Mason's Book Recommendation

Before my laptop were ka-ploo-ey, Mason emailed in early June to say all is well with him and his family and to recommend Patrick Henry Reardon's Christ in the Psalms, a genuinely magnificent book that all of us may wish to have in our personal libraries for nearly daily reading. Here's what Mason says:

I'm reading (slowly) an interesting book by Patrick Henry Reardon, the publisher of Touchstone magazine, titled Christ in the Psalms. Just as the title suggests, he's lookiong for types in the Hebrew Bible that Christians can use to help in their reading of the scriptures. Each Psalm gets its own chapter, and Father Reardon has intereting things to say about each one--especially how the use of the particular Psalm might differ in the Eastern and Western traditions.

If you're like me and find that your praying a psalm is often "thin," you, like me, will find that using Reardon as part of your quiet meditation on a particular psalms to be invaluable. Take a look at the many reviews of the book at www.amazon.com to see why.

Grace's Book Recommendation / A Place to Meet with Sr. Judy

This morning I received a wonderfully thoughtful email from Grace, who sends her blessings and recommends that we might wish to look at and read Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittister, OSB. Reminding us that "the path of an oblate is immersion in the Rule of St. Benedict," Grace says that this book walks one through "Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today" as it says on the title page. Although published in 1990, it's still available from both www.amazon.com and www.bn.com (Barnes and Noble). Joan Chittister's works are very popular; she is a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Mount Stain Benedict Monastery in Erie, PA.

In her email Grace also suggests that would do well "to think about where we might want to gather when we meet with Sister Judy for our day, September 29th." Grace adds that, "our [Presbyterian church] Session meets next Tuesday evening," and she "would be pleased to ask for permission for us to have the Library/Parlor for the day." I think that's a wonderful idea and, assuming it's all right with everyone, I'll let Grace know we'd appreciate her making arrangements for us to have a place to meet with Sister Judy at First Presbyterian Church, providing that space is available on September 29th.

June 9: Columba, Abbot of Iona and Missionary, 597

As I mentioned in a previous post, today the Church remembers St. Columba, who died on June 9, 597, 1410 years ago. Inasmuch as we picked up on Sister Judy's suggestion that we might wish to give our group a name somehow associated with Celtic Christianity, I really had little idea as to how meaningful it might prove to call ourselves "Columba's Companions." Since we made that decision, I've spent some hours reading up on Columba and Celtic Christianity and am more than ever delighted that our "patron" saint is Columba, a wonderful missionary, psalmpray-er, lover of books, scholar, abbot, and generous friend to the people of God.

In passing Sister Judy recommended that as a reader of mysteries, I might enjoy the work of mystery-writer Peter Tremayne who has written a series of mysteries depiciting life in the seventh century world of Celtic Christianity. So far I've read The Subtle Serpent and The Haunted Abbot; I'm now beginning a third, Badger'sMoon. These are historical eye-openers, and I'm looking forward to reading all thirteen of Tremayne's mysteries. While I knew a little bit about Celtic spirituality, I really didn't know how much more I learning I can enjoy. Celtic Christianity is rich for exploration, and the Tremayne mysteries are great popular introductions to the treasures of Celtic spirituality. As a reputable scholar in matters Celtic, Tremayne's fictional Sister Fidelma lets us see what a highly intelligent Celtic Christian woman can do on behalf of the Faith and justice. Her Christian world is so unlike that the Western version of Christianity that I grew up with. Tremayne's depiction of Celtic Christianity--quite different from our "European" experience--is truly revelatory, "eye-opening." If you're interested, go to www.sisterfidelma.com to whet your appetite.

In addition to reading Tremayne, I'm also working through the Life of Columba by Adomnan of Iona (translated with an introduction by Richard Sharpe). As one of the best scholarly pieces separating fact from legend, I'm finding the 100-page introduction quite interesting. I'll let you know more of my response when I actually get past the introduction and begin reading the Life of Columba itself.

Although I realize that it has gotten a "mixed" reception in the reviews, I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed Thomas Cahill's popular How the Irish Saved Civilization. Frankly, I thought the chapters of Columba to be quite good! The book, it seems to me, reinforces what Sharpe does in more scholarly fashion, what Tremayne does in his popular pieces.

If you know of other books having to do with Columba and/or Celtic history and spirituality that we'd enjoy and you'd like to recommend, post a comment and share some titles and comments!

Kindle in our hearts, O God,

the flame of that love which never ceases,

that it may burn in us, giving light to others.

