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"Until I was alone, I never really lived.
Until I was alone, I was not with myself.
Until I was alone, I never drew near
to my Creator."
Camaldolese Hermits of Monte Corona
Holy Family Hermitage
1501 Fairplay Road
Bloomingdale, OH 43910-7971
The Camaldolese hermits were founded by Saint Romuatd in the early Eleventh Century. Dedicated to seeking perfection by a
life of prayer and solitude, they are the oldest eremitical order in the Church. Holy Family Hermitage was founded in 1959
by members of the Camaldolese Congregation of Monte Corona, which continues a renewal of the contemplative life begun by Blessed
Paul Giustiniani in the Sixteenth Century.
The arms of Holy Family Hermitage evoke the legendary dream of Count Maldolus, who saw a stairway set up between heaven
and earth and upon it the white-robed monks of Saint Romuald. The step-tike division of the shield is raised slightly above
the normal position so that no top step is visible, suggesting that the ascent is into the infinity of God. The Color white
recalls the habits of the monks, and the color blue, heaven. The crown above the shield symbolizes the Holy Family, the cross
between two fleurs-de-lis representing the Savior between the virgins Mary and Joseph. It also evokes Monte Corona, "Crown
Mountain."
Camaldolese Hermits of Monte Corona
| St. Romuald {c.950-1027}-Feast Day: 7 Feb. |
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| CLICK! "Addendum" at the bottom of this Page |
In your being, all of the principles of Creation
exist, and the consciousness to share the awareness of all
of Creation. God will show you all that is within you. Every
beauty is within you. Every spark of life, every
capacity for Love. Built into your very beings on every level is the
essential flow of the energy of life.
You have found it in your genes. You have discovered it in your consciousness. Now,
you will find it in
your fullness, which is your awakening with your fellowman.
God gives the seeker a taste of Himself,
with the result that:
They drink all night, they drink all day:
And
the more they drink, the more they may.
Such liking they have of that drink
That of none other wine they think.
But
only for to drink their fill
And to have of this drink all their will.
Guigo ll {1150} Monk
Our God Gene: All
creation carries in it the replica of that origin energy
{what we inherit}. In essence, through your own cellular movement,
you are made in the image of creation {our Creator}. The stamp of that
original source energy and its rhythm and movement
is repeated in all
things.
This latent facet is the all-knowing which is
not confined to or limited
by the parameters of our dimension. It is the facet which, when
allowed to express is the
divine representative of the God Force in
us all. Each cell of our being has this knowing, and is waiting to
express
the God Essence {Love}; the nature of who we are.
We All have this "God gene" {thirst}
hardwired in us, it just needs to be,
reawakened ...
To do this, it is important to take the time
to quiet your analytical
mind and listen to the Divinity within. The instructions are
within
you. All that is needed is to trust and believe.
Then, you have something to share
with others,
i.e., "unconditional" Love - "unconditional" Acceptance ...
If two souls could, for even a moment, relate
to one another
in your purest forms - the two of you relating only as
Love energy, the essence
of your beings - you would never
ever become upset, angry or disturbed by that soul again.
All disharmony would
melt into the nothingness
from which it came.
Guigo suggests that those who have
tasted the sweetness of God give
everything
they have to obtain
more of Him.
Beautiful beautiful is the world God gave to
us. We are the Sleeping Beauty who has yet to awaken to the pulse of the universe and its indescribable beauty. It is ourself
we are waiting to wake up to. Let us wake up now.
The poisoned apple has lost its potency. Sit
up now and spit it out.
No longer is there any excuse for not loving
the universe. It is a universe of life. No longer is there any excuse for not partaking in the beauty of life. Now you step
over all the negative, for why would you, a Sleeping Beauty now awakened, walk through negativity? You wear a diamond-studded
gown and a tiara of immense proportions. One of such beauty as you no longer dallies with the brambles and thorns or comments
on them. You have too much beauty to attend to. No longer do you let even the slightest negativity scramble your thoughts,
let us all start Now,
for a Bright Tomorrow.
"The Only key to our transformation
is Love, - anything else, would be a Lie
..."
Only love can be just because only love can understand.
Without love there is no understanding and without understanding how can there be any justice?
If you want to understand
the truth you have to be very loving. If you really want to understand the whole of life in all its dimensions, you have to
approach it with great love and care. You have to be very tender, soft. And then a new phenomenom arises in you: your life
becomes full of justice. You cannot be unjust then; you cannot be unfair then - it is impossible. A loving person cannot be
unfair.
