From the Inner Mountain

Transcription

1 From the Inner Mountain Newsletter of the Emmaus monastic community in Tasmania Spring Edition 2011 Volume 4, Issue 1 NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS If you wish really to be in peace, depart now into the inner desert I write this, looking out of my window from the warmth and quiet of my room in the brothers residence of the monastero di Bose, gazing at the scene above: a decidedly cool (not to say bleak ) day softened by the colours of autumn; and I m thinking of the sunny late Spring that awaits us on the other side of the planet. Of course, I m probably kidding myself. The last time I looked at my igoogle weather gadget, the weather in Hobart was worse than here! But what the morning mist and autumn hues belie is the warmth and glow of the welcome we have received throughout our time here with the sisters and brothers of Bose. Once again, our highest hopes have been exceeded, and our trip has been a thorough success in every way that matters. We were accompanied for the first ten days of our stay by an inquirer who came with us to Bose as part of the discernment process; and who returned to Australia very positive about the experience, and with the warm assurances of welcome in Bose for a period of formation in the near future. As many of you know, earlier this year, at the general chapter, the assembled brothers and sisters unanimously confirmed the formal affiliation of Emmaus with Bose. This has now been given a further expression in a Memorandum of Fraternal Understanding between our two communities (the full text of which is given on page 2). We also had the great pleasure of visiting the brothers of the smaller Bose fraternity in Ostuni (in the southern region of Puglia), with whom we spent a wonderful week in the middle of October (see page 3). Our only regret is that we were not then able to get to Assisi to visit the newly begun fraternity at San Masseo. The dates we had proposed clashed with the official opening of the monastery as well as the gathering of religious leaders in Assisi to commemorate the Day of Prayer for Peace 25 years ago which Pope John Paul II initiated. Although we were not able to be there for the commemoration, a number of the brothers and sisters from Bose went, and there is a short account of that below (pages 4 5). There will, no doubt, be other opportunities for us to visit San Masseo in the future. The last time we were in Bose, we visited some Coptic brothers from Egypt. This time we had the pleasure of meeting three Ethiopian Orthodox sisters. They are refugees in Italy, and the Bose community have been giving them shelter for the last nine months. During this time they have been trying to learn Italian, and find it hard going. We sympathize! But, ironically, their English is quite good and we were able to converse with relative ease (see page 4). Somewhat closer to home, we were told that Mr Tim Fischer, Australia s ambassador to the Holy See, visited Bose earlier this year and was interested in meeting us when he found out we were affiliated with the Bose community. We ve extended an invitation to him whenever he is next in Tasmania to pay us a visit. And speaking of visits: after a pictorial presentation to the brothers and sisters about Tasmania and what we hope to do there, our invitation was further extended to the community, who showed keen interest in taking us up on the offer! So, as you can see, we have taken another major step (or two) in the life of our community. God s gift always exceeds our wildest imagination and most ambitious hopes. That was the case the first time we came here; and it was true last year; and it is certainly true once again. Deo gratias!

2 FROM THE INNER MOUNTAIN 2 MEMORANDUM OF FRATERNAL UNDERSTANDING Prefer nothing whatever to the love of Christ. (Rule of Benedict, 4 & 72) Relying only on the Lord, who loves us and calls us to himself, it is with joy and complete confidence in him that we, the brothers and sisters of the monastero di Bose and of the Emmaus monastic community, affirm our shared monastic vocation and confirm the bonds of fraternal love and support that exist between us. We are conscious of sharing a common vocation: first as human beings called to union with God in communion with all creation; but also as Christians called to follow Christ in the fellowship of his church and in service to all people; and as monastic men and women called to be a sign of God s love and of humanity s desire to respond wholeheartedly to that love. We also share a deep sense of gratitude and wonder at our vocation to live in community as You are no longer alone! You must rely on your brothers and sisters in all things. Love them, since God has given them to you as your primary guardians, just as Christ loved you to the end. Love this community, and with it and through it, love all people. Love all creatures; praise God for them; and try to find purification, teaching and consolation in them. You are called to be a sign of the love that gives itself for others! (Rule of Bose, 2) Seek God, and God alone. Follow Christ and live in his Holy Spirit. (Rule of Emmaus: The Primacy of Love, Prologue) brothers and sisters from various ecclesial traditions, open to and longing for the gift of that unity for which Christ prayed, Father, may they be one in us. At this particular time in the life of the human family, and in this critical moment in the life and mission of the followers of Christ, we find ourselves called to receive this gracious gift not just for ourselves but for the sake of all who long for this same gift, praying and working with the Spirit who works and prays within us all, longing to bring it to birth. In order to support one another more concretely and explicitly in this vocation, we wish here and now in this memorandum to express the fraternal understanding that exists between our two communities. We desire to share with each other the spiritual gifts the Lord bestows upon us, the word he speaks to us: in the living of our lives, through the transforming power of his gospel; in the distilled wisdom of the ecclesial and monastic traditions to which we are heirs; in the insights gained through our own experience of living the monastic life today; and in fraternal partnership as we continue the journey with him. To this end we also wish to establish a formal affiliation of partnership between our two communities, in openness to what this might mean in terms of canon law, given the canonical status of a private association of Christ s faithful. We also wish to continue and maintain: regular contact in the exchange of ideas, information and advice; the possibility of longer stays and visits in each other s communities; collaboration in the formation of new members; joint pilgrimages to significant places for monasticism (such as Egypt and Mount Athos) and participation in ecumenical and inter-religious events, as well as liturgical and theological formation (such as the annual conferences held at Bose and encounters hosted by Emmaus); and whatever else we might together discern to be appropriate and of mutual benefit to our communities in the future. We give thanks to God for this great opportunity to share our common search for his will and the desire to live the monastic commitment. May he, who in his love and by his grace has enabled us to begin this journey, bring it to fulfilment!

