Mount Michael News

Cookin' Courageously with Bro Luke: "15 Bean Soup"

2009-11-28T14:53:00.000-06:00

How to Make 15 Bean Soup: A Lesson for Beginners

Keep in mind that recipes are just starting points. Cook Courageously!

15 Bean soup smaller volume recipe
(as opposed to the "2 large kettles version" I made by accident the first time.)

2 1/3 cups of beans (1 bag of dried mixed beans)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 cloves garlic (10 tsp Minced Garlic)
2 large onions *caution
2 stalks celery ?
2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning (I use more)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 cups water (I use 12 cups of vegetable broth)
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste (I never have it, never used it)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I don't believe in salt, I don't use it)
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh basil (1 is plenty if dried Basil)
add additional seasonings, veggies and fungus as you desire

The Simplicity of The Jesus Prayer Belies its Depth.

2009-11-10T12:26:00.001-06:00

This past summer and fall I have read three books by a Benedictine named Sister Mary Margaret Funk OSB. I found all three to be very helpful in the practice of my life as a Benedictine monk. In her second book “Tools Matter” she introduces several different tools that might be of benefit for the spiritual life. One of which I am incorporating into my life. It is the “Jesus Prayer”.

The method for praying this prayer is a simple and prayerful repetition:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”

In time, with practice, the prayer can become a constant; running quietly in the background of our minds and hearts, slowly transforming us. Its presence becomes sort of like an anti-virus program running in the background of a computer. All right that isn’t the greatest analogy but you’ve got the idea.

The Prayer's Simplicity Belies it Depth

Choice of prayer methods are very individualistic but for me the reason I was drawn to this prayer was the simplicity of its method and the depth of its meaning.

As I pray the prayer I am not simply saying the words but praying the greater meaning I find within them.

Lord – My leader, my guide, the one to whom I turn for guidance, the one whom I serve.

Jesus – Man, born of the Virgin Mary, a son, a brother, who summoned the apostles and who lived among us.

Christ – The Messiah, to whom we hoped and waited for through our spiritual ancestors, the children of Israel, a King of a new and permanent kingdom of justice ordained by God.

Son of God – Shock. Awe. Our Messiah is God Himself. Not a mere man ordained by God as expected, but God made Man. Not an earthly kingdom but a Godly Kingdom not of place and time but all places and all time.

Have mercy on me a sinner
- A Sinner: dependant on God for wisdom, strength, and comfort without whom I am bound for failure and sin.
- Have Mercy: Protect and shield me from all despair and weakness that leads to the failure to follow the way you have shown us.

In this final phrase of the Jesus prayer my heart’s emphasis is not on the fact that I am a sinner. Being a sinner is too obvious to be groveling about. The emphasis of my heart in this prayer is a call for mercy, a plea for protection from those things that separate me from the divine. I know I am a sinner, shield me from sin is my plea. I am totally dependant on God's redemptive mercy.

Links
Books by Sister Mary Margaret Funk OSB
More on the Jesus Prayer
http://www.jesusprayer.org/

http://www.svots.edu/albert-s-rossi-saying-the-jesus-prayer/

Fall Colors: A Gift from God

2009-10-28T14:44:00.005-05:00

On a recent morning after days of grey skies, the sun shown brightly revealing the great beauty of God's creation. Usually I am drawn by the trees decorated in golds, and reds, and oranges, all of which were present on this morning. What most captivated me were the more subtle colors I found in the fallen maple leaves on the ground at my feet.

In this photo I find great delight in the range and variation of shades and colors presented on the back of the leaves. They are decorated with soft yellow browns and yellow greens. While looking more closely I find the white mold of decay gently caressing some, while on others black mold boldly outlines the veins.

Looking at the stems I see yellow-white and then bold reds. Deep in the shadows I discover a dark purple-green leaf. Upon it lie small delicate green beige leaves from locust trees. Then there is the strong green of the grass peaking through in the open in defiance of the coming winter.

In the above photo I am once again delighted. I'm awed by great warmth of the browns found in the valley behind the abbey. The barren field is particularly nice. Its softness and texture contrasts beautifully with the rough textures of the trees which are now mostly grey and barren while a few varieties are yellowed and others stand green.

You can click on the above photos for a larger image but make sure to use your back arrow to come back to the blog.

Here is a link to all the photos I took that morning. Fall Colors

Forgiveness: A Foundation of the Christian Faith

2009-10-24T20:46:00.009-05:00

There are many different biblical phrases that light the spiritual paths of Christians. One of the foundations for the practice of my faith is found in the Lord’s Prayer; “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”.

That particular phrase was first highlighted for me 30 years ago when I began my novitiate in August of 1979. Fr. Joseph Peters O.S.B., who gave me some retreat conferences as I began my novitiate, mentioned that phrase of the Lord’s Prayer as one which his mother gave special emphasis to when he was a boy. She told him, “If you don’t mean it don’t pray it” Very sage advise. To pray that prayer really doesn’t leave room for hate and anger in your heart, or you actually end up asking the Lord for His condemnation. Not the preferred out come for most people’s prayers.

This notion that the Lord's forgiveness mirrors our willingness to forgive can be found a number of times in the New Testament.

Matthew 6:14-15 (Right after the Lord's Prayer)

If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

Mark 11:25
When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.

Luke 6:37
Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.

Colossians 3:13
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

Some folks might have the mistaken notion that a monastery is a place full of saints. I thank God that it is not. We, like all families, present each other with numerous opportunities to practice forgiveness. I thank God each day for my brother's weaknesses because through forgiving each other we can hope for God's forgiveness.

Biblical Text Source: The New American Bible

Carry On! There’s No Place Like Home

2009-04-07T08:49:00.005-05:00

I recently read a book about Teresa of Calcutta titled “I loved Jesus in the Night” by Fr. Paul Murray, O.P.

Mother Teresa’s foundation of the Missionaries of Charity and work with the poor has always been something I’ve found admirable but not a life with which I could identify. What drew me to this book was the revelation that she had spiritual struggles. I think most people can identify with that in one way or another. Despite her life of good work and prayerfulness she was left with a sense of the absence of God, a long Dark Night of the Soul. I won’t belabor trying to explain what that all means, if you are unfamiliar with the concept of the “Dark Night” there are many good books and probably some adequate websites that can do a better job of explaining it than I could.

It isn’t the Dark Night I can identify with but simply the fact that she struggled. Here is someone that lived the fullest life of devotion and charity yet she suffered with a spiritual emptiness. She is quoted in one of her letters as saying "If I ever become a saint … I will surely be one of darkness." That is an inspirational thought! It should give everyone hope during those times when our life or work seems difficult or dry or even meaningless. Carry on! If someone like Mother Teresa who despite all her good work, struggled but kept at it, so can we.

The second thing that struck me from the book was the mention of “finding your own Calcutta” This is one of the more widespread quotes from Mother Teresa. I actually found a fuller quote from another book:

“Stay where you are… find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, the lonely right there where you are… in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and schools.” So often she told us to “start at home, at the level where you are called.”

“Mother Teresa’s Lesson of Love & Secrets of Sanctity” by Susan Conroy P.201.

In today’s hectic world often referred to as “the rat race”, you might question what sense there is in all the sweat and tears that you go through. You might question if you have made the right choices in life and might have been happier in a different career or life style. I think that might be a valid feeling but simply the wrong thinking.

At this point in time the rat race perhaps seems more senseless than ever. With the world economic downturn and losses of savings and retirement funds you might feel at a loss and despondent. Maybe this is a good time to stop and do some reassessment.

We don’t need to go to extraordinary places and live extraordinary lives to fulfill the call of the Gospels to serve.