New Camaldoli HermitageSPRING 2016

62475 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920 • 831 667 2456 • www.contemplation.com

IN THIS ISSUE2 “New Heaven, New Earth, New Creation”3 Lectio Divina5 Fr. Bruno’s Reflection6 “Follow the Light”7 Vita Monastica8 Development 9 Employee Spotlight10 First-time Retreatant 11 Oblate Column12 Activities and Visitors

THE BIG SUR COASTSIXTY MILES OF MUSIC TO THE EYEFr. Bruno Barnhart’s reflection on Big Sur as “the growing edge of the world, the tip of history as it moves West.” page 3

NEW HEAVENS, NEW EARTH, NEW CREATIONPrior Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam

We hear these scintillating words in the prophecy of Isaiah (Is 65:17-31), right near the end of the book: I am about to create new heavens and a new earth. It is no accident that the prophet uses the Hebrew word bara’ here for ‘create.’ This is the same word that is used in the first line of the book of Genesis: In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth… The same power that was operative in the original creation is again at work in a new creation. But it’s important to note that one of the characteristics of Old Testament prophecy is that when it points to a new age, it is not something other-worldly. It sees this world transformed or, maybe better to say, it sees this world restored to its original purpose, the purpose that God intended in creating it. Behold I create a new heavens and a new earth!

Peter uses this same image, proclaiming that in Christ too we wait for a new heaven and a new earth (2 Pt 3:13); the Book of Revelation ends with the same vision: I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (Rev 21:21). Could it be that they all mean this physical world in which human beings will be free from suffering and sin, a place where righteousness is at home (2 Pt)? Isaiah is wildly optimistic about it: the span of human life will be a hundred years and if someone fails to reach old age it will be a sign of divine displeasure. It is not about the restoration of the Davidic monarchy or about the earthly city, the geographical Jerusalem, or even about Israel itself, but the new Jerusalem, as Revelation says, coming down from heaven adorned like a bride. And when that righteousness comes about, when human beings are loyal to the divine will, then Nature itself will respond; it will be creation made new.

There are so many echoes of this in the New Testament; besides the ones I have mentioned there is certainly also Romans 8: the world itself will be freed from its slavery to corruption when we have experienced the redemption of our bodies (Rom 8:21).

Among other places, in the story of the healing of the centurion’s son in the Gospel of John (4:43-54) Jesus is doing just that, redeeming someone’s body, restoring this boy to wholeness and health, to his original purpose. But that particular scene is also wrapped up in all kinds of other images that were so powerful for us in our readings in the last weeks of Lent. The healing of the centurion’s son is Jesus’ second miracle in the Gospel of John; the first was the wedding feast at Cana. And that miracle at that wedding in Cana, turning water into wine, was almost a kind of transubstantiation, almost a kind of alchemy.

I’ve been reading a little about alchemy recently. Alongside the Christian language of the paschal mystery, and the birth-and-death cycle of Baptism, alchemy—the medieval quasi-magical, quasi-scientific attempt to turn base metals into gold—has fascinated the Western mind for centuries.

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRIOR

As you can see, we have a new look for our quarterly newsletter. For the last several editions, besides the help of a few brother monks and the ever patient Susan Garrison who does our layout, I have had the wonderful assistance of our oblate Deborah Douglas-Smith, who has served as a patient but relentless grammarian on our sometimes dubious syntax as well as soliciting other contributions. We have now been joined by other long-time friends: Chris Lorenc, who is a teacher and writer himself as well as an oblate of New Camaldoli and his wife Debi, a professional graphic designer. Besides our regular features, we have decided to focus on a theme based around our usual essay (in the past months contributed by Deborah, Pico Iyer and Paula Huston). This month’s essay is an old article on the glories of the Big Sur written by our Fr. Bruno in 1996 for Big Sur Magazine. It highlights his poetic prose style as well as his penetrating vision and a hint of his wry humor. Chris supplied a foreword to the essay and Pico an afterword. My own reflections on Isaiah and Peter’s vision of a new heaven and a new earth. We are grateful for all the positive feedback and reception the newsletter has gotten, and very grateful for your contributions which make it financially worthwhile as well as one small means of outreach. The brothers and I wish you all the blessings of this Eastertide as await a new portion of Spirit to wash over us and well up from within.

Fr. Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam.

Rightly understood, the alchemical process can be a metaphor for the purifying purpose of our ascetical disciplines (like those of Lent) and remind us of the purpose of all our spiritual practices: transformation. What the alchemists thought happened to “base metals” like lead or copper, changed to silver or gold, can be seen as a metaphor for what happens to the soul that yearns for God.

