwrote and he answered immediately, I went and talked withhim. He will accompany me spiritually.

Rocío – I share the Carmelite prayer; a Carmelite Sister isaccompanying me. Sometimes we do not open our eyes towhat is, what God is proposing to us; is good to put it outwhat you find from within. One commits to a monastic wayin the world: I am a temple. The Holy Spirit is showing mehow my life is embodied in the daily reflective reading ofthe rule; I maintain this life in all what I’m doing. Increas-ingly in my life, the center is Christ, to substantiate me en-trenched in bedrock that gives me stability. That's mystability, I live it in very simple options each day: God is my

center, is what I'm working. I work my definition with mypsychologist. I had a very strong session with her, then workwith Sister Isabel and I will work with Marina this innermostcore. Assume the most neuralgic definitions more stronglywith all the things lived. On my birthday came Norbertoand Jorge, my meditation group mates. Sitting beside me,sharing Mass at 8 am, in the Carmelite monastery. I re-ceived a homemade cake, I spent the night in the monastery"in the arms of the Lord" which is the love of my life. Iprayed for being not self centered.

Marina – I suggest a Benedictine monastery for a retreat ora day set. And continue to share the profound discernmentof this spiritual path. Let's make a new year-end retreat, per-haps again in Mar del Plata as last year. A strong phraseto live is: "Prefer nothing to the love of Christ". The center isthe Lord, but it is not easy to build the Community. The loveof Christ sustains me; always the Lord is walking with us andin us, no matter what may happen.

Juanita: Sharing will permit forming this stability, becauseif you do everything yourself ... Being able to talk with some-one else allows that stability taking root in ourselves; otherlistens and one can listen yourself. There is a commitmentthat you have internally, from above, from God giving uslife, and from baptism and also confirmation: awareness ofGod's presence. Delivery is now different in everyday life,

Sharing with the Oblates community our recent cell day in Argentina. August 3, 2014—11.15 am o 5.30 pm.

Left to right, sitting: Rocío Álvarez, Marina Müller, Juanita Paez.Standing: Norberto Ramírez

Presiding our meeting, an image of the Sacred Heart whichwas given to Marina spontaneously out of the mass of the

Church of the Saviour the day before this cell. Rocío is hold-ing it on the photo above..

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with family, with friends and at work; I am mindful of theLord; I am more aware. All the time you are giving loveto the other person, through work. God is the center andwithout him I can´t step. If I depart from him, my path isempty. I'm doing the way, his presence has filled me; thatis continuously circulating.

As I sit and pray, that presence is stronger. That holds me,that is stability. I did not speak of crises, because I wantto focus on the best. We face difficult crisis, but havingthat pillar, sit, meditate, do small readings, is the total pil-lar of my life.

Lectio Divina 2 Cor. 3, 4-5; 12 to 18 The ministryof the new covenant

Comments: Norberto – Repent, believe in Jesus. TheLord has transformed us, from the center of our lives. It isthanks to him; this leads to a freedom to do the actionshe wants from us. What is revealed in us, it is because heis present.

Marina – Our ability comes from God. It is grace thatchanges us. We are divine image and likeness. There isan emphasis of the Eastern Church in the transfigurationand resurrection. The Lord lives in us, we are a sacredspace where he lives and goes on transforming us.

Juanita – Catechesis was different here in Latin America:Christianity came to dominate the new world, emphasiz-ing the cross, the suffering. It was unusual the direct ac-cess to the Bible.

Trust in God, we thank Christ, it enabled us to administerthis new covenant; that ability comes from God, the Spiritof the Lord frees us. This is transforming us into the imageof God; we're drinking from the wisdom that comes fromit. Carry this message to all; many failed to understandJesus, but he was very clear: all his´ was from the Father.

Rocío – Drawing back the veil: so we clearly see God,and we transmit that light around us. We are God's light.When we meditate we ignore our stuff and we are silentbefore God.

We continued discernment: What the Lord isshowing me in this way? What is calling me inrelation to my own life in terms of conversion,stability and obedience, vows involving obla-tion, and as for the Community of which I am apart?

Rocío – I go within to define my life, that´s what I'm work-ing on. This also has a shaft that has to do with the trunk.In the Community I see that I took seriously what we share

here and in my daily journey; every day I take it seriouslywhat I share here, what we're meditating about Benedict,simple things, I make them real in my life, where I am:how to integrate it into my life, in my work. I looked forhelp, how to cut links that did not help me, I took trunksdecisions: go to therapy, move, pass uncertainties, costswere high in my life ... To add 3 work takes me long timefor the short wages; how to hold me wearing 3 jobs ...there are moments that are more bitter. My attempts areincarnating, to deify God in my flesh. Practice took memuch effort and I see many details of God, many gracescoming to confirm the path ...

A community level was translated into my work: in myclasses there are moments of silence, I implemented in myenvironment, also in workshops for young people, yester-day I had the opportunity in a parish. I'll integrate it intomy life as an everyday thing. I wish I had some work totake me less energy, to devote more to the spiritual. Tryingto come every 15 days to Buenos Aires, the priest friendgives me location: offers me to coordinate a retreat housenearby. Seek to change my job to the Ministry of Educa-tion and come here more often (Rocío lives 450 kms fromBuenos Aires where we have the cell days). Life is quietin Mar del Plata, there are lots of nature, helps me livingnear the Carmelites monastery. My idea is to have asalary that can support me. I pay a lot for renting plus thecar payment ... I want to visit each group and share ac-tivities with each one. The Marist School wants to havemeditation with teachers and students, I have to submit aproject, I want to do it now ... I do not want to live de-voted to temporal matters, my priority is eternal. To assem-ble a group of CM, a project to Marist School, I do notarrive to do it on time with everything I'm working; it is ahard, exhausting labor (patronage for men released fromprison). All this time was much internal confrontation ofwhat I wanted to do. So here was my time as a postulant... the pace of life does not speed but I can not deny mat-uration. There are certainties that oblate features combinewith my personal mission. There are signs to go on withthe novitiate.

