The Pentaquery

The Rules:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions of a very intimate and creepily personal nature. Or not so creepy/personal.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Andrew’s Questions:
1. Did you ever have plans to seek profession?
2. What is the intent of your cetic nature?
3. What is your fondest Roman memory, any trip?
4. Will we see you at the next Nature’s Call, and if yes, what do you expect, and if no, will you be doing anything unroutine?
5. What would life be like if you were a vampire?

My Answers:
1. Actually, by this point in my life I planned to rule a small country.  Or be a pastry chef.  I’m the juniormost member of my community and my croissants suck–shows what planning’ll get ya.
2. Are you calling me fat?
3. Shaking the Bishop of Rome’s hand.  I also had an awesome beef carpaccio at a little restaurant somewhere between the Trevi Fountain and the Vatican that I will never be able to find again, so that’s a close second.
4. No.  Novices are forbidden to leave for camping trips, no matter how groovy they may be.  I will try to remember those who are at Pomme de Terre on that weekend though, perhaps by chanting.
5. Probably the same–I wear a lot of black already.

So…

Originally the idea of having a blog to keep everyone up to date on the happenings of monastic life seemed like a great idea–less emails, very accessible, &c. &c.  It was only until recently that it occurred to me:

Very little changes in monastic life.  This is shaping up to be the boringest blog ever.

Still, despite the dearth of posts and even bigger dearth of things about which to write, I sha’n't give in.  The blog will go on.  The blog will survive.  I will let you know the minute something happens… if it ever does.

Actually, having said all that, the seminary is in the last week of the semester, so things are picking up around here in preparation for graduation.  Finals are being completed (and completely ignored in some cases), guys are packing, choirs are practicing, and everyone is ready for this weekend.  It’s gonna be quiet here soon.  Deo gratias.

Tonight is Tuesday, which means beer.  I like Tuesdays.

Have a happy Haustus.

Yes, I said “boringest.”

It’s Better than it Sounds

Junior Monks Gone Wild!

…ish.

Tonight we are having a juniorate outing in honor of… well, in honor of the Novice Master letting us, which is something of a great accomplishment in and of itself.

I’ll bet you’re asking yourself, “Self, what exactly do junior monks do when they go out for a night on the town?”

Answer: eat at Pizza Hut and then stop at Baskin Robbins on the way home.  We’re wild folk.

Ut Moriamur Cum Eo

Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples: Let us also go, that we may die with him.

-John 11:16

Time Flies

More than a week has gone by since I moved to my new digs, and I’m sure all 5 of you who read this have been dying to know about the changes in my life.

In short, there really haven’t been too many changes.  My schedule is the same, so now I just wear a dress and don’t talk at meals.  Both are nice.

In seriousness, I really enjoy things thus far.  Sure, they are challenging in new ways–ways I probably didn’t foresee, but overall it has been a positive experience for me.  The community is great, and community was something I missed as a volunteer.  Now I’m part of the monastic crowd, instead of being a non-staff non-seminarian non-monastic volunteer.  I have a place, and it seems to be the place God wants me at this moment.  There’s little that is more satisfying.

Time to observe a Monastic High Nap.  Happy Sunday.

Sirach 15:17

Before man is life and death; and whether him liketh shall be given him.

A Retraction

Mr. Richard Morgan &c. Romero, formerly of Kansas City, &c., will be admitted to Postulancy at the Abbey of the Immaculate Conception &c., on Thursday, the 27th day of March, in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Eight, in order to accommodate a change in the schedule of Abbot Gregory.

Deo Gratias.

Fr. Malachy Riley, OSB

Died 25 March 2008
Aged 93 years

Requiescat in Pace

Christ Is Risen, Alleluia

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God’s throne!
Jesus Christ, our King is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!

My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.

It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam’s sin to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast,
When Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night,
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slav’ry,
and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night,
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin.

This is night,
when Christians ev’rywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night,
when Jesus broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?

Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:
“The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy.”

The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed,
when heaven is wedded to earth
and we are reconciled to God!

Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church’s solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.