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:everything old has passed away; see everything has become new!

Like lead, the soul is subjected to intense inner heat through the practice of ascetic disciplines. That heat reduces the “material” of the soul to its substrate condition, to its prime matter, which (according the Aristotelian metaphysics) is the universal stuff underlying all substance. After undergoing this disintegration or dissolution the soul comes under the influence, in alchemy, of the philosopher’s stone or the elixir (which most people see as an image of the Holy Spirit). Then the soul begins to be regenerated and transformed, until it becomes pure gold, a full vessel of divinity.

Aha! A new creation!

This is what we undergo in our own discipline, in our spiritual life, through the grace of God in the sacraments and hopefully through the season of Lent: after we have allowed ourselves to be stripped down to our naked selves, the spiritual life could and should lead us too to be transformed or, maybe better to say, restored to our intended selves, the purpose that God intended in creating us in God’s own image, with new life breathed into us by the Spirit of the Risen Christ.

What does Paul say in 2 Cor 5:17? If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see everything has become new!

Including you and me.

““

LECTIO DIVINA Br. Bede Healey, OSB Cam

“We read under the eye of God until the heart is touched and leaps to flame.” – Blessed Columba Marmion OSB, (on what happens in lectio divina)

At the time of this writing, the Hermitage community is, with all the Church, at the beginning of Holy Week—preparing for Easter. By the time you read this, the Triduum will have been celebrated, and we will all be basking in the uncreated light of the resurrected Christ.

I usually offer a reflection on a particular scriptural passage in this column, but this time I want to offer a different perspective on this rich process of embracing Scripture that we call lectio divina.

Lectio divina is a whole-person experience. We read and ponder the words of Scripture, but there is more to the Word than just the words themselves. The mystery goes deeper than words– lying underneath, behind, inside them. There are powerful movements, pervasive insights that we can access by attending to the emotional and bodily responses we have to the encounter with Scripture.

Our responses can range from subtle to profound as we confront love, betrayal, resolve, painful awareness of weakness, rejection, doubt, joy, hope, peace. Our quiet receptivity can allow these memories and emotions to wash over us, and our whole-person responses help the deepest aspects of the Word become real and alive to us.

Lectio divina is encounter; it is experience. On the far side of the words, too deep for words, God awaits us.contemplation.com ~ 3

Bruno Barnhart wrote “On the Big Sur Coast” ten years ago. Chris Lorenc re-found and quoted from the reflection in a eulogy for Bruno. And when Pico Iyer read Bruno’s essay, he “felt as I did the first time I set foot in New Camaldoli: I’d come home at last, to what I ought to be.” We’re providing the text of Bruno’s “On the Big Sur Coast” for you now— together with a foreword by Chris and an afterword by Pico.

“You must go to the edge to find the center,” some of us were reminded not long ago at the Hermitage.

And perhaps there’s no place on earth so famed as an edge as the wild coast of Big Sur. But it’s not enough to visit. You must stay awhile. You must stay long enough.

But it’s a tenet of local lore that a person doesn’t really choose to live in Big Sur. Rather it’s the place that chooses you. (Or chooses to cast you back out again.) Because you’re likely to run head-on into yourself here if you do anything more than accept a safe-transit pass to travel down the Highway 1 corridor. There’s even a specific literary genre related to this that one might call “on first seeing (or encountering) the coast.” And Jaime de Angulo, Robinson Jeffers, and Henry Miller each wrote his own variation on this theme. But many or maybe even most of us have written our own variation on this theme as well whether we’ve thought of that theme as being “on first seeing the coast” or instead

as being “on first coming to the Hermitage.” And whether we’ve actually written that account or instead spoken it to friends is beside the point because even when the accounts are written there’s a quality of oral literature about them. They’re mythic and immediate. On one hand they’re personal and idiosyncratic while on the other hand they arise out of a common sense of wonder. And so they’re largely origination stories. Whose origin? Oftentimes our own.

While Bruno’s reflection on the Big Sur coast doesn’t describe itself as a “first” seeing of the coast, it’s a first seeing or true seeing or a lifetime of seeing nonetheless. And what it shares with the genre at large is that while its perspective seems in some respects in retrospect it’s actually more an evocation. And an evocation that doesn’t stand still. An evocation forward.

