Dialog, reading, meditation, serious study, consultation, thinking and turning over various alternatives are habitual with us at St. Benedict's Farm, believing as we do that the Truth, that is, the Word of God is best made plain that way. Sifting and sorting by way of seeking the truth is fundamental to our way of life. We are convinced that even when the truth is 'against us,' so to speak, it cannot but be for us in the end. But we must be patient, even as the saying has it: "The truth, though crushed to earth, will rise supreme." Our journey to Truth is sometimes tortuous and painstaking. And often it is humiliating and embarrassing. Once in awhile it is glorious. We trust and believe this is our straightest road to God.
Dialog is not "an option" at St. Benedict's Farm, but a hallmark of our life. We demand first, of ourselves, and then of those who walk with us, that we always be both open to it and willing to engage in it. We practice it in twos and threes, as a community, silently in prayer, and constantly, as we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" -- the word of God.
We daily seek the Word, as it lies "near us, on our lips & in our hearts"; we seek it in the mind of the community. We search it out in the Fathers of the Church, and in the Bible, our road map to heaven and to God. We read Scripture aloud at each of our main meals, we read, discuss and endeavor to share it with others.
We have also used this gift over the years to help bridge the
gap between Christians of different traditions. For 25 years,
we sponsored a monthly dialog between Catholic and Protestant
ministers. Each year, we have organized a local ecumenical
service to bring Christians together in a prayer & fellowship
setting. This has been very much for us, a two-way blessing.
An Invitation to Dialog
As we approach the Millennium, many Christians dream
of a unified Christian Church. In the spirit of that
dream, we announce a new offensive at St. Benedict’s
Farm "to continue the dialog." To this end, we have begun a quarterly series of Prayer Breakfasts, beginning in April of 1999. All together, we had four such meetings here last year, all stimulating, all productive. Our first get together this year took place late in February, and our next one, May 8th, 2000. A report of our last session is printed below..
Bible Brunch At St. Benedict's Farm
Monday, August 20, 2001, 9:30 am
Prayer/Study Texts:Numbers 11:24-30; Psalm 1:1-3; Romans 8:22-27; John 3:1-8
What makes a good prayer?
Monday, August 20, 2001: The Feast of St. Bernard, the day of our Bible Brunch. When just three individuals show up for our ecumenical study, discussion and prayer, I say, "It is as easy for the Lord to save with a few as with many." On hand are Gene Findeisen and Pastor J R Westerfield of Zion Lutheran Church , Moulton, and Marilyn Price, who belongs to the Episcopal Church in Gonzales. Good thing Marilyn made it, as she not only brought her granddaughter, Noel, but the main course of our Brunch, an egg & potato casserole, as well!
We began our discussion on "What make's a good prayer?" by saying, "If any of you have a problem with the way Catholics pray, now is the time to bring it up." Before it was all over they had accepted our invitation, and did air out several problems with "the way Catholics pray." We discussed indulgences (remember them!), the Treasury of Merit, and prayers to Mary and the saints.
Recalling (and lamenting) the pitiful state of affairs in Luther's day, we launched into a noble effort to "explain" indulgences. The bottom line: They simply do not play a part in most contemporary Catholics' lives. We are so far distant from the canonical penances of the Middle Ages, an 'indulgence' from them seems makes no sense to moderns. The Treasury of Merit is a medieval practice that likewise mystifies contemporary Catholics. It has been virtually lost from our vocabulary.
With respect to prayer to the saints, LaClaire brought forth the divine office of the day for the feast of St. Bernard. Typically, on such occasions, the Church asks God for the intercession of the saint! And the prayer ends, "in the name of Jesus." "All intercessory prayer is a little mysterious," John offered, "but all has its roots in our common identity in Christ, 'whether Jew or Greek.' When Moses begged God to 'remember his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob' -- in a certain sense -- he was 'praying in the name of Jesus.' When we ask one of the saints, either in heaven or on earth, for prayer, we are asking God to remember his covenant with Jesus and his Body -- the new People of God."We considered other "problems" with prayer: The charismatic who claims you haven't prayed until you have spoken in tongues, the repititious "Jesus prayer," the repetitive prayer, such as the Rosary. Also, lectio divina -- divine reading -- a practice of reading Scripture and letting prayer flow from the meditation. "The key ingredient to 'a good prayer,'" we decided, "is that vital inner touch the soul makes with its Creator. It can come in the rosary, the Jesus prayer, the liturgy, the Our Father, a wordless contact, a meditation ...or when you least expect it." Form does neither generates nor inhibits this vital touch. It comes from the gift of the Spirit, who prays "with unutterable groanings within," and who "breathes where he wills." Sincerity and honesty are our all-important contributions. Adios.