Extraordinary Conversations with Monastics.: Their Stories About Their Passage to Their Final Vocation

By M. O’Reilly

This book is a guide for seekers of meaning between extraordinary experiences and their developing a more personal relationship with God. The honest and sincere revelations of the monastics whose stories appear within invite you to reflect on how your experiences may draw you closer to Jesus.
These are the inside storiesjourneys of monks and nuns from the budding of their calls to follow the path of Jesus to the blooming of their final vocationsthat are often not known beyond the cloistered and sacrosanct walls of the monastery. The stories sprang from recorded narrations collected by the author during her travels to Benedictine monasteries around the world. Some reveal a pattern of a crisis or a turning point that incited the pursuit of a spiritual vocation. Others show the slow but steady work of the Holy Spirit, guiding aspiring monastics on their intended paths. Often the monastics give examples of surprise messengers they encountered or spiritual nourishment they received along their paths to God.
Reading these stories may ignite within you a spiritual yearning that will encourage changes in your consciousness and awaken you to the closeness between the material and spiritual worlds. You may begin to better understand some of the unusual events that occur in life that can deepen your relationship with God.
By paying attention to these experiences, as did the monastics in this book, you can better hear the divine messages that you receive from within, discovering a secret door into your spiritual and sacrosanct world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Oct 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504361712

M. O’Reilly

M. O’Reilly holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in transpersonal psychology. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Theology. M. O’Reilly is happily married and lives with her husband and two basset hounds in California.

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Copyright © 2016 Margaret Riley.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-5043-6170-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-6172-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-6171-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016910919

Balboa Press rev. date: 10/11/2016

CONTENTS

Dedication

Appreciation

Foreword

Preface

The Cross of Saint James

Chapter 1:   South Devon, England

Celtic Cross (Insular)

Chapter 2:   County Limerick, Ireland

Saint Bridgette’s Cross

Chapter 3:   County Kildare, Ireland

Christian Cross

Chapter 4:   Oahu, Hawaii

The Budded Cross, or the Apostles’ Cross

Chapter 5:   Big Sur, California

Orthodox /Byzantine Cross

Chapter 6:   Marion County, Oregon

Coptic Cross

Chapter 7:   Mount Angel, Oregon

The Cross of Lorraine

Chapter 8:   Amity, Oregon

Jerusalem Cross

Reflections

Coptic Cross

A Note on Quoted Scripture

Tau/Franciscan Cross

Acknowledgments

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book

with love and gratitude

to my dear Grandmother Delia,

who started me on this

inspiring spiritual journey.

APPRECIATION

M y deepest gratitude goes to the monastics and the staff for warmly opening the doors of their monasteries and inviting me into their sacred spaces.

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FOREWORD

R evealed for the first time! Monks and nuns sharing their personal spiritual experiences—something unheard of—until transpersonal author M. O’Reilly, on the basis of a dream and then guided by prayer and meditation, was able to bring to us the extraordinary conversations she had with them.

As these mendicants share their stories, it will become obvious to the fortunate reader how normal are these people. Their experiences are extraordinary in that they break our boundaries of what we thought was possible and introduce the person to spiritual realities.

You may discover that you have had an experience similar to one of the nuns or monks in this unique collection. The implication is equally significant and startling. We are as capable as monks and nuns to experience spiritual realities.

We also have available to us, by simply sitting still for a time each day, the capability to enjoy, nurture, and benefit from exactly the same spiritual life as the mendicants—in the middle of our hectic lives.

The spiritual impetus behind this book is that Creation (God) is inviting all of us to experience our potential for spiritual awareness. Breaking the unnecessary vow of silence among mendicants (one monastery condemned the author’s proposal, insisting that it was taboo to discuss such experiences) helps to dispel the illusion that being close to God belongs only to the privileged.

We can thank God that the author found a way to help these monks and nuns feel comfortable to tell their stories to share with us.

Henry Reed, Ph.D.

Professor of Transpersonal Studies

As a former nun for fifteen years, I found this book to be factual, relevant, and an intriguingly wise portrayal of how the seed of a vocation is planted, formed, and blossoms into a beautiful, precious gift to God and His people.

Truly a read that will deepen one’s faith, prayer, and thirst for greater union with Jesus. In essence, this gem could help call men and women to the monastic life.

