ADVENT 2020

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. –Amos 5:24

62475 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920 • 831 667 2456 • www.contemplation.com

ADVENT 2020 Thoughts from the Editor Lisa Benner, , OSB Cam.

In This Issue I started practicing yoga in 1992. I was immediately drawn to it’s contemplative and peaceful nature. It was a good fit 2 Thoughts from the Editor for me. My teacher educated us on all the proper words Lisa Benner, Oblate, OSB Cam. and phrases as well as asanas and then would serve us

3 The Grave Sin of Racism chai after our sessions. She happily greeted us by exclaim- Consiglio, OSB Cam. ing “Namaste!” and she lovingly explained that this means “I bow to you” or “I bow to the Spirit in you”. I was touched 4 The Big Sur Vision of Contemplative Nonviolence, by this then and still am now as I regularly greet friends Equality and Peace with this term. Rev. John Dear To bow to someone, to show them reverence— to have 6 The Camaldolese and , Polyglot and Multi-ethnic my spirit bless and respect someone else’s with a single Fr. Thomas Matus, OSB Cam.

7 Listen with Your Heart Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB Cam.

10 Update from the Development Office Jill Gisselere

10 Activities and Visitors

11 What the Monks Are Reading

Good Samaritan (detail), Rossano Gospels, 6th Cent. word or gesture—it’s such a lovely idea. There is a sacred- ness to this gesture—its roots are deep and rich. And there is an equality to this ritual—to pay humble hom- age to one’s nature is holy. We all contain the same spirit blessing each other. If only it could be that simple.

So many of us on this spiritual journey have come to understand the goodness and sacredness that each of us are! The Spirit of the Living God resides in each of us, and yet the long-term disrespect, ignorance and volatility, rooted in racism, that we continue to see in this country and around the world feels like a permanent fracture to Prophetic spirituality envisions the essence of this very gesticulation. a world in which justice and equality, peace and community In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus spoke about the parable of the Good Samaritan. The victim who had been beaten and are the norm rather than the left to die was ignored by several people until the Samari- struggle. tan came upon him lying in the road, and with compassion and mercy took care of his wounds and provided him a –Sr. Joan Chittister place of comfort and rest. Jesus ended this story with the directive to “go and do likewise.” Jesus didn’t specify to do

2 ~ New Camaldoli Hermitage contemplation.com ~ 3 it only for the rich or the poor, the Jew or the Gentile, the dark-skinned person or the light-skinned person, Jesus, The Grave Sin of Racism through these words, continues to send us out to do the Prior Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam. work of seeking justice and expecting equality. We are called to care for each other regardless of the color of our As prior, I get my share of negative letters, emails, and online skin or our gender. We, as Christians, are held to a higher comments. Several came in concerning the last page of our standard, I believe, one that honors equality and dignity of last newsletter, for having mentioned the Black Lives Matter all people because all of us are created in this gloriously movement and intimating that we were going to treat the beautiful image of God—divinely made and divinely loved. social situation in this upcoming issue. More than one This is when we get to the “Namaste” of things, to treat unhappy reader suggested that it would be better if we each other with justice and mercy and compassion and stuck to spiritual things. equality—this is honoring the Spirit within, there is no one greater or less. We are all in God. I promise you: I do not want to pick a fight. There is enough hatred and sarcasm out there already. But I immediately This newsletter is our dive into the exploration of this thought of our Peter Damian, the biographer of Saint theme of justice and equality and the racial tensions that . He was not only a and a great promoter of the eremitical life; he was also a , a cardinal, and a tough reformer. One of the issues he was warring against in the Church, for example, was corruption in the clergy. Some of the clergy retaliated by suggesting he and all monks ought to be forbidden from any apostolate, using the argument that monks—and especially —are supposed to be dead to the world. So why are they meddling in ecclesiasti- cal affairs? Peter Damian answered that it was precisely for that reason—because they are dead to the world—that they had the liberty to act in the ecclesiastical field. They have no personal agenda. I want to adapt that a little and say that maybe it is precisely contemplatives—if they really have resisted being conformed to the world’s way of thinking but have submitted to the renewal of their minds—who have something to say about the problems that we face not only as a Church, but also as a race, as a world.

