But first, coffee!
I am not a morning person. I was on retreat in March with the Canons of the Order of St. Benedict, at the beautiful Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo, and was concerned not so much with being godly as with staying awake. Vigils (the first prayer time, or office, of the morning) wasn’t even especially early, 7:30am, but I was long out of practice. As a postulant (meaning one seeking admission to a religious order), I was afraid my character would be found wanting, and I would be sent packing. Fortunately, the Canons are not so ruthless, or petty. One of our members, Sister Jayne, sent a message around that she had brought her coffee maker for those of us who needed a little boost before breakfast. My people! My monastic path was assured, at least for the duration of the retreat.
As Canons, we structure our lives around the Rule of St. Benedict. The Rule was written over 1500 years ago and is a guide to praying and living in monastic community. The Canon Communities of St. Benedict (OSBCn) is relatively new, providing a contemporary Anglican framework for the living out of Benedictine Christianity. The OSBCn is a dispersed order, that is, rather than living together, members maintain their own homes and livelihoods. Members come from various walks of life, men and women, married and single. The Benedictine values of prayer, work, study, and vows are emphasized, and we seek to live simply and modestly, a balanced life of hospitality and love of neighbour. We are required to be active members of a local parish.
The OSBCn has groups active in Canada and the US. The Canon community in BC is the Community of St. Aidan, centred in Victoria BC in the Diocese of Islands and Inlets under Bishop Anna Greenwood-Lee. The Prior of St. Aidan is Father Martin Brokenleg. A number of our members live in Vancouver, BC. We meet on Zoom twice a week for community discussion and prayer, and once of month in a larger conference of members and other interested persons. Twice a year we meet in-person on retreat. And we are committed to praying the daily offices as completely as our daily lives allow.
On this retreat, another postulant and I were being clothed, making us novices. The clothing is literal: in the ceremony at St. Paul’s, Nanaimo, other members assisted in dressing the new novices in the habit of the community, a black tunic and hooded scapular. Another member took vows for her second year in the novitiate, and one other member took life vows. As Benedictines, we are called to make vows of obedience, stability, and conversion of life. The process can take years. Always, there is much time for discernment, to experience God’s leading in this life prayer.
Over the three days of the retreat, we sat long over delicious meals and shared details of our lives, stories of the myriad journeys that had brought us to this place, to be among these people. We prayed the offices together and reflected on topics our members brought for discussion. Many people have expressed to me how arduous such a life must be, as if monastics are some sort of ascetic mountain climbers or marathon runners. But St. Benedict tells us that the monastic life he lays out in his rule is “nothing harsh, nothing burdensome.” The spiritual life is, in reality, just ordinary people living ordinary lives in a way that reveals the living God in every moment. It is not about being a morning person or doing without coffee, let alone scaling mountains. It is about being available for an ongoing, deepening relationship with God and with others.
The Canons next retreat is in September of 2023
For further information about the OSBCn go online at https://osbcn.org or email martinbrokenleg@gmail.com.
(Leah Postman is a spiritual director in private practice and a Warden at St. James' Anglican in Vancouver. Find out more at leahpostman.com.)
IMAGE:
From left to right, are: Sr. Jeannie Lynne Fontaine, Deacon Juanita Clark, Mtr. Amanda Ruston, Sr. Jayne Postuk, Ftr. Martin Brokenleg, Sr. Leah Postman, Ftr. Jack Rose, Br. Gene Sederstrom, Mtr. Susan Hermanson.
Photo: Submitted