I am so excited to read the book you suggested. Studying abroad I had the pleasure of visiting the birthplace of St. Bernard, Assisi in Italy, and through sheer luck ended up living a stones throw from a Carmelite monastery in one place and a Benedictine monastery in another. I didn't read the Benedict Option, but I was unnerved by the p…
I am so excited to read the book you suggested. Studying abroad I had the pleasure of visiting the birthplace of St. Bernard, Assisi in Italy, and through sheer luck ended up living a stones throw from a Carmelite monastery in one place and a Benedictine monastery in another. I didn't read the Benedict Option, but I was unnerved by the pretense when I read about it because my parents had attempted to "Benedict option" their family before that was a thing. (Move to a rural setting, homeschool, only hang out with others they deems "Catholic enough"). In my experience, self-imposed isolation because the rest of the world isn't "good enough" breeds a degree of narcissism I have yet to encounter in any corner of secular culture. It had nothing in common with the hospitality I experienced in monastic communities, the rejection of the materialism so vividly frescoed over the walls of Assisi's basilica, or the warmth that radiates from those committed to communal living.
"the rejection of the materialism so vividly frescoed over the walls of Assisi's basilica"- but those glorious frescoes give the Basilica of St. Francis a sort of lavishness that's quite a contrast to the Carceri hermitage. Franciscan churches seem often to have more simplicity than many others -- but not always.
One odd thing struck me in my study of Granada in Spain, which I hope to visit someday: The extravagantly gold-plated Basilica de San Juan de Dios was built to honor someone who devoted himself to selfless service to the poor and sick and homeless. It's a bit jarring when you think about it. Across Christendom there are many opulent churches built to honor lives of humble simplicity and service to the unfortunate. The word "hypocrisy"might come to mind. On the other hand, those lavishly decorated churches have brought enjoyment to millions of people (most of them not poor) over the centuries.
I have to admit, the smaller stone churches surrounding Assisi radiate a peacefulness that I didn't get from the Basilica. My favorite part of the visit was walking around the town and countryside early in the morning and exploring some of the humbler sites. Then I went to Rome, and I've joked that Assisi ruined the Roman churches for me. I went straight from Assisi to Rome, and the first church I visited was the Jesuit Church. The contrast between the Baroque, gold-plated everything style and Assisi was so, so jarring. Saint Peter's the next day felt equally discombobulating. I do have a fondness for the Gothic Cathedrals in France that that are mostly stone and stained glass, but the Baroque churches make me feel vaguely panicked!
I am so excited to read the book you suggested. Studying abroad I had the pleasure of visiting the birthplace of St. Bernard, Assisi in Italy, and through sheer luck ended up living a stones throw from a Carmelite monastery in one place and a Benedictine monastery in another. I didn't read the Benedict Option, but I was unnerved by the pretense when I read about it because my parents had attempted to "Benedict option" their family before that was a thing. (Move to a rural setting, homeschool, only hang out with others they deems "Catholic enough"). In my experience, self-imposed isolation because the rest of the world isn't "good enough" breeds a degree of narcissism I have yet to encounter in any corner of secular culture. It had nothing in common with the hospitality I experienced in monastic communities, the rejection of the materialism so vividly frescoed over the walls of Assisi's basilica, or the warmth that radiates from those committed to communal living.
"the rejection of the materialism so vividly frescoed over the walls of Assisi's basilica"- but those glorious frescoes give the Basilica of St. Francis a sort of lavishness that's quite a contrast to the Carceri hermitage. Franciscan churches seem often to have more simplicity than many others -- but not always.
One odd thing struck me in my study of Granada in Spain, which I hope to visit someday: The extravagantly gold-plated Basilica de San Juan de Dios was built to honor someone who devoted himself to selfless service to the poor and sick and homeless. It's a bit jarring when you think about it. Across Christendom there are many opulent churches built to honor lives of humble simplicity and service to the unfortunate. The word "hypocrisy"might come to mind. On the other hand, those lavishly decorated churches have brought enjoyment to millions of people (most of them not poor) over the centuries.
I have to admit, the smaller stone churches surrounding Assisi radiate a peacefulness that I didn't get from the Basilica. My favorite part of the visit was walking around the town and countryside early in the morning and exploring some of the humbler sites. Then I went to Rome, and I've joked that Assisi ruined the Roman churches for me. I went straight from Assisi to Rome, and the first church I visited was the Jesuit Church. The contrast between the Baroque, gold-plated everything style and Assisi was so, so jarring. Saint Peter's the next day felt equally discombobulating. I do have a fondness for the Gothic Cathedrals in France that that are mostly stone and stained glass, but the Baroque churches make me feel vaguely panicked!