Bruno was an historical thinker and as he would point out himself he had more of a Teilhardian focus on evolutionary possibilities in the future than he had active concern for the preservation of nature or wilderness values on their own terms in the present. For instance, the one aspect of Bede Griffin’s thinking that gave him pause was what he perceived as Bede’s romanticizing of rural non-industrial village life—whether in the Cotswolds or Tamil Nadu. And so even though Bruno had given me a typescript draft of “The Big Sur Coast” ten years ago, when I fell upon it again at the time of his death I was as surprised as if I had never seen it before. There is certainly a looking forward or a pitch forward in consciousness here but at the same time there’s also an in-place or at-home mysticism. Bruno read (and delighted in) poetry much more than he wrote poetry himself. But here’s Bruno the poet. Here’s an introvert who reminds us what we feel when we walk underneath these stars ourselves. Bruno’s friend Br. David Steindl-Rast corrects the assumption that mysticism is an occult art or science reserved for only a few. Rather it’s our common birthright because as Br. David says what we call mysticism arises from our own experiences of deepest belonging whether those experiences have been infrequent or sustained.

And it helps to be reminded. In distraction and isolation (isolation as opposed to solitude) we forget ourselves.

FOREWORDChris Lorenc

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Once you have really entered the world that is called Big Sur, down that wild, winding, stretch of Highway One, you may become aware that you have reached the

world’s steep edge where mysteries that have long lain hidden under layers of routine and habit are suddenly opened to view. The earth’s crust is broken off abruptly to reveal inner wonders, coming forth and dancing before you in the bright still air. It is as if secrets long concealed, sacred things, are suddenly disclosed, and you wonder whether they should not be covered up again, shielded from indifferent eyes. You wonder if this can continue for longer than a moment. And it does continue—for miles—as you make your way along the highway.

Here is the growing edge of the world, the tip of history as it moves West; to travel westward any further is to come to some end, where you suddenly return to the East, to the beginning. And so we find here especially an encounter with the ancient religions of the East, the spiritual traditions of the Beginning—“your original face before you were born.” But mostly we find new things here, the new movements, the new religions, the New Age. Here on the Pacific Coast—and especially the Big Sur Coast—flourished for awhile the bright, fragile blossoms of the 1960’s. In the bright air of this Pacific Paradise, a fresh hope easily awakens and grows in the heart. For some the edge of the continent has meant the end of the road, their last hope. Maybe for mid-Americans—Possibility—that unbounded dream has always lain far to the West of home, in California, and here that possibility seems to magnify exponentially.

Sunsets at this point on the earth’s sphere are often spectacular, as the sky fills with color, the rose-robed clouds surrounding the great golden globe of the sun in its ritual descent into the sea. People will often pull their cars to the side of Highway One and stand gazing out at its glory for a long time, as if they had been suddenly called to witness the final, conclusive act of cosmic drama.

If you stand on a coastal high point in the evening, when It has become dark, you may be treated to a breathtaking astronomical exhibition. By some magic, the complexities and trivialities of earthly reality have been swept away, and you are at the center of a conversation of heavenly bodies in a different, nearly metaphysical world, a theatre of ultimate simplicities. Yet the simplicity is that of primal beauty. The moon has come so close that you can nearly reach out and touch its cool, luminous face, and you are suddenly a privileged cosmologist free in space. Wordless, you note these unearthly wonders, this intimacy of luminous bodies.

Summer brings people and traffic to Big Sur, of course. But the magnificence is not shy, it does not withdraw from this more public display. And the people are respectful, often becoming quiet as the wonder embraces and hushes them. Visually, it is the magnitude itself that gently reduces people to the little figures in a vast landscape painting. Summer is the season in which the spell seems to approach an impossible maximum, when the already fully opened blossom of beauty seems to go further. It is a dangerous time; in this summer air of the Big Sur

THE BIG SUR COAST —Sixty Miles of Music to the EyeFr. Bruno Barnhart, OSB Cam.

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coast you can seem to be immortal and omnipotent; out of a normally sane group of people become hopeless voyeurs a safe driver—without a trace of racing blood—must be designated.

Human life tends towards flatness and routine, a deadly law of gravitation brings us inevitably down from our peaks and eminences; our emotional and intellectual and spiritual mountain tops. Life be-comes, if we allow it to, an endless plain without real height or depth, and so without meaning. There are those times, then, when the vertical lightning shaft cuts through our lethargy and the world’s monotony and touches us, and a few of these moments have changed us permanently and will never be forgotten. And there are places where the earth itself has been suddenly cut as by a laser of lightning, intersected by some more-than-natural vertical force so that the place has become strangely wonderful, unforgettable, sacred in a unique way. Here the vacationer may awaken to find herself a pilgrim.

