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There are 188 guestbook entries in 19 pages and you are on page number 8

Comments by Josef on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 at 21:34	IP Logged
The liturgy celebrated at New Melleray Abbey is in English (I'm pretty sure). Why did the New Melleray community decide to worship in English and not the traditional Latin? Would a monk who is a priest be allowed to celebrate the Latin Mass in private or for the community? Thanks, Joe Yes, our priests may celebrate the Mass in Latin, but not at our concelebrated community Eucharist. In 1969 our community decided to worship in English because we want to follow the Rule of St. Benedict, "Sing praises wisely;" and "Let us take part in the psalmody in such a way that our mind may be in harmony with our voice" (Rule, Ch. 19). By way of comparison, it is easier to understand the Bible by reading it in English than in a Latin translation. This is the principle that moved St. Jerome to translated the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures into Latin so that Christians of his time could read and pray the Word of God in their own language.
United States

Comments by SANDRA HARDIN on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at 07:18	IP Logged
A friend told me I can buy a wooden casket from the Abbey. If this is right , can you please send me prices for them. Thank you Yes, this is correct. Prices, photos, and other information about them are available at our web site www.trappistcaskets.com
United States

Comments by Daniel Sisk on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 23:01	IP Logged
Good day and thank you for all that you do in your advice and prayers. May God Bless you and may our Blessed Mother Pray for you. I'm discerning a vocation to a contemplative life and find the Cistercians to be the Order I will attempt to join if God is truly calling me to live a religious life. My question is this, since I live in San Diego, far from a Cistercian abbey would you advise me to get involved with the Benedictine Oblate program that the Prince of Peace Abbey near by is offering? Thank you once again and God Bless, Daniel Sisk San Diego, CA. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. Thank you. Becoming an oblate with the Benedictines at Prince of Peace Abbey while you are discerning your vocation will be good for you. The monks help oblates associated with their community to understand, adapt, and assimilate the contemplative spirit and practices of the Rule of St. Benedict in their lives. Since Cistercians also profess to live according to the Rule of St. Benedict, your early formation in the values of the Rule will serve you well.
United States

Comments by richard on Friday, May 4, 2007 at 08:47	IP Logged
Good morning. I realize how busy you must all be, but if you could help answer a question I have. How would a happily married couple start to create in their lives a contemplative life style? The hunger to understand what Christ wants from us is there but we have ignored, or rather been blinded and distracted by just living our lives and raising our children. Whoa! What a question. Thank you for your time. We are glad you are in the world We are happy that God put us here, too! Prayer is awareness with love of God. And to pray well is to love God with one's whole heart, one's whole mind, and with all one's strength. It's the greatest commandment. A contemplative life style is a structured life to make prayer easier. Your desire, your hunger for what Christ wants, is already a good start. Contemplative monasteries try to direct everything to make a life of prayer easier. Some of these practices are compatible with the duties of married life and will help you be more prayerful. Separation from the world (throw out the TV, or put it in a far less distracting place); vigils (rise earlier to make use of the time before distracting activities get started); silence (provide quiet times and places); balance work and leisure (not too much work, not too little leisure); pray the Liturgy of the Hours together (this is Christ's own prayer, and the prayer of the Church, so it is your prayer); daily Eucharist (with the Liturgy of the Hours this is the source and summit of prayer); lectio divina (divine reading, or to put it another way, "become a bible," memorizing the Word of God means becoming Christ, it is communion with the Word of God). If you live near a contemplative monastery becoming an associate, like our Associates of Iowa Cistercians, will be helpful. If you live too far away, then an on-line association like our Conversi will be helpful. If this seems daunting, do what you can, not what you can't.
United States