And love is always protected by God. Only those who are not in love are unprotected; those who are not in love
are always in insecurity. The moment you enter love, you enter absolute security, safety, because love is another name of
God and God is protection. The ordinary man lives in fear, anxiety, selfishness. He tries to protect himself, hence he
becomes very tense. Once God is known, tasted, death disappears. Death exists only for those who have not known love. Those
who have known love are beyond death.
And, so, now you discover
that you are not a drifter but rather a messenger from the One God who sent you here to hear His call and to repeat it softly
so that all may hear: "Love is here now.” Avail yourself of love. Pass it around like an hors' d'oeuvre. Help yourself,
and pass it around, for you are each an honored servant of God, and now you Serve.
That which you seek, you are - you
are the Ones you have been looking for -
you are the Ones you have been waiting
for -
Love Yourself and All Others to Know Yourself -
Know Yourself, and you will Know God.
You have no boundaries. The Love that
God Is, is You.
You are God's heart, this is who you
are,
A Spark of Divinity, an Image of God;
and you have not realized it ...
"Time to Love, Time 2 ForGive"
Forgiveness is always a gift you're giving to
yourself,
not the person you think you're forgiving. You're the
one who receives the benefits, in both practical and
metaphysical terms. True, you're acting as a reminder
of the truth to the other person. All thought has effects
on
some level, and it's good for the other person, to.
Who would send messages of hatred and attack if he
but understood
he sends them to himself? Who would
accuse, make guilty and condemn himself? The Holy
Spirit tells you this with joy.
The ego hides and denies
it, for it would keep you unaware of it. The more you
forgive, the less you're taken in by
the ego's tricks.
All successful relationships are where you are forgiving,
or have forgiven, the other person.
The only real power you have here is the power
to
choose between the ego and the Holy Spirit.
Your ego is never at stake because God did not
create it. You spirit
is never at stake because He did.
The Voice of the Holy Spirit does not command,
because it is incapable of arrogance.
It does not
demand, because it does not seek control. It does not
overcome, because it does not attack. It merely
reminds.
It is compelling only because of what it reminds you of.
That you are a spark of God, a spark of divinity;
made in
the image of God. The Holy Spirit is actually your own
Higher Self. But remember, God did not send the Holy
Spirit. He was always with you, because even though
you could deny the truth, you could never lose it.
Take a
fresh look at things now, and ask the Holy Spirit
within {be silent; and learn to listen deep within yourself}
what
you should do in all things. Then you'll know for
sure, that you are doing the Will of God. In the meantime,
keep
on forgiving! If you do this, not one trace of guilt
will remain in your unconscious mind. At that point, you
will
break the cycle of birth and death within you.
Be a "Passerby" to all the illusion & glamor, of the selfish
self-centered ego, and our lower nature our Lower Self.
From the ego came sin separation fear guilt pain
and death,
in opposition to life and innocence; and to the Will of
God Himself. Where can such opposition lie but
in the
sick minds of the insane, dedicated to madness and set
against the peace of Heaven?
| "Seek and you will find" |
|
| "Ask and it will be given" |
God - Thought - Love,
and the "Big Bang."
You are what you think, what you think you
create.Thought is energy that moves Love
into
creation. Every thought creates, is a
creation. Thought and Love are the two
forces of creation. In other words, thought
is so powerful that with Love it is responsible
for everything in Creation! Thought creates
reality!
Thought
is the consciousness that brings
movement and shape to the Love.
Without thought, there would be no action.
There would be no ideas to clothe with Love.
There would be no energy to spark the Love
that is God's being and to bring forth Creation.
One great union
of thought and
Love, and Everything That Is came forth, i,e,
"The Big
Bang"
The Power of Thought, and the Power you
Have.
A very great gift, a very
great responsibility.
Love without control of thought is dangerous.
All you have to do is choose to gain control
of thought and to the degree that you
accomplish this, to that degree exactly, will
Love become your reality.
If
it is your dream that humanity be free, and
if it is your dream that every human being
have the gift Brotherhood and
the awakening
it brings, then you must teach everyone about
the power of thought and the need for Control.
The
New World is here. It is calling you!
All you need to do is claim your part, claim your
existence as one of beauty,
joy and Love.