The stunning self-revelation of nature speaks of more than itself, however. It reflects back to us the magni-tudes and nobilities, expanses and depth, brilliances and sources of light that dwell within the human spir-it. And so we may be called to a further pilgrimage, to some inner country that we have not yet seen. There are possible diversions and dangers as well. The sheer overwhelming beauty of nature in some special place may allow us to conclude that the kingdom of heaven is already present, and to become passive dwellers in a paradise that quickly begins to fade around us. Within us, however, is to be discovered a free, imaginative power which has been given us so we can actually bring forth the beginning of a new creation. And the beauty of this nature which is ever fresh—ever newly cleansing itself as if in the spring of an imperishable morning—the warmth of this sum-

mer air that sets free an unspeakable hope in our hearts, is the promise of another summer toward which we are invited to look: a summer that will, at last, permeate the whole of us—body and soul—as we burst into an undying bloom.

When first I encountered Bruno’s spacious, wonder-lit hymn of praise for his Big Sur perch, only a few days after his death, I felt as I did the first time I set foot in New Camaldoli: I’d come home at last, to what I ought to be. As he writes, with such undistracted, heart-lifting lyricism, the whole of the Big Sur coastline is graced with a sense of being out of time that can make one feel one’s moving through a world of alle-gory.

Rock, water, towering tree are the protagonists in the landscape, and whenever I’m in that enchanted space, I feel as if I’m back in Greece, with its wild, elemental starkness, its sense of gods imminent and everywhere (no surprise that Henry Miller, after roaming across the sacred places of the Aegean, came to settle in Big Sur, to ponder its still horizons and immensities).

Yet what Bruno is too (characteristically) shy and mod-est to say in his beautiful essay is that the particular spell and radiance of the whole stretch of coastline comes to a point, even an apex, at New Camaldoli. The sense of beauty, of abundance, of possibility that flood the air from Ragged Point to Carmel Highlands arrive at a focus—in fact, find meaning—in the chapel on the hill, and the vision that spreads out from it.

The Golden State as a whole has always evoked free-dom, blue-sky thinking, even intimations of the divine. But what give them substance are what you might call the three “D’s: discipline, devotion and direction. The minute I arrived in New Camaldoli, more than a quarter of a century ago, I felt that it was offering not promise, but confirmation. Not a pretty idea, but real-est life.

The monks were laboring from the pre-dawn hours till after dusk each day, and it was that labor that under-wrote the calm we visitors feel; they knew what they served and obeyed, and it took a physical form, in the

FOLLOW THE LIGHTPico Iyer

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chapel; they did not chatter about some Paradise in the future, but rather did what they could, right here and now, to make kindness and clarity palpable, and vital.

When I met Father Bruno’s words, just after his body left us, his patient voice and searching gaze jumped back at me, reminding us not of what might be, but of what is. Not presuming too much, not claiming that this is Heaven (only its reflection), not seeing himself as above those drivers along the coast, but simply drawing the circle of the enclosure out into the world.Those of us who visit the Hermitage are always walk-ing a few steps behind that white-bearded, light-see-ing lover of mysteries.

From the pages of Vita Monastica

Fr. Thomas Matus, OSB Cam.

The following lines are from an 18th-century manu-script in the archives of our mother-house in Italy: a series of meditations by an unknown author who was a member of the Camaldolese order. You might suppose that this “Anonymous Camaldolese” was a learned nun, who didn’t dare sign her own name but entrusted her writings to a monk of Camaldoli, her confessor or spiritual director. These meditations were published in Vita Monastica in the 1950s and then as a small book in 1965.

My soul, let us love this dear God more and more and more. Love itself will make your love increase, because the more you love, the more love itself will make you ready for God’s grace. Grace will then enlighten the mind, so that you will realize God’s beauty and great flames will make your love burn with passion for this beauty.

My heart, love the One who alone is worth loving. Love, my heart, lest you suffer the hardening that the Bible speaks of: “A stubborn heart is weighted down with troubles” [Ecclesiasticus 3:27]. My heart, let us love God without limit. You must know that one single act of love aimed at God, be it for a fraction of a second, will make grace grow in you and will intensify your friendship toward God and increase the infused virtues in you, together with all the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

O my God, my infinite good, so dear and lovable, hear me now. Are you not truly mine, and is not all that is yours also mine? So, since you are mine, I offer you all that I am. The love that is in me is the love by which you love yourself from all eter-nity – even this is mine. I mean to love you with this same love, to love you unceasingly, in every moment, even if I sleep or am distracted and far from you in my weakness. I mean to love you to the very end without end, for all time to come, to be with you in glory for all eternity. This is my hope, dear God, so dear that I cannot ever tell, O my God.

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INCARNATION MONASTERYFr. Arthur Poulin, OSB Cam.

As I write this, we are basking in the joy of Easter and the new life of the Risen Christ! This is also reflected in the beauty of springtime in Berkeley and the Bay Area after the much-needed blessing of abundant rains during winter. God is good!

