Tag Archives: renewal

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Pilgrimage to a Monastery

A few weeks ago, I traveled with seven women from my church to Safford, Arizona, 165 miles southeast of Phoenix. There we visited St. Paisius Serbian Orthodox Monastery (a women’s monastery).

I had never been to a monastery, and was so nervous about going. I had no idea what to expect or what would be expected of me. But, as soon as I arrived and was greeted by two of the nuns, I fell in love with it. I love it so much that I’d like to go back once a year if possible.

My husband, Michael, interviewed me about the experience in his Sunday school class. I thought I would share this interview with you. Just click on the play button. (It’s 29 minutes long):

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Here are a few snapshots of my visit. These, plus the interview, should give you a sense of how special my visit was.

We arrived at the monastery in the pitch-black of night. We entered through this gate, though it was too dark that night to see it.

We were taken to our guest house, a “hogan” built after a Navajo traditional home. It was one very large room, lined with nine beds all around the perimeter,  a fireplace in the middle of the room, and a small kitchen and bathroom off the back.


“… She also rises while it is yet night…” Prov. 31:15

Every morning we walked in the pitch-black quietness of the morning to the church. We gathered silently for prayer and for worship. It was a tiny taste of heaven. Most church services I’ve been to are noisy, full of chatter and hustle-bustle. The services at St. Paisius were quiet. Serene. Focused on the One true God. Not on us, but on Him. It was the perfect environment to remember that He is God and we are not. I need that.

When it was time to call everyone to the church, one of the nuns would walk around the church, rhythmically striking the wooden Semantron. (The Semantron predates the bell. Some say it was introduced by Noah. It’s used to call people to prayer or to a procession.)

The interior of the church is simple and beautiful. The church is less than a year old, so there is still more to add, but the hand carved woodwork from Romania was stunning. The acoustics inside this stone church were amazing. I would love to come back someday and record the nuns singing. Their soft, angelic voices reverberated throughout the church and drew our hearts and minds to worship.

These are the benches I spoke about in the interview. The people stand for the majority of the services. Some of the services can be quite long, so it’s perfectly acceptable to sit or lean when one gets tired. (Standing is done out of respect for the King and in honor of the Resurrection.)

This building was directly across from the church and is where we had our meals. This is also where the nuns live. Notice the gorgeous mountains in the background. The monastery sits in a “bowl” surrounded by mountains on three sides. The desert has it’s own unique beauty and majesty.

Two of the afternoons we had the privilege of being instructed by Fr. Dorotheos. He is a monk and the spiritual father to the St. Paisius community. One of his joys is to meet the guests and make himself available for questions, instruction and even personal counseling. He wanted to make sure that when we left the monastery, we not only took with us our wonderful experiences, but also left with “tools” to help us fight the “unseen warfare” we encounter every day. His instructions were very practical and came from his heart and life experience.

Monasteries in the desert have a long and rich tradition in Christianity, dating back to the 3rd century. It’s quite sobering to think that we were participating in a tradition of worship and monasticism that is over eighteen centuries old! What a gift.

I hope you enjoy the interview. To God be the glory.

Question: Have you ever wanted to visit a monastery or a convent?

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Who was Saint Patrick Anyway?

A couple of days ago I posted a very famous prayer by Saint Patrick. If you had never read the complete prayer perhaps you recognized a portion of it.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise.

This man knew what it was to abide in Christ. Below is a little bit about the life of Saint Patrick. His devotion to the Holy Trinity, his sacrificial love for people, and his battle against the blatant paganism of his day not only changed the British Isles, but changed the world forever. It’s no wonder that 1500 years after his death, his life and his words still resonate in our hearts. May we be forever inspired and changed by his example as well.

