Cum Fratris Nostris Absentibus!

The Cathedral of St. Julien

The Benedictines conclude many of their prayer remembering those who are not with them in choir for various reasons.  "May the Divine Assistance remain with us always - and with our absent brothers (cum fratris nostris absentibus)."  While I am not a Benedictine, I hope they are remembering me as I depart from Solesmes.

The Stained Glass Window of St. Julien over the Central Portal.

Since in the area I want to visit three of the more historical cities in the region:  Le Mans, Tours and Poitiers.  Le Mans played a part in the life of the founder of Solesmes:  Dom Prosper Guranger.  There he was the bishop's secretary before getting permission to reopen S. Pierre in Solesmes.  Le Mans also has one of the largest and best preserved Medieval cities (Veille Plantangenet) in all of Europe.  The Cathedral of St. Julien is magnificent to behold on the hill that holds the old city.  It is a mix of Roman and Gothic Styles and has tremendous Stained glass windows.  The wooden homes and cobbled stone streets are beautiful to behold and so widespread.  The entire old city looks out on the Sarthe River on one side and the modern city of Le Mans on the other.

Main Street of the Plantanganet Village

 The new city, like so many in Europe is pedestrian friendly.  I enjoyed just going from place to place and people watching.  "Look, and ye shall find," Scripture reminds us.  While walking around I found this church attached to a government building:  Notre Dame de la Couture.  Originally a palace with a joining church, today the government has the palace and then there is this giant church.  Upon entering it was giant, cold and empty.  At first I didn't want to walk because my boots were squeaking so loudly on the marble.   But there was no one there so I went further in.  To my surprise in the Lady Chapel-the chapel behind the main Altar- there was Eucharistic Adoration.  There were six people praying before the Blessed Sacrament and so I joined them for my Holy Hour.  By the time 6:30PM Benediction took place we were about 16 people.  A wonderful surprise!

Notre Dame de la Couture

Fruit Phobia!

The European Enemy!

Everyone asks how has the food been at the monastery.  In all honesty all the meals have been more than good.  There were only two rough ones over the past month and they both had to do with anchovies.  Breakfast is always coffee, bread, butter and jam.  The French bread is to die for.  (I'll have to talk about that on its own in a future posting.)  But I have been limiting myself to just coffee since the other meals are so good as well as to prepare me for my travels.

The larger meal is at midday:  about 1:30PM.  It has an appetizer, meat vegetable, salad and dessert.  It’s pretty substantial.  The evening meal is soup, and some type of casserole or quiche and dessert.  As I mentioned before, the food is so much better than I remember.

The only problem is very often there is fruit for dessert.  I know what you are thinking – this guy wants cake!  No, the problem is not the fruit.   In fact, I’ll often take a piece back to my room.  The problem is that in France, as in most European countries, they eat fruit with a knife and fork.  And I just don’t have that gift.

It all began way back in Christmastime of 1990.  I was a seminarian traveling with Father Fonti (who was yet to be ordained) and we went to visit in Salamanca, Spain a religious brother (in the Legionaries of Christ) from my home parish of Holy Innocents.  The three of us had attended Cathedral Prep, Brooklyn, at the same time.  In the course of our stay there, Joe and I and Br. Jose were invited to have a meal at the rector’s table.  In the course of the meal Father Rector graciously offered me some fruit.  I declined since I saw everyone eating their fruit with a knife and fork.  When I declined, Father Fonti leaned over jabbed me in the ribs and forcefully informed me:  “The rector just offered you his orange, take it!”

Well, I took it.  A decision only rivaled by Adam’s.  I started to hack at what began as a pretty good-sized orange.  Juice was squirting everywhere.  The orange which was a lot smarter than I was, tried several times to escape in vain; jumping this way or that across my plate or table.  In the end, I hacked this poor orange to the size of a large bullion cube before the meal ended.  On that day I swore I would never eat fruit again in Europe even if it were offered by the pope or the queen of England.

So other than my fear of fruit, the food has been fabulous here.

The Dawn From On High Shall Break Upon Us

Fountain Welcoming Visitors to St. Peter's.  Parish Church in Background.

The weather has not been the best recently and I was told (and checked on the web to confirm) that my last Sunday at the Monastery was to be spectacular:  Sunny and mid seventies.

