THE SECRET TO A BALANCED LIFE ~~~ LITURGY, LECTIO, LABOR

In a world that seems at times to be spinning out of control there exists a place apart where life is simple, focused and down to earth.  In this refuge, one can hear the silence, touch the solitude and listen with the ear of the heart. And the best thing about it is that it is forever. Unlike a costly vacation to Aruba perhaps, where the peace advertised is for a space of time only, the monastic life offers a peace that is not an escape but a return to reality; to that real world for which the human heart was first created.  In the cacophony of today’s society the heart is often deafened to the voice of God. In monastic life, one is led out into the desert where there is no place to hide and therefore we can find our true selves in God.  The horizons stretch as far as the eye can see, allowing hearts to expand on the journey towards the God who has called us to follow Him. The wide open spaces overflow with the freedom found only when one is brought home to the Heart of Jesus.

The Cistercian way of life is lived on the three principles of Liturgy, Lectio and Labor. It is the living out of the Gospel in a love that is uncluttered, selfless, and yet always nourished by the desire for more. More of what? Of God.  After all, there is a part of the human heart made for Him and Him alone and as St. Augustine has said, “Our hearts are restless, O God, until they rest in you”.

LITURGY ~

It is in the liturgy that we experience the joy that is ours in being given the privilege and responsibility of praying the Divine Office, the official and ancient prayer of the Church.  Seven times a day we gather to “sing unto the Lord”.  The first office of the day which is Vigils, begins shortly after three in the morning with the words, “O Lord, open my lips.” The last office of the day known as Compline completes the monastic day with the words of the final blessing, “May almighty God grant us a peaceful night and a happy death.” It is between these verses of prayer that the nun lives out her daily life. I once heard it said that when we pray the psalms we pray with a thousand year old heart as these are the very psalms that Jesus Himself prayed. And it is in this ancient prayer of the Church that the waters of grace flow to cleanse, refresh and sometimes flood the soul. All prayer reaches toward the center which is Eucharist, the moment of deepest communion with Jesus.

LECTIO ~

Lectio Divina or Sacred Reading is a great monastic practice and is central to monastic life. It is done daily. It is never finished. It never becomes old nor can it ever be put aside or replaced with something else. Lectio Divina is the prayerful pondering of the Word of God ~ that Word that is so mysterious, powerful, purifying, fruitful and life-giving. It is the food and drink of the nun. Without it the heart and soul of the nun languishes, dries up and starves to death.  Lectio is the door through which we allow God to enter into a place deep within us where He already is; where He is already waiting for us. In other words, Lectio brings us into the depths of our own heart.  Vastly different from the kind of reading that skims a page for information or leisurely reads a novel for pleasure, in Lectio Divina we read slowly, attentively, so that we savor the Word. It is as if we are trying to hear His voice, look into His eyes, see His smile. It is leaning into Him, laying our head against His chest with our ear to His heart listening for His heartbeat. Lectio Divina does not come to a grinding halt when the book is closed but continues moving forward, bringing us with it as we move throughout our day, and we in turn carry the Word with us to whatever task is at hand and person we encounter.

LABOR ~

As the nun lives in community so does she work in community. It is important to realize that in maintaining a healthy monastic life the place of work is essential. Not only does it steady one in the midst of daily life but it allows us the privilege of being in union with the poor. Work teaches us to not only find God in all our actions but helps us to recognize that He is already present as we take our place along side those who struggle to earn a living. One learns that God comes while sweeping the floor and weeding the garden, in caring for the sick and the elderly, teaching the novices and shearing the sheep. Work in the monastery can vary from making chocolate, answering the door/phone and all the other simple activities that help keep the monastery functioning as a family.

Regardless of what one is engaged in at any given moment, Liturgy, Lectio, Labor all is given for the same purpose; the greater honor and glory of the God Who first loved us and gave Himself for us. The contemplative strives towards a life that sees all through the eyes of Jesus, hears all with the listening heart of Jesus. Each of us has only one life to live. To live it for others in a way of life that is hidden in the heart of the Church is to answer the call of Jesus that is as ancient as the rising of the sun, as new as each morning’s dew and as precious as the gift each person is before God.

Sister Katie McNamara                                                                                                                                                                                                                    5/17/10