All of Creation will be your playground in which
you will joyously sow the seeds of Love and
thought
that are your destiny.
When you love enough, just the opportunity to
love will be your blessing.
Become only Love. Share only Love together. Then Love will be your
reality. Love will be
completely who you are. What you are. Where you are.
Then you just experience every perfect moment, you will be Love's
voice.
You have not yet known joy until you are truly Giving.
As your Love increases, as you choose gratitude,
you do attune yourselves to that glorious flow of giving that is the hallmark of true spirituality. So you will find
yourselves sharing this experience of
true spiritual family - sharing the experience,
of true and actual grace. And
what is grace?
It is when you accept God's gifts to you, and
thus accepted, the light within you and the
light
without are balanced, and you become
the full expression of God as you, i,e, the
Divine Spark within us all made manifest.
Yet, in saying this,you must
understand the depth of this experience
to which you are called. What does this mean
to
live in grace? And most importantly what
does it mean when God ask you to do His Will?
It is to gain the mind of Christ
by lifting thought
into union with Love, becoming true
co-creators with God.
The foundation to co-creation
is ever and always the giving of Love.
The more Love you have moving through you and outward as you
serve your
beloved humanity and Earth, the easier and more
instantaneously you will create. Thus, may you always fill your days
and
nights in the greater service of loving the world. This Love
pouring forth from you is Love that comes from God.
Concentrate and consecrate. You will want to love
your creation, to feed it
every day and reinforce it, to cherish it and, most importantly, to consecrate
it to God
and your expression of the truth of your being.
Thus, set aside a regular time to come back to your
creation to amplify the
Love. To tend it, nurture it, and visualize it coming forth.
So at this moment, in order to claim your gifts,
you must give your Will over
to God's Will. Thus "Hold your creation up to assess whether it is in accord
with God's
Will," this step is ALL-important. This step is everything, you must
develop deep discernment. You must listen in every
way for God's affirmation.
You must travel the path diligently until you are sure before you proceed.
Know that this
is where your co-creation is most important - for co-creation
means God's Will. Do not move forth until you know. - Do
not move forth until
you know ...
Your thoughts and your Love are the two ingredients
of change, riding
upon the energy of your Will. It is now time to genuinely pray with your
heart without ceasing in
gratitude. Praying gratitude with passion and
energy will lift you up over any influence of the ego. As you pray gratitude
in deep sincerity you are aligning yourselves with every Law of Love,
and are absolutely assured of doing God's Will,
then you will see the
perfection of Christ - the manifestation of perfect Love. In Love you will
help bring that higher
truth into the world, accomplished by your merging
with God through giving with your heart and thus receiving from God
the
real truth of Love to be manifested.Gratitude is your statement of trust.
Here is the pathway to the living mind of Christ.
It
is to pray without ceasing in gratitude for
others...
Take your thoughts and make of every single
one
of them something great. Something you
would be proud to bring to God, your loving
true parent. Something that you
could say to
God, "Look, my beloved God, look what
beautiful thing I have made!"
| Pray / Read |
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| Meditate |
Holy Family Hermitage
Camaldolese Hermits of
Monte Corona
1. Brief Historical Notes
The Camaldolese Hermits of Monte Corona comprise a religious order of contemplative life, founded by Blessed Paul Giustiniani
in
the years A.D. 1520-1525.
It is an offshoot of the ancient Camaldolese trunk, for it lives by the eremitic spirit that animated St. Romuald (A.D.
950-1027)
when he founded Camaldoli.
The Holy Hermitage of Camaldoli (Arezzo, Italy) revealed itself over the centuries to be the masterpiece of the holy
abbot, the
great work in which he realized his monastic ideal.
Romualdian eremitism, in fact, presents itself as an original and distinctive form of monastic life, since the hermit
does not live
entirely in solitude - easy prey to the spiritual dangers and illusions which that sort of life affords-but becomes part
of a community
with a rule approved by the Church and under the paternal authority of a superior.
Blessed Paul had become a monk at Camaldoli in 1510, when he was 34, but in 1520 he left there (although again designated
prior) because he desired a greater solitude and silence than what was practiced at that time in the hermitage.
As a result of various historical factors, the eremitical tranquility of those monks was no longer the same as in the
beginning.
Giustiniani, leaving Camaldoli, started a new congregation that developed rapidly and some time later took the name "Monte
Corona," borrowed from the locality of the same name in which the generalate of the order was founded around 1530.
