Our way of life is an awareness of our neediness.
It is humility, it is poverty freely accepted, obedience, and joy in the Holy
Spirit. Our way of life means learning to be silent and exerting ourselves in
fasting, vigils, and prayer. It means working with our hands, and above all
clinging to that most excellent way which is love. It means furthermore,
progressing day by day in these things and persevering in them.
These
words of Saint Bernard written so long ago, remind us that essentially
our daily monastic regime has changed very little since the twelfth century.
The monastery is called a school of love, where we are always learning, trying to make progress day by day.
Photographs by Brother Brian. Lines from a letter by Saint Bernard.