Norberto – the possibility of having spiritual assistance iseffective to take decisions regarding this way: my pace isslow but sure. There has been a whole transformation:clearly my current axis is the Community. Also with my bi-ological family: the most communicative of my sons tellsme how I am listening and accompanying him, how I canexpress more affection now. The birth of my 5th grand-daughter, is a very favorable climate in my family. With

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my friends, I´m now more consistent in clarifying this waywith relationships. The next steps are making decisions,now I see very near those steps. Even though I'm retired,I'm just busy all day, others need me, but I can not beeverywhere. I do not have to take everything that is offeredfor me.

Juanita – every day you will think what you are lookingfor. The commitment to align in a group sometimes is diffi-cult, sometimes you feel disappointment with some things,I want to live in love but in the end it is so difficult forhuman beings to live in love ... there is always a shockcoping reality ... one is very idealistic, the ideal of myheart is one thing and reality is another thing. There arethings that can become, one believes it will be achievedand that everything is going to accommodating. Switchto another stage I see closer, these difficulties make yougrow in spirit. What happens in this small communitymakes you grow, give you that consistency in faith, everytime you go to another growing certainty of the presenceof God. There is a more established stability in the worldin which we live, more typical of human beings.

The union exists and will exist in the future. We must grow,must be mature; show what hurts us. See what you wantto do, what is actually doing, and what one does not do.It was a project to do meetings for beginners, done withanother meditator, and it was cut. I will ask help from amember of my group to do it.

Marina – We all need each other.

Comments on the Rule of St. Benedict: the oratory of the monastery, from Chittister´s book(corresponding to the date: August 3). Oratoryand monastery taken as aspects of the vocationto oblation: our heart, our Community. Whatabout this reading for my way of oblation andmy relationship with the community of which Iam a part? What place in my life have these realities? What is so far my discernment? Withwhom I could share to deepen: escort or spiri-tual companion, mentor, therapist?

The behavior follows some rules: there is a sacred place,it must be respected, be quiet, and keep it intimate. Thedepths of our being is consecrated to the Lord. All canhave a divine reading; bring it to our daily lives.

"Sit to be with the Lord": finding the sacred in the secular.Our whole life, living in the Lord. The unit we are taughtby the spiritual masters is how the sacred touches the sec-ular, for the sake of staying there, focused on the Lord.

Putting God in a central location. Also places itself helpus, and to devote ourselves to pray at daily fixed times.

Norberto says that in Rocío's birthday, she invited to ameeting at her house and asked each to tell how they hadmet her. It was a way to communicate and know eachother, as not everyone had met before.

No more pretending that being in the presence of God inall other areas they may be aware of that Presence. Wespeak of personal altar that everyone has at home.

No default of our eyes from the Lord, all creation is in it.

Community of Love, by John Main, Chapter Theinnocence of Christ.

What about this text? How do I apply it in mylife? What brings me to my path of oblation?

Comments: "contemplate" = we are the temple, we arein the temple.

As for the community, we are connected to each other.How can we build concrete signs of connection? For ex-ample, sending a mail to ask how are the other team mem-bers. Visit those who live nearby. It is best not to put theemphasis on one's own life, nor claim anything for our-selves; rather, we have to do to others what we want themto do with us. This also includes how to speak and seehow to connect between us.

John Main's beautiful when he speaks of purity of heart,how to "lift the veil" and show the beauty of the Lord. Asa transparency, where Jesus can transfigure himself andtransfigure us. Be ready to open up to his innocence. TheKingdom of God, purity of heart, innocence... to becomelike children.

We devote our whole life to God. Encourage one another.It's what these meetings allow: be able to get together.Sharing is a way of encouraging each other, and there isthe presence of God that sustains us. It starts as a smallmustard seed. Most tiny, a drop in the ocean, a grain ofsand; a woman taking a little leaven that leavens thewhole lump.

We pray Vespers.

Final Thoughts:

Lighting, confirmation, community coincidence that con-firms us in the way. The sense of purpose in our commu-nity: everything is united in the Lord, the sacred and theprofane. The integration of Martha and Mary.

Marina Müller, Oblate Co-Ordinator for Argentina,[email protected]

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SHARING OUR JOURNEY

A day of companionship, prayer and conversation on the theme of: ‘SERVICE’This is a day of reflection led by Oblates from the Northern “Cell”.A warm invitation is extended to WCCM ”Meditators”, (all Oblates are of course also invited).

Saturday 25th October 2014 from 10.30 – 4pm@ The Monastery of Christ our Saviour, (Turvey Abbey). Bedford.

Places are limited so please contact Angela Gregson to book:01706 226 574 Email [email protected]

“I WAS LIKE YOU”AN INVITATION TO “COME AND SEE”WHAT IS THE OBLATE COMMUNITY?WHAT IS “ A MONASTERY WITHOUT WALLS”?

I was like you, been exploring meditationwith my local WCCM group and kept hearingof the WCCM Oblate Community. Initially, be-cause the majority of the meditators I met atmy local group, retreats and one day eventswere not of the Oblate Community, and theinfrequency upon which I came across an in-dividual who had “become an Oblate”, it gaveme the impression of it being “for the elite,the select”.