After vigils I was in the guests’ refectory having my coffee as I watched the sun rise over the horizon.  It was just before 7AM and you could already feel that today was going to be different.  I knew I was soon going to sing those beautiful words in the Gospel Canticle of Morning Prayer:   in quibus visitabit nos oriens ex alto (The dawn from on high shall break upon us).  And, did it ever!

Everything was popping open.  Well-watered flowers were opening everywhere.  People too, were in a better mood.  The only complaints came from the college kids studying for their exams.  The choir and sanctuary of the abbey church is always bright because of the style of stain glass:  today is was simply radiant as we gathered for Mass.  After Mass I just walked around town.  I was filled with groups of people who lingered after Mass.

Faithful Still Gathered in the Place Dom Gueranger.

After midday prayers and a wonderful dinner, I went for a walk along the River Sarthe.  There are wonderful and extensive walking/riding/horse trails all around.  I was out for over three hours (unfortunately I missed vespers).  But let me tell you, I wasn't the only one out.  Seemed like the whole Loire Valley decided to step out and about and it was wonderful:  families together cycling, young and older couples walking hand-in-hand, groups of kids playing soccer or sons fishing with their dads.  Superb!

View from one of the many walking paths along the River Sarthe.

The Dawn From On High Shall Break Upon Us!  Zachariah, of course, was not speaking about a beautiful day, but THE Beautiful Day of God's arrival.  He sure was present in Solesmes and the surroundings on Sunday, April 14, 2013!

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Cuddling Up with a Good Book

While the weather hasn't been the best, it has allowed me a great opportunity to read.  I could never get this much read in three weeks or so back on Francis Lewis Boulevard.  Here's a peak of what I have read so far:

A Guidebook to the Camino de Santiago    John Brierley

And You Are Christ’s                                  Thomas Dubay

A Time to Keep Silence                               Patrick Fermor

The Hunchback of Notre Dame                  Victor Hugo

Heart Speaks to the Heart:  The Story

            of Blessed John Henry Newman     Dermott Mansfield

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit                          Carlo Maria Martini & Prosper Gueranger

Benedict of Bavaria                                     Brennan Pursell

The Invention of Hugo Cabret                     Brian Selznick

Solesmes and Dom Gueranger                    Louis Soltner

The Spirit of Solesmes                                  Mary Davis Totah (editor)

Angers Adventure!

Chateau D'Angers which now houses the famous Apocalypse Tapestry. 

This past Wednesday and Thursday I visited the town of  Angers which is 190 miles from Paris and about a twenty-five minute train ride from Solesmes.  Presently it is the 18th largest city in France and the capital of the Maine et Loire region.  It was a major center during the Plantagenet dynasty.  You might recall Henry II and Eleanore of Aquitaine from the movie "A Lion in Winter."  It boasts a medieval castle (Chateau D'Angers-today housing the famed Apocalypse Tapestry) overlooking the Main River, an early transitional gothic cathedral where I attended Mass each evening as a student and concelebrated Mass here this time (Cathedral of St. Maurice) and a wonderfully preserved historic Medieval sector.

Daily Mass Chapel (larger than Incarnation Church) of St. Maurice Cathedral.

Today it has become a beautiful walking city with dozens of pedestrian only zones.  There are many parks and green spaces that are easily accessed from the heart of town.  Flowers and gravel paths are side by side with Medieval buildings and modern conveniences.  It is also a major university hub for the region and so there are loads of young people around.  As a matter of fact over twenty years ago I spent four weeks here one summer studying French at the  Catholic University of the West  to help me with my liturgy studies in Rome.  Besides the studies, it was a wonderful four weeks.  During that time there was a woman, Madme Thibault, who "ran" the foyer where I was staying along with 50 high school and college students who had come to Angers to work on their French.  Needless to say I was older than they were and not in the same "party mode."  Madame Thibault managed to get me a quieter room and kinda took me under her wing giving me suggestions about more cultural and age appropriate things I might enjoy.

Residence where I lived in July 1992.

Besides visiting the town and university, I also had dinner at Mrs. Thibault's house with her husband, daughter and grand-daughter.  It was like being on "The Carol Burnett Show" in a Tim Conway-Harvy Korman skit.  Their English was poor at best and my French is really non-existent.  It was two and a half hours of playing charades.  The greatest fun of the whole evening is when little Marie (fiver years old) decided that she would teach me French single handedly by pointing to everything and saying what it is called in French.  Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable evening even if a little stressful.

