VIRIDITAS: SOUL GREENING
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
At the heart of the spiritual life, according to both St. Teresa of Avila and St. Benedict of Nursia, obedience and humility should be above everything else. So, when the bell rings in the monastery, one should put down everything and run, with decorum, to the chapel. I am slowly coming to realize that in desiring union with God, my own will needs to be subjugated.
Born and raised in Washington State, I have loved the fir trees, the mountains, the snow and the water. I feel it is my sensitive spirit that has made it difficult to find my real place in life. At the age of 26 I converted from being a Lutheran to a Catholic. Then I entered the Carmelites wanting to be a hermit to sit quietly alone with God. But after living in three different Carmels over the course of several years, I totally left.
It was not until I met the Benedictines in Hawaii, that I feel I have finally reached my destination.
When I first considered religious life, I remember saying that I would never be a Benedictine. The Benedictine way of life is all about schedules, and I do not like schedules. To me, schedules just crush my soul. However, I do not know if it is I who have changed or what, but I find the Benedictine schedule here very nourishing to my soul.
The monastery day begins at 5 a.m. with adoration in chapel. As I am not a morning person, I do not go. This is followed by morning prayer at 6 a.m. Regarding the psalms and the Liturgy of the Hours used, I am not a big fan of those either. And yet, I do acknowledge that they are sustaining. Breakfast follows and a work period from 9 a.m. through noon ensues. This culminates with the Angelus prayer for the first part of the day.
These Benedictines are onto something. As Benedictine Sister Geralyn Spaulding said, “As a Benedictine, you will never build an empire because you do a little bit of work and then the bell rings, and you have to go back to prayer. And then you do a little bit more work, and then the bell rings again. Just when you get into a stride, get your momentum going, the bell rings and you have to go back to prayer.”
It can be so frustrating when I want to finish something. The schedule is a constant reminder that what we do does not matter in the grand scheme of things. It is only what God does that matters, not me.
In the documentary film “The Island of the Monks,” one of the remaining monks recalls his entrance story. “I just showed up at the gate one day. When the abbot asked what I wanted, I responded, ‘I am not Catholic; I don’t really believe in God or anything. But, I see that you guys live a really healthy life. Can I join you?’ And the abbot said, ‘Sure. Come to Mass on Sundays.’ Years became decades of attending Mass and joining in the prayers, until it all felt right.”
I love the mana of Hawaii and I feel the Benedictines here are right for me.
Brother Scott Whittaker made first profession as a Benedictine on Feb. 2, the Feast of the Presentation this year. He resides and ministers at Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit Monastery in Waialua.