Charles Dumont: Monk-Poet, Caldey - Waves, Holy Waves

COMMENT: Community Reading in the Chapter before Compline. The Biography of Fr. Charles Dumont, ocso, Scourmont Abbey, proves to the be best book  giving us the most impressive account of contemporary Cistercians (Trappist) monks.

Charles Dumont: Monk-Poet

In the School of Charity with Bernard and Aelred          115

Other activities were also occupying Fr. Charles. For one thing, he had to get to work seriously on material on Saint Bernard and the Blessed Virgin Mary to be presented at the Faculté des Religions et des Humanismes laiques of the Inter-University Center for Formation, in Charleroi." These talks, scheduled for the middle of January, required careful preparation because he was to speak to Christians and non-Christians, agnostics and atheists. He chose as title: Saint Bernard, monk, poet and mystic of Our Lady. In his first lecture, he entered into his subject with soft steps:

I thank you for inviting me to speak to you about Saint Bernard and what he thought, meditated and wrote on the Virgin Mary. I must first tell you that I come as a monk, without any university qualification. So I will speak about doctrinal theology only to the extent that it helps us to situate Saint Bernard and understand what he sang, prayed and contemplated .... It is that Bernard whom I am going to present to you, hoping that you will love him. . .

Before plunging into the subject, let me quote Solzhenitsyn. The scene is a woman history professor in Moscow explaining her course to the Marxist girls in her class: “To reject the Middle Ages means to break up western history, and then nothing comprehensible remains in the contemporary frag­ment. . . So what was more important? Oh, if you want to know what was most important during the Middle Ages, it is the spiritual life, a spiritual life of such intensity that it outweighs material existence, so that humanity has never known anything like it either before or after.”  

.......................  Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn  Novelist

Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn was an eminent Russian novelist, historian, and tireless critic of Soviet totalitarianism. He helped to raise global awareness of the gulag and the Soviet Union's forced labour camp system. Wikipedia     .............................................................................

Page 118

Charles Dumont: Monk-Poet

.. (5.16.92). \'\Then he was quite well again he and Br. Pierre-Andre set out for Caldey. On their peregrinations they had long discussions which included, of course, the subject of contemplative identity:

As regards the challenge of modern mentality, this is a very confusing term–not because of the translation but because of the very ideal! Why should we compete with worldly values that's out of date! We have been intimidated during the last twenty years by worldly values. . . This is not the language of the first two chapters of the First Letter to the Corinthians. The two wisdoms are not on the same wave length. (4.3.92)

Visiting Caldey always brought back memories. The sea, especially, enchanted him. Enjoying some solitude on the island he wrote a poem, one of the few he wrote in English:  

Waves, Holy Waves

O the waves by night

So calmly kissing

The sand of my life.

Majestic drum of time

Bordering silence eternal.

O gentle silver edge

Slowly gliding on my past,

Compassionate waves

Take away the sins of the world.

Ocean of love

Sea of boundless heart

By the fingers of your tender waves

Touch my restless mind,

Grant us peace.

About 321,000 results (on Google) 

Search Results

1. Images for The sea at Caldey

    - Report images
   • 
   •