STORIES FROM THE MONASTIC TRADITION

Here at our Franciscan Prayer Fraternity in Ava, MO, we share a campus with both Trappist monks (Assumption Abbey -- a foundation begun by the Trappist community from New Melleray Abbey near Dubuque, Iowa)  and a community of hermit sisters.   Both communities are about 2 miles distance from our Prayer Fraternity.   The Abbey and its liturgies (Office of the Hours & Eucharist) are readily available to our guests.  We cannot help but breathe in some of richness of the monastic traditions in our Church, so each month in our blog we want to share with you a story, or some wisdom, that comes from the monastic tradition.   So much of the wisdom comes in the form of 'story'.  This story comes from the book you see here: TALES OF A MAGIC MONASTERY by Theophane the Monk.   This wonderful little book is published by Crossroad Publishing Co, (New York,1995), is found on page 19, and is  entitled:  "The Best Place to Pray".

 

THE BEST PLACE TO PRAY 

I asked an old monk,  "How do I get over the habit of judging people?"

 

He answered:  "When I was your age, I was wondering where would be the best place to go to pray.  Well, I asked Jesus that question.  His answer was:  "Why don't you go into the heart of my Father?"   So I did.  I went into the heart of the Father, and all these years that's where I've prayed.  Now I see everyone as my own child.   How can I judge anyone?"