My Absence

To the few people that keep up with my blog I must seem to drop off the face of the earth for a few days at a time. When I got serious about blogging, I did it every day just to get into the habit. Now that I have the habit I'm reluctant to blog unless I have something interesting or important to say. To continue saying that this blog serves as my spiritual journal simply no longer works for me I am ever more hesitant to put before public eyes the inner life of my soul on a daily basis.

Recently I was asked to write a brochure for the Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani to be put in the guesthouse library at the Abbey. You can imagine how flattering that was, and how seriously I took the task. The difference between writing a brochure to contain all the benefits you will receive from "X" product, and the entirely subjective experience of a religious call, is too vast for comparison.

Also, I've undertaken the work of providing a small section for the LCG newsletter, looking into the foundation documents of the Cistercian Order, and what the nature of the documents tell about the men who wrote them. The project is an going series of articles about the significance of these documents for the modern day Lay Cistercian. There is plenty. And, it can be told without being a boring trip down Dreary Lane.

l have spent a significant amount of time studying and reflecting on the documents. First, we'll tackle the Exordium Parvum, and then the Charter of Charity, finally, turn to the Exordium Cistercii. Then I suppose it would be on to the Exordium program written by Michael Casey, OCSO. The point is that I have undertaken this work to keep my word to my brother and sister Lay Cistercians, so that it all may be given to the glory of God.

I'm really excited to do this. May God bless my efforts.