in year 2006, I professed my Solemn monastic vows

The first stage for a prospective candidate is to live in our Guesthouse for a week to ten days; we might ask him to do this a few times before inviting him into the Cloister. Once in the monastery he will be expected to participate fully in the life of the community.

This stage is referred to as the Observership, and it usually lasts for a month or two depending on each individual case. Next comes the

face the wall

 I took eighteen credits in MA in Theology at the seminary of St. Vincent in Pennsylvania.
It was in year 2009, middle of the Fall semester. The courses I was taking were tough especially Latin. I found out that studying foreign language in the later (I was 53 years old then) years of one's life  was indeed a challenging one. My seminary-life was a test of resilience and perseverance.

There was one unique practice,though it may be strange to others, that I learned before I began studying. I learned such practice while I was still  at own community in New Mexico.

This practice was taught to me by the counselor who helped me in preparation for my entry to the seminary in year 2008 for my priesthood formation.

It was the practice of facing the wall and staring at the wall every time I would get overwhelmed by the turnabout of events for the day and the thoughts of  forthcoming events that I had to deal with in the next days to come.

So, I spent the whole semester  facing the wall, staring at it and then leaning against it every time I would reflect on the outcome of the day's event and planning what to do next in the next days to come in my seminary-life.

the most challenging monastic job throughout my entire monastic life

To top it all, being bellringer assigned for the whole week was the most difficult and challenging monastic job ever assigned to me when I was Junior monk of the community of Benedictine monks of the monastery Abbey of Christ in the desert of New Mexico.

I considered it the worst and most challenging one because as bellringer assigned for the week, one must wake up much earlier than the usual waking of the community brothers which was at 3:50Am for the first prayers scheduled at 4:00AM.

The bellringer of the week must wake up at least 3:30Am to do the first wake ringing of the Cloister bell at 3:40Am and then at 3:50Am for the follow up wake-up bell. Then immediately after the ringing of the follow-up wake up bell, he must run fast to the belfry to ring it for 30 times and then followed by the lighting of the candles inside the Church.

During winter and cold season, the bellringer must light the fireplace first (firewood set in fire with gas) before anything else as the firewood burning takes time. So this means to say that he must wake up earlier than 3:30Am to set the Church fire.

My experience as bellringer taught me so much about this virtue called
P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E   and being humble in my disposition towards life.

Well, it paid off so much because now that I am with the world of people- I just really have to pull such virtue and such disposition that calls me to apply humility to every situation that I encounter in relation with my work as  Activity Director of a retirement home facility in North Hollywood.

4th of July 2007 celebration

Years ago,  the monastery of our Lady of the Desert, a neighbor community of my community, sponsored a banquet in connection with the celebration of the fourth of July.

That was the first time I was exposed to the general public after three years of spending my life in the cloister as postulant, novice and monk in Simple Vows.

 It was a different kind of feeling to once again, meet and talk with people of the world.

my sanctuary

The community of monks of Christ in the desert is located at the  middle of Chama canyon in the northern part of New Mexico. The community is 13 and a half mile away from the highway leading to the cities of Espanyola and Sta Fe.

 It takes 45 minutes to an hour drive from my community to reach Espanyola and it takes an hour and a half to reach Sta Fe.

Due to harsh weather considering that the location of my commnity is situated at the heart of the wilderness of Chama, the community brothers of different cultures and races take necessary precautions in their daily life in order to protect themselves from wearing out due to the cruel weather.

 It is cold up the canyon year round and the monks still experience snowfall and and snowstorm even during the advent of springtime.

stonewall