Dr. Cynthia Nedvecki, Ed.D., MA, LHS.

The

Journey

Begins…

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With One Step

at a time…

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PREFACE

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

—Proverbs 3:5

I n this topsy-turvy world of ours, it’s nice to find a moment when we can close the doors and shut out all the cares and concerns of the outer world. The chaos that surrounds us in our everyday lives can be far too serious, but no matter our frame of minds, once we pass through the sacred door to our space of peaceful reflection, we can quietly focus our attention on the spiritual matters of life. We can let our guards down and leave our cares and worries behind us. There, we can pay attention to the messages within, surrounding, and beyond our everyday experiences.

*

Early one morning during my last semester in college, I woke up to a strange silence in my room. I couldn’t hear the ticking of the clock by my bedside, which I normally heard upon waking. Instead, I heard my grandmother’s voice calling to me. I knew it was Grandma Delia’s because of her Irish accent—but she had passed some years before. I looked down at the foot of my bed and recognized her there as a beautiful apparition, looking like a young mother gazing lovingly at her child.

My heart hushed into silence. Her piercing blue eyes were sparkling as she looked at me with a gentle smile. She spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, and her words were of encouragement and guidance.

Now, she said, it’s time for you to become aware of your life’s purpose. You have established a goal, and now it’s time for you to start following your path to that goal. As though reading my expression of uncertainty, she reassured me by adding, You’re ready, and when one is ready, one can never be held back.

Time seemed to stand still as my grandmother described my upcoming spiritual journey. She told me that I was to help myself and others to recognize our exceptional experiences, and how those experiences can help us in our lives. You should concentrate on the experiences of monastics, she instructed, and how their experiences have led them to join their monasteries. I can point out your path, but now you must walk it.

Through this visitation, I became aware that I was to communicate the transformative experiences of monastics to readers and seekers who did not yet know these stories and who could benefit from experiencing them. I felt a deep understanding that the information my grandmother gave me was an important spiritual message.

During her lifetime, my grandmother found great peace in God and lived with humility and obedience to her religious practices. As a devoted Catholic of deep faith, she was never without her Rosary. Although her quiet and unassuming life may have gone unnoticed to some, she had an influence on me that can never be measured. I was close to her, and she inspired me as a living example of how to lead a spiritual life.

Most of all, my grandmother always reminded me that love knows no boundaries or limits. Love is naturally all around us all the time. We simply have to be open and receptive to love, and give it unconditionally to others in order to feel it in every moment.

The morning of her visit, I felt nurtured and guided by the wisdom and compassion of her message. I was aware that her message was a gift from a higher realm, and it caused a transformation in me. I wasn’t sure how to begin my new journey of helping people realize the importance of their exceptional experiences. I needed guidance in this venture. I wondered in what manner I was to convey to people how they could use their experiences to change and improve their lives.

I intuitively knew that the universe, with all of its seen and unseen helpers, would gently lead me into my new adventure. At the same time, in order to give those universal helpers the opportunity to do so, I needed to detach myself from the habitual disconnect of my daily life. I wanted to forget about the rapid movement of the hands on the ticking clock and move gently away from the pressures of living life in the fast lane. Thus, I decided to spend some time in solitude and contemplation—to stop doing and instead go within.

To begin, I attended a weeklong silent retreat at a nearby monastery to give myself time to meditate and gain a fresh perspective on the start of this new chapter of my life. The quiet surroundings and beauty of the monastery brought me a new sense of peacefulness. Visiting those tranquil hills allowed the ordinary cares of my life to gently give way to serenity, providing me with life-sustaining spiritual insights.

During that time of personal reflection, I experienced the harmony and beauty of nature, and I searched out the heart and mind of nature’s creator in order to come to know him in a deeper way.

My daily meditative walks in nature’s paths around the monastery brought me strength and renewal. Those were quiet times, precious moments of introspection.

I know now that when I’m in what I’ve come to call slow time, I appreciate a world that I too often overlook. Whether it’s seeing the lasting magnificence of a brilliant orange sunset on a far-off horizon, or seeing a delicate dragonfly floating on the wind, nature’s wonders feed my soul. All around us every day are signs pointing to God’s limitless invitations to explore the mysteries of our existence and to recognize the precious gift of love that we receive from him, our creator. All we need to do is slow down enough to notice.