“May Christ be heard in our language, may Christ be seen in our life, may He be perceived in our hearts” have persisted through the centuries. We are not interested in reiterating a CNN broadcast nor is this an attempt at a –Peter Damian (Sermo VIII, 5) New York Times op-ed piece. Your newsletter team, like many of you, are very aware of the turmoil and violence occurring daily these days, and we felt compelled to Speaking of contemplatives, I also thought about Thomas explore how this issue can be viewed from a different lens. Merton, the Trappist monk and writer who was immensely We aren’t trying to solve the bigger problems at hand; we popular among Catholics already by the 1950s. In the early acknowledge the levels and layers which are complicated 1960s he began writing seriously on peacemaking and and run deep. non-violence, as the war in Vietnam and the civil rights movement were both escalating. He was roundly criticized We have hand selected friends of the Hermitage to give for this by some of his readers, who were used to his more their views on this theme from a gospel, spiritual and pious and obviously religious subjects and thought these contemplative perspective. Our prayer is that you are other topics were inappropriate for a monk. (He was also inspired in some blessed way by the words on these pages. silenced by his own Trappist superiors because they thought these topics were too controversial in As we bring this tumultuous year to an end, we enter this the Church.) Eventually Merton would feel himself vindi- Advent season with hope in our hearts that God’s kingdom cated when John XXIII’s 1963 encyclical Pacem in Terris will continue to prevail. And let us be reminded of the changed the direction of thought in this regard. words of Amos, But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. And so, just as good Pope John changed the conversation in 1963, in our day and age has shifted, evolved, Namaste! and broadened our conversation about what it means to

contemplation.com ~ 3 be pro-life. In paragraph #101 of his 2018 Apostolic The Big Sur Vision of Contemplative Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, the Holy Father starts out by affirming that Nonviolence, Equality and Peace Rev. John Dear Our defense of the innocent unborn … needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human I love how New Camaldoli gives you a bird’s eye view of life, which is always sacred and demands love for each things. When you look out at the Pacific in search of whales, person, regardless of his or her stage of development. you have to adjust your vision. That’s what do, what monastics teach—a bigger vision of our world, and And then he goes on to add that ourselves.

Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those One way to describe the systemic violence that afflicts us is already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the a global blindness that has robbed us of our imagination. underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly We no longer see one another as sisters and brothers, as exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human children of the God of peace. We can’t even imagine a world trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of without war, poverty, racism, guns, executions, nuclear rejection. We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that weapons or environmental destruction. We have lost our would ignore injustice... vision.

I recently opened up the website of the But when I stand outside the church and look out at the Conference of Catholic and was delightfully surprised horizon, I see things differently. I feel more at peace, more to find on their homepage the banner title “Confronting myself. I breathe in the fresh air. It feels like learning to the Sin of Racism: The Ad Hoc Committee against breathe all over again. Racism seeks to teach about and witness to the intrinsic dignity of the human person as an antidote In prayer, at Mass, with the community, I step into the new life to the grave sin of racism.” Not just sin—the grave sin. of some bigger vision. The contemplative life helps us catch Behind those words was a photo of a sister, a priest and a our breath, recover our sight, and reclaim the vision of the holding a processional crucifix, all people of color, in nonviolent Jesus. In this way, we take heart and find hope. what appeared to be a recent march, since they were wearing facemasks, with various other people carrying Gandhi and Dr. King signs. And I just received the latest edition of the Catholic taught that Jesus was the Extension magazine, which featured on its cover Bishop “I refuse to accept the most active person of view that mankind is so Mark Sietz of El Paso, kneeling in prayer at a demonstration, nonviolence in history, holding a sign that read simply “Black Lives Matter.” that he taught everyone tragically bound to the to live and die nonviolently, starless midnight of racism All that to say: this is the mind of the mainstream of the that he proclaimed a God and war that the bright Church. The social situation is a spiritual situation. Racism of peace and nonviolence daybreak of peace and is a grave sin. Because we are pro-life, we cannot ignore or and the coming of God’s brotherhood can never be silent about this injustice in our world either. Nor can we Kingdom of peace and become a reality. I believe uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice. At nonviolence here on the very least, monks and not, the current social unrest that unarmed truth and earth. The contemplative unconditional love will around race ought to inform and form our consciences, life helps us understand and give content to our prayers of penitence and petition. his nonviolence, and step have the final word”. into that realm of total nonviolence. –Martin Luther King Jr.

