the Abbey of Gethsemani

It would be difficult to capture the full essence of my five days at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky.  This large plaque hung just outside the entrance to the Guest Wing of this impressive complex.  We truly were "received like Christ".

This was my bed in the comfortable room that included a desk, a couple of chairs, and a bathroom.  Small, simple, and immaculate.

Chairs like these just outside the dining hall  provided places to read and think, or to simply enjoy the quiet of the gardens.  Meals were eaten in silence, and windows looked out on this scene and the gardens below the wall.  See more of the gardens and flowers here....

I DO have pictures of the chapel and formal places of prayer and worship, but small reminders like this one "spoke" as loudly as the bells that rang throughout the day calling us:  "Listen and attend with the ear of your heart" (St. Benedict of Nursia).