Montecoronese hermitages became very numerous in Italy and Eastern Europe until the greater part of them were arbitrarily
suppressed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the civil authorities, who considered monasticism a phenomenon
useless
to society.
Today, the Congregation counts nine hermitages: three in Italy. two in Poland, and one each in Spain, the United States,
Colombia,
and Venezuela.
| HOLY FAMILY HERMITAGE |
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2. The Spirituality of the
Camaldolese Hermits
A form of semi-eremitical life is practiced in the Camaldolese hermitage. It consists of a wise balance between the solitary
(eremitic)
life and community (cenobitic) life.
The eremitism is manifest in the fact that each monk lives in a cell (little house with small garden) separate from the
others; he
habitually takes meals alone; he does the "lectio divina" and other personal prayers in cell; he perhaps does
manual labor alone;
and he spends the time remaining after work and common prayer in cell.
The cenobitism consists of this: all are subject to a Rule and to a superior; Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours
are celebrated in
common; dinner is taken together in the refectory on the principal feasts; and in carrying out one's own duties, there
are inevitably
occasions of encounter with the brethren.
The aim of the eremitic life is contemplation, which is that inward attitude of prayer by which one seeks to keep the
heart constantly
turned toward God. Note well that prayer is as much for others as for oneself, in the sense that the hermit is not a
man shut up in
egoism, but one who presents to God the offering of his own life, together with the needs and sufferings of the entire
world.
"For Christians. withdrawal into the desert is equivalent to uniting oneself more deeply with the Passion of Christ
and sharing in a
particular way in the Paschal mystery. The Church, in which there is a diversity of charisms, esteems the life given
wholly to prayer
and attributes to it a mysterious apostolic fecundity." (Constitutions n.9 and 15).
The most characteristic fruits of the contemplative life are interior peace and a joyful heart. The life of the hermitage
is not possible
without the peace and the joy which proceed from the Spirit of the Lord which take away the natural monotony from the
days of the
hermit.
The hermit lives separated from the world. Neither radio nor television is permitted in the hermitage. A few newspapers
or
magazines keep the Religious informed concerning principal social or ecclesial events.
One never returns to the homes of one's own relatives, but relatives may come to the hermitage to visit their family
member.
The cloister keeps the monk "enclosed" within it; he leaves it only for some necessity, and sometimes during
the year the
community has a recreation day with a walk outside the hermitage.
Separation from the world, in the form described above, and also the silence of the hermitage, not rigid but habitual,
aim at
facilitating both the purification of the soul from the spirit of the world and the interior recollection necessary for
the contemplative
life.
3. For Those Called to the
Eremitic Life
What
qualities ought one have who feels himself called by the Lord to enter the Camaldolese Congregation of Monte Corona?
The
best age for a candidate is 25-35; admission will be more difficult for someone over 45. Before making perpetual profession,
the candidate passes through a period of vocational testing and discernment (noviceship and temporary vows) that lasts about
6 years. Normal physical health and a good psychic equilibrium are required, but no special studies.
The candidate must
be ready to accept all those "hard and rough ways through which we go to God" (Rule of St. Benedict, Chap. 58): generous obedience,
which can even require transfer to a distant land; availability to serve the brethren even by manual labor, according to the
various needs of the house; frugality of food; nocturnal rising for prayer (at about 4 a.m.); and the cloister and the silence.
In a word, he must be disposed to follow Christ, bearing each day his own cross, with a life of evangelical penance: dedicated,
difficult at certain times, but certainly not impossible with the divine assistance.
But the fundamental quality, which
is the root from which all the others sprout, is genuine faith, which makes one who is called say: "Lord, I wish to give myself
to Thee for Thy glory, to respond to Thy superabundant love, for my salvation and that of the brethren. I want my offering
to be total, until death, in spite of all the difficulties that I will encounter along the path. My trust is not in my own
poor powers, but in the power of Thy grace."
One ought to progressively carry over this faith into an ever greater availability
to do the will of God wherever it may be manifested, especially in obedience to the Rule and "to the legitimate superiors,
who represent God when they command according to our Constitutions." (Const. n. 23).
None are required to already be "saints"
in order to enter the hermitage, but only to sincerely wish to seek God (Rule of St. Benedict, Chap. 58) and his will, disposed
to let themselves be purified and transformed by the merciful love of the Father, to live as his true sons.