Then, you, like me, amongst the “snippets” ofsecond hand information I had come across,concerning the Oblate Community, i.e. it’sadherence to The Rule of Benedict, commit-ment to a “Monastery without Walls”, theirregular attendance to a “Cell”, the introduc-tion, alongside daily meditation, of the read-ing of the Divine Office and Lectiio Divina,something amongst these “snippets””spoke” to me from somewhere deep within,made my heart race with the “Spirit’s fire”,beckoning me not to be afraid but to take acloser look at this community, this path intothe deeper life in Christ, as my teacherwithin.

Then, you, like me, looked online at ourWCCM website to explore further, apprehen-sively, Oblation and its requirements etc.There I came across a contact. From this firstcontact, I received a compassionate invita-tion to “COME AND SEE”.

This article is such a first contact, is such afirst invitation, for you to “COME AND SEE”,answer that beckoning of the Spirit thatmakes your heart race with his fire of love.The invitation is to all, all who have trodalong the path of meditation and have feltsuch inner stirrings, curiosity. So “COME ANDSEE” on Saturday 25th October 2014, detailsopposite.

Then you, like me, may experience for a sec-ond time, since being involved with theWCCM, a strong empowering, loving sense of“coming home”, and may begin to realisethat this unique spiritual community is theembodiment, not only of John Main’s vision,St.Benedict’s Monastic Tradtion, but also ofthe living presence of Christ, who dwellswithin.

ur journey is a way of solitude. True, it is the end to loneliness and isolation.Solitude becomes the crucible of integrity, personal wholeness, which the love of Godtransforms into communion, into belonging and inter-relatedness at every level of ourlives. But still it is an ascesis. The solitude of the path is a continual purification, acontinual refining in the fire of love.

O

Monastery without Walls: The Spiritual Letters of John Main osb

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During a recent retreat to Our Lady of Walsingham I cameacross a book 'The Psalms in Haiku Form' written by RichardGwyn a Cistercian monk of Caldey Abbey. In his brief in-troduction Richard has this to say, "This does not purport tobe a learned work. It is, rather, something which could proveto be of interest and help to those who find the Psalms, asthey are normally presented, beyond their intellectual andmeditative scope. To them the simplicity - at times the stark-ness - of what I am offering might well appeal..." If you arenot familiar with Haiku it is an ancient form of Japanese poetry consisting of seventeen syllables, usually dividedacross three lines.

Take the first three verses of Ps. 23 for instance. Many willbe familiar with them written thus:

The Lord is my shepherd;there is nothing I shall want.Fresh and green are the pastureswhere he gives me repose.Near restful waters he leads me,To revive my drooping spirit.

Richard offers us the following:

The Lord is my Shepherd,there is nothing I shall want,grazing in his fields.

To quiet watersHe leads me; and as I restHe revives my drooping spirit.

I like the fresh, crisp and sometimes evocative treatmentRichard offers us. To quote the publishers Gracewing, 'Theywill challenge those familiar with the Psalms to new insight,while introducing these ancient prayers to a whole new audience'.

In his book 'Psalms', James Limburg reminds us the psalmsfunction as a 'Hymn Book, Prayer Book, Instruction Book'and I would also include 'Poetry Book' particularly sinceusing this book. I highly recommend this book to all loversof the psalms.

Ps. 119 v 171-173

Let my lips gladlymake known my indebtednessfor Your sound teaching.

May my tongue make knownhow just are your promisesas it sings your praise.

May your hand be promptto come to my assistanceas I do your will.

Psalms by Eileen Dutt, UK Oblate Coordinator

Hello everyone, my name is Carlos Juarez, I'm fromBuenos Aires in Argentina.

When almost 4 years ago I met The World Community forChristian Meditation there were many things to learn, forexample using a "mantra", and others, like being “still andsilent"”which seemed to me arduous and difficult.

But there was one aspect, terminology and language whichI had not only known for many years, but also lived in-tensely, and dramatically at times: the rule of St. Benedictand lay consecration to this worldview... I mean the oblatelife.

The particular contribution of The World Community ofChristian Meditation has been to make me order my timethrough a study of the rule in its personal and social mes-sage. It strongly contributed the concept of “monastery with-out walls” which opened in me a universal knowledge ofBenedictine teachings which I did not know until then.

As I never imagined before, I can now see the unity between the message of the early Desert Fathers and the

simple and profound organization given by Benedict. Theteaching of John Main and The World Community for Chris-tian Meditation has relayed ancestral teachings to me in a

new and contemporary way.

I will hopefully, eventually, bepart of a true community ofOblates and have “compan-ions” with whom to share ex-periences, joys and sorrowsof every day... always in thelight of St Benedict’s rulewhich, from 1500 years, hasbeen teaching men andwomen the simple things in-volved in true devotion. Godonly asks us to trust in Him.

As John Main says, “Thosewho follow the Rule of St.

Benedict and his spirit are humbly seeking to realize thepotential they have in God.”