We also give thanks for an enriching Lenten season with well-attended liturgies, especially during the Paschal Triduum which culminated in a festive potluck banquet on Easter Sunday. Tuesday nights during Lent were devoted to Lectio Divina, which focused on the forthcoming gospel of Sunday. In February, Sr. Barbara Green, OP. offered a morning retreat entitled “Family Reunion: Catching up with Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel.” In March, Nicole Pagano took us on a “Lenten Journey with Dante’s Divine Comedy.” Oblates Marty Badgett and Bill McLennan offered two Lenten Silent Retreats during February and March which were helpful preparations for Lent and Holy Week. In April, Marty and Billy will also be offering a four-week course entitled “Introduction to Centering Prayer.” We look forward to Robert Hale’s retreat April 16th on “The Prayer of the Heart Today.” On May 28th, Thomas Matus will offer a morning retreat entitled “Cosmic Consciousness, Ecological Conscience.”

Other news: we are happy to announce that Ivan published his first book in English Journey of Faith, Journey of the Universe. The book signing that was hosted by our friends at SAT (School of Applied Theology at St. Albert’s Priory in Oakland) was well attended by a very enthusiastic crowd. Bravo, Ivan!

We wish all of you a Joyous and Blessed Easter season. Christ is truly Risen – Alleluia!

through his ministry of music, inter-religious dialogue and contemplative practice.

“Ron and I are filled with love for the monks, the workers, the beautiful peaceful land, sea and sky, and the people that we meet while working in the bookstore.

“We pray that New Camaldoli Hermitage continues for generations as a place of contemplation and respite for all.”

We are extremely grateful to Mary Pat and Ron for all that they do for the Hermitage, and for including us in this lovely celebration.

I am personally grateful for the many new friends I have made at the Hermitage over the past several months. My time spent with the fellow staff, monks, retreatants and oblates has been a delight. It is wonderful to share this beautiful place as well as the surrounding area of the Big Sur coast with everyone. The weather has been challenging this winter, causing rock slides, mudslides and occasionally up-rooting a tree, but following every rainstorm is a beautiful day like the photo below taken on my drive into work.

A special thank you to Debi Lorenc, a new contributing editor to the New Camaldoli Hermitage Newsletter. Debi is an oblate of San Vincenzo al Volturno in Italy and a long-time friend of the Hermitage who brings a wealth of experience in graphic design. Debi and her husband Chris, who also helps edit the newsletter, share their time between Big Sur and San José. We thank them both for volunteering their time to the Hermitage and their contributions to the newsletter.

I hope that you will find the time to visit the Hermitage during the spring or summer. Please feel free to contact me if you are planning a trip to the Hermitage; I would love to meet you. Jill@contemplation.com831-667-2456 x 114

DEVELOPMENTSNew Camaldoli rang in the new year with exciting beginnings of its own, most notably the completion

of the new private hermit-ages. Sophia, Logos and Doxa in their new iteration have already welcomed guests, all of whom have appreciated the greater comfort and the

continuing quiet that the new accommodations offer.

Many donors made this important renovation possible; we are grateful to them and to Veronica

Chang who provided the beautiful contemporary furnishings for all the new hermitages.

On March 5th longtime friends of the Hermitage Mary Pat and Ron George hosted a beautiful event at Castoro Winery in Paso Robles in honor of Mary Pat’s 60th birthday, which included a benefit concert for New Camaldoli. Father Cyprian performed during the concert, which was attended by over 80 family members and friends of the Georges. Ron and Mary Pat have been coming to the Hermitage since they were first married 35 years ago. They happened upon the Hermitage while traveling up the coast in their Jeep, saw the cross at the bottom of the road, and headed up the hill. Mary Pat states, “I

immediately knew, heading up the driveway that I was home: became an Oblate years later.

“As youth and music minister for the teens at St. William’s, Ron and I would bring our youth group up for day visits

to the Hermitage. Or we would camp at Placket Creek and caravan to Mass and Vespers. Many of the young adults who attended the birthday party/benefit were involved in those trips. They tell us that their lives have been enhanced and enriched by the contemplative experiences that they have been exposed to. Fr. Cyprian has come to our youth retreats, connecting with the teens and young adults

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MONASTERY OF THE RISEN CHRIST

Fr. Daniel Manger, OSB Cam.

This Lent at the Monastery of the Risen Christ has been a rich season for the monks in ministry. Father Stephen has preached a number of retreats, engaged in parish renewal in Arizona, visited our Oblate com-munities in both southern and northern California, and kept up with the monastic hospitality ministry and preaching here.

