The Review Revolution: Improving Culture through Kvetching: Gethsemani

Hi friends,

I had a beautiful retreat and got an almost immediate hammer-in-the-head answer to the big spiritual question I brought with me to pray about. (The hammer came down not just once but twice; sometimes, God kind of lacks in the subtlety department.)

Just for fun I thought I’d post about what a typical day is like for me at Gethsemani.

First, I sleep through Lauds (5:45 a.m.) and then also through the Eucharist (6:15). I have already tried to sleep through Vigils (3:15 a.m.!), though my goody-two-shoes neighbor padded by on her way back at 3:30, and it was a struggle for my lazy bones to get back to sleep. Some of the guests here go to every single service—there are eight each day. I am more of a slacker. I guess I usually average three or four a day.

I get up at 6:30 and take my shower. Rooms are simple here, but everyone has a private bathroom, which is great. Most retreat centers have dorm bathrooms.

7:00 breakfast – this is basically a continental meal with cold cereals, toast, juice, fruit and oatmeal. At Gethsemani, two of the three dining rooms are silent, meaning guests either take their meals in total silence or listen to a sermon on tape (e.g. Thomas Merton instructing the novices of forty years ago). The third dining room is designated for conversation and has a door so that no one else is disturbed by the noise. I prefer to eat in silence, so I just stay in the DR closest to the food. J

7:30 Terce. Terce is one of the ancient services of fixed-hour prayer. (I found an interesting article here about the Roman origins of the names for the various prayer times throughout the day.) Like the other brief services, Terce consists of sung Psalms separated by a sung doxology. The monks and guests chant the psalms softly and in turn, alternating the right and left sides of the nave.

7:45 I return to my room, where I spend the morning reading, doing yoga, napping, writing, and reading some more. My room is on the top floor overlooking the fields and walking paths, and it has a beautiful view. I skip Sext at 12:15 and go right to . . .

12:30 Dinner. The noon meal is the biggest of the day at Gethsemani. Today we are having dill mashed potatoes, fish filet (one of the rare nods to meat of any kind), a kind of tomato stew, and fresh fruit. Dessert is another rarity here, but today they’ve put out the monks’ amazing fruitcake and fudge. I am not usually a fan of either, but as they’re both laced with traces of Kentucky bourbon, who can refuse?

1:00. I take the fudge back to my room and spend the early afternoon writing some more. I draft an entire column in under an hour and put finishing touches on another one. Is it the fudge or the quiet? It’s amazing how easily the thoughts flow in this peaceful place.

2:15 None. Another brief (around 13 minutes) service of Psalm chanting. This time, I sit in the balcony, which is filled with gorgeous afternoon sunlight. I think I will stay in the balcony for most of the services from now on. It has the added convenience of being right down the hall from my room – about an eight-second walk.

3:30. I get to a stopping point in my reading and decide to take a short walk. It is such a beautiful day. I go visit Thomas Merton's grave in the cemetery and spend a little time walking through the monks' cemetery on the grounds. Being a lamozoid, however, I wind up getting in my car and driving toward Bardstown to buy a paper and check on the status of my favorite figure skaters. Weak, I know! But the suspense is killing me.

4:30 More reading. I am tearing through some rather amazing books, including one on praying the Psalms and then a whole lot of fiction: Philip Roth, Silas House, Tim Downs. I will blog about these in the next couple of weeks. And a couple of novels for the Christy Awards, which I can’t report on until July, when all the judges’ votes are in and the winners have been announced.

5:30 Vespers. I love the way the bells summon us to prayer. Vespers is slightly longer than most of the other services, and there are parts that the monks chant to each other without any visitor participation. It is wonderful to listen to them as the sun is setting.

6:00 Supper. Basically a repeat of lunch. This is, shall we say, a very high-fiber diet. Most of us Americans who don’t typically consume the recommended amounts of veggies and beans and whatnot will find it cleansing, though it is surely very wise that we all have our own rooms and don’t sit too close to one another in church.

6:30 to 7:30 More reading.

7:30 Compline, my favorite service of the day. I was trying to figure out why Compline seems so much more powerful to me this time around, and I realized it was because when I was here back in August, it would have still been light at Compline. Here in midwinter, the church is darkened, and often lit only by two small candles near the altar. I love the mystery and beauty of it, and also the reprieve from following along in the chanting.

Something funny happened tonight at Compline. When we all filed up to be blessed by the Abbot, he flung the holy water right in my eye! I could swear he looked right at me and was actually taking aim. I started laughing right there in church.

8:00 to 11ish. More reading, interrupted only by a quick trip downstairs to fetch hot cocoa around 9:30. All the nightlights in the dining room seem to have the Virgin Mary on them. Shortly after 11 I turn off the light and go to sleep, thankful for another peaceful day at the Abbey.