Monastery Pilgrimage Travelogue

May 1-13 2017

In Almost Heaven, West Virginia…

 

The Monastery in the Spring.

 

I was at the Hermitage of the Holy Cross, Wayne, WV, for 11 full days, arriving late Monday, May 1, and leaving Saturday morning, May 13, 2017.

 

Throughout my stay, I recorded a lot of video meditations, attempting to do one for each day, and even uploaded a few, when the Internet let me. Other than uploading things, and a few parish emails, I was off the grid and disconnected from the stream of information we usually hear and see in the world. This was wonderful! 

 

The Monastery is in a rugged, beautiful place, and is indeed in Southwestern West Virginia, but that is not why it is almost heaven for me. I have dear friends here, whom I have known, in some cases, for over 30 years. That also is not the reason. Archdeacon Sergius is a dear friend, and one who prays every day for my poor soul, and my family. I baptized him many years ago, and sometimes refer to that as "at least one good thing I have done", because he has been a monk for, I think, about 15 years, although of course, any sinful priest like me could have baptized him, and God's grace would have worked the same, so I cannot "take any credit" for his virtues. He also is not the reason this place is "almost heaven". 

 

Heaven is not a place, but it abides in a place, namely, our heart. Any change in us that makes us wiser, more content, purer, more peaceful, more like God, and more aware of God's great and unfathomable mercy and love towards us, and anything that brings us the active experience of God - all these things are heaven. This monastery is "almost heaven" because I have experiences, and prayers and revelations that bring me a tiny bit closer to being the man God created me to be. I can see measurable change, but they are hard to explain, and I think my behavior and demeanor may not change enough for those around me to measure any change. In time, with God's help and a little more effort from me, I hope changes become evident. 

 

I love to work hard; I love to have my endurance tested; I love farm work. I love to get up early and pray; I love Monastic services, and especially when they are chanted with the unique and melodic chanting of this monastery (the melodies seem to resonate directly into my heart). I love having no pressing concerns or distractions from life in the world and parish pastoral duties, but instead, simple requirements: rise and pray early, do what I am told, try to be productive in the cell (my room, when I am alone, and with the rest of the Monastery I am using this appointed time to read and pray). I love to eat simply and well, while listening to the reading of the Synaxarion and other edifying texts in the trapeza. I love to whatever I am told to do – this is a change from being a rector, where I am forced to tell others what to do, or at least to be in charge in some way, and to take on the burdens of many.  

 

When all this is combined with a beautiful place, and people I love and who love me, it is truly "almost heaven". 

 

I started this letter with the intent to write a sort of "travelogue", which I have done poorly thus far, but I am writing about the things I care most about first. The practical things follow. 

 

The day begins early. I tried to get up at 3 am, but fatigue quickly set that time to 3:30, then 4:30. We have service at 5am, until around 7, perhaps even 7:45 if we have liturgy. For up to two hours, we have "cell time". That is usually when I prayed for everyone, and read. My routine was to get a cup of coffee, a few nuts, and drink the cup while I read in order for my body to wake up a little, then say my prayer rule. This trip to the Monastery been especially fruitful in the latter. I learn things, too slowly, but monastic life accelerates this learning somewhat. I stayed in the infirmary (life is full of metaphors!) this time, which is very close to the temple, so I did not need to walk 15 minutes to get back to my cell – this saved 30 minutes more for cell time. I had more time for intercessory prayer. This is the most important kind of prayer for a priest. I do it poorly, but a spiritual environment, and knowing that my brothers in the faith were also praying helped me to do this. This is one of the great advantages of a well-run Monastery. There are struggles, and troubles, but there is also prayer, and seriousness. It is easy to feel a part of it all, and even to feel obliged to pray more to “pull my weight”.

 

We pray the 3rd hour at 9am with our work crew, then work in our obedience, till the 6th hour, which is at noon, with lunch immediately following. A little rest follows, then working at 1:30, until near 5pm. Vespers is at 5, then dinner, and about a half hour later, at 6:30, Small Compline. The bell tolls for quiet time at 9pm. It often woke me up, as I had fallen asleep in a chair, while praying the Jesus prayer. Then I would usually go to bed. 