Father Ray offered a program entitled ‘Healing the Family Tree’ at St. William’s in Atascadero and on-site here at the monastic chapel. He celebrated several healing Masses which have touched many.

The labyrinth has now been completed with the help of Mary Pat and Ron George and a host of volunteers. People are already stopping by to use the labyrinth for walking meditation. Landscaping and outdoor signage have yet to be completed, but we look forward to a dedication ceremony with the Prior later in the spring.

A QR (“quick response” barcode) now has been estab-lished for the labyrinth, Stations of the Cross and the Celtic High Cross, enabling people to go directly from their smartphones to our website for information. Thanks to Mary Maloney for this idea.

Oblate Patti Tackett donated a wonderful display case, a coffee maker and a small CD player for our book-store. We are grateful for her support.

Good news on our water supply: God has granted much needed rain to our region. Once again we have a flowing spring to supply the water we need; many of the ranchers and farmers in the area have been given renewed hope for the coming growing season. The Lord continues to sustain us; we are very grateful for all who support us here at Monastery of the Risen Christ. Praise be to Jesus Risen!

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Rich Veum

Having made frequent retreats at the Hermitage, Rich was delighted when the position of bookstore manager became available in late 2013. Soon after he was hired for that job, he took on an additional role as business manager.

Rich’s previous employment with Amazon.com in Seattle and with a biotech business development firm in Santa Cruz has given him a wealth of experience in marketing, business development, strategic planning, e-commerce, and business systems. He serves on the Hermitage’s financial advisory board, oversees and manages the New Camaldoli website, and is responsible for housekeeping and bookstore staffing. He also works closely with guest reservations on hospitality issues, including tracking guest evaluations and ratings following guests’ visits.

Rich is a physical fitness buff, currently training for the Big Sur Marathon in April. He enjoys back-country hiking, bee-keeping and woodworking. The fruits of Rich’s hobbies—“hermitage honey” and one-of-a-kind crosses made from salvaged wood—can be seen and purchased in the Hermitage Bookstore. A California native, Rich is the father of a beautiful daughter who lives in Washington. Rich supports the work of the National Kidney Foundation and also serves on the Big Sur Unified School District board.

When asked what he loves the most about being at the hermitage, Rick replies, “the spiritual nature of the

Hermitage, the natural beauty, the staff, and the monks.”

Rich’s coworkers describe him as a kind-hearted, enthusiastic, hard-working man who brings many gifts to the Hermitage. We are grateful to have Rich here.

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IN MEMORYOur sympathy to the family of Sharon Irving, a long-time volunteer of the Hermitage.

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LETTER FROM A FIRST-TIME RETREATANTKate Jenkins wrote this after her first visit to the Hermitage and agreed to let us print it in the newsletter: thank you, Kate!

Hello. I feel a bit out of place writing to you, but I wanted to try to describe how much my recent stay at New Camaldoli meant to me. First, thank you for being so ap-proachable: I liked that anyone is welcome to stay and there is no pressure to attend services and proselytizing. I could book on TripAdvisor and tell my coworkers and myself that I was staying overnight at a Benedictine mon-astery in Big Sur because it was much more affordable than other accommodation in the area and all I had to do was agree not to talk. It was a good cover story. I was se-cretly thrilled to have found you, but I am a tenuous and conflicted Christian even on my good days.

The drive along the Big Sur coast and up your long drive-way from the highway was so gorgeous that I couldn’t resist pulling over and sitting on every bench along the way to soak up the views. I walked into the bookstore and was greeted kindly. Everywhere I looked there were icons, music, books whose titles spoke to me. I loved that you had books that accommodated not-quite-Christian seekers, and interfaith dialogue, as well as having Catholic books on light and mercy and the lives of saints.

I opened a book with a Sufi quote whose gist was that both the practiced monk and a person like me feel the pain of separation from God. Following the thread of that yearning will lead you to your heart’s true home.

When I arrived at the Logos hermitage, I felt like I had won the lottery. I sat on the nearby bench and listened to sounds of the birds and the ocean waves far below. I felt the warm early evening sun and the slight breeze. I sat quietly, letting my mind fill with the beauty of this place and not the harsh stress and self-reprimands and endless to-do lists of “normal” life. I unclenched a bit.

I muddled my way through Vespers and sat with my mon-key-brain for the half hour of silent prayer and meditation that followed. Then I stepped outside to a night sky filled with the most brilliant stars I have ever seen. I looked back at the woman behind me and pointed up at the sky and she did a silent happy dance. I felt the same way. I saw a shooting star. I went back to my bench by my cottage and gazed and gazed and finally went to bed. I awoke around 3 a.m. to a bright light shining in the window and stepped outside. The moon had risen and filled the sky with a light

bright enough to cast moon-shadows. I sat on the patio with my blanket and that unearthly light and gazed and soaked some more.