Potential
Vocations
One who, for vocational reasons, desires to put himself in
contact with the Camaldolese of Monte Corona,
may
address himself to:
Fr. Prior
Holy Family Hermitage
1501 Fairplay Road
Bloomingdale.OH 43910-7971
Phone - 740-765-4511 -
Email: brdonatus@juno.com
The Hermitage is about 20 to 25
minutes
slightly NW of Steubenville, Ohio.
{Men's
retreats are also available}
There is also a Guesthouse.
If you have a prayer request, or
would like to donate something
to these Holy Hermits
who live
in silence with God, then please
send your request and/or
donation to the above address,
and, - Thank
You! ...
PHOTO of Father Basil, Prior, and a definition of HARMLESSNESS > {CLICK-ME}
Holy Family Hermitage
SCHEDULE
A.M.
3:30 rise
4:00 Matins, Angelus and lectio divina
6:00 Lauds, conventual Mass, thanksgiving, and Terce
7:00 breakfast, free time
9:30 work
11:30 end of work
11.50 Sext, Angelus, examen
12:00 lunch, free time (rest)
P.M.
2:00 None, Rosary
2:30 work period
4:00 end of work
4:30 Vespers, Litany & reading in chapter, lectio divina
6:00 Angelus, supper
7:00 Compline, "De profundis"
-This is not the "official"
Web site of the
Camaldolese
Hermits of Monte Corona,
{there is none at this time>12/15/06},
this
is just something put together by
a layman of the Catholic Church
who lives in Euclid, Ohio - U.S.A.
to help promote one of their books
titled > {Camaldolese Extraordinary};
published in 2003 - and,
to give the Hermits a presence online.
{All mistakes are mine alone, I am
not an "expert" at putting a Web site
together {or a scholar in any field},
but; I think it is adequate to
serve God's purpose...}
This Site has NOT BEEN EDITED
by the Camaldolese Hermits,
and may not reflect their views,
and are not responsible for every-
thing on this Website.
-If you have any questions,
or would like
more information
about the Hermits,or the book,
you can contact me at my
e-mail address below, -
see also a partial list of other
books about the Hermits at the
bottom of this Web site ... John
| My Photo: IHM - Diocese of Steubenville |
|
|
| I am no longer in the monastery |
{What I was like when I was a little kid}
I liked the 2nd grade at St.Jerome school
and stealing a little kiss from 'JeanMarie' who sat in front of me, -
Sister Regina caught me one time, and I told
Sister that,
"I was just whispering something in her mouth", - boy did I get it - {TrueStory} - John, {the above} from
Cleveland ...
{My e-mail > click}
A new book about Camaldoli is now available:
{Camaldolese Extraordinary}
The Life, Doctrine, and Rule of Blessed Paul Giustiniani.
By: Dom Jean Leclerq and Blessed Paul Giustiniani.
Edited by the Camaldolese Hermits of Monte Corona.
On the Landscape of Christian hermit life, Paul Giustiniani (1476-1528),
Blessed by fame, is a towering figure. To him that dazzling genius,
Jean Leclercq, O.S.B., devoted two of his finest monastic studies.
We are pleased to offer them here: the biography, never before published
in English; and the doctrinal synthesis, Alone with God, much-loved when
it first appeared and out-of-print for over a generation. And this is not all.
Leclercq's masterpieces are flanked on the left by a variegated general
introduction and on the right by selections from Blessed Paul's Rule,
a translation of St. Romuald's Brief Rule with commentary, an epilouge
sketching the history of Monte Corona, and ample indices.
There are also more than a dozen carefully selected illustrations.
Our efforts have not been aimed at benefiting only monks and nuns,
clergymen and scholars. Here is a book for giving any reader a
powerful incentive to enter into, or to delve more deeply into,
the spiritual life.
Price: USA $30.00, hardbound
"ClickMe" to order this book
CAMALDOLESE EXTRAORDINARY
Is now downloadable as an
e-book from {www.amazon.com},
and {www.powells.com}.
Update: Camaldolese Extraordinary
can now be found in paperback on
Amazon.com ---
"CLICK-ME" > for HERMITAGE PHOTOS and INFO - [Give "PLENTY" of time to download if you have a Dial-up].
| {BACK COVER} |
|
Correction above:
" - Most Reveren(d) Gilbert I. Sheldon, Bishop of Steubenville
[ 1992-2002 ] "
Looking for God with
your Heart, and not with your Ego.
