Well, sad news I’m stuck in New Norcia unable to read my email due to iinet being broken! What’s wrong with the world when you can’t check your emails from a monastery?
Father John here at New Norcia (Australia’s only Monastic town) is leading us in some reflective thoughts each morning. He is a top guy and very ‘unmonkey’! In fact I would like to quote him here –
“When I don’t hear from God I think maybe he’s got the shits with me”
“St Benadict suggested that we should avoid bitching, when I get outta here I so often just want to have a bloody good bitch about the place”
Not what I expected from Monksville! But very real.
The other pleasant part of life up here is that at our first meal I was nice and thirsty and was pleased to see that red cordial had been placed on each table in nice big long jugs. Upon pouring myself a glass and downing it (almost completely) I discovered it was nice chilled sweet red wine!! Lunch and Dinner…free home made wine! Love Monastic life! hic up!!
A tinge of sadness amidst the serenity of this place. I spoke to one of our students today who is an Aboriginal. I asked about if this place held any harsh memories for his people. Boy did I get an eye opening story. I wont go into detail as it’s his story, he may share it with us all tonight, but needless to say, these guys have been hard done by by us white fellas. He almost skipped coming and I feel like if I had known, I would have chosen elsewhere out of respect for him. Maybe tonight we could do something, a time of reflection, prayer…whatever to aknowledge the original custodians of this place.
No Guarantees 
i was lucky enough to be able to pray with him, and when i opened up and asked the Spirit to guide my prayer i just started bawling. I got the impression that Jesus was weeping over the aboriginal people , what they have suffered in His name, as well as their current spiritual deadness.
I also believe that our friend will be a part of something powerful is restoring hope to his people. Awesome.
I stayed in the same room as him and heard about that part of his struggle the very first night…certainly impacted how i took the rest of the retreat and how i looked at the history there.