Tony's Story

I found the following two clips quite moving when my friend Carl shared them with me. They are taken from the BBC series The Monastery, in which five men volunteer to live with the Carthusians in Worth Abbey: a sort of spiritual reality series. The first clip records the moment when one of the men, Tony, has a life changing encounter with the Infinite One. The second clip records some of his reflections, a few hours later. Tony's story is recorded here.

What moved me was firstly the portrayal of God at work; of Tony responding to a call that came from goodness knows where to be at Worth Abbey and led him to Brother Francis. Secondly, I was moved by Brother Francis and his prayerful patient ministry. He seemed to embody all that I hope for and aspire to in priesthood. To forsake the glittering prizes our Church organisation has on offer and to spend oneself in pursuit of the Kingdom; to fearlessly venture with another into the depths of their soul. Here is what I mean by the Hero's quest.

Comments

Alden Smith said…

I found this post moving. The struggle and the 'way' for Tony and the others seems to involve not just a set of words / intellectualisms but is very much a matter of the heart. It reminded me of a saying (can't remember who said it) that goes something like this:

"The heart has its reasons, of which reason knows nothing"

There is great wisdom in this and fits many contexts.

2 October 2008 at 17:01

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