Bryan Manderfield

Instant gratification -not very gratifying Recently I've realized in my persuit of everything vinyl that being able to get music at the moment the impulse hits me -that something is lost. I have many reasons for avoiding the instant download of music.  I really love record stores ! Ever since I was young the anticipation of a new album was so exciting.   Leafing through hundreds of titles, the artwork, and the unknown find that brought me so much joy.  I even love the smell when you opened the new tape or cd.  I really like supporting local business.  They offer the real character and culture of the town you live in. You meet people and are supporting your neighborhood instead of huge company box stores. When you go to a store and buy music -it's in YOUR hands.  Who hasn't been dazzled by the idea of having your whole music and book collection accessible at all times on tiny devices! Digital storage has an obvious upside.  For me th...

The Sign of Jonas. The monastic life is by its very nature "ordinary." Its ordinariness is one of its greatest blessings. The exterior monotony of regular observance delivers us from useless concern with the details of daily life, absolves us from the tedious necessity of making plans and of coming to many personal decisions. It sets us free to pray all day, and to live alone with God. But for me, the vow of stability has been the belly of the whale. I have always felt a great attraction to the life of perfect solitude. It is an attraction I shall probably never entirely lose. During my years as a student at Gethsemani, I often wondered if this attraction was not a genuine vocation to some other religious Order. It took me several years to find out that all con­templative Orders have much the same problems. Every man called to contemplation is called to some degree of solitude. God knows well enough how much each one needs. We need faith to let Him decide how much we are to o...