Suburban Hermit
“In Every Man There is a Monk and an Explorer” Ben Stauffer
Downside Abbey
Downside Abbey, England, UK Downside Abbey in Somerset in Western England is where I was an oblate for about seven years. The Benedictine Order is comprised of various "congregations". Each congregation has [...]
On Serving in the Refectory
The Refectory, Quarr Abbey, Isle of Wight, UK Let the brethren serve one another, and let no one be excused from the kitchen service except by reason of sickness or occupation in [...]
Read Old Books
Following my blog posts on the role of reading and study in the Benedictine monastic tradition, I've had several readers ask for me to supply a reading list. This is very difficult for varied [...]
Prayer: Reversed Thunder
Prayer the church's banquet, angel's age, God's breath in man returning to his birth, The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage, The Christian plummet sounding heav'n and earth Engine against th' Almighty, sinner's tow'r, [...]
On the Ordering of Time and Place
Monks in Chapter Everything will be done at the proper time. -- Rule of St Benedict Idleness is the enemy of the soul, and so monks should be occupied at some times [...]
Old Monk on Changing the World
Why do you wish to change the world when you cannot change yourself?