During that retreat, I often meditated alone in the round room of the monastery chapel. I would look up and marvel at the great, wrought-iron ceiling centerpiece, its large sheet-metal flame centered inside a spiral staircase leading up to the sky. The ceiling was open to allow the staircase to go above the roofline, and as such it formed a wondrous representation of our path to heaven.

After being in deep prayer and meditation during the retreat that week, I received new strength for my mission. That strength enabled me to realize that I would be writing a book, and I felt reassured that God would help me in this endeavor.

This new awareness reminded me of what St. Augustine once said about abandoning the exterior world and re-entering into oneself. I felt that I was one with God and I could now follow my grandmother’s message about my journey toward accomplishing my goal of communicating the monastics’ experiences to the public.

Also during the retreat, I had some wonderful conversations with the monks about their spiritual experiences. In an effort to follow my newfound calling, I decided to visit other monasteries and talk with other monks. I felt a growing passion to find out more about the experiences that led them to choose this direction in life.

*

Descriptions of people’s spiritual experiences fill religious history. Some of these universally known events occurred in people’s lives during their practice of ascetic activities, such as fasting. Others have had exceptional experiences through extensive meditation or other forms of mental concentration. Modern examples of well-publicized spiritual experiences include those of people having near-death experiences. Many of these events are now referred to by the American Psychological Association as exceptional human experiences, or EHEs.

One widely known example of a spiritual experience is that of St. Catherine of Siena (1347–1380), who had many mystical experiences documented by various reliable and knowledgeable people. One of Saint Catherine’s personal mystical events, as described by onlookers in Robert Ullman and Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman’s Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages: Stories of Enlightenment, records that So enraptured was she in the mysteries of God that her body was frequently lifted into the air, her soul in ecstatic communion with her beloved. This spiritual episode provides a vivid account of what would be called an EHE.

*

In order to pursue the chance to speak with other monastics, I wrote letters to the abbots and abbesses of Benedictine monasteries listed as having guest facilities for visitors who wanted to stay overnight. In my letters, I gave a short description of my plans for conversing with the monastics about their spiritual experiences. I described how I thought that having their experiences available in written form could help others understand their own similar experiences.

In response to my requests, I was warmly invited to stay, and I was then able to arrange visits to several of those monasteries and have conversations with their monastics. From the responses I gathered, I felt more confident that it would be worthwhile to make their conversations available to others who may have had, or may one day have, similar experiences. Sharing these real-life stories of monastics could help others recognize a personal calling or empower them to become more spiritual in their daily lives.

Actually visiting the monasteries later on was a thoroughly nourishing spiritual experience for me. I found that the monks and nuns were glad to describe their spiritual experiences, including the ones that had led them to become monastics. While the details of the many stories I heard were individually unique, the common thread among them was that a spiritual experience had changed the direction of the storyteller’s life. I often heard how, as a result of their experiences and becoming a monastic, they were more able to serve God and humanity.

During my travels, I was often reminded of one of my favorite quotes from the Bible that encapsulates the underlying outlook monastics have for pursuing their spiritual lives. In Matthew 6:19–23, Jesus says to his disciples,

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

*

Since my own profound experience with my grandmother, God has been my constant companion, walking beside me and coaching me in what to do each step of the way, just as a mother shares with her child the wonders of life as they walk together hand in hand. I have been shown that I can indeed help others to realize the importance of their own exceptional experiences, and in the process I have seen how my own spiritual experiences could catalyze me to embark on the journey that would enable me to write this book.

As you read these stories, keep in mind that although the names and identifying details have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the individuals involved, each story reflects a monastic’s own true experience and deepest spiritual feelings. Perhaps you will read about experiences similar to some you have had yourself. Perhaps recognizing how exceptional experiences have helped the monastics will help you to use your own experiences in order to improve your own life of service and spirituality.

Just like an archeologist finding ancient artifacts, the monasteries I visited have been treasures waiting for my discovery. Through seeking, I uncovered the infinite possibilities of service surrounding us.

I invite you now to walk with me along these sacred paths and into the St. Benedictine monasteries of Europe and the United States, to discover for yourself the wonders shared with me there. It is my hope that by reading these stories, you will gain a better understanding of your own exceptional experiences, allow yourself to open the sacred door of your heart, and go within.