Here on the mountaintop, I hear again the words of the nonviolent Jesus: “The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news. Put down the sword. Blessed are the peacemakers. Love your enemies. Seek first God’s Kingdom and God’s justice.”

When we sit in contemplative peace with the monks, and hear these teachings, our vision broadens, and if we dare, our hearts widen into universal love, universal compassion, and universal peace. We understand how Gandhi could claim, “The Kingdom of God is nonviolence.”

Courtesy of Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters In God’s Kingdom of peace and love, there is no violence, 4 ~ New Camaldoli Hermitage contemplation.com ~ 5 no killing, no division, no war, no destruction, no death. Floyd’s last words were, “I can’t breathe.” Like Jesus on the That’s why Jesus calls us to repent (literally, “to turn cross, he was suffocated by the authorities. The many around”) from our participation in the culture of violence, other recent videos of killings by white police officers and start working for, as Pope Francis says, a new culture of reveal how widespread police brutality of African Americans nonviolence. has been and is.

Gandhi’s contemplative vision of nonviolence proclaimed People of contempla- the truth that we are all one, all sisters and brothers, all tive nonviolence try equal, all children of our loving Creator. Contemplative to stand with George practice helps us remember this truth, so we can be Floyd and every victim more nonviolent to ourselves, all people and all creation. of racism and violence. That means we do Racism, greed, war, nuclear weapons and environmental what we can to end destruction show us how we have forgotten who we racism, police brutal- are. They mark our failure to remember that we are ity, mass incarceration, one. Mindlessness leads to fear, racism, greed, violence war and every type of and war. Contemplative nonviolence and mindfulness violence so that these help us to remember who we are, to awaken to the truth killings stop, so that of our common unity, and to practice meticulous non- structured racism is violence toward one another, especially the poor and dismantled, so that disenfranchised. laws and reparations are enacted to create That’s why the Black Lives Matter movement is so “I offer you peace. a more just society. We important, so helpful. Our country has a long history I offer you love. I support people power, rooted in the social sin of racism. White people killed grassroots nonviolent millions of indigenous people, then enslaved and killed offer you friendship. movements for justice, millions of African people, then terrorized and brutalized I see your beauty. disarmament and millions of African Americans right up to today, through I hear your need. I equality, because that’s systemic racism, police the only way positive brutality and mass feel your feelings.” social change ever incarceration. This happens—from the “I refuse to accept the legacy of violence and –Mahatma Gandhi bottom up. view that mankind is so racism is at the heart tragically bound to the of today’s pandemic As we stand wiith starless midnight of racism of war, greed, nuclear George Floyd, we try to breathe in the Holy Spirit of non- and war that the bright weapons and environ- violence, and live consciously from now on so that non- daybreak of peace and mental destruction. violence becomes the new normal, so that Dr. King’s big brotherhood can never vision of the Beloved Community comes true. The contemplative life become a reality. I believe looks deeply at this The solitude and silence of Big Sur offer a safe place to that unarmed truth and violence, sees its roots take a second look at our fears, our white privilege, and unconditional love will within each one of us, our complicity with racism and violence. Here, we can do have the final word”. and roots out that the inner work of eradicating the roots of racism and racism and violence so violence in our own hearts and lives, so we can be better –Martin Luther King Jr. the Holy Spirit of the anti-racist, anti-war, nonviolent change agents, better nonviolent Jesus can followers of the nonviolent Jesus. disarm our hearts and push us to carry on his Advent is a good time to take stock, to breathe deep, to work of disarming the world and transforming it into a new stretch our roots in Gospel nonviolence, and reclaim our world of nonviolence. imaginations so we can pursue that big vision of equality, justice and nonviolence. As we go back down the mountain, Those of us who are white need to repent of the social sin we promise anew to see everyone as a sister and , of racism, publicly advocate for racial equality, inclusion and do our part to welcome the Christmas gift of peace and multi-culturalism, and support the necessary concrete on earth. steps so that every person of color, especially every African American, can live in peace without the fear of harassment, Rev. John Dear is the author of 40 books, most recently Praise arrest or murder solely based on the color of their skin. Be Peace: The Psalms of Peace and Nonviolence in a Time of War and Climate Change (which features New Camaldoli). George Floyd was killed earlier this year because a white Tutu has nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes. Mr. www.johndear.org contemplation.com ~ 5 I have never been to the African Camaldolese monasteries, The Camaldolese Monks and Nuns, but by God’s grace I have spent more than thirty years at Polyglot and Multi-ethnic our mother-house in , and during twenty-two of these years I made annual visits to Shantivanam, our Benedictine Fr. Thomas Matus, OSB Cam. Ashram in , founded by Jules Monchanin, Henri Le Saux and Griffiths. It is a place of welcome for guests Our country has never been perfectly integrated, whether of whatever faith, and its liturgical practice incorporates racially or linguistically. The Nation was founded on slavery gestures and symbols of India’s own spiritual traditions. and racial inequality; its citizens were white people who The monks and nuns there are all native-born Indians. I spoke English, and only men could vote. A war was fought first met Father Bede in Rome, when he came to ask the and the Constitution was amended, so that African-Amer- Camaldolese to sponsor the ashram, and I was often with icans were no longer counted as “three-fifths of a citizen.” him during his last years, twice in Italy and several times But the Constitution’s non-establishment of religion was at Shantivanam. I also spent a few years in , where often contradicted by discrimination against Catholics Camaldolese monks and nuns form “contiguous communi- and the establishment of Protestant schools in Alaska to ties,” sharing liturgy and monastic formation. The prioress “convert” the Aleutian natives who had embraced Russian of the nuns is of African origin. Orthodoxy. As Hispanics in were increasing in number, a proposition was placed on the ballot, to make English the one official language of the state (the proposi- tion passed into law). Changes and improvements have been made, but true equality has not yet been attained.

My mother, Clara Agee Matus, taught me that I should “never judge anyone by the color of their skin, but only by the quality of their character.” She was born in Texas and raised in a Baptist household; her father was a minister and what is sometimes called a “benign racist”, that is, he believed African-Americans were generally inferior to white people, but they should be paid decent wages for their work, “so that they can support their families,” said my grandfather. But my maternal grandmother did not share these views, and she taught my mother and her sister to value the universal suffrage amendment, enacted when Mass at Shantivanam they were children, and to contribute actively to social progress.

While I was a novice at New Camaldoli (1962-1964), my mother received instruction in the Catholic faith, followed by the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. Only then did she write me about her becoming a Catholic—imagine my joy on receiving her letter! I am sure that for her, a great motive of credibility in the Church was the Magisterium’s clear affirmation of equal human dignity among persons of every race, ethnicity and national origin. It was a prime motive for myself as well, when I received the gift of Catholic faith, exactly two years before entering our community.

The Hermitage in Big Sur is part of the Camaldolese Congregation of the Order of Saint Benedict. Our mother- house, the Hermitage and of Camaldoli in the Tuscan Apennines, is the oldest monastic community in Sr. Scholastica at St. Catherine’s Monastery in Karuta, uninterrupted existence within the (a Since 2006 I have been “right back where I started from,” thousand years and counting, just a few decades younger with the Camaldolese in California. I am deeply grateful for than Mount Athos). The Camaldolese are not numerous, the privilege of living with our brothers at New Camaldoli but we form two congregations, one of monks and the Hermitage, and I believe and hope that a new generation other of nuns (twice as many as the monks!). The monks of monks, together with the , will integrate into our now have a monastic foundation in Tanzania, but the nuns Big Sur/Berkeley/San Luis Obispo presence the broad pan- founded their African monastery several decades ago, and orama of ethnicities, cultures and languages that energize now there are two additional monasteries. our small but ancient monastic congregation.

6 ~ New Camaldoli Hermitage particularly, “Gentile Lives Matter.” For the author of the Listen with Your Heart Letter to the Ephesians, it is the inclusion of the excluded Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB Cam. Gentiles, of whom this community was a part, which made the reconciling work of Christ “good news” for them. This “In Boston, a dignitary of the Church, was good news is precisely that their lives indeed matter. The driving along a lonesome road on the outskirts of the contemporary application is clear, as Dominican scholar city. Seeing a small Negro boy trudging along, the dignitary stated in his The Catholic Church and the Race told his chauffeur to stop and give the boy a lift. Seated Question: “In point of fact, our neighbor is not he who is together in the back of the limousine, the cleric, to make bound to us by blood, by affinity or by membership in the conversation, asked, ‘Little boy, are you a Catholic?’ Wide- same group, but he who is brought near to us by a geneous eyed with alarm, the boy replied, ‘No sir, it’s bad enough and all-merciful love.” being colored without being one of those things.’” (Gordon W. Allport, The Nature of Prejudice) One of the modules in the Camadolese Oblate Handbook is entitled “The Prophetic Edge”, which urgently I am writing this article on September 26, liturgical memorial reminds us that our contemplative vocation has a strong of Pope Paul VI, the saint who implemented the decrees of prophetic dimension. As we approach the season of the in the latter half of the decade Advent, the liturgy thrills with this prophetic sense. The of the sixties. A significantly famous quote of his from the major figures of the Advent season are the prophets Isaiah encyclical letter Eccelsiam Suam of 1964 states: “We must (all three of them!), the last of the prophets John the listen before Baptist, and the prophetic singer of the Magnificat, Mary we talk, to the the mother of Jesus. The third of the Isaiahs foresees the voice of the author of Ephesians by declaring “My house shall be a “Listen carefully… other, and house of prayer for all peoples.” John’s ambition in the and incline the ear even more to desert was to reconstitute the . A community of your heart” the voice of was reborn—a church stripped of the polish of the the heart; we Pharisees, and the solemnities of the priesthood, a church Rule of St. Benedict must under- waiting impatiently for the coming. Our journey continues stand him, and our destination gradually becomes focused on and as far humble dwellings, pregnant women, and displaced as possible persons, and the Magnificat becomes a canticle of respect him… revolution that prepares the way for the Gospel Beatitudes. Dialogue is possible only in a climate of friendship, better Can the “They’s” become “We’s”? still in an atmosphere of service.” Of course, the theme of dialogue, prominent in the documents of Vatican II. It is a favorite of Paul VI, who first encountered it when as Archbishop of Milan he attended sessions devoted to this You, the One theme at the Monastery of Camaldoli. You, the one The same day I had a telephone conversation with a friend who belongs to the Religious of the Holy Union. She in- From whom on different paths formed me that the Black Lives Matter sign posted in the All of us have come. driveway of her convent had been taken down, presumably by wealthy neighbors who live in the “Highlands” area of her city. It seems that they were incensed not only that To whom on different paths black lives might matter, but that Roman Catholic sisters All of us are going. would prominently espouse such a cause in a neighbor- hood far from where black lives were present. The Holy Union Sisters are clear that their charism commits them Make strong in our hearts what unites us; to participate in Christ’s unitive mission. Originally named Build bridges across all that divides us; Holy Union of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, they United make us rejoice in our diversity. now see themselves called to foster a “holy union” of all “sacred hearts.” As I reflect on the Camaldolese logo with And at one in our witness to your peace, the two peacocks drinking from one source I see a similar A rainbow to your glory. symbolism at play.

My reflections then took me to the Letter to the Ephesians –David Steindl-Rast OSB which we have been reading these days at Vigils, and in particular to chapter 2, which highlights Christ’s work of reconciliation between Jew and Gentile. Interestingly in this letter the theme is not that “All Lives Matter,” but more

contemplation.com ~ 7 An Ecumenical Christian Prayer

O God, of love, from the profound communion of your divine life pour out upon us a torrent of frateranl love Grant us the love reflected in the actions of Jesus, in his family of Nazareth, and in the early Christian community. Grant that we Christians may live the Gospel, discovering Christ in each human being, recognizing him crucified in the sufferings of the abandoned and forgotten of our world, and risen in each brother and sister who makes a new start. Come, Holy Spirit, show us your beauty, reflected in all the peoples of the earth, so that we may discover anew that all are important and all are necessary, different faces of the one humanity that God so loves. Amen.

–Pope Francis from his encyclical letter Fratelli Tutti

8 ~ New Camaldoli Hermitage wrote this poem for Denise McNair, one of four children killed in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, September 15, 1963.

Picture of a Black Child with a White Doll

Your dark eyes will never need to understand So without a thought Our sadness who see you Of death or fear Hold that plastic glass-eyed Of night Merchandise as if our empty-headed race You glow full of dark ripe August Worthless full of fury Risen and Christian Twanging and drooling in the southern night Africa purchased With guns and phantoms For the one lovable Father alone Needed to know love And what was ever darkest and most frail (Yet how deep the wound and the need Was then your treasure-child And how far down our hell So never mind Are questions you need not They found you and made you a winner Answer now) Even in most senseless cruelty Your darkness and childhood That senseless platinum head Became fortune yes became Of a hot city cupid Irreversible luck and halo. Not yet grown to whore’s estate It glories and is dull –Thomas Merton Next to your live and lovely shade * “Picture Of A Black Child With A White Doll’’ by Thomas Merton, Your smile and your person from THE COLLECTED POEMS OF THOMAS MERTON, copyright ©1977 by The Trustees of the Merton Legacy Trust. Yet that silly manufactured head Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp. Would soon kill you if it could think Others as empty do and will For no reason Except for that need Which you know without malice And by a better instinct The need for love

contemplation.com ~ 9 Update from the Development Office Activities and Visitors

Jill Gisselere Due to the pandemic restrictions there was very little move- ment on and off the property this summer and early fall. “It is now, at Advent, that I am given the chance to suspend all expectation...and instead to revel in JULY the mystery.” –Jerusalem Jackson Greer We did our first online retreats via Zoom, one for vocation discernment and another for our oblates and friends. Dear friends, What a year we have had here at the Hermitage and in our AUGUST and SEPTEMBER We had an All-Camaldolese gathering with the monks from country. As I write this, I am hopeful that as the seasons Incarnation in Berkeley and Monastery of the Risen Christ in change the unrest will too. San Luis Obispo on August 17. Then the next day the Dolan On the heels of getting through the first phase of the Fire broke out and most of the monks were evacuated to pandemic closure and reopening, the dreaded smell of those same houses for a month. A skeleton crew of three smoke filled the air. We knew quickly with the weather monks and some staff stayed behind at the Hermitage conditions and the wind, the Dolan Fire would be rolling with an army of firefighters. The property is a little charred towards the Hermitage, reaching the property within just around the edges (mostly due to backburns) but everything was saved, and we were back to full capacity and normal (or a few days. We prepared to evacuate and moved quickly. the “new normal”), by the end of September. The Monks and staff all left except for just a few who stayed behind. The stress on these folks was palpable—four OCTOBER weeks of dense smoke, heat and the constant threat of the We had our annual retreat, with conferences being offered fire which was literally surrounding the Hermitage property. to us via Zoom by Sr. Sandra Schneiders, on “Religious The road closures on the highway meant if you left you Life as Resurrection,” based on the encounters with the could not return, indefinitely. Risen Christ in the Gospel of John; several of our guys spent Recreation Day as guests of John Bargetto at the Bargetto I was in touch with everyone throughout this time while Winery in Santa Cruz; our Financial Advisory Board met to- I worked remotely from a nearby hotel. We were able to tally virtually (between Missouri, California and Singapore); arrange a food delivery in the third week of the evacuation. and we had a visit from our old friend Fr. Richard Rohr, It was a coordinated effort—handing food to a few monks OFM, and Michael Poffenberger, the new head of the and staff across the road closure which was overseen Center for Action and Contemplation. Two of our long- time by the sheriff’s department. It was a good day seeing my employees left us at the end of the month, Dan O’Connor, co-worker Dano and my husband who had stayed back to who has served in kitchen utility and shipping, and Chris help the Hermitage. We were so fortunate to become the Fenton, our chef for the past eight years. They have been staging area for firefighters from around the country who replaced by Ben Kalayjian, who will now be the head chef, protected the property including all structures. The fire and Edson Jimenez, who will be full time kitchen assistant came very close. It is evident when you come up our main and substitute chef. Rich Veum, who has served faithfully driveway. The damage can also be seen all along the South as the Director of Commercial Operations for the - Coast of Big Sur. It is still burning in some places as I write age has now taken on the role of General Manager. We this, but the threat is gone. are very grateful for all these and all the fine people on our staff, without whom our life here would be impossible. So now we have returned, and things These photos, by Rich Veum, are various images of the Dolan fire are getting back to normal. The sky is blue again, the air is cool and the fire is behind us. Once again, thank you to all for your supportive messages and gener- Fresh Quince picked at Hermitage, post fire, ous donations. We to make Jam may have been closed but your gifts and messages were coming in virtually and are so appreciated. Wishing you all a wonderful Advent Season and good times with your family and friends. Hoping the new year, 2021, will be a little easier for us all.

Jill

10 ~ New Camaldoli Hermitage What the Monks Are Reading

Fr. Cyprian: Mysticism and Spirituality by Raimundo Panikkar; Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman Fr. Zacchaeus: The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton; The Devils Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea Fr. Isaiah: Reforesting Faith by Matthew Sleeth; Richard III by Paul Kendall Br. Hugh: Arise my Love—Mysticism for a New Era by William Johnston Br. Martin: Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald; The Peculiar Institution: Slavery in the Ante-Bellum South by Kenneth Stampp Fr. Thomas: Perelandra by C.S. Lewis; Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Staff Lisa Washio-Collette: When Mary Becomes Cosmic: A Jungian and Mystical Path to the Divine Feminine by David Richo Brendon Shave: Atticus Poetry Books by Atticus Jill Gisselere: Untamed by Glennon Doyle

The triannual newsletter is published by the Camaldolese Hermits of America for our friends, oblates, and sponsors.

Director: Prior Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam. Editor: Lisa Benner, Oblate, OSB Cam. Editing Team: Phil McManus and Br. Martin Herbek Development: Jill Gisselere

Photo Credits Page 2: ”Good Samaritan (detail) - Rossano Gospels - th Cent. - Folio 007” by Jim Forest is licensed under CCBY-NC-ND 2.0 s Page 5: “Martin Luther King, Jr. 1964 (source: Library of Congress)” by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Page 10 (left column): Jill Gisselere Pages 10 and 11: Rich Veum Page 8: “Pope Francis” by Catholic Church (England and Wales) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected].

New Camaldoli Hermitage 62475 Highway 1 Big Sur, CA 93920

Visit us at www.contemplation.com and “New Camaldoli Hermitage” on Facebook.

contemplation.com ~ 11 I Heard It While The Sun Hung Low

Brittle morning breaks, another November arrives. A tangerine sun climbs, makes its feeble attempt to catch the moon caught in a branch of my persimmon tree.

What is this sudden chill, driving me into the chapel to kindle a fire I must have? Others have entered, lit candles for loved ones long dead.

I take my hands from my pockets, rub them together like two sticks. Help me to hear, I ask, each word spoken to me in this holy book opened, my summer long vanished.

Today, I hear the Gospel truth, The Kingdom of God is here. In the belly of the spider, I think, in the center of her web stitched between maple and Japanese anemone.

It is in the seven dollars she put into my hand to buy A frozen turkey to give to a single mother with no work. The Kingdom of God is here, where the teenager sings his lament on the avenue, You don’t know who I am- Holy words spoken to me. This is the Gospel truth. Today, I heard it while the sun hung low on a perfectly cold morning.

The blue earth turning, turning- season after season, so close to heaven.

–Ziggy Rendler-Bregman