Silence is Spoken Here
THE PECOS BENEDICTINE
“POUSTINIA EXPERIENCE”
The Pecos Benedictine Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pecos NM, once again, is offering “The Poustinia Experience” for our guests. “The Poustinia Experience” is a deep hermit-type form of contemplation, for those seeking the Christian Oneness with the Holy Trinity in the “warm Silence of God”.
It was brought to this country by Catherine Doherty, and described in her book “Poustinia”. Catherine was raised in Christian Russia, and immigrated to the Western Hemisphere. She has shared her experience of Poustinia with the West, especially at Madonna House near Toronto in Canada. Through her book, many have found the experience of Poustinia compelling and spiritually fulfilling.
We are utilizing our hermitages for this purpose, with spiritual guidance to facilitate this experience.
WHAT IS “THE POUSTINIA EXPERIENCE”?
The POUSTINIA, which in Russian means “desert”, is a hermitage-like dwelling “where Heaven meets earth”:
a quiet, isolated, secluded, solitude on our monastic grounds.
A POUSTINIK, one enters into the Poustinia, (preferably, for three to thirty days), can be anyone:
a man or woman,
from any social strata,
learned or unlearned,
a lay person,
a consecrated person (clergy or religious).
of any age, generally over 20;
who is INSPIRED by God “to arise, seek and enter into God in the Poustinia”,
and so is willing to:
EXPERIENCE Holy Poverty while in the Poustinia:
leaving people and worldly things behind,
wearing simple clothing;
GO into the Poustinia “desert” to:
BE alone with God (but not “lonely”),
ENTER the Great Silence of God,
BE in silence with God (even without a cell phone), and
LISTEN to God speak to him/her;
SUBMIT to kenosis:
EMPTYING the “self” of the “world, flesh, and devil”;
PRAY to God in:
REPENTANCE for one’s sins and those of the world,
INTERCESSION for one’s community’s and the world’s needs,
THANKSGIVING to God for His abundant blessings, and
PRAISE and WORSHIP to God for His Divine attributes;
ATONE for sin’s offenses against a Loving God with:
FASTING and
MORTIFICATION of the flesh and passions.
On entering the Poustinia, the Poustinik will:
enter the “novitiate” of God’s Love”;
learn to know Who God is directly;
let God reveal Himself in a rare fullness;
counter through/in God’s Wisdom worldly defects;
be alone physically with God;
empty both mind and soul of all natural relationships to;
receive back those relationships as supernatural in God’s Love;
begin “to care and not to care”: carrying loved ones in the heart;
meet and listen to the speech of the Blessed Trinity;
Live for and love the whole of humanity in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary;
Pray, weep, endure all desert temptations;
Mortify the flesh and passions, for mankind;
Hunger for and seek God, as a pilgrim of the Absolute God; and
Meet the Word in the Warm Silence of God.
The Poustinia Prayer allows the Poustinik to:
STAY in the Presence of God;
Just BE with God and listen;
CONTEMPLATE the Words that God gives in Scripture and the Silence;
USE the “Jesus Prayer” (as in “The Way of the Pilgrim”):
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner”;
other short inspired prayers ( as in “Monastic Practices”);
“Contemplative Love” thereby to maintain the “loving attentiveness” to
God (as in “The Cloud of the Unknowing” and the writings of
John of the Cross).
The first day you enter the “Poustinia Experience”, you will receive spiritual direction and orientation. A spiritual director will be available to offer spiritual guidance throughout your experience. Since we have only four hermitages for Poustinia use at this time, we suggest those interested call us well in advance for their reservations. The “Poustinia Experience” can be of varying lengths of time, typically ranging from four to thirty days. The rate for our experiences will be $80/night, which includes lodging in your Poustinia, your food, daily spiritual guidance, and the book, “Poustinia” by Catherine Doherty.
