During the last week, I met a lady who told me she had learned 45 different psalms, by heart. Her statement struck a chord with me, because I once learnt, by heart, Chapter 17 of John’s gospel. This, to me, was a really worthwhile exercise because, at times, walking along, alone and with time to myself, in thought – and whatever else – I used to repeat the chapter to myself, and the words were capable of assuming meanings, and facets of meanings, I never suspected they had.  I believe it will be the same for this good lady, and her psalms. In the psalms, there is much that touches a personal chord, especially for someone trying to live as a faithful follower of the Lord; He is the inspirer of the psalms; they are God’s prayers to himself for they were used by Jesus; moreover, they remain to be used by us who are still here on earth.

However, I could not leave things just like that.  The lady and her psalms had given me a ‘kick-start’ to then look again at John, Chapter 17, using a different translation – different from the one I had used before – and this gave a new slant on the meaning of the text:

“I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you gave me, because they are yours”.

Jesus seems to distinguish the world of God and the world in which we all live. On reflection, this is not so surprising, when we remember Jesus and his temptation by the devil … … 

‘Then Satan .. … in an instant showed him all the kingdoms of the world…’ and said to Jesus: “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please” (Luke 4: 5-6).

In these quotations, we have two worlds, described by Jesus – this sense of a world that belongs to God, and all those that God has given to Jesus – and that other world that does not belong to God.

Abbot Cuthbert Madden of Ampleforth, August 2010

In the context of our monastic life and our August Chapter, it is good to think about the ideal that we are called to – that ideal which leads to a life in God, and not of the world. I remember, many years ago, talking to the father of monastic contemporary of mine, who came to visit and stay with us when we made our final profession, as monks. He then marvelled at the ‘beauty’ of our way of life, and said to me: “You are all like brothers, supporting, helping and loving each other as in a family”.

Two Contented Older Monks

Our Monks at Work and in Relaxation

Benedictine Monks are called to follow God in the pattern laid down by St. Benedict. The life consists of brothers, or sisters, (as the case may be), living as a family, under an Abbot or Abbess – a life that entails giving up one’s own possessions, one’s own will, and living a celibate life, in community.  We do not take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience – although my novice master used to say that our vows amounted to the same thing. Our vows are actually named ‘Conversion of Life’, ‘Stability’ and ‘Obedience’.  And, as one would expect, the context of life, for a monk, is much focussed. We pray together the monastic office, and spend a ‘longish’ time, each day, in this prayer, or in praise to God. St. Benedict called this ‘The work of God’ or, in Latin, ‘Opus Dei’.  Nothing is more important for St. Benedict than this work of prayer.  However, this primary is complemented by private prayer, ‘Lectio Divina’ (prayerful reading) – studying and reading.

Quite apart from this life of prayer, the monks work to earn the money needed to live and survive, and so there is work to be done of the most varied kinds, according to each monastery. Our monastery has a wide range of working patterns – a range which includes teaching in the monastic school, Ampleforth College, the work of chaplains in the school, hospitality work with guests – including retreats, talks and conferences – then there is life, and work, on the parishes. Lastly, but by no means least, there is the manual work that needs to be done – work in the orchard, in the gardens and in the woods, belonging to the monastery.

I believe it to be an interesting fact, that the monastic life, whilst ‘not according to the norms of most peoples’ lives’, manifests, at the same time, a life of great contentment and joy – at its best. It is quite hard – difficult in words – to ‘pin down’ the ‘charism’ of monastic life; some refer to it as ‘Prayer and Work’, (in Latin, Ora et Labora), or ‘Peace among Thorns’, (in Latin, Pax inter Spinas).  What is certain, however, is that all of us within our monastery, know monks who have lived the Ampleforth monastic way of life for 60 years, and more – and are still full of love and joy – what a wonderful gift from God!  But, monastic life also points the way to something ‘special’ for all people. Those of us who are not called to be monks, nevertheless, are called, in our own way, ‘to be in the world’ – but not ‘of the world’, where we can, with God’s help, integrate ‘Prayer and Work’ into our lives, so that our lives also become ‘unified’. This is a Christian ‘calling’, common to all of us, and so each one of us needs to learn how to aspire to that calling, each in our own individual way. Certainly, we all need to find a place for prayer, and for work, these two important aspects of our lives in harmony with each other.

I look at the world in which we live, at life today in contemporary Britain, and at recent events from which one cannot escape, and all this makes me stop and think about the power of the world – that other world – the one that does not belong to God.  Many of the values that constantly bombard people – values inculcated – ingrained almost – within our culture, are, to put it mildly, rather godless. Recently, the extent of growth in addictions, for example, those to do with ‘sex, drugs, drink, alcohol and greed for more – money and possessions’ – has ‘homed in’ on me.   In this kind of world, everyone can recognise a Christian, because they live in a different way, a way that is free from any slavery to addiction, and, on an even more positive footing, putting God first, putting Sunday worship before other things, putting oneself out to worship God each week.  Take Sunday, and any town in England, including Leyland. You will see many cars at the shopping centres, outside the swimming pools, and loads of young people playing sport. Now, all these things are good, in themselves; people do need to shop, it is good to relax, it is good to support the young in sport.   But, where is God in all this?  Yes, of course, there are those who come to church to worship God, as well, people who are prepared to give that time to God rather than to the other ‘necessities’ or ‘luxuries’ of life, but these are only a very small minority.  It comes down to a matter of priority.  Unfortunately, for many in Britain, the priority is not worshipping God, together in the faith community, but in taking themselves off to that ‘other’ world.

Thank God, God’s world still exists and it is heartening to know that much praying goes on, each day, in peoples’ lives, within our Parish. A few have the time and energy to join us, here in the Parish Community, for the daily round of ‘Morning Prayer’ that usually begins 45 minutes before the morning Mass. In our Priory Community, we have Midday Prayer, each day, and, of course, Evening Prayer, as we monks wish, very much, to do our best to keep community prayer alive, each day.

Prayer can take many forms and family prayer together is a very good way to introduce, and maintain, a rhythm of prayer. Thus, some pray together at each meal, and others have family morning prayers at breakfast, to thank and praise God for the new day, and to ask God’s blessing on each day’s activities. Prayers, and the things of God, are so inter-linked. Preparing our children for first Holy Communion is another aspect of Christian Life and prayer, as it leads to our involvement in the most important prayer of all, the Mass. In this regard, Chandon Oakley recently made her preparations in Australia, and then came back to her Grand-parents’ Parish, here in Leyland, for her first Holy Communion, on the 15th August, this year.

(1)  Praying the Morning Office at Leyland (2) Chandon Oakley’s 1st Holy Communion, The Assumption, 2010

“I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you gave me, because they are yours”.

When Jesus asks God for something, it is Jesus who is praying.  He prays for us, continually, in heaven, and this, too, can give us another understanding of God’s immense love for us, and could lead to a desire, on our part, to respond to Him.  In this way, we can be sure we are among those that God has ‘given to Jesus’; in fact, all people are candidates for this great privilege – the privilege of belonging to Jesus. On this point, it is enough for us just to want to be with God, to decide to believe in Him, and act on our belief; if we do this, in all sincerity, God will help us to be united with Him, and to live his will throughout the circumstances of our lives. Then, in this confusing world of ours, things will acquire new meaning and new purpose; then, we will become people of peace and harmony, in ‘Prayer and in Work’.