September
2009
9/29/09
Making
a
Difference
The month of September marks the beginning of the thirty-ninth season
of youth retreats here at our Subiaco Retreat House. Retreats
began this year in earnest as we hosted seven different groups within
fifteen days. Our retreat program serves parish youth groups from
around the Archdiocese as well as students preparing for the Sacrament
of Confirmation.
This “major ministry” of our community
involves virtually every member of the monastery in preaching, leading
prayer and celebrating sacraments – as well as cooking, cleaning and
simply welcoming our guests. (Our dogs, Duke and Daisy are
particularly skilled at the welcoming part.) And despite the
longevity of this work, new ideas and approaches continue to be adopted
each year. In all we do, our hope is to offer young people an
experience of God’s presence that will make a difference in their life.
9/22/09
Benefit Raffle Fast Approaching
The St. Benedict Monastery Benefit Dinner and
Raffle is less then two weeks away on October 3. Hosted by the
Lake Orion Knights of Columbus, this annual event includes dinner,
dancing and the chance to win valuable prizes – up to the $10,000 Grand
Prize! Only two hundred $125 tickets are being sold which gives
you dinner for two and a chance at the grand drawing. Please
contact Br. Jacob Orcutt at 248-628-2249 for more information or to
purchase a ticket.
9/15/09
Our Annual Day of Appreciation
On Sunday, September 13th our community invited neighbors, friends and relatives to enjoy a summer picnic on the property of our monastery. On that Day, the Lord blessed us with whether that was perfect for a large picnic! Over 100 adults and children came to an afternoon with food, children’s activities, and conversation. As in the past, before coming to the picnic, a group of our friends gathered for a scramble golf tournament earlier that morning at Mulberry Golf Course. Picnickers shared salads and deserts they had brought and enjoyed hamburgers and hot dogs grilled by Br. Marty Singer. This annual event is our way of saying “Thank you!” to all who have supported us in various ways throughout the years.
Listening and
Learning
As with many ancient monastic customs, the
practice of “table reading” is often adapted for modern times.
“Table reading” is the reading of a book, generally spiritual in
nature, by one member of the community while the rest of the monks sit
listening and silently eating their meal. At St. Benedict’s our
version of this practice is to use taped courses, workshops and books
on scripture, church history, spirituality and other topics of
interest. (Not only do we try to find presenters of consistently
good quality but using audio recordings in place of a monk reader
assures that no one is forced to eat dinner at a later time!)
Two of the recordings we have benefited from
this year are “Gospel Spirituality” by John Shea and “The Old
Testament” by Amy-Jill Levine. John Shea’s audio retreat on
gospel spirituality is centered on the teaching and example of
Jesus in the gospels. There is a strong emphasis on what it means
to be a beloved son or daughter of God. The freedom Jesus offers
calls us to leave our sins and fears behind and join in loving
communion with him and one another. It was a treat to listen to
this recording during the Paschal Season. At that time many of
the liturgical readings corresponded with the gospel stories Shea so
warmly and profoundly retold and explained. “Gospel Spirituality”
is distributed by ACTA Publications.
Amy-Jill Levine brings a fresh and fascinating
perspective to the Old Testament. A professor at Vanderbilt
University, Levine’s lectures reflect the present thought of biblical
scholarship rather than favoring any one theological point of
view. “The Old Testament” series focuses nearly half the lecture
time on the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. In
these writings we see the gradual and often surprising development of
God’s relationship with his people, particularly in contrast to the
competing polytheistic religions of that area of the world. “The
Old Testament” is one of the many courses compiled by THE TEACHING
COMPANY.
The Teaching Ministry
On Monday August
31st, the doors to St. Scholastica Grade School were opened for the
2009/2010 academic year. The teachers were eager and our students
were very enthusiastic when they entered the doors of the school they
are so proud of. Our small school in Detroit has ministered to
the young people of the city for a very long time, and this year will
mark our 70th anniversary! As has been for the past five years,
Br. Gregory-David has resumed responsibility for teaching religion to
5th, 7th and 8th graders as well as preparing students to receive the
Sacrament of Confirmation. Brother explains, “Although the number
of students is small than it was twenty years ago, the dedication of
our staff and our students eagerness to learn continue to make our
school a place that the parents and our neighbors are proud of."
Monastery Picnic
Once again, we welcome those who have shared
in our lives and ministry to share in the food and fun of our annual
“Friends and Family Picnic”. The event will be held here on the
grounds of St. Benedict Monastery on September 13th, from 3:00 p.m.
until dusk. We hope to see you there! If you can, please
bring a salad or dessert to pass.
Monastery Picnic
Once again, we welcome those who have shared
in our lives and ministry to share in the food and fun of our annual
“Friends and Family Picnic”. The event will be held here on the
grounds of St. Benedict Monastery on September 13th, from 3:00 p.m.
until dusk. We hope to see you there! If you can, please
bring a salad or dessert to pass.
.”