Sophia - Melkite Eparchy of Newton

prayerbook. Most days, I say theprayers standing in front of a large iconof the Pantocrator which stands outsidethe retreat house. As I face east, the risingsun begins to scale the treetopsbehind the icon stand. I am amazedthat there is enough chronos at theCloister to enter into kairos, becauseback in “the world” there is neverenough chronos, never.Now Great and Grand Silence endsand we leave for the Chapel of the HolyCross. The building was formerly achicken coup, but now only the Chapel'sexterior suggests that. Inside, it isadorned with a magnificent iconostasisand icons throughout. The iconostasisitself was built using a sculptor's mesh,painted gold, and then backed with curtainsin the appropriate festal color. Onthe iconostasis alone, there are icons ofthe Evangelists, the Annunciation, andlarge, beautiful icons of the Theotokosand Christ. Behind the Altar, there arelarge icons of the Great Theologians.At present, Holy Cross Chapel is usedfor Sunday and Feastday Liturgies andFeastday Vespers, so that the LayFaithful can attend without intruding onthe solitude of the Cloister or Retreat. Onthe day before Pentecost, Saturday of theDead, we decorate the chapel extensively(green curtains backing the iconostasis,green plants in front, and on the standholding the feastday icon. We leave thedoor open during the Memorial service,to be surrounded by the sights andsounds of creation. Finally, the Superiorblesses the five loaves, wheat, wine, andoil, and they are distributed.LaborThere are two periods of labor: assignedand farm work. The Retreat House isnearly renovated so the work here is usuallymaintenance (cleaning and yardwork). The community does notemploy a professional cleaning orcooking staff, although sometimes theLay Faithful will stop by to lend a handand donate supplies or professionalservices. For example, a local residentacts as beekeeper.I have arrived during an exciting time atthe farm. The new barn extension hasrecently been completed by an Amishcontractor, and now houses goats andchickens. The quality of the work is good,but the Amish do not raise goats; as such,a few days of experience has illustratedsome design issues in the barn. I helpFather Gabriel correct these flaws, makingthe pens “goat resistant” (“goat proof”pens are infeasible – during my stay I sawa goat hurdle a 4' wall with a standingjump). In terms of farm operations, I amessentially unskilled labor: I change thewater, distribute hay, and collect eggs.The Retreat and The Lay FaithfulThe cabin of the Holy & Just St.Joseph is a rustic two-story cabin onthe retreat property, next to a large outdooricon of the Theotokos. Typically,retreatants are married couples andfamilies, although during my visit, twoFranciscan friars were on retreat.Retreatants sleep, bathe, and taketheir meals in the cabin, but are encouragedto participate fully in publicprayer with the monks. This is themonastic community's primary goal inoffering a retreat facility: those living in“the world” have tremendous difficultyin finding the time and minimizing thedistractions to allow for prayerful life:hence the Retreat.Within the rural community, approximatelyhalf-a-dozen families attendSunday Liturgy and Feastday Vespers.Under the guidance of the monks, thefamilies hold a regular cenacle forprayer. The monks do not participatedirectly in the cenacle; instead, theSuperior presented the families with abeautiful icon of Our Lady of theRosary, written by a Ukrainian iconographer(surrounding the Theotokos are20 small images of the mysteries), tobe venerated during the cenacle.The monks also instruct catechumens.At present about half-a-dozen adults arebeing formed. The two-volume TheIncarnate God series is used. These booksteach by focusing on the liturgical year,icons, scriptural readings, and hymns.The CloisterNow that the farm is completed, planninghas begun for the renovation ofthe Cloister. (In fairness, the term “renovation”is inaccurate since the currentCloister is actually a farmhouse.) Theplans allow the Cloister to house halfa-dozenmonks in their own cells, andincludes a farm kitchen, expanded giftshop, a large chapel, and a completeenclosure for the monks while stillallowing visitors access to the “public”portions of the property.Life at Our Lady of Solitude is verymuch a pioneer activity: because of thenewness of the community and ongoingconstruction, many tasks have a “justin-time”quality about them. However,as the community matures, and as constructionfinishes, there will be moretime for both public and private prayer.After two weeks, it is time for me toreturn to “the world” and I find myselfnot caring what has happened into myabsence — mobile phones don't workat the Cloister. (The telephone at theCloister and the Retreat are located inan office at the far end of each property,and most calls go to the answeringmachine.) In fact, I am dismayed thinkingthat, once I depart, I will no longerbe able to find the time needed to contemplatebefore the Divine Liturgy.For more information on Our Ladyof Solitude Cloister and Retreat, pleasecontact the Superior, HieromonkAngelus at 570/395-0234. If you areinterested in either or a retreat orexploring a monastic vocation, I inviteyou to come and see. The monks offerboth experiences, and it is a brilliantjuxtaposition. For myself, I look forwardto my next observer visit this fall.Create in me a pure heart, O God,and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(Psalms 51:10) †A Monastic LifeMarshall Toufic Rose, a parishioner of St. Georgein Sacramento, CA, contributed the above articleWinter 2008 • SOPHIA 35