Let me see if I miss here. I think at the same time also we all realize that maybe you were not noticed and still it helps us so much. to draw together more closely. And I think that is what God wants us to do before everything else during this Lenten season. Lent is in itself such a, as you can see over the phone, or you just have heard the words of Abu Jibbel, of our father, It is part, and a very essential part, of what we call, in the broader sense of the word, the vida contemplativa, the contemplative life.

[01:13]

You remember we have spoken about that in the past, that the contemplative life for us is not only the attempt to by excluding distractions and the contact with the invisible world, just to concentrate on the spiritual or the invisible, the contemplation that are the two temper that are brought together. Of course, we know that the whole work of creation, in fact, is always created two by two, as Holy Scripture says, and those two are somehow related to one another, and they seek one another, and they have to be brought into contact, they have to meet, and they have to be reunited in a higher And that is, of course, is the Lenten season.

[02:19]

There is evidently, there is our body, and there is the spirit, the flesh and the spirit. And the two fighting against one another in this state of horrid nature, and still, by God, intended for one. And to be constituent, one living entity in the human person. And that is what the Lenten Stigma corresponds, that's one aspect of it. The aspect that St. Benedict mentions when he speaks about the abstinencia. This abstinencia helps us to curb what is out of order, unruly tendencies in our being, in our flesh. can't be killed. That the spirit may triumph, and not only triumph, that the spirit may penetrate, the spirit may sanctify our world.

[03:27]

But there are many other things, day and night, as you know. The day and the night in our life constantly changing. We live in a rhythm of day and night. They too, they indicate all, you can say, all layers of our being. There is in us the vines, life of ignorance, there's the line of sin, and the line of disobedience, of not wanting to get out of ourselves and to put ourselves to the disposal of God. There is the night of incredulity. There is the night of discouragement. There is the night of fear.

[04:29]

The living season is there to bring light into all these various corners of our being, to create Day out of light, create light out of darkness. There are many other things. There is in us the basic power, and the basic in us, a complete distance between dust and glory. Today, remember man, and the star of dust, and of dust shall return. And there is the glory in this dust that is God's image and likeness. So there is the glory. And there is in us then, we then see a kind of effort through the grace of God to develop,

[05:33]

find our way, to baffle our way out of the dust, the dust of humility, into the Lord of the Resurrection. So this time is the time where we accuse our sins, where we beg for the dust, where we are willing to open ourselves to our own sins and our own failings. Be realistic there and accept our sins in that way, knowing that God will have grace that is sufficient for us to fight and to triumph over this and over the dust in us. That is, that is not only in the individual, it's also in the community. I can see that here from the various scheduler that were given to me.

[06:39]

People there undertake certain penances. Why? Because they realize they have offended their brethren by any actions against their brethren that are their penance. And in that way they make this lenient season. They are fruitful, but not only for the individual, also for the whole. We know very well that pride is not only a matter of the individual, but pride can also be a matter of community. There can be something like community pride. And we have to do that. One of the suggestions to and brought to and occurred in these planning schedules was that was about a community, a village action in which we get together and ask God for his forgiveness for anything that we may have in the past that we have sinned against in a strong spirit of power.

[07:49]

So there are all these various things which have to be contemplated because we realize that the main contemplation of the length and season. It's not only abstinence, but it is prayer, and it is breathing, and it is consumption. United to God, they lived the two Templar of a whole being. God loved being. Destined by God to see His glory, never to die, but to live in His love and His charity for us. If there is the Divine Templar, there is the Divine Mercy, there is the Divine Heart, then where is the contemplation of these two?

[08:58]

So it is evident that if we enter, every individual enters with his whole heart into this spirit of true contemplation. and certainly also the whole of our community will profit so much from it. I would suggest that as a special kind of picture, maybe, of this Lenten season, that we concentrate on that. You remember that in the past that I had suggested this, the vision of life. Now this revision of light has been practiced, I think, by the novices and by the juniors here and there. The professed, I think, it's got a kind of structure, a corp or two, a tense.

[10:02]

through into this inner liberty. I think it's absolutely what God wants us to do. He wants to free our hearts. There is so much there, here, and in our community, in our little camp. And it's just to know this breakthrough. It is the retreat there in Abu Dhabi of the Genesee has put that through clearly again before me. What tremendous opportunities we have in our life just for this kind of inner community cooperation, in humility, in the good will of mutual charity to help one another, to identify one another, and by that we mean to build the community.

