Monk-tastic Weekend, part I

You've seen the pictures, and now the story behind them:

I spent a rainy and wet weekend in Trappist, Kentucky at the Abbey of Gethsemani. I arrived around 7.30pm in the driving rain (I hate driving in rain) in complete and utter darkness. The darkness was pretty cool out in the Middle of Nowhere, Kentucky; it made me feel more isolated than usual. The monastery lights seemed to poke out of the darkness like a lighthouse, or more appropriately, the castle in Monty Python's Holy Grail (except this one was filled with monks, not nuns).

I dropped my bags near the main desk and went to the Compline service. I was still frazzled from driving in the rain, so I wasn't able to relax or "get into the contemplative groove" just yet. It was good to sit in a chair that wasn't attached to a car going 55 mph in the rain though. After that, I got my keys, unpacked, and went to bed around 9pm. Woo-hoo! Friday! I was really, really tired. And that's it. There's really nothing to "do" after 8pm. The monks are lights out after Compline. They do have to get up around 3am to make the cheese and bourbon fudge, so its understandable.

I woke up the same time they did. First time I've ever made it to their 3.15am service. I was still tired, though. After that, I went back to bed and woke up at the ungodly hour of 10am. All in all, I logged in 12 hours of sleep Friday night/Saturday morning. I guess I needed it. When I did wake up, I discovered that it was Immaculate Conception Day, so they had a special service that morning. I attended most of the service, and then went to the library to read.

I started reading C.S. Lewis' Reflections On the Psalms. Pretty cool little book. It's amazing how much he says he doesn't know about the topic and then proceeds to blow you out of the water. Well, if you don't know that much, why are writing this brilliant book? Turns out he does know a lot about the Psalms.

more to come....