Two weeks ago I spent a week in silence in a mountain top monastery on the Pacific Coast — though not the one shown here. The monks of New Camoldoli chant the daily cycle of prayer, and encourage guests to join them.
The chant kept my breathing paced, and deep, and singing in this sustained way with a community, kept me listening carefully to those around me. Back to the chaos of a son's graduation and various work deadlines, the sense of stillness and calm and ability to listen that this monastic mix of silence and chant fostered remains with me.
The words to this traditional Catholic Eucharistic hymn are from Thomas Aquinas. My favorite translation is by Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ:
Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore,
Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more,
See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.
(And then there is the odd reference to the pelican...)
What music stilled your soul today? Share with us in the comments!
The chant kept my breathing paced, and deep, and singing in this sustained way with a community, kept me listening carefully to those around me. Back to the chaos of a son's graduation and various work deadlines, the sense of stillness and calm and ability to listen that this monastic mix of silence and chant fostered remains with me.
The words to this traditional Catholic Eucharistic hymn are from Thomas Aquinas. My favorite translation is by Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ:
Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore,
Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more,
See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.
(And then there is the odd reference to the pelican...)
What music stilled your soul today? Share with us in the comments!
Thank you! This was so beautiful!
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