[11:07]

We need stones in the community. You realize that. How do we get it? These stones are not produced by everybody kind of employing it to himself. as it is very often the consequence of the too narrow aspect of contemplation. If one considers contemplation as an act, then so easily it can lead the individual, can withdraw into deep sleep. Just the other day, I read a very good word, I think, by Théaultain, The thing of pain is a mark of what it was. The thing of pain was a hermit. But he said, now beware, beware. If you observe a carpenter, and he goes with the, what was that instrument, the planer, he goes over that wood, you know, and there,

[12:13]

then the shavings develop. And the thinner they are, the more they kind of roll into the sand, and roll around, one can really say, around their own empties. He says, that is the monk who strives for contemplation without charity. That's a great danger. And we should realize they have led our life here at Mount Seirius just based on that, you know, to avoid this kind of thing. That's one of our many purposes of this life. But in order to avoid it, we have a cause to grow together and to craft some need for another as a community, as a whole. and in our faithfulness with them, and seriousness and goodness that only charity can provide.

[13:20]

It is true for us, there is the possibility to do all this. And we as a community may get together in that way. But we can do it. We are free to do these things. And that is a tremendous opportunity. And we have to use it. We cannot let it pass. I think the will is there. The eagerness is there. And we have to ask the Holy Spirit to give us, as it were, the courage, the talent, the goodness, in order to so that it may really become a blessing for all who live here together, a community of peace and living together. Of course, first of all, on the level of humanity and of repentance and of this will to be converted, liberating us to change.

[14:29]

always emphasizing on the keystones in our own spiritual life. That may be a process which takes your life. We may all witness again and again four angels saying woosh, doesn't matter. You have to get again, you know. Let's start all over again. Now I'm here. So I don't see the effects that let us do that, or planets, you know, and so on. I think it's one very important various groups of the community get together and have this in all freedom, not according to a common saying, but so that spontaneity, the inner willingness, goodness of the individual really comes out. But of course you have to realize that this freedom that we have is also a tremendous responsibility.

[15:33]

It can be, it is a risk, but monastic life is a risk. But it is a risk that may be spoiled by a lack of enough seriousness, humility, goodness, and charity. We think, we make up, we know that. Sometimes also the wrong kind of a picture. Or the wrong kind, you know, of depending on the social image that the individual has. Those against those ends, we have to be on our guard. But I think that we are, by now, I think we are very much better. in a position not to be aware of these intentions, then in a need of responsibility, goodness, seriousness, even of oneself, I think we can risk to get together and in that way heal one another.

[16:45]

In the line of conversion, of the willingness to change, That is, for us, there is another field, especially we realize that in these weeks and after moving into the new buildings, we realize that there is a great deal of maintenance on this kind of building. Now, again, you know, we must be aware of the fact that we are trying to go in a way which is clearly indicated that we don't do it in any kind of presumption. We don't do it to invent something new. We do it again, encouraged to do it by the rule itself, the rule of St. Benedict. Well, we communicate again that the nature of a contemplative community is not seen in the

[17:49]

again in the withdrawal into that, but it is seen in the cooperation in charity, not only in the way which I just before explained on the level of humility, and on the other hand also not only on the level of, let us say, an effective mutual relation, but on the level of work. Work of one side and of the other. Work is always work in the material field, and it is work in the spirit world. That is what I'm saying. We don't, we're not, we're trying, we're trying to, it's not to to begin to have an organization in which one part of the community enables the other part of the community to have the maximum amount of time for everybody for instance.

[19:03]

We must get used to it, we must face it. And that is not our approach. But our approach is that we try together to build the temple in a way that they constantly work one way, on the material level, demands of the other hand also, that they try to bring the two into balance. We know that that hasn't been accomplished yet, but maybe in a perfect way it will never be accomplished, because there are always unforeseen things, and all these things happening in the visible material world, which constitute surprises, which interfere with the whole world, and so on. But one should not be either in any kind of illusion.

[20:05]

The same kind of thing happens in what we call the spiritual world, too. There are surprises, and there we get stuck, and there we may be taken by the law of the world. And we may be driven into much greater, let's say, use of time than we had expected. The same also in the material. We know it here from the building. It says, the earth will be finished by wisdom. We move it, the earth will be finished by that method. We don't need more than this. We always need nearly twice as much. We always. Therefore, we have to sit there. There is that. It's simply in our elasticity in these things that is necessary. But it's also so wholesome, so good. It's a thing that enlarges, broadens the individual. And it details our humanity, hence our whole contact with reality, with God's reality.

[21:12]

And that is really the gate of contact. And so therefore, then, that's the other field, the field of the work. And again, there, the work, how much possibility it also gives for cooperation. We as a community, we aim towards that. That we would, you know, in the development of community, have certain teams, rules, as I was saying, in the field of the artwork, in the field of the, maybe art some later on, possibly in the field of the general housework. It's necessary to collect with our feelings, then in the field of maybe the spiritual, or Buddhist culture, or whatever it is, or their statistically normative thing. You have there, I believe, certain teams, certain things, certain groups, that certainly, in their capabilities and interests, will tend to some direction.