Carlos by Carlos Juarez, Argentina


— 9 —

There has been, during the course of this year, a naturalgrowth in the number of oblate cells serving the UK commu-nity; possibility exists for two more. This is great news forthe community particularly as, alongside our new cells thereis still an active cell, meeting regularly, at Cockfosters (seeRita’s account below). Whilst each cell meeting includes atime for Meditation, reflection on the Rule, Lectio Divina andCommunity Prayer, and each cell leader keeps me informed,by email, on the passages they will be using, all are still au-tonomous; very much in keeping with our Benedictine familyroots. With this in mind I approached each cell leader withthe idea that each of them write something about the natureof their particular cell meetings. . . Attending a cell meet-ing, when it is possible for us to do so, is important. To quoteFr John, “It is not always easy to find a person to share with.What is a great grace to us is that we have found one an-other. And what we share is Christ, his love for us, his lovefor the Father, In that sharing we become, not just fully Bene-dictine, not just fully Christian, but fully human, fully the per-sons we were created to be.” (Community of Love:Fellow-Pilgrims with Christ p.81)

The Part is the All – on coming together in a new cell.

THE CAMBRIDGE OBLATE CELL

I call it a fractal moment! I am no mathematician but I canappreciate the natural wonders of the images that give pres-ence to a mathematical reality and for me, the mysteriousbeauty of fractal images carries some sense of what it waslike for the four of us to meet in my little home for the day fora cell meeting for the first time. The idea had evolved out ofthe difficulties of travelling to London every month, whichmany of us had experienced and it was decided that weshould try meeting in smaller cells instead. The logistics of‘relative’ proximity, made Cambridge a possible meetingpoint for our new cell. I say ‘relative’ because Norwich andHitchin still mean a real commitment in terms of time andtravelling involved for some of us but we made it! And sowe spent the special day sharing in meditation, in prayer,in study and reflection; sharing in community. We are alllooking forward to sharing such a day again as we foundwe had more time together and our day took on a naturalrhythm of its own. Our hope is to meet together every twomonths and we all feel that after the summer break this willbe possible. We will still be coming together for specialshared days at 32 Hamilton Road with the other parts of theold cell but remembering the fractal patterning feels like awonderful way to embrace that wider sense of belonging asan oblate in the gently unfolding Monastery Without Walls– a spirit reflected in the fractals and perhaps even deeperpatterns of our lives that we catch glimpses of when we arein communion. Jane Serrurier 07557 476227 [email protected]

OBLATE WITHOUT MONASTERY WALLS

The valuing of both a meditation practice and the provenand wise guidance of the Rule of St Benedict drew me to-wards oblation within the WCCM 7 years ago, but unfortu-nately in that time there has not been a cell near enough tome in the East of England to provide the opportunity regu-larly to meet with others who have also chosen this path.That is one of the potential drawbacks of being a monasterywithout walls, a lack of a focal point or group within reason-able reach. However when I think of other larger countries,continents even that may have fewer oblates than the UK, Irealise that the distances are not so great here!

Nevertheless, during this time of being a lone oblate I haveinvolved myself in the life of the UK community, which I havefound fulfilling, and this has provided a sense of belongingand also the chance to live out the oblate commitment.

A Tour of the UK Cells by Angela Gregson 01706 226 574

There is (also) a tradition of ‘Oblate Cells’ which are small groups of Oblates (two is enough) who meetregularly to share some reflection on the Rule and its influence in their life. The ‘Cell’ helps to build thebond of a local Oblate community. (www.wccm.org/content/becoming an oblate)

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I would echo Jane’s comments that it was lovely to experi-ence the hospitality and fellowship of our first cell meetingin her Cambridge home in May and look forward to thiscontinuing.Margaret Comerford: Cambridge Cell

THE COCKFOSTERS OBLATE CELL

I arrived in Cockfosters in 2001, the year after I had mademy final vows as an Oblate. A few days after my arrival Iwas told that a meditation group had been set up in a housecalled Minsmere. People started to be interested in this formof prayer and soon I found myself becoming more involved,leading groups with David Reece and Jo Chambers SND.But there was something more!

As an Oblate I wanted other Oblates who were seeking adeeper spirituality following the Rule of St Benedict to joinme. So the cell group in Cockfosters was born and it hap-pened that people came to the cell from quite a distance.Some as far away as Hitchin and Kent. We met on the lastWednesday of each month in the afternoon at 2 o’clock.Then came further steps on the journey, the meditation groupmoved to a larger building we named The Meditation RetreatCentre. As Oblates we continued to meet at the same timeonce a month, following the same format as at Minsmere.Resident Oblates joined us and on occasions visiting Oblateswere happy to be with us. A true sense of communityevolved. It grew spiritually and it was a safe place to shareand encourage. Then came the time to embrace change.

The Resident Oblate Community moved to Kensington [it isnow in Ealing]. There was a sense of loss and bereavementamong those who were left. The cell group was much re-duced in numbers but with a strong resolve to continue.

There are four of us – 3 Oblates and 1 novice. We werevery fortunate to be given access to the Quiet room abovethe church at Cockfosters. We meet on average once amonth on a Thursday evening between 7-9pm. We start withevening prayer and move into 30 minutes of meditation. Thisis followed by a time of Lectio Divina taking the forthcomingSunday gospel. There is a sharing of what we heard, whatwe are invited to do and how to respond to that. As St Gre-gory the Great said “Through Lectio Divina we learn to knowthe heart of God.” This can evoke a lively discussion and isa great source of reflection for the week. The evening con-tinues with reading and reflecting on the Rule of St Benedict.Once again this can be a time of spiritual inspiration. Weconclude with intercessory prayer and blessing. Sharing iscontinued over simple refreshments and a joyful farewell.From the very beginning I have found the wisdom of wel-coming enquirers who “come and see”. It doesn't matter howlong this will take, the joy is that many blessings arise and

final vows take place. Rita McKenna Contact: RosemaryHeams [email protected]

THE CROWTHORNE OBLATE CELL

In April 2014 we started the Crowthorne cell for oblatesfrom the Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Kent area, aswe were having difficulty making the monthly oblate cellmeetings at Meditatio House in Ealing. We were missingeach other. We felt, too, that a local cell would be encour-aging for new enquirers from those areas.