Comments by Michael on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 16:17	IP Logged
In response to a previous question you stated that there are a couple ways for a man to try out the life, with participation in the life of the community, etc. "If there are signs of a vocation, the next step would be...." Can you elaborate on the signs a little more? What signs indicate a vocation, and to whom, the man or the vocation director? The signs of a vocation are for both the candidate and the vocation director. A practicing Catholic who experiences a strong attraction to the contemplative way of life in a monastic community and who is in good health, free of debts and other obligations, single and able to live the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience has signs of a vocation. If he is truly seeking God, and has good zeal for the Liturgy of the Hours, for obedience, and for bearing crosses these are signs that his motivation is inspired by grace.
United States

Comments by Josef on Friday, April 20, 2007 at 20:32	IP Logged
On October 28, 2006, somebody asked the minimum age for entering your community. You responded by saying 23, but that you are (the community) discussing moving it to 20 years of age. Have you voted on it yet? or something of that sort? God Bless.< Yes, our community has changed the minimum age to 20.
United States

Comments by Josef on Tuesday, April 17, 2007 at 20:13	IP Logged
If a high school student (under the age of 18) really feels called to the Trappist Order, is there any way that he could come for a couple of days or a week and "try out" the life? I am, of course, this high school student, and I don't think that I could make it to one of the "vocation weekend" times. God Bless Yes, there are two ways a young man may try out our way of life. First, in our Monastic Center. He would have a room and meals in our guest house, and a place among the monks in Church for the Liturgy of the Hours and the Eucharist. He would also share in our manual work. Second, within the community. If there are signs of a vocation, the next step would be an opportunity to spend a week or longer in the community. He would have a room among those of the monks, and participate in our meals, work, meetings, and prayer together. Our annual vocation weekend is only one of the means we offer to help candidates discern whether or not they are called to be monks. An aspirant may come anytime during the year for discernment.
United States

Comments by Rachel on Friday, April 13, 2007 at 17:11	IP Logged
I was just at the Monastery. It was the most wonderful field trip I have ever been on, thanks for making it an enjoyable one!
United States

Comments by Raymond R. Fodrie on Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 13:13	IP Logged
If possible, could you give me an idea of what your meals are like? Also, what takes place during fasts, and when do you fast? Thanks, Ray Our meals are vegetarian. We do eat fish and eggs. Italian, Mexican, Irish, and American dishes are the main menu. Fresh salads, fruit, freshly baked bread, a variety of beverages, and delicious desserts fill out the menu (and, if one isn't careful, the waist line, too!) The monastic fast begins on Sept. 14, feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and ends on Easter Sunday. On fast days (excluding Sundays and solemn feast days) we have one main meal each day, and two smaller ones. During Lent we also give up desserts.
United States

Comments by Caitlin on Thursday, February 15, 2007 at 17:26	IP Logged
I am a high school student learning about monasteries. And I was wondering what your daily life consists of. What kind of things do you do around the monastery? Our Cistercian (Trappist and Trappistine) monasteries are wholly orientated to living a life of prayer. That is, awareness with love of God, striving to love God with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our strength, and to pray for the needs of our sisters and brothers throughout the world. Seven times a day we gather in common prayer together, the Liturgy of the Hours and the Eucharist. Several more hours are devoted to personal prayer and spiritual reading. The remaining waking hours are given to manual labor to support ourselves, to meals, and other necessities. Monasteries have different ways to earn enough to meet their daily living expenses. Here at New Melleray our principal source of income is in making beautiful walnut and red oak caskets that are more affordable than commercial metal caskets. Wood is used from matured trees in our eleven hundred acre forest, and each casket is blessed before it is delivered. Every time someone receives one of our caskets they in turn help to support us. We continue to farm eighteen hundred acres of organic crops as our next source of income. We also have a large organic vegetable garden that provides some of our food. And we have a large guest house offering hospitality to anyone seeking time for renewal and prayer. Finally, there are the other services we do for one another: cooking, cleaning, sewing, laundry, maintenance and heating, accounting and management. This life is a gift, a great grace, for which we are so grateful.
None Given

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