How will you ever really know yourself? And how
are you to really know God?
How will you find the communion of Love, the unity of living light?
The answer is reverence.
To live in reverence for every expression of life is
to make the switch and to live permanently in the truth. To live
in reverence
will move you perfectly, and permanently, beyond the ego. Yet only when you
are ready will it show you
the way. Reverence is the "mouse button" that will
switch the screen of your life. Yet, it is so much more! Reverence
is ecstasy.
It is the truth of Love, acknowledging itself. Reverence is the truth of
Creation. It is how I love the
Creation I Am, bursting forth within Me.
Reverence is what occurs naturally when you come to see the truth - that
absolutely
everything is God, expressing in magnificence, in these languages
of light. It is knowing that everything
you see is a miracle of Love, for within it,
whatever it is, God Is. The truth of Creation is made manifest to
those who can
see.
Remind yourself continually of who you are. Every
thing depends on it.
Not, on an intellectual belief. Everything depends
on your personal
emotional experience {daily feelings} of your relationship with God.
"Feelings are the energy by which you create"
So, God is calling
you again to praying gratitude continually.
First, there can be no mistakes by using gratitude and praise
of
God, for in doing this your Will is focused on God rather
than on a specific thing to manifest. Of course, your attention
then will draw God forth, will bring God ever closer to you,
where then you will easily perceive God's Will. And then,
once perceived, you will use the steps to bring it forth easily.
It is the gratitude itself that will naturally
bring about the giving.
In other words, it has moved beyond praying gratitude into
living gratitude as the very essence
of who you are. Remember,
gratitude is a feeling. This is very important. It is not a mental list,
a "mindful" prayer.
It has little to do with the mind. The mind
may be useful in naming things you are grateful for at first,
until the
gratitude itself takes over {and it will}. But without the
feeling, we will definitely not get where we want to go.
Then the last step of gratitude which is
gratitude for what you
will have as your full, perfected self, the natural reclamation of
your true ability to precipitate
in God's Will for you.
+++
St. Romuald's Brief Rule
Sit in
your cell as in paradise;
put the whole world behind you and forget it;
like a skilled angler on the lookout for a catch
keep
a careful eye on your thoughts.
The path you follow is in the psalms -- don't
leave it.
If you've come with a novice's enthusiasm and can't
accomplish what you want, take every chance you can
find
to sing the psalms in your heart and to understand them
with your head; if your mind wanders as you read
don't
give up but hurry back and try again.
Above all realize that you are in God's presence;
hold
your heart there in wonder as if before your sovereign.
Empty yourself completely;
sit waiting, content
with God's gift,
like a little chick tasting and eating nothing
but what its mother brings.
Saint Romuald's Brief Rule is taken from St.
Bruno of Qerfurt's Lives of the Five Brothers (Chapter nineteen) - found in the book "Mystery of Romuald and the Five
Brothers: Stories from the Benedictines and Camaldolese by Fr. Thomas Matus" - the Brief Rule was written
around AD 1006 -- about twenty years before St. Romuald's death -- and is based on reports from St. John, one of the "five
brothers", who, like St. Bruno, knew St. Romuald well. We can therefore be certain we have here an authentic version of St.
Romuald's teaching and spirit.
Also see [books] > "Alone
With God" by Dom Jean Leclercq -- "The Eremitic Life" by Fathet Cornelius --
"In Praise of Hiddenness"
by a Camaldolese Hermit -- "Life of Blessed Romuald" by St. Peter Damian --
"Camaldoli: A Journey into its
History and Spirituality" by Lino Vigilucci, O.S.B. Cam -- Thomas Merton's book, "The
Silent Life", -- "The Privilege of Love: Camaldolese Benedictine Spirituality" by
Belisle,
Peter-Damian, O.S.B. Cam - 2002 -- "The Language Of Silence: The Changing Face of Monastic Solitude" by
Belisle,
Peter-Damian, O.S.B. Cam - 2003 --
There are many others, - you can E-mail me if you would like more
info on other books.
Please see the Camaldolese Hermit's new Web site
{www.Camaldolese.org}
to order other other books published by the hermits, you can also order note cards and post
cards.
P.S.: For God's "Better-Half", a book
about sister Nazarena, a Camaldolese nun of the convent of St. Antony in the Desert in Rome. There she lived in seclusion,
even from the nuns, for 45 years. Read this book if you want an interesting look at this woman who stands as a challenge
to our modern values. A very unique perspective on faith , and what it costs.
