Dear Friends,
“Unless one learns how to relish the taste of Sabbath… one will be unable to enjoy the taste of eternity in the world to come. It was on the seventh day that God gave the world a soul and the world’s survival depends upon the holiness of the seventh day… Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul.” These are words of the well-known rabbi, Abraham J. Heschel, from his book, The Sabbath.
Creation, Donald Jackson and Tomlin, Copyright 2003 The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, USA.
The opening illumination of The Saint John’s Bible interprets the first creation story in the book of Genesis (Gen 1:1 – 2:4a). God’s Spirit brought light, order and life to what was formless wasteland at first. The divine presence is indicated by the thin ribbon of gold running through the chaos of the first day and by the golden squares that increase in number from day to day. On the third day, the illumination shows a satellite image of the Ganges Delta in India. God made the water recede and the dry land appear. On the sixth day, we see prehistoric cave paintings from Nigeria and Australia, pointing us to the first human beings. Below on this sixth panel the coral snake appears, indicating the dangers that come with human freedom of choice.
The seventh day is bathed in gold, representing the Sabbath rest of God. God stepped back from the work of creation, rested, and again found it good, very good. We humans need times of rest and reflection, too, times of caring for the seed of eternity planted in our souls. The Christian Sabbath, the Sunday, can fulfill this purpose and, perhaps even more profoundly, a time of retreat at a place like St. Benedict Center.
The doors of the retreat center and of the monastery are open again, at least for the time being, for visitors without a reservation. Individuals are most welcome to join us once again for Mass and prayer at the monastery. Please note the time change: on all weekdays, we now celebrate the Eucharist at 11:00 a.m. On Sundays, the monastic community comes to the larger chapel at St. Benedict Center for Mass at 9:00 a.m. It is also open to the public.
Now all three of our new interactive displays are accessible to everyone, including the one at the monastery, showing and explaining our Benedictine way of life. Consider making a reservation to bring your bible study, faith formation, religious education, senior or artist group for a tour, especially of The Saint John’s Bible display! You can also set some time aside during a one-day or overnight retreat that you schedule for learning about and praying with The Saint John’s Bible. - I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!
Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB, Administrator