We continue to meet on the last Wednesday of the month,as at Ealing, with an average attendance of 4 to 5 oblates,friends and enquirers. Times are 2-4pm followed by refresh-ments. We start with 30 minutes meditation, followed by Lec-tio Divina, discussion on a section of the Rule of Benedict,and finishing with Evening Prayer.

In the small group we find we can try out ideas, which canbe used for the quarterly Saturday meetings. Communicationis straight forward, generally just an email as a reminder ofthe date of the meeting and a note of the reading for theLectio, usually from the Gospel for the following Sunday, andthe Rule. Eileen always receives this -email so that the infor-mation can be shared, particularly with lone and house-bound oblates. The Spirit pulls everything together.Angela Greenwood 01344 774254 [email protected]

SATURDAY OBLATE CELL MEETING

An oblate cell meeting used to take place regularly on thelast Wednesday of every month at Hamilton Road in London.As regional cells developed it was decided that thesemonthly meeting be replaced by a quarterly meeting. Thisquarterly meeting at Hamilton Road starts at 11.30 am witha social tea or coffee followed by the regular 12 o'clockmeditation. We then enjoy a shared lunch together. This isusually a bring-and-share meal but there is always more thanenough food to go around. In the afternoon we look at theRule and practise Lectio Divina. We end our time togetherwith Evening Prayer at 4.30 pm.

We have only met once so far and all of the feedback hasbeen positive. Meeting on a Saturday enables people whowork during the week to join us. It gives us a longer time to-gether building up our sense of community. More timeshould also enable us to go deeper into the scriptures andto listen more closely to what the Rule is saying to each ofus as individuals and to the cell as a community. A quarterlymeeting means that those of us who live further afield aremore likely to make the effort to attend. It offers an opportu-nity for regional cells and lone oblates to come together tocelebrate being a part of a larger body.

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Saturday cell meetings have been arranged for13th September 2014, 13th December 2014, 24thJanuary 2015, 25th April 2015 and 25th of July2015.

These meetings will evolve and develop. Come along andbe part of the process. Non-oblates are always welcome.Gilly Withers 01344-761980 [email protected]

AN OBLATE CELL OF TWO IN DEEPEST WILTSHIRE

Geoffrey was for a number of years, the only oblate of theworld community in Wiltshire. I had the pleasure of beingable to share each stage of Geoffrey's journey, from postu-lant to novice to full oblation. I attended the annual profes-sion and renewal of the rule. Each time, I was so moved bythe individuals taking their final step, their journey and ac-count of their deepening commitment. So, 4 years after Ge-offrey became an oblate, I made my own profession. Andso we became a cell of two! We have met with others fromDorset, who have begun their journey of oblation andshared our love and support. It is enough to know that weare there, turning up to share time together, both as part oflocal group and offering our service to the community. Wewelcome the contact with Eileen, who keeps us up to datewith the events taking place, offering an open invitation.Whilst we may not be able to attend these events, it is im-portant for us to know we are part of a wider oblate com-munity. We are hoping that in the near future we canestablish a cell on the border of Wiltshire and Dorset. It isearly days, but another step along the way. Janet Robbins [email protected]

FORMATION & GROWTH OF THE NORTHERNOBLATE CELL

The “cell” came into being as a response to the hunger ofsome of the Northern Oblates for opportunities to grow spir-itually through our sharing with each other “Lectio Divina”and our understanding of the Rule of St. Benedict along withMeditation and the Divine Office. As a “Monastery withoutWalls” it can be more difficult to be aware of a communityand we hoped that by meeting together on a regular basiswe would have a better sense of that. I was given a list ofthe Oblates in the north by Eileen and I contact them all byemail. Three were unable to join for various reasons, but agroup of between 3 and 5 started to meet in Sept. 2010.We chose to meet in Leeds as one member lives in Clevelandand that side of the Pennines would be possible for him toget to. The others live in Leeds, Manchester and Lancashireand the member in Leeds generously offered her home as aplace to meet. Initially we met twice a year roughly 4 monthseither side of the UK Oblate Day with Fr. Laurence. Then aswe got to know each other and gelled as a “Cell” we sensedthe call to meet more often and moved to coming togetherevery 3 months.

At the beginning of this year the possible number of mem-bers for a “cell” meeting grew to 8 with 3 new ‘friends’, ex-ploring the path. They come from Lancashire &Nottinghamshire. That together with health issues for themember whose house we were meeting at, and the possibil-ity that the “cell” might grow even more after a ‘retreat day’we were organising for May, we agreed that we should lookfor somewhere else to meet so that the meeting didn’t haveto be cancelled if she was ill (which had happened once,although it only affected 1 other member as she was the onlyone able subsequently to attend on the set date). So we nowmeet at the Church Institute in the centre of Leeds and as ourhosts asked us if we could give them the dates for a few ofour meetings in advance, we discussed at our January ’14day how frequently we wanted to meet. All agreed that itwould be good to meet about every 6 weeks. That is whatwe now do. Sadly the reflection day in May had to be can-celled due to the fact that no meditators expressed interestin attending. But we will be holding that proposed day @The Monastery of Christ our Saviour (Turvey Abbey) on Sat-urday 25th October ’14.