View from my second (better) room at the foyer.

In the twenty or so years since I had studied here there has been so much development done.  Parts of the city have been leveled to make way for the new.  Some of the older areas (where the Chinese Restaurants were!) don't even exist anymore.  At certain points I was completely disoriented.  But there were so many new and beautiful things added as well.

There were two regrets from the visit:  first a restaurant which the Thibauts recommended as great and inexpensive was booked for the time that I was there, and second, while it didn't pour rain my whole time there it was not the sunny Angers I had longed for.

As I left I felt deep down that I will return again.  I hope so and I would recommend anyone visiting France to stay here and visit Angers and its surroundings.

View of a street in the historic Medieval sector of Angers.

Monastic Movements

As I prepare to visit the city of Angers today and tomorrow, I wanted to describe some of the Monastic Movements of the past few weeks.

Processions.  Everything in choir (where the monks sit in church) has a procession.  The monks enter and exit for most offices in silence lead by Father Abbot alone then two by two following the prior and sub-prior.  Of course there are the processions for Mass and Solemn Vespers where all the liturgical ministers process to their places while the organ plays.  My favorite procession is after lunch when the monk (and their guests behind them) process back to the abbey church chanting a seasonal psalm as they do so.  I find that procession the most moving.

Standing.  The monks stand silently before and after each office or prayer time.  It's simply a minute or more to gather themselves mindful that what they are about two do, praising God, should be done with whole heart and mind free from distraction.

Facing East (to the Tabernacle). When the monks are sitting in choir they face each other.  When certain prayers are offered they turn and face east.  Most noticeably this takes place at the prayer of the faithful.  Besides the monks in choir, the priest-celebrant also turns after his introduction to prayer so that everyone in the church except the deacon reading the petitions is facing east and the tabernacle.  Because it is a slender and long church building it can be very moving all long and praying together.

Bows.   As you would imagine there is also a lot of bowing here.  But not all bows are the same.
  Glory be.  At the end of almost every psalm that is sung the "Glory be to the Father  . . ." is added.  This is part of St. Benedict's Rule and it allows the psalms of praise from the Old Testament to have an explicitly Christian aspect added to them.  The monks rise and bow deeply at the end of each psalm and sit again.  all done quite reverently and uniformly.
  Prayers and Blessing.  Mindful of the story of the sinner who keeps his head down while he beseeches God and is look on more favorably than the publican who is in the front and thinks how wonderful he is, the monks bow after all the prayers the priest offers at Mass.  The prayers that the priest offers from the chair (usually after the invitation "Let us pray.")  This also happens at the time of the final blessing.
  The Kiss of Peace.  No handshaking at Mass a simple bow to the person to your left and right.  It's a little awkward at first but I find it so counter-cultural that it reminds me how sacred the person next to me is that I bow to him.
  To the Abbot.  Before each and every service including Mass, all the monks bow to Father Abbot and he bows to them collectively.  It's just another one of those signs of reverence and respect.
  To each other.  That reverence and respect is also to each other.  Whenever the monks enter or exit chapel they genuflect two by two to the Blessed Sacrament.  Either after (upon entering) or before (when leaving) the two genuflecting will bow to each other as a sign that sacredness and reverence is intended for all God's Holy Ones.
  At Night Prayers.  While I love the bow at the "Glory be," my favorite bow is at Night Prayers.  After the prayers are concluded, the lights are dimmed and Father Abbot walks back and forth through choir blessing each monk with a tap of Holy Water.  After he finishes he walks to the Altar rail gate and blesses each in the darkened church.   Here begins the great silence of the night.

Kneeling.  While important there is less kneeling than you would think.  But that largely comes from the amount of sitting that goes on with the singing of the psalms.
  Receiving Holy Communion.  People receive Holy Communion here kneeling either at the sanctuary step or at the Altar rail.
  Prayer.  Mostly during the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass and at prayer before the Blessed Sacrament at Benediction with Solemn Vespers.
  Mistakes in Choir.  A fun thing is that the monks kneel if they make a mistake singing the psalms or readings.  Mostly its the younger brothers.  But you see monks periodically kneel for a moment to ask God's forgiveness over their faux pas.  If guests had to do that I'd be kneeling for weeks now.

