Monastic Profession
Last week we experienced a wonderful transition in the abbey. It began on July 8th when Abbot John clothed Brother Cassian as a novice. So began his year of discernment, during which he considers a calling to the monastic life and a commitment to our community.
On Saturday the 11th we celebrated the feast of Saint Benedict, and having come to the end of his year of novitiate, Brother Aidan pronounced his first vows. In that same ceremony Brothers Eric, Isaiah, Lucien and Richard made their solemn vows. They had completed a year as novices and three years as junior monks, and from this point they take their place as full members of the community. Among other things this means that they now take part in the monastic chapter meetings, and they get to cast a vote alongside the rest of us.
Most people have never seen any rite of religious profession, which is too bad. For one thing, it’s filled with symbolism that includes gesture, word and clothing. But of even deeper significance, it can convey a sense of vitality and hope for the future in any community.
In our case, much of the ritual dates back 1,400 years to the time of Saint Benedict. So it was that Abbot John clothed Brother Cassian in the monastic habit, in the presence of the community, at morning prayer. On the 11th the novice and four juniors who were to profess knelt individually before Abbot John, and they read the petition which each had written in his own hand. Then, again in accord with the Rule of Benedict, each signed his petition on the altar, and together the five petitions rested on the altar through the remainder of the liturgy.
Abbot John then gave to Brother Aidan a copy of the Rule — which was sort of redundant because he had read it many times already. Following that the abbot clothed the four solemnly-professed monks in the cuculla. This is a flowing wool garment that we wear over our habit, and it is best-bestowed in July when the weather is at its hottest and most humid. This time around the weather came very close to ideal for that, but not quite. Still, visitors never fail to ask why the other monks don’t wear the cuculla in mid-July, and the answer is simple. The cuculla is best worn in winter when it can do some practical good. But for the newly-professed it signifies full membership in the community. There’s always time to be practical later on.
At the end of this liturgy it’s our custom to gather under the bell banner to give the sign of peace to the newly-professed. On Saturday that was the joyous conclusion to a splended event, and it marked a new stage in the lives of the professed and the community as well.
The admission of new members into the community quite naturally brings growth. That may be true in terms of numbers, but it’s truer still when it comes to spirit. Saint Benedict writes that the abbot should seek counsel from all the monks, and not just from among the seniors. There is wisdom to be had among the young, he writes, and when six people become a part of the community, the pool of wisdom is bound to grow — at least in theory.
On a more tangible level, change is bound to take place with the addition of even one new monk. Simply put, new people change us and we change them. And this change comes because Benedictines do not create clones when new people enter. We welcome them lock, stock and barrel. We welcome their talents, their personalities, their experience, as well as their hopes and aspirations for the future.
So what have these young men brought to our community? For one thing, they’ve brought geographic diversity. Novice Cassian is likely the first in our community to come from Atlanta. He attended Belmont University in Nashville and later earned a graduate degree in theology from Vanderbilt — yet another first for us. Brother Aidan lived in Okaland, CA, and he attended the University of California at Santa Cruz. He also holds an MFA degree.
Our solemnly-professed are a diverse lot as well. Brother Richard grew up in Sioux City, IA, and he graduated from Saint John’s University. After that he worked in the theater department at Saint John’s and the College of Saint Benedict. Brother Isaiah grew up in a military family, but primarily in Tucson; and he too went to Saint John’s. After graduation he worked as an accountant for several years at Price Waterhouse in Phoenix before coming to the monastery. Brother Lucien lived in San Antonio, where he eventually earned an MA in history at the University of Texas. Finally, Brother Eric grew up in Ohio, attended college at the University of Dayton and earned and MS in engineering at Ohio State University.
On paper their backgrounds and varied interests show that they bring a rich diversity to our community. But the important point that I always celebrate is the presence of each as an individual in our community. Each brings character and unique wisdom. Each is a reminder that God does not call people by group or in herds to the monastery. Rather God calls individual souls by name, and each is a gift to us. That’s the hope anyway.
This year the feast of Saint Benedict was a happy day in the life of our community, and for that we senior monks give thanks. At the very least it gives us pause and a reason to be optimistic for our future. And it suggests that the Lord is highly likely to call other workers to the vineyard.
But regardless of who comes next, we can rejoice because of this infusion of wisdom. After all, we need all the wisdom we can get as we continue the daily search for God.
Notes
+On July 8th I presided at the abbey eucharist, and you can access the sermon, Putting on the Face of Christ, through this link.
+On July 9th through the 11th we hosted thirty alumni from the Benedictine Volunteer Corps, who were here for a reunion and retreat. Given that each one has spent a year in service at some Benedictine community around the world, they undoubtedly had many stories to share.
+On July 11th we celebrated the feast of Saint Benedict. In addition to the profession of vows, we also celebrated the anniversary of profession of monks who made vows twenty-five, fifty, sixty and seventy-five years ago. Pride of place went to Fathers Magnus and Fintan, who made their vows to Abbot Alcuin, in 1940.
+The photos in today’s post all come from the celebration on July 11th. We were also favored by the presence of several hundred guests, who filled the nave of the abbey church. We were especially delighted to welcome Bishop Donald Kettler, our bishop and good friend of the abbey. He sat with us in the choir stalls, and I’ve included his picture in this post as well.
A Monk's Chronicle 