 

In the past, I assisted with many births of the kids, but work in this year, we left the does to themselves, and did not witness a single birth. Twelve kids have been born, and all are healthy and vigorous. One morning, when I came to the barn for morning chores, I saw two kids that must have been born less than a half hour before I arrived. They were still "slimy", but were walking around, like awkward adolescents. The mother was just fine, and knew what to do. She evidently needed no pain medication, or lactation counselor, and was expecting no steak dinner that evening, nor was she drowsy or tired. We are smarter than goats in most things, but not in some things. 

 

There was a lot of labor this year. We had an almost 6-day project (not all of each day, but a lot of it), where we broke out the old, and uneven concrete floor of the barn with picks and crowbars, and moved many loads out of the barn via wheelbarrow. We then spread 10 yards of lime sand in the barn. This substance packs down quickly when the goats walk on it, and becomes firm like concrete, but also allows for good drainage. There were days when my arms ached from hammering with the crowbar, swinging the pick, and shoveling the uncooperative concrete (those who have shoveled broken up concrete and pea gravel will understand), but this was something I was told to do, so I did it. 

 

Life can be beautifully simple. Work hard, rest once in a while, and drink a lot of switchel. The latter is a beverage that I am hooked on. It is Apple cider vinegar and water (we had the best - Braggs). Some sweeten it, but I like the tartness. It quenched thirst really well, and the electrolytes help with energy. 

 

I also did some digging in their very large greenhouse, and lots of bringing goats out to and from pasture. We also ran some electrical line to help contain the kids in a pasture that needed to be kid proofed. When finishing one off and on rainy day, as the rain was beginning again, somebody turned on the fence too soon, and I was shocked. I am glad that happened! It really does not hurt, but there is a loud crackle. I had never been shocked before, and was too chicken to try it before. I am told though, that in wet grass, and without rubber boots, if you touch a wire with both hands, it will pretty much light you up. Of course, doing that would not be very smart, but I know some who did! 

 

I brag too much about my low resting heart rate, and I can mess around with heavy kettlebells much longer that the average 59-year-old guy, but farm work, in hills and hollers, can wear a body out. I will not say I am getting older, but I definitely have a lot of experience! 

 

I loved every minute of the work, and prayer, and the peace. As my body was getting more tired, I was feeling stronger. That's why I come every Spring. I get stronger in my soul, and even a little smarter, with a more sanguine perspective about the difficulties, and losses and gains of pastoral life. Everything in life is about thinking right. This place helps me remember how to think right. 

 

I remembered everyone in the parish, my prison ministry, those I see a little bit here and there (all pastors have a zillion of these), and all the Brotherhood in prayer every day. That is, hands down, the most important and productive thing I do, on any day. I was not in contact with anybody, except for a couple of emails, and I knew nothing about who was calling whom a terrible person in the political world. That was a nice perk for this trip. 

 

I am ready to get back at it now. I am going home today, with more energy, and many lessons that will sustain me until next Spring, or perhaps until the Fall, when I hope to come again to the Hermitage of the Holy Cross, Wayne, WV - not heaven, but you can see it from there. 

 

 

Here I am, giving the “Farm Report”. I wore sunglasses when working in the bright sun.

I got teased about them a little bit!

 

The Video meditations are here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEh2brXYUf7no4Tj2aOc0c1HxPeFUo8X4

 

They are part of our church’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/orthodoxnet

 

I recorded 6 so far, but wrote down the ideas for several more. We will see if I get to them. There is always so many other things to do when in the world.

 

If you love Monasteries, I have one for you to visit and support: The Hermitage of the Holy Cross, Wayne West Virginia. If you do not love monasteries, it is even more important that you visit!

 

This document: https://www.orthodox.net//full-voice/full-voice_2017-12-13-monastery-pilgrimage-travelogue.doc  ;  https://www.orthodox.net//full-voice/full-voice_2017-12-13-monastery-pilgrimage-travelogue.pdf  ;  https://www.orthodox.net//full-voice/full-voice_2017-12-13-monastery-pilgrimage-travelogue.html

 

Priest Seraphim Holland seraphim@orthodox.net
St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKinney TX  https://www.orthodox.net/