Book Title > {Nazarena:
An American Anchoress} (Paperback) by Thomas Matus (Author) Thomas Matus is a Camaldolese monk. - Availability: In
Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
P.P.S.: You don't
have to live in a monastery in order to live
like a monk.
Oblates are everyday people,
female and male, with jobs, families, and other
responsibilities. Sometimes they are Catholic, and sometimes
they are Non-Catholic. In today's hectic, changing world, being
an oblate offers a rich spiritual connection to the
stability and
wisdom of an established monastic community. -
See the book : {how to Be A Monastic
And Not Leave Your Day Job}
An invitation to oblate Life by Brother Benet Tvedten OSB - 2006
{The Camaldolese do receive Oblates}
Thank you for your visit
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{Please scroll-down to the First entry}
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and; I Thank You
4 your input...
Every idea is meant to come from God. Every idea
that is accepted into your consciousness is a
conception. A seed planted. Whether you see it as garden or womb, it is
there. If your consciousness
is filled with ego thoughts, there is no room for the real purpose of your consciousness.
Yet still the
creative process marches on. The seeds that are planted are then enlivened by your fear or your
feelings
brought forth in an un-awakened consciousness. So the creation is not instant, not as
powerful, but it happens - as is
so obvious by our current world. As you praise and fire your heart
with gratitude, hold up the cup of your consciousness.
See it simply full of golden light. Then trust.
It does not matter how long you wait - for God is waiting, too. God is
waiting until the field is ready,
rich and fertile with your Love and gratitude. Trust that your consciousness is God's,
your imagination
made for God, as the tools of our co-creation. If you keep your consciousness clear, waiting on God
to
fill it, and as you do this and you begin to see these ideas manifest, you will understand ever more
clearly how we co-create,
for you will see yourself in your creation.
When you are wakened, every single moment
will be utter amazement. As you see another human being,
you will see them as God does. You will be filled with the marvel
of their creation. What a gift of life,
what an incredible experience, as your consciousness as God's, touches them. You
will not see through
the ego's eyes again, ever. You will see right through the lie, into their precious heart as conceived
by
God. And how will you do this? Through our joined consciousness with God. Through the fact of your
Christed existence,
ever and ever a living part of God's expression, yet even more than this.
Trust that God loves perfectly through
you. Then listen and watch. You will begin to see it.
Only the truth of the Christ child within each person. Sleeping
within perhaps, but within nonetheless.
You will only love as God loves. You will stand before each of God's children
as God and see them as
God sees them. No matter what, you will then be creating their truth. They will be changed by it.
And as
you allow God's Will, as you see with God's vision and love as God's heart, if they, for one moment,
recognize
themselves in your eyes they will be forever changed.
Gratitude is your eyes ever on God. Giving is
the food of the living, moving Love coming through you,
for giving is the only route. In giving , you
become the heart of Love that you are in truth. In giving your
Will God can return you to your perfection. Giving your
Will that you become one with God. Forever. It is
this river of living Love that is the key. This Love, when moving
through you enough - fast enough,
fully enough - as you give and give and give, it will transform you as you look at God.
As you give your
Will and you become the river of giving Love, you become your true or "higher" self. You become Love.
Love can never harm, God {Love} can never hurt
you - not even accidentally. I will say this to you again.
LOVE CAN NEVER HARM. It is the nature of Love that it always
heals - heals all hearts, heals emotions
and heals the mind. If Love has ever hurt you, it was not really Love. It was
the ego disguised as Love.
It is because human hearts do know their birthright that the belief in
Love persists.
There is much more that I can add here on
this theme of Love if you like ??
It might be already a little long for some, but
I will add it if you like. -
Anything other then Love, for All of God's Creation, would be an Illusion/Glamour/Greed/
Selfishness/Aggression/Materialism/The
Pain Fear & Heresy of Separateness {spiritual ego - self survival},
exclusiveness,
i.e., hatred, active dislike or a voiced criticism, judgement, that is, - anything other then
Brotherhood, Union &
Unconditional-Love, would be a lie ...
Stay Disciplined - world direction lies largely in your hands at this time ...
{Click the Link below for a definition
of ILLUSION & GLAMOUR}
We can build a community out of seekers of truth,
but not out of possessors of truth ...