May we shine for ever in your temple,

set on fire with your eternal light,

even your Son Jesus Christ,

our Saviour and our Redeemer.

Amen.

--St Columba

Columba's Companions

Hi, everyone! After several days without phone and Internet service, I'm able at last to post from Georgia where June and I will be staying for the summer.

During our conversations after the picnic supper on May 29, two weeks ago today, I gave a brief report about the visit June and I made to The Dwelling Place Monastery in Martin, Kentucky. Here's an edited reposting of an email summary for those of you who were unable to be with us at the picnic.

Our visit with Sister Judy Yunker at The Dwelling Place Monastery in Martin, Kentucky, was a real pleasure. The vision at The Dwelling Place Monastery is that it will soon be a fully ecumenical (in the fullest robust sense of that word!) Benedictine monastery sometime this summer. That's going to be a truly remarkable development. The Holy Spirit keeps whispering to me that you all will find what's going quite a blessing for the Church, full of possibilities!

Sister Judy is excited about our little community and has offered to come in late September to visit us so that we might become more acquainted with the monastery's oblate program. After checking her calendar, here are the dates Sister Judy says will work for her; you will want to mark on your calendars:

September 29, Saturday: Sister Judy visits us in Richmond; she'll be sharing what it means to be oblates in an ecumenical Benedictine monastery.

October 26-28, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: Our retreat at The Dwelling Place Monastery in Martin, Kentucky.

When I mentioned to Sister Judy that we were trying to come up with a name, she loaned me Wisdom of the Celtic Saints, a book with lots of short biographies of Celtic saints. On the way home while June was driving, I read most of them, and at the picnic suggested that we do something with St. Columba as a name possibility. After I shared a bit of Columba's life, we agreed that "Companions of Columbia" would be a good name for us. Later that evening I went anew to Google to make sure we are okay in using that moniker. While I found that some scholarly works refer now and then to the "companions of Colomba," that is, to those who historically traveled with Columba (for example, an Irish missionary named Congan), I found no single contemporary group who call themselves "Companions of Columba." However, even though I did not find the exact phrase "Companions of Columba" (noting the plural "companions") I did find that members of an Oregonian Episcopal group of Christians call themselves "Culdees of the Columba Center" and sometimes identify themselves individually as a "Companion of Columba." That's a pretty close moniker to what we have come up with so far, and close enough that I wonder if we should make a change so that no one who googles "companion(s) of Columba" will be be confused as to who we are in contrast to our Episcopal friends out west. So I'm suggesting that we slightly alter our moniker from "Companions of Columba" to "Columba's Companions." That little difference, I think, will give us enough name distinction that we should avoid the possibility of anyone confusing us with some other group. Please let me know what you think.

As I mentioned at the picnic, some of us (including you!) may wish to initiate becoming oblates (or at least getting information about the possibility). As the brochure some of you received indicates, it's a two-stage process. First, an inquiry; second, reception of information. Inasmuch as we've made an inquiry, I think it's safe to say that anyone of us can now write Sister Judy and ask, as the brochure puts it, for the "guidelines and study lessons to begin the journey deeper into God by a study of the Rule of Benedict and the Scripture."

I have phoned Sister Judy to find out, as one of you requested, what expenses are involved with the information phase. Sister Judy says that there are no expenses other than the personal purchases of whatever books listed in the bibliographies that you or we as a group may wish to purchase. Some of us may already copies of some such books that we can share. Sister Judy also indicated that all anyone needs to do is email her at mtabor150@hotmail.com , or write her at Mt. Tabor Benedictines, 150 Mt. Tabor Road, Martin, KY 41649, and ask for the guidelines and student lessons. She'll send what you need to you right away. I'm going to email/write Sister Judy this afternoon and ask that she send me what someone interested in the oblate program receives. Then I'll get to work on the reading, reflecting, and whatever else required. If you too want to begin your information stage, please email or write Sister Judy.

In the meantime, thanks again for the wonderful picnic, for your prayers, for your calendar markings, and for your desire to deepen your lives in Christ.

Andy

PS: The Church remembers the wonderful and wonder-making ministry of St. Columba on June 9. You may wish to visit the following resources to get acquainted with his missionary work and life:

• Columba, Abbot of Iona and Missionary, 9 June 597
• Icon of St. Columba of Iona
• Columba of Iona
  

I'll provide some more links for additional information about St. Columba, Celtic Spirituality, and related resources on our blog's Online Resources soon.