The Life of Saint Patrick: The Enlightner of Ireland
Commemorated on March 17

Saint Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland was born around 385, the son of Calpurnius, a Roman decurion (an official responsible for collecting taxes). He lived in the village of Bannavem Taberniae, which may have been located at the mouth of the Severn River in Wales. The district was raided by pirates when Patrick was sixteen, and he was one of those taken captive. He was brought to Ireland and sold as a slave, and was put to work as a herder of swine on a mountain identified with Slemish in Co. Antrim. During his period of slavery, Patrick acquired a proficiency in the Irish language which was very useful to him in his later mission.

He prayed during his solitude on the mountain, and lived this way for six years. He had two visions. The first told him he would return to his home. The second told him his ship was ready. Setting off on foot, Patrick walked two hundred miles to the coast. There he succeeded in boarding a ship, and returned to his parents in Britain.

Some time later, he went to Gaul and studied for the priesthood at Auxerre under St. Germanus (commemorated on July 31). Eventually, he was consecrated as a bishop, and was entrusted with the mission to Ireland, succeeding St. Palladius (commemorated on July 7). St Palladius did not achieve much success in Ireland. After about a year he went to Scotland, where he died in 432.

Patrick had a dream in which an angel came to him bearing many letters. Selecting one inscribed “The Voice of the Irish,” he heard the Irish entreating him to come back to them.

Although St. Patrick achieved remarkable results in spreading the Gospel, he was not the first or only missionary in Ireland. He arrived around 432 (though this date is disputed), about a year after St. Palladius began his mission to Ireland. There were also other missionaries who were active on the southeast coast, but it was St. Patrick who had the greatest influence and success in preaching the Gospel of Christ. Therefore, he is known as “The Enlightener of Ireland.”

His autobiographical Confession tells of the many trials and disappointments he endured. Patrick had once confided to a friend that he was troubled by a certain sin he had committed before he was fifteen years old. The friend assured him of God’s mercy, and even supported Patrick’s nomination as bishop. Later, he turned against him and revealed what Patrick had told him in an attempt to prevent his consecration. Many years later, Patrick still grieved for his dear friend who had publicly shamed him.

St. Patrick founded many churches and monasteries across Ireland, but the conversion of the Irish people was no easy task. There was much hostility, and he was assaulted several times. He faced danger, and insults, and he was reproached for being a foreigner and a former slave. There was also a very real possibility that the pagans would try to kill him. Despite many obstacles, he remained faithful to his calling, and he baptized many people into Christ.

The saint’s Epistle to Coroticus is also an authentic work. In it he denounces the attack of Coroticus’ men on one of his congregations. The Breastplate (Lorica) is also attributed to St. Patrick. In his writings, we can see St. Patrick’s awareness that he had been called by God, as well as his determination and modesty in undertaking his missionary work. He refers to himself as “a sinner,” “the most ignorant and of least account,” and as someone who was “despised by many.” He ascribes his success to God, rather than to his own talents: “I owe it to God’s grace that through me so many people should be born again to Him.”

By the time he established his episcopal See in Armargh in 444, St. Patrick had other bishops to assist him, many native priests and deacons, and he encouraged the growth of monasticism.

St. Patrick is often depicted holding a shamrock, or with snakes fleeing from him. He used the shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. Its three leaves growing out of a single stem helped him to explain the concept of one God in three Persons.

St. Patrick died on March 17, 461 (some say 492). There are various accounts of his last days, but they are mostly legendary. Muirchu says that no one knows the place where St. Patrick is buried. St. Columba of Iona (commemorated on June 9) says that the Holy Spirit revealed to him that Patrick was buried at Saul, the site of his first church. A granite slab was placed at his traditional grave site in Downpatrick in 1899.

Source

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I Arise Today: How Saint Patrick Greeted His Day

I don’t know about you, but the way I greet the morning sets the tone for my entire day. I can either begin the day with a sense of anticipation or with a sense of dread. When I accept this day as a gift from God, never to be experienced again, filled with challenges to be met, possibilites to be explored, lessons to be learned, battles to be fought, treasures to be discovered, and growth to be realized, I want to be all there. I want to be completely tuned in to the One who’s orchestrating it. I don’t want to miss a beat. Much easier said than done.