I have to be a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Jain, a Parsee,
a Sikh, a Muslim, and a Jew, as well as a Christian,
if I am to know the Truth and to find the point of
reconciliation
in all religion. - Father Bede Griffiths O.S.B.
God is not what you imagine or what you think
you
understand. If you understand you have failed.
St. Augustine
We can know what God is not, but we cannot know
what He is. - St. Augustine
I do not mean that Christianity is over. I mean
that society is not going to be influenced by it
as it was before. We may be apt to despair at this, but history shows
that Christianity
undergoes a great crisis every 500 years or so, dying to be reborn. - Bishop Fulton Sheen
Every type of discrimination whether social or
cultural, whether based on sex, race, color,
social condition, language or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated
as contrary to
God's intent. - Second Vatican Council
Love is not the product of any particular religion.
It is the rightful province of each and
every human heart ...
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Why?
Because every human being has a root
in the Unity, and to reject the minutest particle of the Unity is to reject it all
...
I now understand that my welfare is only possible
if I acknowledge my Unity with all the
people of the world without exception. - Leo Tolstoy
The human race is most like unto God when it
is most One, for the principle of Unity
dwells in Him alone. - Dante
Like a bee gathering honey from different flowers,
the wise man accepts the essence of
different Scriptures and sees only the good in all religions ...
Personal love is the prelude to universal love,
and universal love augments the personal life with awesome benefit.
“If I truly love one person, I love all
persons, I love the world, I love life. If I can say to somebody else, 'I love you,' I must be able to say, 'I love
in you everybody, I love through you the world...”
— Erich Fromm
GOODWILL:
When goodwill is expressed and organized, recognized and used,
world problems, no matter what they may be, will in due
time reach solution;
when goodwill is a true and active factor in human affairs, we shall then pass
on to a fuller
and richer understanding of the nature of love and to an
expression of some still higher aspect of that divine love; when
goodwill is
widespread among men, we shall see the establishing of right human
relations
and a new spirit of confidence, trust and understanding will be found in
mankind.
The Christian
era was ushered in by a mere handful of men, the twelve Apostles,
the seventy disciples and the five hundred who recognized
the message of the
Christ. The new era in which Christ will "see of the travail of His soul and be
satisfied",
is being ushered in by the hundreds of thousands of the men of
goodwill now active in the world and who can become still
more active if
recognized, reached and organized.
You are never out of God's sight nor out of God's
hearing. Will you remember God's love? Will you remember it in the town and in the dale? Will you remember it walking through
a forest and riding on the High Seas? Will you remember God? Will you let your heart beat for God, and God's heart beat for
you? Will you be God's accompaniment? Will you sing God's song so God may hear it and hear what God sings?
Will you sing it for all to hear?
Click "HERE" for a definition of ILLUSION & GLAMOUR
- A man asked a rabbi, " Why didn't Jesus choose
to be born in twentieth-century America?" - The rabbi shrugged his shoulders and said, " In America? It would have been impossible.
Where can you find a virgin, firstly? And secondly, where will you find three wise men? " ---
+++
-
A Jew is sitting in a train opposite a priest. " Tell me, Your Worship, " the Jew asks, " why do you wear your collar back
to front? " " Because I am a father, " answers the priest. " I am also a father, and I don't wear my collar like that." "Oh,"
says the priest, " but I am a father to thousands." "Then maybe," replies the Jew, " it is your trousers you should wear back
to front." ---
"God is EASY 2 know if U do not try 2 Define
Him" -- {Meditate}
*** Just help people & you'll become
clean & less troubled & less worried
***
Buddha
A Native American grandfather was talking to
his grandson about how he felt.
He said,
"I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart.
One wolf is the
vengeful, angry, violent one.
The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one."
The grandson asked him,
"Which
wolf will win the fight in your heart?"
The grandfather answered,
"The one I feed."
Be Truthful
be Honest to ALL
{Your only as sick as your secrets}
& only as sick as our lack of forgiveness.
" For you will find Love & Happiness nowhere,
unless you bring some with you "
May the stars carry your sadness away
May
the flowers fill your heart with beauty
May hope forever wipe away your tears
And, above all, may silence make you Strong
...
Please check back -
I'm often updating
and
adding ...
Come in the evening,
come in the morning,
Come when expected,
come without warning;
Thousands of welcomes
you'll find here before you,
And the oftener
you come,
the more I'll adore you ---
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