De La Mennais Brothers: Making Jesus Christ better known and loved by young people

Worth Abbey community + the volunteers Originally uploaded by bro_james . "The Monastery": a highly successful BBC 2 3-part documentary following 5 contemporary men who volunteer to live 40 days at Worth Abbey. I know lots of people who've seen at least part of it, some of whom have a lukewarm attitude to organised religion at the best of times. They were all gobsmacked by it and many found it profoundly moving (as I did myself - especially the last part and Tony's religious experience). The reaction in the press has been amazing. One of the volunteers (Tony) has even been talking openly on TV chat shows about how he discovered faith in God during the experience. His story gives tremendous witness to what Christianity has to offer people in today's secularised societies, in part simply because of the type of person he was before doing the series and also through seeing how it has changed him. I know a lot of people are campaigning for the series to be realeased...

Finally saw the video recording. Episode 1: Wonderful programme... Fascinating to follow how the candidates gradually open up, learn about themselves, about others, about monastic life, about God... That bit about learning to see yourself as others see you... very powerful + so true. The programme challenges me and makes me want to reassess who and where I am, imagining what I would say if some of their questions were addressed to me. In many ways I envy those Benedictine monks. Life for them is in a sense very simple and straightforward. I want to maintain that simplicity in my own vocation, but it's not always easy. Peace and love... that's all. When I am at peace and basking in God's love, all is well and I feel a taste of heaven and of what is awaiting me/us.

Yes, ok. So Bilbo wasn't a "human being". But Hobbits may indeed be our cousins! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3948165.stm

Tony Blair is... Bilbo Baggins. The more I see him, the more I see the likeness to Tolkien's hero. The longer he had the Ring of Power, the harder it got for him to part with it. He became weighed down by its power. The hold it had over him transformed him physically (tired facial creases, rictus smile, grey hair, fake tan... well, the last two maybe not in Bilbo's case). Once Bilbo finally managed to let go of the ring, an overwhelming sense of relief transformed him back into a nice, normal human being. I get the feeling that this too will happen with dear ol' Tony once he finally relinquishes power voluntarily or Gollum manages to steal it from him! Hold on a moment! . Tony B. is Frodo, Gordon B. is Sam (including the bit where Frodo thinks Sam wants to take the ring for himself) and Michael H. is Gollum!!... Problem... can't quite imagine Michael biting Tony's finger off, though he does seem to be accusing him and Sam... err... Gordon ("nasty, fat hobbit!...

Further fruits of the talks during our retreat, personal reflection, reading, etc... When spiritual writers talk about this “vulnerability” it does not mean becoming “soft”. It is a bi-product of the unconditional love that fills us if we open ourselves truly to God. This is our vocation, union with God through his Son: a union that is founded on love, that is active and energising and that sends us out as missionaries for that love. That is the incarnation: making Christ present today for those we meet. That vocation of union with God will then find an expression in a human vocation (to marriage, religious life, celibacy, the priesthood...) according to who we are, to what our gifts are... And according to what our needs are, because in responding to God’s call we are also offered healing for ourselves. In some cases, though in one sense we are offered healing, he may also use our wounds as a source of healing for others. In my own case, I feel that this is what God asked and continue...

Me and my promises... I will get around to talking about the death of Bro. Edward, but not just yet. At the moment I'm coming towards the end of our (the English De La Mennais Brothers) annual Holy Week retreat. This one has been particularly powerful for me. I've felt less constrained by habit and duty this year and much freer to do my own thing, to go where the Spirit has led me, eg. to go and stand outside, Maundy Thursday night, for 45 mins. from 11.00pm, on the edge of a field, on a hill, listening to favourite Christian + non-Christian tunes on my iPod with my eyes closed , arms outstretched, occasionally dancing on the spot - he leads you to some damn funny place this Holy Spirit if you let him! In the end I listened to music for 20 mins. and then spent a further 25 very emotional minutes still with my eyes closed, in silence, just listening to the wind, the traffic in the ditance, the occasional animal. This time I spent reflecting on the loneliness that Jesus must have...

Saw a very good film this evening, the multi-Oscar winning “Million Dollar Baby”. Much as I quite liked “The Aviator”, this film is in a different league. I am someone for whom films (and music for that matter) have the power to open my mind and heart and bring out my own creativity. It’s not just that I can get emotional. It goes deeper than that and lasts long after the eyes have dried. It’s as if for a while afterwards I see the world (myself, others, nature, objects...) with a new clarity; as if, like Neo in The Matrix, I get a glimpse of the “code” underlying all things. Ideas fly around my head. I get the urge to write a song or just write down my thoughts (as I am doing now!! :-). The more a film or a piece of music encourages me to give myself over to it, to become totally absorbed in it, the more likely it is to induce this state. So films whose themes and/or characters I somehow relate to do this more easily. With music it could be the combined effects of lyrics and music in...