3 FROM THE INNER MOUNTAIN 3 VISIT TO THE FRATERNITY IN OSTUNI Brother, sister, when guests arrive welcome them joyfully, but as soon as you can, ask them why they have come to the community. (Rule of Bose, 39) True to their Rule, the Ostuni brothers welcomed us warmly, and made us feel very much at home. And as to why we came, they didn t have to ask: we came neither as tourists nor were we familiar or frequent visitors. We came instead to see what life was like in a smaller version of the Bose community. And that is pretty much what the fraternity in Ostuni is: a mini Bose, as a number of the brothers and sisters had said about it, and we could verify for ourselves. With one significant exception: there are only brothers at Ostuni. But that may not be the case for ever. There is a very suitable new building about meters from the existing compound where the sisters could live. Rafaele showed it to us on our second day. The campanile You will therefore devote a great deal of care and attention to hospitality. trip which included a flat tyre, making us late for Vespers!); visiting the fairytale village of Alberobello and going on through the town of Locorotondo (the home town of br Sabino), finishing the day with an amazing meal of local dishes at Cisternino. After leisure like that, we had a good sleep-in the next morning! Above chapel entrance The next day we worked with the brothers and enjoyed it very much. Work especially with one s hands is such an important part of monastic life. But so is leisure, and on the fourth day we spent the morning walking around the white city of Ostuni, and the afternoon visiting the Benedictine nuns of San Pietro (just outside the city), stopping at home for lunch, visiting the Benedictine monks of Noci (a Hospitality is not an incidental service: it is a ministry you fulfill in Christ s name on behalf of the world. (Rule of Bose, 40) The brothers have a large olive grove (major source of income) and a decent garden (providing most of their fruit and vegetables) and where we worked most days. The simple balance of prayer, work and leisure are part of the genius of monastic life; and it lives on in Ostuni and Bose. It confirmed us in our conviction that not only can this way of life be lived today, it is needed as much as and perhaps more so than ever before. And the smaller scale at which it is lived at Ostuni makes it a more attainable and realistic model for us. The difference between a community of five brothers and one of seventy brothers & sisters is not insignificant! But, without question, they are part of the one community; and each has something vital and unique to offer. The chapel Chapel icon of the cross

