Feb 04 2007
A Trappist Gift
I would like to share with you today one of the most beautiful websites I have ever come across, that of the Trappist monks of Our Lady of the Prairies Monastery, situated in western Canada, in Holland, Manitoba.
The website was created with the help of the St. Norbert Arts Centre and the Canadian federal government department of Canadian Heritage, for the Virtual Museum of Canada. Called, A Day in the Life of a Trappist Monk, the site is, in my opinion, a work of art on every level, be it spiritual, aesthetics, information, music, history – a place I will return to time and time again.
Among other things, you will find overviews of the seven prayertimes the monks participate in daily, with a short video clip for each, as well as overviews of the main components of the monastic life, with video clips as well as diagrams/printed instructions of the pertinent Trappist sign language. As well, there is information and audio clips/videos of chant, in both Latin and French.
All this, and so much more. A treasure trove of the Cistercian/Trappist life. Enjoy. Spend a few hours sometime, if you can. I think you may want to.
May God bless you.
Semper fidelis
You are blessed to live so close to the monastery and be able to go for retreats there; it’s a place I’d truly love to visit sometime. And to think you may have a calling to be a Trappist; I wish you all the very best in your discernment of this calling. If you would like to read some of the nice comments people left about the monastery website, they are on my old blog; you can read them HERE, in my old Feb 07 archives, near the bottom of the page. (When I switched to St. Blog’s, the comments didn’t get transferred). God bless you, Meo.
On reading the old comments on your old blog. I can tell you there are 2 postulants and 3 novices and 8 monks at the Our Lady of the Prairie Monastery. Its a simple place, but a great place. If you would like any pictures of there grotto and monastery, i can take them this summer.
Meo
Méo