I need lots of help, so one of the things I do is pray in the morning. I set my focus on the One whose lead I purpose to follow. I love using the prayers of godly men and women, who have crossed the finish line of life, as a springboard for my own prayers. Here is one of my favorites:

THE PRAYER OF SAINT PATRICK
(The Breastplate – Lorica – of Saint Patrick, 5th Century)

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I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today
all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison,
against burning,
Against drowning,
against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

(Tomorrow I’ll post a little about the life of Saint Patrick. Who was St. Patrick anyway?)

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How to Create Your Own Personal Reading Retreat

a-reading-retreatThis week Mike and I are in the Colorado Rockies getting a little R&R. We purposely set aside some time for a personal retreat where the focus would be solely on resting, reading, and writing.

Last summer we went to the beach for a week with no agenda in mind and by default it ended up being a week spent reading, writing and resting. We benefited from it so much that we planned another vacation for the winter specifically dubbing it our “Reading Retreat.”

I’m convinced that everyone can benefit from such a retreat. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it doesn’t have to be for a week in the mountains. Whether it is a week long, or just a day long, each of us needs time to recharge, refuel, and ruminate. We need restoration.

We need to get off the endless treadmill of life once in a while to catch our breath. This is where the resting comes in. We need to feed our minds as well as our souls. This is where the reading comes in. We need to process what we’re experiencing in life and ground ourselves. This is where the writing comes in.

How does one do this? Here are a few steps that I’ve found helpful:

  1. Determine how long you can be gone.
  2. Determine where you will go.
  3. Determine what needs to be done to make it a reality.

Length:

How long can you afford to be gone—both in terms of time and of finances?

  • Can you be gone for a whole week
  • A couple of days?
  • Overnight?
  • Or even just one day?

Location:

Where can you go?

  • A scenic spot out of town: the beach, the mountains, the lake?
  • Is there a friend’s house you could “borrow?”
  • Can you house-sit for someone who will be out of town?
  • Can you stay at a hotel in town?
  • Could you go to a local coffee shop or to the library?
  • How about going to a beautiful park and taking a picnic lunch?
  • Could you stay at your own house under the right circumstances?

It doesn’t have to be expensive. The key is getting out of your “normal” environment.

Logistics:

What logistics do you need to consider?

  • How much will it cost? Do you need to start saving your pennies so it can become a reality?
  • How will you get there? Will you fly, drive, or walk down the street?
  • What arrangements will need to be made for the kids, the dog, and the house?
  • What will you need to take with you—besides clothes, etc.

In order to answer this last question, you may first need to ask yourself why do you want to go? What areas in your life are being neglected? What needs to be nourished? Where do you want to grow? What do you want to learn more about? What decisions are facing you? These are just a few questions to help you get started planning for the time.

Once you’ve gotten an idea of where the focus will be, I recommend taking a stack of good books, a computer (or find access to one), a journal, a notebook, a sketch pad and pencils—or watercolors, your favorite pens, and music. Create your own soundtrack for the retreat to be played on an iPod, a portable CD player, etc.

When you begin your retreat you will have all these things, and your expectations, before you, but don’t feel bound to them. Keep your heart open. You may be surprised to find out that the “result” of the retreat will take you completely by surprise. God may take you in a direction that you could have never foreseen. Just be alert in the present moment.

So much of our lives is giving, giving, giving. We give our energy, our resources, our expertise. We give our time, our advice, and our shoulders to others. Now we must give ourselves permission to renew. If we want to have something to give—something worth giving—something we can keep on giving, we must keep our reservoirs full.

These retreats, whether major or mini, are what keep me “in the game.” I set aside days to spend at the library. I make a point to enjoy afternoons at Merridee’s Cafe, or a night at the Marriott, or even a week in the mountains. I schedule them on my calendar. This time of personal renewal is no longer optional for me. It is essential. It’s one of the many ways God speaks to me and assists me in becoming the person He has created me to be.