Sitting.  As I mentioned above most time in choir is occupied while sitting.
   Chanting of the Psalms.  The monks sit for the chanting of the psalms and rise at the end of each psalm to bow for the "Glory Be."  Just a reminder that their chanting of the psalms alone can add up to over two hours each day.
   Meditation.  There are little periods of just simple silent meditation done together in prayer.

Singing.  Almost everything except the readings at Mass are sung in Latin.  The readings and Gospel (but not the psalm) are read in French.  The homily which is given only on Sundays is also in French.

Silence.  While there is an overall silence around the monastery there are relatively few pauses for silence within the monks formal prayers together.
   Post Communion.  The most profound is after Holy Communion where there is a good 2-3 minute period of silent refection.
   Before each Office.  I also mention before that each office (prayer period) the monks silently gather themselves to be properly disposed to the prayer at hand.


So as I get on the move today, I just wanted to share with you some of the Monastic Movements that I have been witnessing and a part of these past weeks.

Feast Day in a Frat House!

The Annunciation by Fra Angelico.

Buona Festa!

Today (a little late) the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of Lord.  An event so important that when it falls during Holy or Easter Weeks it does not get forgotten but moved so it can be celebrated properly.

Let me tell you the only place I would rather be today instead of at Solesmes is at Incarnation as it is one of our Parish Feast Days celebrating the Incarnation of Jesus in the virgin womb of Our Blessed Mother.  Everything was so prayerful and special this day as the abbey pulled out all the stops for so awesome a feast.  The only damper were a few showers but ironically the offertory chant today was:  Rorate coeli desuper et nubes pluant justum (Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One).  Aperiatur terra et germinet salvatorem"
(Let the earth be opened and send forth a Saviour").  Taken from the prophet Isaiah what a poetic way of speaking of the Messiah, the One whose conception we recall today and whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.  Yes, indeed, while we think of it as our feast, of course it's the feast of the entire Church - all humanity.

I have been asked about the food.  Well we had so much to eat today that we were late getting back to the abbey church for the Office of None.  The menu:  Salisbury steak and Fries.  I was being teased that it was American fare to celebrate our feast.  No one was complaining as we all vied for seconds.  That along with special deserts and appetizers you can understand why both guest and monk was happy.

I will admit that I am a little "Incarnation-Sick."  I was telling the American monk here about all that we do:  the gala dinner-dance, the special prayer service with our school children and, of course, our evening feast day Mass with the participation of so many, especially our gifted choirs.

A few of the monks who know I am from Incarnation wished me "Bon Fete."  Interestingly, they mentioned that they would pray for my people.  Not for me, but my people.  While I wonder if they think I am beyond prayer, I am excited they are remembering the same people as I do this day.

Now this all sounds far from a "Frat House."  But let me tell you who I have been living with these past days.  On Friday sixteen high school seniors arrived for retreat.  Really nice guys.  But still they are 17/18 years old.  Solesmes has lost some of its peace and quiet.  Nevertheless, these kids are all here on their free time.  Remember, it's holiday time here and they have been joining the monks in Latin, mind you, for prayer six times each day.  Then they are going for additional conferences as well.  As noisy as they have been they are inspiring me (when they are not wrestling outside my room).  Their reverence for the "holy place, things and people" is a tribute to them.  I am very much impressed.

The real "Frat" guys are actually in the library- like almost all day.  There are eight guys from university who are here studying.  I don't think they are overly religious.  But they are very respectful and just fun guys (a few times they almost had the whole table laughing at the silent meals), they are staying here because it is cheap and quite to help them prepare for exams.  It's a great deal the room and board a relatively quiet.  For different reasons than their high school "housemates" I am inspired by how hard they are working each day (or at least the amount of time they are spending with books open before them each day).  Without generalizing, it seems they are taking their studies a little more serious than some other college kids I know back home.

The Meditation sung before the Blessed Sacrament during the Celebration of Solemn Vespers.

Celebration, Prayer and Study happening under his roof would make St. Benedict very proud.  Celebration, Prayer and Study are all human endeavors which were raised to new heights in the Incarnation of God's only Begotten Son.

What a day!  What a Feast Day!