Of Monks and Monastaries

I spent this past weekend leading worship for a retreat at a Catholic monastary in Cullman, Alabama. A full-fledged Monastary/prep-school/tourist attraction/retreat center. I met a monk named Brother Brenden. I had spoken to him over the phone prior to our trip to inquire about Audio/visual capabilities of the center. This was a very funny and frustrating conversation as I tried to ask about sound system cords and outlets ...."oh, it's just a cable with an end that looks like you would plug it into your Ipod or Discman, a headphone jack basically....do you have that for audio for the projector? and then I'll also need a DI box, mic stand, etcetc..." I didn't realize until after I got off the phone with him that I had been talking to a MONK for goodness sake. He didn't know what a headphone plug looks like, and I'm sure he doesn't own an Ipod. I'm an idiot. Anyway...upon meeting Brother Brenden on Friday night I had a face to go with a voice and he was everything I had imagined a Monk to be. At the risk of sounding judgmental and harsh, I will just say, use your imagination.
I met another old monk with a walker and a black monk too. In CULLMAN, ALABAMA!!.....who knew?
The retreat was held at St. Bernard's Abbey http://www.stbernardabbey.com/ home to the Ave Maria Grotto (Grotto means "cave" in latin). During free time on Saturday a group of retreaters toured the Grotto....it's basically a walk through the woods where Brother Joseph so and so made a bunch of miniature cities, towers, memorials, etc. I'll insert a picture or too later because there is really no other way to describe this. It struck me as completely random, but I just kept thinking what else would a monk in Cullman, Alabama do to spend his days? Build a miniature Holy Land? Sure! Why not?!
Anyway....it was an interesting weekend. I was sans nicholas so I was a bit lonely and had a hard time sleeping without him next to me and with a big Crucifix hanging above my bed. Jesus IS a comfort to me... but naked, dying on the cross, is not the way I like to think of him the majority of the time...I like the RISEN Jesus myself. Catholics apparently like naked-Jesus dying above their beds. That's a whole other can of worms.
I'm glad I was exposed to this very hidden way of life. I have a lot of questions about it's purpose and necessity, but hey....It is in fact "the same Spirit working in all of us." Monks are cool.