Praying with cistercian monks.
I have a fond memory. My mom one day, after lunch, asked me if I wanted to spend a few minutes with her at the Most Blessed Sacrament at La Casa de la Anunciación in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I said yes. I wasn't really on board with the whole idea, but of course I had not a single issue. I do not regret it, for that day I felt Saint Joseph the Worker making me think about my medal of Saint Benedict.
I was not sure what to make of it. However, a few months later, I felt tired and a bit overwhelmed with the insane amount of noise in the Dominican capital. I have a friend, colleague and teacher. He is also a deacon I trust. He had suggested a few years ago that if I ever feel a need to rest and disconnect, and just spend some time praying in a peaceful environment, that I stay at the Monasterio Cisterciense de Jarabacoa. I took his word, followed his advice, and I must say it was the right thing.
I feel my silence started as soon as I got in touch with the friar who very kindly scheduled my visit. I felt 3 nights was the magic number. I arrived very tired. The priests and friars were super kind and polite from the very beginning. I had heard the monastery's ambience was very conductive for brief reading and pondering what was read. I journaled a bit. I think I just had to disconnect, but I definitely felt spiritually fed. And physically too, the food is delicious and mindfully prepared. It's a place so silent that one feels even dishes must be done quietly.
I read some Thomas Merton. I also pondered a few passages in the Bible: John 6:11, 1 Corinthians 10, and John 21. I also read in the Scriptures other passages were ancient prophets before Jesus began his ministry on earth emphasise the importance of prayer and talk about the importance of unity in the body of Christ.
The liturgy was very beautiful. I learned about suffering, and how its a Godsend because that how we learn to follow His commandments. I pondered the importance of sacrifice. I prayed for renewal in the Church, just as a strong westward wind pleasantly caressed my body, in a moment which deepened my faith in Christ.
There's an amazing river. I thought about the environment and our duty to be wise stewards of a creation which we must remember isn't ours to own but to steward. I took a quick plunge. It's a place where the cicadas seem to start singing just in the right moment. I picked some sand and there's so much quartz in it I can't stop thinking about the river mentioned in Revelation 22.
'Twas a most invigorating week. I express sincere gratitude for the monastery’s hospitality and acknowledge the Cistercian tradition, seeing much beauty in its simplicity. I do not write these lines to instruct, but to preserve the memory of days that deeply marked my inner life. Each reader will draw their own conclusions; I can only recount how beautiful and necessary praying with Cistercian monks was for me.