Before our last “cell” meeting in July I had an idea which Ithought would be fruitful for all the members whether theywere able to be there in person or not. When I emailedthem the passage from Sacred Scripture for “Lectio Divina”and the section of the “Rule” with the commentaries on it byboth Joan Chittister osb and James Bishop, I asked them, ifthey were unable to attend in person, to reflect on them andemail me their thoughts so that I could share them with those@ the meeting, and the others unable to be there in person.The thoughts of those present in person would be emailedto those who weren’t able to be. I thought that this mightdeepen our awareness of community within the “cell”.

As you can see the “cell” members come from a wide geo-graphical area and I think it is because we all experiencespiritual growth through coming together that we are happyto make the necessary journeys to do so. It is not a sacrificebut a joy.

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The Canadian annual oblate retreat was held at the AbbayeNotre-Dame-de-Nazareth in Rougemont Quebec. At theabbey the monks follow the Cistercian rule, an austere formof Benedictine life that supports silence and the experienceof deepening prayer and praise to God.

The abbey is nestled in the gentle and beautiful apple grow-ing region of Quebec. The warmth and sincere hospitalityof the monks welcomed us and provided support for ourneeds as visiting brothers and sisters in Christ. We quicklybecame integrated into the rhythm of monastery life joiningthe monks in daily prayers and the celebration of the Eucharist.

Poly Schofield, National Oblate Coordinator for Canadaand John Main’s archivist, provided the teachings thatguided us to enter into the spirit, wisdom and life of Fr Johnmaking this retreat a special and valued time of reflection.

On May 18th Jake Lapierre took his vows as novice, and Itook my final oblate vows. The service was conducted byPolly Schofield outside on the monastery grounds under abeautiful flowering magnolia tree in the early morning sun.A final blessing and warm affection was given to Jake andto me by the retreatants embellishing what was already amemorable event for both of us in our spiritual journey.

Canadian National Oblate Retreat by Shirley Desborough, Cobourg OntarioThe Canadian National Oblate Retreat took place fromMay 16 to 18, 2014.

The New Zealand Oblate Community is still relatively fewin numbers but slowly growing. Just 16 of us were able tobe together at the Auckland Franciscan Friary for two and ahalf days in late January, and we look back on this brieftime now with love and delight. We were reminded of ourbasic Benedictine commitments, of cordial appreciation ofdifferences, of fortitude in considerable adversity, of thesounds of silence, the strengths of fragility. It was a very im-portant time indeed.

We were joined by three Oblates of the Camaldolesebranch of Benedictines, and one of them, Father MichaelMifsud, was our retreat leader. He led us through our threecommitments of Conversatione, Obedience and Stability,with rich imagery and examples and reference to the manycontemplative classics.

It was an inspired decision to share our meeting with thesethree men, on the same journey as us, making the same com-mitments and following the same call.

The rambling Friary building belongs to another age, andno one would claim it is congenial or convenient for anyonewith special needs or aesthetic taste – but we all managedthere, and watched out for each other, and no one was latefor Office or Mass.

Benedictines at the Friary by Ross Miller [email protected]

Here are two of our three new Novices, Coral Foster (left) andJune Aslett (right), flanked by their mentors, Jane Lys and

Hugh McLaughlin.

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During the retreat we received two new Novices, Coral Fos-ter and June Aslett. Immediately following the retreat, StanMartin, Elizabeth Isichei, Jane Lys and Barbara Welch, trav-elled to Paeroa, south of Auckland in the Waikato district,to receive the Novice commitment of Merv Daley. Mervhas very much reduced sight and hearing, and was unableto get to the Friary. But he is a lively and eager Novice.Stan is doing much in the Bay of Plenty area to encouragethe Oblates on their journey.

Here are two of our three new Novices, Coral Foster (left)and June Aslett (right), flanked by their mentors, Jane Lysand Hugh McLaughlin.

Jo Ward is our new Infirmarian. No one, including Jo, isquite sure what this means in practice. What is apparent

is that our small community does include some formidablehealth challenges.

We are learning the available ways of being in touch witheach other in the real world of every day and the present.Email is obviously an important tool -- and how to use com-puters and printers as Tools of the Monastery with care andunderstanding, is now of serious importance to our oblatelife. We have had for some time now a fortnightly “OblateEpistle” written by each of us in turn and emailed to all.This has proved inspiring, as Oblates have chosen to sharereal parts of their lives and to trust the understanding of theOblate community.

Book Review. . .

Bernadette Flana-gan is Director ofResearch at AllHallows Collegein Dublin City Uni-versity where,with others, shehas pioneered thestudy of Christianspirituality particu-larly from the per-spective ofcontemporary situ-ations. In Embrac-ing Solitude shepresents womenwho through the

centuries, from the Desert Mothers to today, have pio-neered and lived out new models of female spirituality.Flanagan draws out the relevance of these spiritual entre-preneurs for two contemporary trends in the search for adedicated life: the revival of the solitary vocation and newmodels of monasticism. In a relatively condensed bookFlanagan manages to combine an overview – admittedlyselective in examples – of how women through Christianhistory have grappled with the sense of being called tosomething new and creative, along with an excellentanalyses of how, at a time when vocations to traditional

religious life are declining, there is a burgeoning of suchcreative new forms today.

