The end at Norcia

Norcia has been a quiet and charming town, that for the most part seems to be avoided by most tourist during this time of the year.  The reason for my coming to Norcia was to go to the birthplace of Saint Benedict and his twin sister, Saint Scholastica.  In the center of town, the church of Saint Benedict has been built over the ruins of the family home.  Saint Benedict would go on to be considered the founder of modern monastery life through the rule, commonly known as the Rule of Saint Benedict.  

This summer, after knowing God was calling me to religious life, I wanted to read this rule and so I got the book.  It is truly amazing that something written 1500 years ago to explain how to live a life in a monastery as well as how to govern a monastery is still the standard.  It really just goes to show, that the more things change the more they stay the same.  Anyways, I enjoyed the silence that the churches in Norcia offered as the only people in them were people there to pray as oppose to just pop-in and out to take a photo.  Of how the priest homily in Italian on the Camino, comes back to play.

Anyways, I was able to stay with the Benedictine Sisters at Saint Antony's Monastery and was once again blessed to be able to get to participate with the community for Liturgy of the Hours.  As evening came, a woman came that was staying there and every now and then she would get lost.  I would help her find what page we were on and where we were at.  So when dinner came, she started speaking in italian, only to be surprised that I was not Italian.  Dinner with Paula was really nice as she could also speak English and we talked about many things of faith.  Sister Bernadette also joined in our conversation but it was my conversation with her in the morning which was my favorite.  

After lauds, Mass, terrace, and breakfast at the convent, I was ready to go.  Before I left Sister had a nice talk and various words of wisdom on religious life.  The one thing I appreciated the most was her telling me to not focus on all the means but solely focus on the end.  If I have a clear vision of the end, it will make everything easier whatever challenges come my way. I thought this was great vocation advice, no matter what vocation in life we have chosen.  Hopefully for all the vision of the end - should be eternity with God in heaven.  So we each approach our vocation with that end in mind and we walk the path God has called us to, but always remain focus on the end.  The end is not getting married, taking final vows, or living a committed single life- each of these should only help us get to our ultimate end.  How many of us get caught up on the means instead of the end.  I know I have but will try to be constantly focus on the end in the future.

View from convent window

Wild pigs everywhere!