Judith Valente's Blog: Mindfulness in the Age of Twitter - Posts Tagged "monasteries"

I write today from the Abbey of Our Lady of Guadalupe in New Mexico, secluded beneath lush green mountains alongside the Pecos River. For the past few days, I’ve enjoyed the privilege of leading a retreat for the monastery’s lay associates. Surrounded by the Pecos Mountains and rolling prairie of the high desert, filled with pinon, cherry, and apricot trees, it is easy to feel yourself an infinitesimal part of a far greater narrative. Yesterday at morning prayer, the words of Psalm 8 seemed particularly appropriate:
When I see the heavens, the work of your fingers
The moon and the stars which you arranged
What are we humans that you should keep us in mind
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic your name through all the earth …

Here at Our Lady of Guadalupe, the main sounds at night are those made by the crickets, a few hooting owls, or the lone wail of a coyote in the distance. People come from all over the country to this lovely adobe monastery seeking a respite from the chaos of everyday life. As a recovering workaholic myself, I understand why so many of us find it hard to go somewhere to simply rest and recharge, and engage in what my Italian ancestors called la dolce fa niente, the sweet do-nothing.

Thomas Merton once described the contemplative life as being “fully active, fully aware, and fully alive.” As Americans, we get the fully active part. We’re not so adept at being fully aware or fully alive. The Europeans have us beat on that. Most Europeans will be returning home from taking their four-week annual vacation during August. By contrast, only about 19 percent of Americans take their full measure of vacation time – usually just a week or two for most workers. On average, Americans work about 1,835 each year, more hours than in 1977 when there was far less automation. Workaholism is a particularly American disease.

In his Rule for monastics, St. Benedict set down a schedule that divided the day equally between prayer, work, study and rest. He understood that leisure is essential. I would go so far as to say leisure is holy.

Even though my time at Our Lady of Guadalupe was a kind of “working respite,” I will return home today refreshed and relaxed, with a greater appreciation for the things that most sustain me: prayer and quiet reflection, and time with the people I love. Is there a place like the abbey where you, too, can come away for a while and rest? If you haven’t already taken your full vacation, is it something you can begin planning today?

Sometimes it’s important to take the wise counsel of the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland: Don’t just do something, stand there.

I want to thank Katie Gordon, co-founder of the Nuns & Nones organization for Millennials and staff member of www.MonasteriesoftheHeart.com, for her kind words about my new book, "How to Be" with Brother Paul Quenon of the Abbey of Gethsemani. Katie writes, "This book is 'a small taste of eternity' as Judith and Brother Paul invite us into stories of ancient wisdom lived in contemporary contexts ... They tackle some of the biggest questions: change and stability, humility and purpose, time and eternity, life and the afterlife ... People of all spiritual backgrounds and across generations will find insight on how to live through challenging times, personally and societally, in these pages." Thank you Katie Gordon! "How to Be" is now available for pre-order.