God's first language is silence

 

The monastery hermitage where I stayed this past weekend was located in an arid environment, surrounded by pinyon pine trees, scrub oak, and sagebrush.  The desert environment is well suited to entering the interior desert, where the Beloved dwells. Several times I noticed that when the monastery bells rang, the coyotes started calling as well!  Afterwards, the silence was so thick, it rang in my ears!

Photo: A sprig of pinyon pine rests on the hermitage porch; St. Benedict's Monastery, Snowmass, CO;