Approaching the Poustinia: GUIDELINES:
1. The Poustinia is a place where you are going to meet Christ in joyful solitude.
2. Be not afraid, for Christ is Perfect Love, and Perfect Love casts out fear.
3. The Poustinia is a prayer house which you enter to be alone with God.
4. The only reading book that should be in the Poustinia is the Bible which, many Poustiniki read on their knees. Exceptions may be required.
5. Since the Lord furnishes the Poustinik with insights, it is advisable to bring journaling materials to facilitate your “Poustinia Experience”.
5. The Poustinia is also a place of penance, where “one lifts the two arms
of prayer and penance”.
6. When you go into the Poustinia, you will be given the foods that allow you to fast as you can, not as you can’t. Some may take only bread, coffee/tea. Some may take grains, nuts, fruit, vegetables, and/or meatless protein foods with coffee/tea or some non-alcoholic beverage. Some eat as we do. Your spiritual director will help you
discern the best and safest foods for your physical condition.
7. You will be furnished with a spiritual director to help you with basic instruction and on-going direction before and during your “Poustinia Experience”.
8. The Poustinia is also a place of poverty, so the furnishings are generally, a
bed, desk and upright chair, one easy chair, dresser, a kitchenette with necessary cooking and eating utensils, and a bathroom with a shower.
9. The Poustinik, in the spirit of poverty, brings only a change of simple clothing and minimal items for personal hygiene.
10. Since God expressed Himself in nature, the Poustinik may want to bring also appropriate clothing and shoes for walking or hiking.
11. Since the Pecos “Poustinia Experience” is in our monastic setting, the Poustiniki may avail themselves of any of the monastic prayer that will not disrupt their attention to the Silence of God. Attendance at Daily Mass can be particularly helpful for “Touching God“.
12. Above all be at peace, because you enter with Christ into His solitude and peace.
THE GIFT AND THE PROMISE…A STORY
The 41 year old woman stood by her mailbox in the cool Montana morning unwrapping a small gift from a friend: a book called "Poustinia". As a newly single parent with 7 children ages 5-19, she had just arrived in the magnificent Helena Valley surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She had been sent there by the Lord Jesus, Who had said He would now be "your Only Bridegroom". Consequently, He had provided THEIR family with a brand new mobile home. For the first time in 20 years, this new Bride of Christ soon had all her children at school or college at the same time, which, after about 45 quick minutes of housework in the morning, left her every school day with almost 5 hours of peaceful solitude and silence.
So, she didn't just read the book "Poustinia", she could live it! It opened to her a contemplative way of life in which she could encounter the Eternal, Infinitely Loving Trinity in the "Warm Silence of God", especially during those 5 hours in His Peace. So, with holy boldness, she asked the Lord if "someday" she could be a permanent Poustinik. He promised, but like a good practical Bridegroom, "Yes…but not now!"
Ten years later, He added His Mandate, "Love Me for everyone who can't or won't. And teach people to listen to Me." After another 20 years, the now 71 year old woman, with all her children leading their own lives, was received into the Pecos Benedictine Abbey as an Oblate-in-residence, where she helped introduce the Pecos Poustinia Experience to their retreatants.
After 6 years of ministry and service at Pecos, it now appears that her Heavenly Bridegroom is unwrapping His Gift of the delightfully solitary life of a permanent Poustinik for His Bride. As He fulfills His Promise, she can continue, now especially through silent contemplation, to fulfill His Mandate to Love Him for everyone, but especially for those who can't or won't love Him; and, through offering spiritual direction, especially to retreatant Poustiniki, she can continue to teach others to listen to Him.
What a Gift! What a Promise!
For reservations contact Gertrude, OblateSB:
Call: 505-757-6000 Ext. 254, E-mail: spiritdir@pecosmonastery.org
or school@pecosmonastery.org;
or write: “The Pecos Benedictine Poustinia Experience”
Pecos Benedictine Monastery, P. O. Box 1080, Pecos, NM 87552