I Love my Benedictine Friends!

A couple of weeks ago I went up to visit the library at the nearby Benedictine Abbey to do some research for my Philosophy and Theology papers. The librarian is a dear little ol' monk well into his eighties. He's just so cute in the way only lil' ol' monks can be. He spent forty-five minutes helping me find three books and gave me his full attention. He was one of those people that you meet who right away seem to radiate holiness and the love of Christ.

After returning home with the books (which I technically shouldn't have been allowed to take but he said "for you dear, we'll make an exception") I wrote him a short note thanking him for his time and assistance. Much to my surprise, today in the mail I got a thank-you note for my thank-you note from him!

Included in the envelope were several untitled poems typed out on a typewriter. I think they may have been poems that he wrote himself since each slip of paper with a poem on it has a date at the top of the page and the dates are all different dates from within the past few months. I'm not certain though. Regardless, it was interesting to see what poetry my dear Benedictine friend had selected to share with me.

Here are some of the stanzas that really struck me:

"Keep us one, every moment,
as we live and come to you.
Give us a good night in hope,
and seal our hearts,
and render us more faithful still,
until we reach you, see you,
Holy Family, Sancta Trinitas!"

and from a different poem:

"So one is never alone, or if so,
only for others, in You, Lord -
loving in faith, living in love,
loved, then loving those with less,
seemingly lost, poor, hoping against hope,
such being the human lot,
all my brothers and sisters, everywhere.

O yes, an hour of confessions too,
mostly unseen, all humble to come,
for you never cease to knock, Lord,
like the Bridegroom at the lover's door,
in Song of Songs. . . .
Or the Bride herself, we,
when we come knocking, Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus."