September 4

Day Four – September 4
It was easier to be silent today for most of the day. The monks only talked at lunchtime, breakfast and dinner were silent. Andrew joked with me at lunch, “are you silent today?” I told him I would be silent after lunch until lunch tomorrow and see how that goes. “Good, you have a plan.” He smiled and said.
I met with my spiritual director, Sam for the first time just before noon day prayers and lunch. He encouraged me to simply relax and rest. He said the time after lunch was called “napsio divina”. In other words, “time to take a nap.” Sam is eighty five years old, and in December will have been a Benedictine Monk for sixty years. He shared some of his life story with me. He was in the Navy during WW II. During training he was hurrying to catch a bus in order to avoid being late from leave, and thus “put on report,” when he fell and was run over by the back wheels of the bus. His pelvic and hip bones were crushed. He said he should have died, but his mom and dad were praying for him every day by going to daily mass and pray for his safe keeping during the war. He survived. He noted how ironic it was to be saved from battle by being run over by a bus, but many of the young men with whom he trained still perished in the war. A few years later he received word of the death of his best friend back home. It affected him enormously and turned his life toward a church vocation.
The hour went by quickly as he shared his story and encouraged me not only to rest now, but to create for myself a disciplined schedule for prayer. He said to consider time spent with a best friend. He also told me how important the Eucharist (communion) is to him. Unfortunately, that is the one barrier for me. We are close regarding communion, but still very different. They take communion every day here. I’ve about decided to drive into Santa Fe, nearest Disciples church for Sunday service and communion. There is also a United Church of Christ in Santa Fe, but I cannot recall if the UCC takes communion every Sunday.
After my “napsio divina”, I walked for two hours. I even found a walking stick. It’s a keeper. I can’t wait to sand it down and stain it. I followed a path down by the river, and eventually came to a lake. I walked around the lake, enjoyed watching some folks fishing. They were having a good time. I kept my distance so I wouldn’t be tempted to talk. I took their picture from across the lake. They are so small as to be unidentifiable. This evening I enjoyed a wonderful sunset beside the still waters of a pond between the buildings and the river. I read all of Psalm 46, Psalm 23, and a friend’s special paraphrase of Psalm 23. I discovered a river was referenced in Psalm 46 and I thank God for the time beside the still waters.