Monasticism and Otter Pops

I was inspired to comment on a great post by James and I've too much to say so I'm writing it all here.

"We converts worship the ground that monks and nuns walk on ..." - James F.

LOL - I know what you mean. Particularly at some parishes monasticism is a highly esteemed lifestyle. Monks and Nuns are glorified because of an idealized concept we have of them from reading the lives of so many great saints who were monks and nuns. But do we respect and think highly of them for what their lives are actually like? I personally think not.

"Maybe the monks should consider a pilgrimage to my house?" - James F.

There's the other side of the coin: I've also encountered many Orthodox who look down upon the monastics disdainfully because all they do is "sit around and pray." The idea being that somehow this makes them lazy.

Actually, in my opinion BOTH of these points of view are wrong. And both ideas suffer from an over-idealized concept of what a monk's life is like.

James, you think maybe the monks should make a pilgrimage to your house, because it is so chaotic there. But that's because you have the idea in your head that a monk (or nun) is sitting around in a spiritual garden all day long singing hymns. On the contrary, most monks and nuns have to work a full day (8 hours, 10 hours?) making crafts, selling things, doing yard work, household chores, tending the farm animals, and so on. Then add to this about 4 or 5 hours of services every day.

Monk's don't get to sit around reading their bible or the Philokalia all day long. If they want to read it at all they have to be up late at night reading it (instead of playing video games, James.) They don't get to sit around the camp fire and chat with friends (no less smoking a cigar and sipping a nice smooth scotch.)

Mind you, I'm not trying to criticize. I could never be a monk. I don't think you could either.

You've got an over-idealized concept of what a monk gets to live his life like. Monk's work so hard all day long that they have far less time for prayer than even you do with your four children running around. There lives are filled with as many interruptions as your life is, and yet somehow they preserver. Maybe they don't have to spend 20 minutes a day changing diapers, but they do have to spend several hours a day shoveling manure, or cleaning up after several dozen other monks: taking out their trash, doing their dirty laundry. Try to say the Jesus prayer while doing that.

Regards,
Basil

Vacation

I am off enjoying my vacation, which is why you haven't run into me lately.  I have many lovely photos to share with you all - about 500 so far.  :) 

But, alas, I have no way of posting them from my present location.

I'm going to be enjoying the music tomorrow night in Eugene at the Strawmen and 77s concert there.  If you are there and see me in the crowd, introduce yourself.


(Here I am being something so much more and so much less than myself.)
 

(There's a much more socially acceptable photo of me down the page.)

Regards,
Basil

P.S. Speaking of pictures of me... I keep wondering when James is going to post a photo of me that he has with my beard braded? Yikes! (It's the Gimli in me, that's all.)

Dilbert's Beard, part 2:

It's getting even better...

Dilbert for July 7th

~ Basilbert

Dilbert Sporting a Handsome Beard

Today, when I arrived at work after a long hard weekend, I found that Dilbert was sporting a new beard.



Cool, huh?
The original url for you:
Dilbert Comic Strip Archive - Dilbert.com

Notice the natural forking of the beard. Wha'dai tell ya, folks? The beard naturally forks don't it?

(If time stood still, and those of us with facial hair could grow it out full length while all the rest of you were in suspended animation, you'd understand what I've been talking about.)

Cheers!
Basil

?????








Can you tell the 4th of July is almost here?


~ Basil

Perspective

Sometimes all you need for a little perspective...





... is to step back.








Passing Strangers

Thanks be to God for the kindness of passing strangers.

As we took a little stroll through downtown Seattle today (I took the day off work to spend a little quality time with my family - a sort of 1 day mini-vacation) I decided to take a picture of my wife and daughter in front of this fountain. A passing stranger asked if we'd like a shot of all of us together.

Usually I say "no" (could it be a ruse to steal my camera? will they be able to figure out how to take a picture of me? and a dozen other questions...)

Well, this time I took a look at my daughter and wife. Their faces were rosy and I felt good too. It occurred to me that we hardly have any photos in our family arsenal of all of us together. So, I consented to the kindness of this passing stranger.

As I sat down - oh, what a fool I had been. This was clearly a housewife with a stroller and two or three other children swarming around her and another woman, children like bees bees around a pair of fine, fragrant roses.

So, now I have this beautiful photo, probably the best photo ever taken of myself with my wife and daughter.



A thank you to the kind stranger.

Basil

Triumph

The Triumph of Man over Nature:



Enough said...

~ basil