The next morning, my mind was more settled. When my internal chatter started up I could

more easily say, “Not now. It’s not your turn,” and it sort of worked. I was still stunned by the beauty of the place in the morning light. I went for a walk – admiring trees and views and visiting benches along the way.

Maybe it was the absence of speaking. Maybe it was whatever it is that a view of a distant horizon does to the brain. Maybe it was the sound of the waves from over a thousand feet below. Maybe it was the sunlight. Maybe it was the pheromones breathed out by trees. Maybe it was the presence of God. Whatever it was, that place, and that morning in particular, made a deep imprint on me.

I went to Eucharist. It’s hard to explain why it touched me so deeply. Certainly the ritual and devoted reverence. Each of you spoke with such deep authentic tenderness and kindness. I have heard scripture readings and homi-lies before, but it was different hearing them in that place, from your mouths. There was a peace, a beauty, a stillness, a depth of compassion in that room that I find difficult to describe but that was embodied by all of you. When your leader put his hand on my forehead in blessing, and asked in that voice that the Spirit of God find me and dwell in me always, I felt as though there was nothing more I wanted more deeply in all the world.

I have felt that yearning before, many times, but my attempts to follow it have faltered. But in that moment it was very clear – my heart loves and yearns for God.

I wish I could have come up with some tidy way to wrap this all up. My brain wants a plan of action and a narrative that makes sense.

My heart wants to sit with this a while, and to savor the weekend and the feeling of being fed and nourished and listened to for once on many levels. It knows work and life craziness will return. But it also knows that this weekend was an outrageously generous gift from the universe that I cannot ignore. It was sheer luck that I even found your Hermitage, and an even bigger fluke that you had room for me in the recently re-opened Logos. Maybe it was a gift from a loving God who still reaches out to me even though I’m a complete muddle-head. My brain doubts it. My heart just sits with the mystery and is grateful and glad.

Thank you so much for welcoming me into your home.

contemplation.com ~ 11

The Cave and the Apophatic ReturnElliot Martin

Now that I have seen the light of day,the color of the grass, the ocean and its waves;Now that I have observed the sun as long as possible (For only a few seconds at max),I know that I must return to where I came.I must descendand release my friends from their chains,letting them see their shadows for what they are and giving them the chance to be free.But afterwards, I will keep going down,downwards further into the cave.I will further explore this place in all its mystery,feeling my way along its walls and through its many crevices.Some may lead back to the surface, in which case I will take note,joyfully breath again the salty air, then go back again into the deep.Perhaps, too, I will find there diamonds and old bones.I will examine these things then let them go, for they will not help me meet my goal.Eventually, no more light will reach me, everything will be dark.Closing my eyes or opening them will make no difference.Yet, I still stand on solid ground and know I am not yet where I want to be.So I continue moving downwards until water meets my feet.Now, I swim as the ground goes away beneath.And I sink, I sink, I sink;calmly, holding my breath, trusting that I will not die.

Oblate Column This is the first of a possibly regular column in this Newsletter regarding our Oblate family. The column is for Oblates themselves, those in the Postulant phase towards Oblation, and also for all those interested!

Oblates are those living in the “real world” but sharing in and living key elements of our Camaldolese spirituality. Monks and Oblates are an extended spiritual family bound deeply in Gospel love and spirituality. There is a short Oblate Rule that we propose in a flexible way, to be adapted to the particular situations of each; the text and accompanying pages of explanations can be found on our basic website www.contemplation.com. The main thing is a felt bond of spiritual friendship and commitment to mutual prayer with our New Camaldoli, or Incarnation Monastery, or Monastery of the Risen Christ communities.

Our Oblate family has grown over the decades, and now numbers some 700 members, from a wide range of ages and walks of life. Oblates are also spread throughout the world, especially in the U.S., but also in Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Some Oblates, especially of California, are able to visit one or another of our communities regularly, others sometimes, others with real difficulty, or even never. But the heart of the matter, again, is the spiritual bond of friendship and prayer.