4 FROM THE INNER MOUNTAIN 4 ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX SISTERS AT BOSE We were not the only monastics from a far country staying for an extended time in Bose. Three Ethiopian Orthodox sisters of the Upper Room of Zion Monastery of the Nativity of Mary Sawla have also found a temporary home here. marmalades; as well as help out with cleaning and in the kitchens. Sister Lisa meets with them three times a week for Italian lessons, for which they are grateful, even though they find it a challenge. We were able to converse in English because it is a language they learned in Ethiopia. Tapestry and cross in the Ethiopic style From left to right: Emahoy welete [reverend sisters] Mehert, Giorgina, and Areagawi They arrived nine months ago, in the very middle of winter, with the snow heavy on the ground; without a word of Italian; with a difficult past & uncertain future ahead of them. It has been a challenge for them in many ways. But their deep faith and serious monastic commitment to prayer, work and the common life have left a deep impression on the brothers and sisters of Bose, who value their presence as a great gift to the community. In Bose they participate in all the liturgies; work with the other sisters, making Ethiopia is an ancient land, with an old and established culture. Christianity, as everywhere else, has known division. The sisters are members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Tewahedo, Gamo Gofa Diocese, and loyal daughters of their own tradition. But they are also modern women seeking a way to live their monastic vocation in a way that is consistent with their human dignity as daughters of God, and their Christian identity as followers and sisters of Jesus. Alas, not everyone sees it that way; and so they have had to leave their home because of opposition and intolerance. But, undeterred, they look forward with hope: they wish to establish a monastic community where they can live their monastic vocation in peace and with dignity. Please pray for them that they will find a way to realize their call, wherever it may be. Who knows: maybe even in Australia... RELIGIONS FOR PEACE GATHERING IN ASSISI Entrance to the sisters residence Although we were not personally able to be at the gathering, some of the other brothers and sisters from Bose were, including br Enzo (the prior) and br Matteo (who is the current president of the Italian chapter of MID, Monastic Inter-religious Dialogue). They said that the various religious leaders all spoke well, and gave the same basic message: religion is all too often distorted and abused by the forces of violence, intolerance and disunity. They expressed their sorrow at the part their own religions have played in this, both in the past and in the present; and each of them committed themselves to the real and opposite function of religion: to work for peace, mutual understanding and respect between peoples and cultures, and to strive for justice and compassion with honesty and a longing for the liberating power of the truth we all seek. Sadly, though, they were not able to pray together, for all sorts of complex reasons The Gathering in Assisi 25 years ago

5 FROM THE INNER MOUNTAIN Br Enzo & P. Bartolomeos AND AT SAN MASSEO MONASTERY [continued from previous page] and Archbishop Rowan Apart from the formal speeches, meetings and gatherings, there were less formal moments when various leaders and religious groups met, and even prayed together as they certainly did at the Bose fraternity of San Masseo. Br Enzo was even invited by the local bishop in the crypt church, to lead a small group (of a few hundred or so!) on the evening before the major gathering at the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. He also provided an introductory essay for a book prepared by br Matteo to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary gathering, Insieme per pregare ( Together for prayer ). It contains various texts preceding and flowing on from the first Assisi gathering in Unfortunately it is not available in English yet (but we re working on it!). But perhaps the most significant moment for the Bose community was an unplanned and at prayer. 5 one: the impromptu visit by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartolomeos I, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. In the afternoon, while others were enjoying a siesta, they came to visit the newly opened Bose fraternity at San Masseo, accompanied by (among others) an Armenian bishop and a Catholic bishop from the Secretariat for Christian Unity. Upon entering the crypt church, His Holiness, Patriarch Bartolomeos, began to pray the Our Father, and, since he was in the Latin West, he did it in Latin. Br Enzo joined in, and so then did all present. It was a particularly moving and significant moment, since both Patriarch Bartolomeos and Archbishop Rowan are old and dear friends of the Bose community. And it shows what the Spirit can do to move people s hearts beyond the theological, doctrinal and canonical obstacles that still divide and afflict the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Body of Christ. WHERE TO FROM HERE? That always has to be our final question precisely because it finalizes nothing, but opens it up to that Spirit who moves us ever forward. In the spirit of Assisi, we plan to establish greater contact with the many different religious traditions that make up our community in Tasmania. In particular we plan to approach the various Christian traditions and more actively pursue what we can to promote unity among the churches. But as monks, we have a special call to engage in respectful dialogue and simple friendship with the spiritual traditions which also value our monastic way of life: the various Buddhist and Hindu religions, which have a strong and growing presence in Tasmania. some real work up at Moogara. We had to cancel our planned day up there before the trip to Italy (it was a high of 10 C and raining that day); but once we get back, we ll have a look a the calendar and let you know of some dates, including (maybe) an overnight camping adventure. The aim will be to do some meditation, some lectio (prayerful engagement with the scriptures) and liturgical prayer, as well as some manual work (collecting rocks, cleaning up the terrain and the pond, etc) and have some fun, food and friendship while doing it. We are looking forward to seeing many of you soon, and hearing from as many of you as possible. Thank you for keeping us in prayer keep at it! And from a more self-centred point of view perhaps: now that the warm weather (I hope) has returned to the southern most May we continue to be open to the gift that we are to each other. Land of the Holy Spirit, we plan to do Your brothers of Emmaus.