Monastery Retreat & Visit, January, 2018, Part 1.

My most recent visit to the monastery was January 7-11. I chose those dates because the 7th and 8th were part of the Christmas season on the Church calendar. Sunday was the Feast of the Epiphany (most commonly associated in the West with the visit of the three wise men to the infant Jesus), and Monday was the Baptism of the Lord (by John in the Jordan River, which inaugurated his public ministry). After that, Christmas was over and we were back to "Ordinary Time." I took a ton of pictures of the Christmas decorations. Here are a few. I recommend clicking on them to enlarge them for a better view.

Nativity scene on a table in the chapter room.

Christmas tree in the chapter room. One of the older monks told me it was their  best Christmas tree ever.

Decoration on the big table in the chapter room. There were flower arrangements all over the place. To the left is the dish with the mashed potatoes, still covered. Behind the flower arrangement is the dish with the beef stew.

In the church. Flowers and candles near the altar (altar out of view to the right); wreath on the pillar (as on many others); trees. The main nativity scene is on the other side of the trees.

Nativity scene.

Refectory, looking from abbot's table toward kitchen. Nativity scene; flowers and candles on tables. Normally the tables and chairs are at the sides, with a wide aisle down the center. I was assigned the second chair on the right beyond the abbot's table. Way in the back, above the doorway, is the balcony where the reader normally reads at regular lunches and dinners.

Corridor outside the refectory. Flowers and candles in front of a painting of Mary and Jesus; wreaths in the windows.

Main entry to the monastery. This is looking in the opposite direction from the previous picture.

Three of the monks taking the tree from the chapter room. They're just at the main entry. My room was to my left as I took this picture.

Setting the tree outside to be removed by the college maintenance crew.

Previous posts have pics of the monastery and grounds during "ordinary time."

In many ways, this visit followed the pattern of previous ones:
 5:00 – wake up;
 6:00 – Vigils and Lauds in the church;
 6:50 – free;
 7:30 – breakfast;
 7:50 – free/shave;
 8:30 – Mass;
 9:10 – free;
 12:00 – Midday Prayer, followed by lunch;
 12:45 – free;
 3:30 – haustus/ free;
 5:30 – Vespers, dinner, recreation;
 7:05 – Compline;
 7:50 – free, in bed by 10:00.

The periods labeled "free" are when I'd read my retreat book, my other books, read newspapers in the chapter room, take pictures, walk around campus, buy stuff in the bookstore, and nap. At haustus (snack time), various monks would be there from day to day, and there'd be shorter or longer conversations; and occasionally another monk would be in the chapter room when I went there, and we might chat.

Sunday dinners take place in the chapter room — outdoor courtyard in summer — with unassigned seating, and conversation; and they flow into the recreation period. Other meals are taken in silence in the refectory, with assigned seating. During lunch and dinner in the refectory, a book is read. (Exception, on big feast days at dinner, the reading is dispensed with and conversation is permitted. That happened in the refectory on Monday evening this time.)

One thing I really enjoy is that on Sundays, the kitchen employees are given the afternoon off, and individual monks sign up to prepare dinner. Then after compline, they almost all head to the kitchen to clean up. I think I'm the only guest who regularly joins them, but I love the additional chance to socialize.

I still want to tell about my reading for my retreat and the non-religious book I read, as well as some personal encounters and specific doings, but I'm afraid it'll make the post too long. I already have three more paragraphs and that's not all I want to tell you.  So What's above will be published as Part 1., and Part 2. should follow in a few days.