The historical studies start with two women’s lives from thefourth to sixth century, which show the transition from in-tentional solitude to spiritual leadership and have becomeavailable recently in modern English translation: the ninthcentury Syriac Pseudo-Athanasius’ Life and Regimen of theBlessed and Holy Teacher Syncletica, translated by Eliza-beth Bryson Bongie (Toronto: Peregrina, 1996) and TheLife of St Monenna from the medieval Codex Salmanticen-sis, translated by Ingrid Sperber, in Armagh History andSociety: Essays on the History of an Irish County, editedby Art Hughes and William Nolan, (Dublin: GeographyPublications, 2001). Flanagan then goes on to look at thelife of the Beguine Mary of Oignies from the perspectiveof recent scholarship on that remarkable movement inwomen’s religious life in the Middle Ages. From there toAngela Merici in Renaissance Italy, founder of the Ursu-lines and the first women to write a rule of life for womenreligious outside the cloister. Flanagan introduces us to theoriginal text of Angela’s Rule of Life, which has recentlybeen recovered from its later emendations, showing her innovative vision of a monastery without walls open bothto the city and to the possibility of women’s pilgrimage.From there to Nana Nagle (1718-1784) pioneer ofwomen’s religious life in dedication to the poor in the cityslums again without the protection/curtailment of enclo-sure. Flanagan throws new light on the solitude that womenlike Nana Nagle had to face in assuming an unconven-tional path at a time when women’s choices were restricted. The impasses Nagel faced became her way ofthe desert in the middle of the city.

‘Embracing Solitude: Women and theNew Monasticism’, by Bernadette Flanagan (Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2014), ISBN 13:978-1-60608-337-6

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All this is put in dialogue with contemporary turns in women’sreligious life; both to solitude as a way of discovering the trueself in God and to new forms of committed communal livingthat focus on contemplation but with an openness to theworld – be it cities, Christian traditions outside Catholicismand Orthodoxy which have not in the past had monastic mod-els of life, to the witness of women’s expressiveness as authorsand teachers, to married forms of monasticism, the revival ofCeltic spiritualities and the new localisation of inter-religiousrelations and co-habitation. Flanagan has her ear to theground of what is happening in the Church and in new formsof contemplative Christian living. Her awareness of what ishappening outside the Catholic Church, how models – usuallyassociated with the Catholic and Orthodox religious life – arebeing taken up is fascinating but asks for further analysis thanshe gives of how the new forms are related to the old, if atall. She doesn’t look into the contemporary revival of Obla-tion among lay people associated with monastic houses as away of living monastic life outside the cloister but still support-ing and learning from traditional structures. She also doesnot look at two very important lay movements of Christiancontemplation which have emerged from lay association withmonasteries in England and America in the last century: TheWorld Community for Christian Meditation and Contempla-tive Outreach. Both of these communities make accessible thewisdom of monastic teaching in a way that is open and prac-ticable to women and men in all walks of life and religiousaffiliation and self-understanding today.

Flanagan’s approach is to put people’s religious experiencethrough the ages into dialogue. Embracing Solitude does notimpose a thesis but allows the various sources of inspirationshe looks at to talk for themselves and, across the eras, listento each other. There is a very useful bibliography at the end,which at times one has to refer to while reading the book, asthe referencing is not always regular in format or complete.The research certainly is though, and the presentation veryreadable. The choice of Flanagan to conclude the book witha testimony by Beverly Lanzetta of her journey simultaneouslyinto self-discovery in solitude and ‘global contemplative con-sciousness’ in new inter-faith ministry is maybe, as a finalchapter, a little uncritically placed. Flanagan provides nocommentary but leaves this as the final word. Some analysisby Flanagan in relation to earlier themes would be helpfulnot least in that Lanzetta, as the founder of an Interfaith The-ology Seminary for the training of Inter-faith ministers, intro-

duces a vocabulary for mysticism, which moves beyond thatof any particular religious tradition. This in some sense pan-religious approach is different from most – if not all – of theexamples Flanagan gives in the main part of her book. Flana-gan gives this testimony as another example of creative reli-gious innovation coming out of a woman’s experience ofsolitude, calling and connectedness, however by concludingwith Lanzetta’s articulate but rather different experience Flana-gan could give the impression that this ‘post-Christian’ view-point – in the sense of no longer working within theperspective of one religion – is the natural culmination of thetrends she has been looking at in her book. This is not evident. It is also one assumes not what Flanagan intends;however willingness to let her sources speak for themselves(which is one of Flanagan’s strong points) needs here to bebalanced with some critical commentary.

Embracing Solitude has a lot of wisdom in it. It deserves awide readership. The addition of ‘Questions forReflection/Journaling’ at the end of the orientation chaptersinsures that the reader is led into a personal encounter withthe issues raised. The accounts Flanagan gathers of renownedspiritual innovators will give depth to the contemporarysearch for new expressions of religious life. Monasticism atits best has always been an attempt at renewal (one of thevows of Benedictines is to continuous conversion). The build-ing blocks of solitude, deep companionship and the oppor-tunity to serve others, has always been the healthy edifice ofa life dedicated to God. How much religious calling or voca-tion corresponds with, or sometimes seems to contradict whatone feels to be one’s deepest desires is, as Flanagan pointsout, the crucible in which religious maturity is achieved.Flanagan speaks of “a creative tension that initiators face be-tween settling for the good already being done [in religiouslife] and taking an imaginative leap into an intuitively per-ceived but undefined future.” There is a danger that ‘NewMonasticism’ may be trying to reinvent the wheel, Flanaganshows however that the radicalness of the pioneers in reli-gious life comes not from idealism but from their response toGod. Maturity comes from recognising the wisdom depositedin our religious heritage as well as the unexpected ways ofGod’s calling. As Wisdom himself said, “Every scribe whohas been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a masterof a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new andwhat is old.” (Mathew 13: 52)