[22:26]

And as much as possible, the community as a whole should try to fill those needs and make it possible. But on the other hand, one has, of course, to take into consideration the togetherness, the consideration one and the other. That is another thing I am so glad that here the schedules are full, in my mind, very concrete. They are in plain thought. the possibilities and realities of the head of a place, to a head of another. Take somebody in this field, who is, let's say, inspiring the world and engage in another field. There are also, of course, things And that might be another idea that during the Lenten season we might take into consideration, you know, getting the community together to certain core beliefs.

[23:30]

We have that already in the Archdiocese, for example, in March. The time comes to spray the ceilings, the sun becomes more evident, and therefore also, one hand will be to hands collected on the outside of the window. So, that can be a part of our life. It simply will always be there. And it's good, you know, for Easter maybe, you know, windows are like the eyes, you know, to kind of make them, him, do what we can in order to make them shine. And in that way, again, also influence the whole attitude of the community in a sense. So I just mentioned one of the other things, you know, but in these general fields there is, there is what we call contemplative life, that means a life which tries, you know, to be comprehensive in its inner, in coordination of the various regions, sections, you know, and parts of reality, which, by our Creator, our thought will too come together and support one another.

[24:56]

We have seen that also in the past, that God, you know, we can see so much of that in the college, that many of us are going to give extra time this way or in another way. Spending on, you know, reading the books and all, and so on. All of that for the good financial goals. Yeah, that's an absolute necessary thing. So I engage in that, do that, do it, read it. as an act of charity. But it should be, and also that's another thing, appreciated. And that's the other thing, you see, in the, to this little article there by this Clement Hill on sacrifices, now we didn't get around to it too much today, but I mean, there is the main point, you know, of course, what he, why, for example, it stands

[25:59]

And we must be very careful because there are also, how would one call it, now I wouldn't say false sacrifices, but I mean genuine sacrifices and sacrifices that are not really sacrifices. but that those are perhaps a kind of, how can I say, contrived sacrifice. And there is of course also in the Christian life, the monastic life, it's a great danger, and especially if somebody lives or tries to live in a kind of vacuum of the act of contemplation, that he might, he may then contrive, all of a sudden, the sacrifices, you know, that fits into a Hindu's life, while it is simply and completely missed with the reality.

[27:05]

Thank God, one look at the big schedule I can see, see that there is, in our life, where there is so much, you know, so many things, and needs are staring into the face of everybody, that it's not easily possible to move there into being a kind of a faction. One is too much by that engaged. But this engagement is, to one point, a good thing as long as it isn't a complete capitulation to what we call the law of the world. As long as we are not getting tied up and involved in it so that we lose. But it seems to me that one of the things which, of course, that's also in the Adventist liturgy, so evident, one of the things that allows us to make the character of the Christian Lenten season, that is, that in our joyfulness,

[28:15]

with which these various things are based, and in which they are handled as they did. And their joyfulness, their dependence, I think to a great extent to our inner capacity to appreciate, and to appreciate the worth of the other one. And in that way to then get, by appreciating the work that we have done, someone, then also to do what one can in order to show that appreciation, by being there, for example, and communicating solely as a scientist. to a certain time. I would recommend that as a kind of a general rule, a general thing for all the whole community to focus on during the Lenten season, and that is virtuality.

[29:23]

Being there, I'm very glad that, for example, several of the scheduler went out and they But in the spring hour, I want to go to chapel. Not only when the bell rings, you know, they ring 12 hours a year, I'm very sure, but when the first bell rings, see, the first sign comes. Maybe I'm very much, you know, not tensed, you know, I've just come in, you know, so think that I'm really, you understand, just to do that, firstly, in order to give also to the, to worship, you know, this kind of atmosphere that this is really considered here something, you know, that is of great, simple importance, and therefore I don't only rushing at the last moment, or being late, but I don't, I'm already there, poor, I have to be there.

[30:29]

I think it's insane. That gives also to the whole life in the community a certain quietness and calmness, which unfortunately, I mean, I don't say that's good to blame everybody, but too great, but in order to let us realize that now, I think everybody feels it now, so much that the rushing around there, again, you know, too, with rushing, slamming of doors, you know, and all these things, sometimes when they're rushing, it's bad, it's an answer to be avoidant. give to what you are doing a certain air of calm, quiet, and that has, on the whole, a tremendous influence. Otherwise, if somebody is just considered and appears in its kind of social image, you know, an outstander, one could say as an outstander.

[31:39]

accumulation of energy that vibrates in every direction, gets everybody excited when he comes, you know, close to that, that center of energy. And that's not so good. Must be, middle boy must strive for that, you know. That is, you know, in this way one creates a certain groove a rule for appreciation, a rule for charity, and a rule for prayer, for the glorification of God. So in these various ways I hope, and also in other ways, still that this Lenten season will be For all of us, it's a community exercise, that's what really is an individual thing, it's a community exercise, it is a celebration, and it's really that we prepare our hearts to celebrate the Easter, then we bring in the spirit, and that spirit of joy, of which, you know, we've done the same thing with the experience.

[32:55]

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