* * *

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CHAPTER 1

SOUTH DEVON, ENGLAND

Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you find; knock, and it will be open to you.

—Matthew 7:7

W hile driving to the first monastery, I was enthralled by the mustard-covered fields and rich green pastures that fill the fertile valleys of South Devon. There, the vistas glow with reflections of bright morning sunlight. Large, traditional farms with gray, timeworn, earth-walled, and timber-framed buildings stand surrounded by stone fences. Interspersed among them are newer farms made from quarried stone and brick, roofed with tile or slate. It was charming to see all the unusual properties spread out across the green land.

Road signs indicated that I was coming to a village near the monastery. Before I arrived in England, I had imagined what a traditional English village would look like, with its narrow cobblestone streets and the assortment of pubs, shops, and simple parish churches. In real life, however, the village was much more than I had imagined.

Crowded together were rows of shops looking like books on a library shelf, and the fairytale cottages outside the village came in all colors and shapes. I felt that an artist had taken a brush and painted the romantic scene of Victorian splendor before me. I couldn’t help but think how a photograph of this scene would make a fun jigsaw puzzle.

Approaching Buckfast Abbey was stirring. The church bells rang loudly and clearly, calling the many people who could hear them from miles away to come to church. The sound of the bells seemed in a way to be giving me some kind of formal welcome. It was magnificent to see the tall sandstone-colored sanctuary’s tower with its huge clock at the top like a lighthouse beacon showing me the way to the monastery.

I turned off from the main street and onto the monastery road, which led to the buildings and split off in different directions for the various activities that take place there. A small wooden sign painted in green indicated that I should turn right to find the guesthouse parking lot. After parking, I let out a sigh of relief that I had finally arrived.

I walked over a little arched footbridge that covered a small stream next to the guesthouse building. The babbling sound of water was soothing to my fragile nerves after the long drive. I walked up to the large glass double doors and rang the doorbell, watching the sunlight casting a multicolored light into the entry hall through the glass while I waited. After a few minutes, a brown-robed monk opened the door to greet me with a cheerful good morning in his traditional British accent. He was petite and thin in stature, with big green eyes that accented his sand-colored hair.

The monk introduced himself as Brother Frances, and he let me know that he was expecting me and was very pleased to see me. He explained that he was the guestmaster, and as such he was assigned to be in charge of the guesthouse. He said he was here to assure that I was comfortable and at ease with my surroundings.

A woman approached us to say hello, and he introduced her as the housekeeper, Jane. Brother Frances told me that she had been with them at the monastery for twenty years. She knows how to run an efficient and tidy household! he exclaimed.

Jane smiled and said to me, If there is anything you need in regard to your stay, please don’t hesitant to ask me.

Brother Frances then gave me a tour of the guesthouse, moving quickly and easily as we went through it. The downstairs consisted of a prayer room and a sitting room. Upstairs were the kitchen, dining room, and bedrooms. The rooms, although small, were filled with traditional Victorian furniture.

Brother Frances paused along the way in the dining room to explain the times for meals, and in the prayer room he handed me a pamphlet that explained the times and types of monastic services offered at the abbey. He mentioned that the monks celebrate the Divine Office six times a day, including the daily mass, and that I was invited to attend all services.

While we were upstairs, he showed me the large kitchen and dining area, explaining the self-help breakfast that consisted of cereal, fruit, and freshly baked bread for toast, eggs, juice, coffee, and tea.

He then led me down the hall to my bedroom, which was attractively decorated with floral wallpaper. The twin bed had a crème-colored quilt over a bedspread patterned with dainty purple flowers. A painted white desk and chair stood in the corner. On top of the desk bloomed a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers in a glass vase.

I was delighted to notice a skylight, which brought warm sunlight into the room. It was so lit up that I thought for a moment bright lights were on.

It’s a cheerful room, Brother Frances commented with a smile. He let me know that this completed the tour and then excused himself to return to some other work. With a quick Cheerio, he turned and left.

*

The next morning I was ready for a good, strong cup of tea. Jane, the housekeeper, whom I found out also helps with breakfast, greeted me. She was the perfect example of an English housekeeper, carrying herself with pride and sophistication. That morning she was smartly dressed in a crisp white blouse and pressed black slacks. Her polished black flats completed the outfit. Her big, brown doll eyes accented her delicate features and soft creamy complexion. A golden hair clip held her