We have several Oblate resources and means of communication, including this Newsletter, then periodic emails, then our New Camaldoli website, and an online discussion forum “Camoblate_Comm” (of the Yahoo Groups), and even an extensive, informative page on Facebook, with the title: “New Camaldoli Hermitage.” The chapter on Oblates found in our book The Privilege of Love: Camaldolese Benedictine Spirituality is very helpful. That chapter is coauthored by an Oblate, Jeffrey Spencer, and a monk, our Fr. Michael Fish. Several other books are also suggested. There is a Mentor program of experienced Oblates who are available to accompany new Oblates in their journey if they wish. All three monastic communities offer weekend preached retreats and quiet days, and one can check what is being offered currently and in the coming months on their websites. (The New Camaldoli website: www.contemplation.com. The Incarnation website: www.incarnationmonastery.org. The Monastery of the Risen Christ website: www.monasteryrisenchrist.com.) Oblates tend to relate more fully to one of the three U.S. communities, but are full-fledged Oblates, and welcomed as such in any of the three California communities, as well as at our Rome house, San Gregorio al Celio, our Motherhouse at Camaldoli, or our other houses in Italy, Brazil, India and Tanzania.

Please do pray for all of our Oblates and those in the Postulancy, and for our Camaldolese monks and nuns, and please do know of our ongoing prayer.

Robert Hale, OSB Cam.

12 ~ New Camaldoli Hermitage

ACTIVITIES AND VISITORSIn December…At the end of the month, the Hermitage community convened its first All-Camaldolese Chapter. The monks of the Monastery of the Risen Christ, the monks of Incarnation Monastery, and Fr. Michael Fish, who is residing in Santa Cruz, all joined the Hermitage community for discussion of our different houses and to plan for our combined futures.

In January…The monks had a three-day mini-retreat with lots of silence and private time.

Fr. Cyprian’s Advisory Board met with him. These friends and supporters gather yearly at the Hermitage to support Cyprian in his important leadership role.

Several students from a theology class at St. Mary’s College in Moraga came for an overnight visit and had conferences with a few of the monks.

Also during this month Br. Bede spent some time at Incar-nation Monastery helping out while Fr. Andrew was away.

Students from the World Religions class at Mount Ma-donna School came for a day trip and conference.

Cyprian attended and served as co-chair of the Abbots and Priors Workshop this year at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Covington, LA.

Br. Ivan came down from Incarnation Monastery and spent several days with us.

Br. Ignatius began his second semester at the Beda, the English Seminary in Rome where he is studying while living with our brothers at San Gregorio.

In February…Br. James came back for a visit to the Hermitage. He has been down with his family in Orange, CA, helping to care for his dad who has cancer. We all enjoyed having James back with us for the week.

At the beginning of Lent Fr. Raniero took an extended solitude retreat, just as he did last year. Wisely, he waited until the beginning of Lent so that he could enjoy our annual Mardi Gras evening the Tuesday before Lent. As usual, it was an outstanding experience!

For one of our Saturday chapters, Cyprian arranged for the Venerable Tenzin Chogya, a Tibetan nun, to be a

guest speaker. She presented on Braha Viharas – Four Immeasurable Virtues of the Buddhist tradition. The monks enjoyed her teaching and company, and we hope to have her back again.

Br. Isaac’s niece Kayleigh Meyers visited taking wonder-ful pictures of the monks as part of one of her visual arts classes. You can see these outstanding photos at our Assembly and Retreat gathering in July.

In March…Cyprian was very busy: he offered a day of prayer for the religious of the Monterey diocese, participated in fund-raising events for the Hermitage in Palo Alto and Paso Robles, and then gave a retreat to the IHM community in Santa Barbara.

Fr. Robert visited Incarnation for a few days this month.

We ended Lent with a Quiet Day and our annual pen-ance service, followed by a marvelous Triduum and Easter celebration with Michael Fish and James home, and the brothers from Monastery of the Risen Christ with us as well. Our Bishop Emeritus Sylvester Ryan joined us, presiding over to the Easter Vigil where he initiated two catechumens (as well as helping us to color Easter eggs).

PREACHED RETREATS SCHEDULEApril 17-19 I Have Come to Cast Fire on the Earth”: Praying with Teilhard de Chardin.Fr. Stephen Coffey, OSB, This retreat will be based on elected portions of Mass on the World by Jesuit mystic and scientist Pierre Teil-hard de Chardin. It will consider connections between Teilhard’s spirituality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, AND the Incarnation and the Eucharistic.

May 15–17Spirituality and PersonhoodBr. Bede Healey

July 8-10 Vocations Retreat: Come and See!Fr. Cyprian Consiglio, Fr. Raniero Hoffman, andBr. Bede HealeyThis retreat is for those between 18-30 years old, and will be an exploration of your life path through talks, group discussions and individual conversations with the monks. This is an opportunity to spend time considering your future vocation (the animating spirit calling out to you) – whether that future vocation might be religious life, marriage, or priesthood. Scholarships are available.