Journey Back to Eden.pdf - St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Chicago

A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY 21Abuna Matta el Meskeen is a rather charismatic figure who hastaken some exception to the policies of Pope Shenouda in the practicalrunning of the Coptic Church. He has criticized the Pope inpublic on some occasions and, therefore, there is something of a riftbetween them. My coming here with a letter from Pope Shenoudaasking for hospitality on his account might not have been the mostpromising entrée into the fellowship of these monks.Nevertheless, this is where Pope Shenouda told me to go first,to settle into first, “for so long as it takes you to grow a respectablebeard.” I expect this will be about two and a half weeks or so. Howwonderful that Pope Shenouda would send me to visit the monasteryat some variance with himself, and that he could count ontheir hospitality for his own guest! All Churches have such conflicts,but not all leaders are so gracious.A Dissertation of Blank PagesSEPTEMBER 20, SATURDAYToday I discreetly chastened the brother who brought food tomy door. “Why won’t you talk with me? I have a great deal to learnif I am to understand your life!” He answered, almost as a reflex,“You will understand us best if you bear our silence. Silence revealsus more than words.” I sigh. It may be true, as he says, but a dissertationof blank pages will only win me an invisible doctorate!Nevertheless, a failed doctoral project reveals the mystery ofthe Paschal Sacrifice which is at the heart of the monastic vocationand the essential matter of my investigation. If I obtain enoughmaterial for a thesis, I win, because I will have found the facts andexplained them in terms of the symbolic unity of the Copts’ spiritualityand culture. If I fail to do so, I also win, because the symbolicweight of sacrifice spent without guarantees of success is mypersonal lesson, perfectly learned.A Roman LiturgySEPTEMBER 25, THURSDAYA surprise, after ten days of relative isolation: today several ofthe younger monks, uncharacteristically, given their shyness, soli-