ABFC In Beech Grove, Indiana

ABFC BEECH GROVE, INDIANA APRIL 23-28 2009

DAY ONE: Traveling to Beech Grove, Indiana from Arkansas was wonderful, not to mention that my companions and sisters with whom I rode are easy going and enjoyable women in their own right.
We left as close to six in the morning on a cool albeit cloudy start and we hoped to see the sun awaken the earth as we traveled east from the monastery. We did see full clouds and even delighted in the Indian paint brush, and clover that dotted the Arkansas roadways as we journeyed. We opted to travel toward the other sacred land of Elvis Aaron Presley, yes, and Memphis Tennessee en route to Indiana. I believe one devoted man of God, Fr. Ed Graves, would be proud.
The trip north east allowed us to experience yet a second spring for us monastics from St. Scholastica, Fort Smith. How wonderful to witness again the birthing of the dogwood trees that dotted the sides of the expressway! The new green seemingly gave off a freshness that demanded our attention. The Red bud trees were also clamoring for our notice as well. What would the spring be without the reality of yellow green pollen soon dusting the car window and our sensibilities?
Eventually, we left the south behind and greeted Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana all the while the tires from our Chevy Impala rolled on, with one of us either driving, navigating or companioning us on to meet our monastic sisters at this next conference.
The drive led us to meet other travelers in cars and vehicles of all sorts, and destination. No matter the season or the purpose of travel the reality of construction on the roadways seemed as endless as ones calling to conversion.
Our ten hour and forty minute scheduled trip landed us at Our Lady of Grace Monastery, Beech Grove, Indiana some twelve, tired, hours later safe and sound. Was I glad to put my legs back in a more functioning motion.
We were welcomed warmly by the core team and by the host community. Our rooms and rest were sweet; despite our learning that we arrived in the area where time is an hour later and we ate supper at what we originally thought was 7:40 when it was actually 8:40! Brazil, Indiana we will love you for it.

Look for day Two of ABFC Beech Grove, Indiana tomorrow!

Presentation of Monastic Instinct: Sister Karen Joseph, OSB Ferdinand.

Sister Karen asked us us to note the importance of Culture. We explored the elements of monastic culture. What is culture?

Culture is communication. Communication is Culture.

Culture is symbolic communication Some of its symbols include a group's skills, knowledge, attitudes, values and motives. The meaning of the symbols are learned and deliberately perpetuated in s society through its institutions.

Culture is the sum total of the learned behavior of a group of people that are generally considered to be the tradition of that people and are transmitted from generation to generation.

In cultivating a monastic instinct there are three basic elements:

Conversatio
Prayer
Community

Sister Karen begins with the telling of the story of the three seekers as they presented themselves at the mouth of the cave of wisdom and life. Before being given entry each were asked the question: “How far do you wish to go?”
We are asked the same, as we travel on the road of monastic life, just how far do we wish to go, do we just want to peek in and place a foot or do we what to venture ever deeper and probe the heart of God?
As Benedictines we have 2 Elements that draw new life to us, these are prayer and community.
How do we live the monastic instinct via the lens of Benedictine life? We do things in certain ways. Our monastic instincts are guides and we are called to cultivate it. Note from Basil Hume’s text, Searching for God, there is an ‘innate un-acquired response or reflex toward God, some have a natural knack or gift to live monastic life’.
As Benedictines do we recognize the solid inner something that people have? Note it in your community--- Do all have it?
We are never finished with monastic instinct, we know what is authentic in our way of life as we live Conversatio, and we are called to live a certain way and our choices must reflect that.

We need to cultivate within an unrelenting passion for the monastic instinct.

We live in challenging times but God asks us to go further, to enter into the cave more deeply we are called to purify our communal Eco-systems.

What is our vision for the future? We must learn to ask the right questions, the right answers will come.

In looking at the monastic instincts we need to also ask about identity. The question must be defined, if we cannot define who we are we cannot know where we are going. We must live clearly and know what it means to be Benedictine.

We have a responsibility to teach the new members who come to us.

The prayer life and the spine of the community can be lost if we do not cultivate monastic life.

We are called to be women of prayer-- and actually pray, and not just talk speak or learn of prayer but to do and be women of prayer. Being mindful and faithful to prayer. We are called to keep God ever before us, as we do this we become changed, changed with prayer.

Being monastic is to love Scripture to love the Holy Rule.

The more we know it the more we are challenged. Our task is to cultivate this by listening and doing it.

Monastic Community: Life together... "Community is a privilege to be a visible sign of Gospel life, to be different because the life of Christ comes first." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) .

We are called to cultivate a purity of heart. (Rule of Benedict 4:21).

We are to be authentic, as we seek a life of virtue, and this is to be counter-cultural. We are to be conscious of what divides community as well as to what builds community. To have a purity of heart is the call of monastic life and of our profession to seek God and find eternal life. We have given our all. We need to remember too, as professional Christians we have a responsibility. What is that? To live out our baptismal call.

What are the Monastic Instincts? There are several but these listed 7 are key. To Be Blessing:

The Instinct of Listening:

Just as love of God begins with listening to the Word of God through Lectio so the beginning of love for one another is learned in listening to them; listening is at the very heart of obedience. We remember the value of our ministry of listening which as has been committed to us by our God, the Great listener in whose work we share.

The Instinct of Humility:

Is expressed predominately through other centeredness and not upon our own egos, needs, talents, and ideologies.

The Instinct of Holding One's Tongue:

Is the cessation of negative scrutiny allowing a sister to exist as a completely free person as God made her to be; 'the one who holds her tongue in check controls mind and body' (James 3:2)

The Instinct of Helpfulness:

Active helpfulness means a simple assistance in trifling, external matters we must allow ourselves to be interrupted by God; our promise of obedience at profession deprives us of the right to dispose of our own time.

The Instinct of Bearing:

To 'bear with one another' in the service of forgiveness rendered by one to the other DAILY

when we are bearing others, at the same time, others are bearing us; the only trustworthy sign of an authentic life is the extent to which one has learned to love.

The Instinct of Reverence:

A reverence present in our behavior in the oratory, in the greeting one another, in our tone of voice; a kindly stewardship and reverence for all things are holy and to be treated as sacred vessels of the altar.

The Instinct of Consistency:

Remember that. 'Words move, but example convinces'. (Mother Evangelista Kremmeter).

To be considered faithful to what we have professed ourselves to the professional living of the gospel the monastic way, with a monastic heart.