Graeme Watson’snew book followinghis Strike the Cloud:Understanding andPracticing the Teach-ing of the Cloud ofUnknowing, (SPCK,2011) shows himmoving from thepractice of medita-tion per se to that ofLectio Divina. Thetext he chooses forcontemplation, thebiblical Song ofSongs is, as hesays, a most myste-rious book. As a

mystical text it has invited much commentary both in RabbinicJudaism and in Christianity. Starting with Origen the Songreached its peak of popularity as a mystical text in the MiddleAges. Graeme Watson shows how both Rabbinic and Chris-tian interpretation was based on taking allegorical and sym-bolic readings of what at a literal level is a love poembetween a woman and a man. Biblical scholarship since thenineteenth century questioned this way of reading hiddenmeanings into Biblical texts however as the literal meaningis far from clear such critical scholarship has not known quitewhat to make of the text and has generally left it alone. Thuswhat was considered to be the height of the Hebrew scrip-tural corpus has for the last few hundred years been some-what neglected and little read. This new book should domuch to bring it back on stage.

The first half of Graeme Watson’s study looks at the differentmethods and perspectives of interpretation that have, andcan still be, applied to the poem. The second half of the bookshows those hermeneutics at work as Graeme Watson un-packs key passages through the lens of literal, allegoricaland mystical perspectives. His own approach is to set thelines of the poem in dialogue with other passages of scrip-ture, with previous commentary (ancient and modern) andpoetry in the same idiom over the ages. Graeme Watson’sbook is, as the title says, a contemplative guide. As such hefocuses on enough of the literal, allegorical and mysticalmeaning as is relevant to our lives in relationship with others,in the Church and in contemplation of God. The inspiration

of the Song, as Graeme points out, is to show how passion-ate love can infuse human relations, the union of Christ andthe Church and ultimately that of the soul and God. The Songis part of the biblical books of Wisdom and Graeme Watsonbelieves that the mystical purpose of the text is in the awak-ening and training of desire: to love intensely and wisely.

As an introductory book to this very complex text there areaspects which Graeme Watson has not looked at. He doesmuch to reinstate the possibility of hidden meanings in thetext, not least by uncovering the connection between manyof the poem’s images and that of Solomon’s Temple inJerusalem. It is no co-incidence that the Song has been knownas the Song of Solomon, even if as scholarship has shownits date to be around the second century BC some six hun-dred years later than Solomon, the inspiration does go backto him and the spirituality of the Temple which he built. Oneproblem is that Graeme Watson continues to use the Bride-Bridegroom motif that has shaped allegorical and mysticalreadings through the ages: the Church and Christ, the souland God, married couples. The problem is that there is muchevidence within the poem that this is not the relational contextof the poem. The evident relational context (rather scan-dalously for a wisdom text) is that of a ruler (King Solomon)with one member of his Harem. Herein lies the remarkable-ness of the woman – she stands out not just in her physicalbeauty but in her whole personality as someone desiring anddeserving personal reciprocal love. Herein lies the romanceof the poem and its underlying tragedy – it is a love unreal-isable between two people of vastly different social positions.

As Graeme Watson’s book shows so well there are so manylayers of meaning in this biblical poem. He uncovers andhints at many. As a contemplative guide however its mainrole is to encourage a personal engagement with the text inthe practice of Lectio Divina he describes so well in his Ap-pendix to the book. The Song has been neglected as a mys-tical text because the art of reading contemplatively, readingwith the heart, the body and the mind together needs to berecovered. The first step in spiritual reading is to bring themind back into the heart. From there we can see further,deeper and more colourfully. The Song of Songs needs thatkind of reading, not only for its kaleidoscope of imagery butalso for the many stratas of meaning which can be uncov-ered. As the human person is body, mind and spirit all cen-tred in the heart (the place of the affections) so the Song ofSongs has literal, allegorical and mystical meanings but allcentred in the experience of love. Graeme Watson hasopened up this book as a resource for Christian Meditatorswho practice the prayer of the heart reaching out, as theCloud author says “with the sharp dart of longing love”.

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The Song of Songs: A ContemplativeGuide, By Graeme Watson, (SPCK, 2014)

Book Review. . .


END POINT

Rule of St BenedictChapter 5:On ObedienceT he first step of humility is unhesitating obedience, whichcomes naturally to those who cherish Christ above all.

N AT I O N A L O B L AT E C O - O R D I N AT O R S

USA: Mary Robison, [email protected]

UK: Eileen Dutt, [email protected]

NEW ZEALAND: Hugh McLaughlin, [email protected]

ITALY: Giovanni Foffano, [email protected]

IRELAND: Stefan Reynolds, [email protected]

CANADA: Polly Schofield, [email protected]

BRAZIL: Marcelo Melgares, [email protected]

AUSTRALIA and INTERNATIONAL: Trish Panton, [email protected]

ARGENTINA: Marina Müller, [email protected]

UKRAINE: Maria, Albert Zakharova, [email protected]

POLAND: Maksym Kapalski, [email protected]

VIA VITAE No. 19, September 2014

Editor: Dr Stefan ReynoldsGlenville Park, Glenville, Co. Cork, Ireland

+ 353 214 [email protected]

Graphic Design: Anne Dillon, USA

e taught now, among the trees and rocks,how the discarded is woven into shelter,learn the way things hidden and unspoken

slowly proclaim their voice in the world.Find that far inward symmetryto all outward appearances, apprenticeyourself to yourself, begin to welcome backall you sent away, be a new annunciation,make yourself a door through whichto be hospitable, even to the stranger in you.

B

David Whyte from “River Flow: New & SelectedPoems” Many Rivers Press Langley, Washingtonwww.davidwhyte.com

09/2014 via vitae

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