Jerodmac's Thoughts on Stuff

A tour in the dark
(continuing posts from the my recent visit to Subiaco Monastery.)

After the meal we had a few minutes to kill before evening prayer, and so Brother Mel, offered to show me around. I agreed and we began to walk the dark halls again. This time going up and down stairs lit only with the glow of stain glass light. The actual cloister, where the monks live, is usually closed to outsiders, but since it was under renovation, Brother Mel and Brother Francis guided me around and showed me all the sites. The abbey at night was awesome. The arches and columns threw amazing shadows everywhere. They walked quickly, obviously they lived here, and I struggled to keep up and notice everything as we passed by. They showed me the a cloister room, the common area, their library, their health center, and their private chapels. We peeked into the Abbots prayer chapel, a room probably 20x20 with a large altar in the center. Behind the altar was a full length stained glass window depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove, flying from the hands of Jesus. Candles were lit in the chapel and it looked like every square inch in the room was covered in art. Paintings, carvings and sculpture all glimmered in the candlelight.

We walked slowly back through the halls and once again slipped by way of a back door into the monk’s choir in the front of the Abbey church. The bell soon rang, and the organ began to play for the special All Saints Solemnity. I once again followed Brother Mel through the gymnastics of the singing and praying. When they came to passages that I knew, I closed my eyes and sang with them. Being very careful to pay attention and not let my voice hangover where it shouldn’t, I really enjoyed hearing my own voice in the monk’s choir.

Because of it being a feast day, the evening vespers were formal. The Abbot and the Priors were dressed in their full formal get ups, the Abbot wore a mitre on his head about half the size of the one I have seen in pictures on the pope. As we sang the first song, I saw Brother Francis, whom I had met at dinner, wearing a white stole over his habit and carrying the incense holder/swinger. While the Abbot prayed the blessing, He pulled out a what looked like a little snuff tin and scooped a few spoonfuls into the incense burner. Brother Francis put a cap on the burner and began to swing it back and forth. As we prayed the smell of the incense filled the monk’s choir, and the smoke from the incense burner slowly climbed upward. It reminded me of the scripture where it says our prayers rise like incense before Him (Psalm 141).

I really enjoyed praying with the monk’s. It was cool to join with them, singing praise, reading the scripture and offering petitions to God. It was also cool in my heart to know that I was different from them. That night I ran to Walmart, got some diet cokes and read until I fell asleep. It seemed to me that I was in for a good week.