Monks continue spiritual development

 

Mepkin Monks continue spiritual development

The monks at Mepkin continued their ongoing formation with a number of recent talks. The first was Daniel Daly, the associate professor of moral theology at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. Dr. Daly lectured the monks on racism; it was a challenging presentation in light of recent events, and he began by telling us that the oppressed know something about oppression that the oppressors don’t know. Therefore, we must be listeners to the culture and to the structure of reality. He brought us through the Catholic values and how the work of Pope Francis makes sure that we are not indifferent to suffering, especially that of people of color.

The second speaker was Mother Maureen McCabe, the retired abbess of Wrentham Abbey in Massachusetts. Mother Maureen is a Cistercian, and she gave three sessions to the monks on solitude and silence, prayer, and on the importance for the monk of developing a purposeful relationship with Jesus Christ. Mother Maureen spoke how loneliness and the lack of intimacy are problems in every monastery but can be overcome with good fraternity and knowing the Lord well. There will be other speakers to follow in this series.