Mark Dohle
Well-Known Member
Monastery Retreat House Newsletter March 2022
Life at the Monastery
April 19—Leaving for Paris. “One step ahead. One step in your attentive will. One step in your faithfulness. Up until now you have lived for Me, by you. Now, live for Me, by Me. One step forward . . .”
Bossis, Gabrielle. He and I (Kindle Locations 3279-3281).
Pauline Books and Media. Kindle Edition.
++++++++++
March is a month of hope, new life, and the explosion of the beauty of nature, at least in the Southern States. There is also the expectation that the Pandemic is winding down. This nationwide emergency has been with us for so long that it is hard for me to imagine what it will be like to be able to go around in public without a mask. We are not out of the woods yet, but it is good to hope that there will not be some new variant in the near future for us.
Well, the church project is inching along, and to tell you the truth, we are not sure when we will be open again for public worship. Though the back of the church is open to the public at this time. We have had some setbacks, but it will be over possibly later than sooner. I am no longer going to even give a month at this point. There are twist and turns in every endeavor, so this is not really unexpected, but it can be wearisome. However, before we know it, we will be back in church, with everything finished, and having our friends, and guest, join us in liturgy.
The same with the retreat house. I know that some of our friends have expressed frustration over our being closed. Yet, we have to do what we think is best for the community. There seems to be two opposing sides to the whole pandemic, vaccination issue; we do not have time for that. When you live with men, now in their 90’s that have been known by me for over 50 years, you take their safety seriously. The abbot is doing the best he can, and we back him up on any decision he makes on this subject.
The Abbot was away for two weeks in Rome for our General Chapter in Mid-February. They kept strict protocol in place throughout the meetings, for everyone’s safety. It was good that they were able to meet, it has been three years. Many important matters are taken care of at the General Chapter. We are a world-wide order, so there are always ‘things’ that have to be taken care of.
Each day is a call to deeper conversion, trust, and a growth in love. Over time God’s grace will draw us deeper into taking on the ‘Mind-Of-Christ’. It is an eternal journey that starts with each moment of our lives. Each moment unique, strive to use time well, for to do God’s will is allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us, and in that to bring the love and healing to others so desperately needed in this world.
No, I have not forgotten about Lent. Hopefully, we will all use this season to draw closer to Jesus in trust. Don’t let anything get in the way of your trust in God’s love for you.
So let us continue our journey wherever it takes us, in faith, hope and love for God and others. - Br.MD
Zoom Retreats – March
Silence (Spanish Retreat) - Saturday March 12 – Br. Juan Diego
Surrender to Love -Saturday March 26– Kenny Payne
To register please call our office at 770-760-0959, Monday – Friday 8:00-12:00. We are asking for a donation of $45.00 for our retreats.
To see the rest of our Zoom Retreats for the year visit us at www.trappist.net .
Highlight – Br. Phillip Wodzinski
Br. Phillip Wodzinski was born May 5, 1973 in Pittsburgh, PA, he is the second of five boys. (all having the name Phillip either as a first or middle name after their father). He took the religious name Br. Philip when clothed a novice in tribute to his close family ties, and in reference to the words spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of John (Chapter 12:24) to the apostles Andrew and Philip:" unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
Before entering the monastery in 2012 he worked for seven years as a pastry chef in an upscale Italian restaurant, and then two years as an overnight baker in a Pittsburgh neighborhood bakery. Brother Phillip has served the community in a number of capacities as Sub prior, cantor, bakery manager, director of the monastic guest program, and cooks the community meal (with the help of Fr.Tom Francis) on Saturdays.
Brother Phillip is a kind and gentle person with a ready smile and always willing to help. He loves staying busy and working around the monastery. He truly is a joy! We are so blessed to have him as part of this community.
By Their Own Hands
In his "Rule for Monks," St. Benedict stated that the monks were to work for their living "by their own hands." As such, the community at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit strives to be self-sustaining and baking is a primary industry.
Our Abbey Store hours are Monday-Saturday from 11:00am to 4:30pm. You can also shop at our Abbey Store online, besides some delectable delights, we have many items that would make perfect gifts for those special people in your life. Visit our web site at Holy Spirit Monastery Gifts
To place an order from Our Abbey Store you can reach us by telephone at:
1-800-592-5203 OR Local 770-929-3448 or email us at [email protected].
Reflections Ash Wednesday 2015
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, a period of approximately six weeks of repentance. Christians are encouraged to practice different means of expressing repentance – fasting, the giving of alms, atonement, and self-denial. These are all different ways of making room in one’s heart for a better felt presence of God. God is always there, in our hearts, but an over absorption in the worries and concerns of daily life can easily stifle the stirrings of the God within each of us.
A Lenten discipline that many people take upon themselves is the giving up of favorite foods, entertainments or other within-reach items so as to do the best they can in living out the word “sacrifice.”
Whereas the above mentioned practices are fine, there is another and, I think, just as good a way of going about our Lenten days. That way has to do with doing the best we can to slow down, to gradually ease off of the treadmill a good many of us are on throughout the year. One then begins to notice certain things that zoom past our line of sight when we are moving too fast. They are important things. They are the living gifts of God’s presence in our day to day lives. They are gifts that move us and form us whether we notice or not. But Lent can be a time when we allow ourselves the effort to see better what has always been there, and to hopefully learn from it. In this way, we are not so much about doing something for Lent as much as being someone in Lent, being a more relaxed and attentive person.
I have an example.
A friend of mine recently wrote to me. She writes beautiful letters in which she describes the books and authors she loves, her daily ups and downs with family and friends, her hopes for whatever goodness the days ahead may bring, her sorrow for what has passed, what she may have missed. In the recent letter she writes about driving in Florida with the man to whom she was once married. They took their time, were not in any rush. Some years back they had an amicable parting of the ways but have been kept in touch and on friendly terms. She writes that “something special” happened, between her and her former husband. “The beauty of it – love – surprises me still. A person cannot close the door to love,” she continues. Later, in the last paragraph, she writes that “sin for me is when I fail to love. It is as simple as that…knowing when I fail and acknowledging it.”
I picture the two of them riding in a car on a warm night in Florida, memories stirring in each of their hearts. Memories that may now be embers, but may once again come to life, come to burn with the fire that is love. They set aside time to be alone, moved themselves out of the ordinary routines of their lives, going, as my friend writes, “with the flow.”
I do not know if she knows how beautiful her letter is. The words have a magical effect on me. Here, at the monastery, I suppose we highly value words that are written with care about love and hopefully new beginnings. But then, doesn’t everybody? The world is akin to a monastic place. We are born sensing something of God, of the eternal, and we set about doing what we can to find it and hold it – when all the while it is within us.
It was also very much at play in a car on a Florida highway. In the stillness of the night, in the attempt of lovers to find each other once again, in the willingness to leave the past and enter a new and promising tomorrow. That is what Lent is about, learning from our pasts, seeing what we may have missed, and doing what we can to hope in the best tomorrows – with those we love. Good things happen when we take it slow.
+++James Stephen Behrens, O.C.S.O, February 2015
Honey Creek Woodlands – A Natural Burial Ground
At the Monastery of the Holy Spirit
The Monastery community offers a quiet and beautiful resting place for people of all faiths, as well as those who have struggled to find faith. We are pleased to provide our land and promise to reverently protect it for those who share it with us. If you have any questions or would like to set up a tour, please call 770-483-7535. Our hours are 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday-Sunday.