"The monastic style of life that evolved in the West after the Desert Fathers and St. Benedict is supported by a triple base. Sacred reading, manual work, and liturgical prayer constitute the threefold footing of our daily life. The personal stability of each monk or nun in the monastic vocation depends in part on this triadic foundation."
Sacred Reading as Encounter
"Sacred reading is a process of assimilating the word of God and letting its meaning spread through my blood into every part of my being, a process of impregnation, interiorization, personalization of the word of God. Yet the process is a gentle one. The Lord does not come in an earthquake but in a soft, whispering sound (1K 19:22). In the course of my sacred reading I meet the Lord in living faith, hope and love. The encounter takes place without drama, as I quietly savor and relish the mystery of God's caring presence. The encounter is real without being extraordinary or spectacular."
"Repeated encounters with the word of God will bring about a gradual transformation as my thinking and willing become progressively harmonized with God's will."
"I begin to discover the truth that 'not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord' (Dt 8:3, Mt 4:4)."
Excerpts from the book Monastic Practices, by Charles Cummings, OCSO
Artwork by a monk of St. Joseph's Abbey