Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

The Language of Flowers

text and images britt-arnhild

Summer, Sunday and a trip to the monastery island of Tautra, Terje, I, my parents.

The new monastery at Tautra opened in 2006 (you can read the whole interesting history here), and since then the nuns and their friends have worked hard to create the garden surrounding the buildings.

 

 Do you know this yellow flower?
In Norway we call it marikåpe.
The Latin name is alchemikka vulgaris.

Marikåpe means  Mary´s Coat.
The monastery at Tautra is a Mariakloster, a St.Mary monastery.

I love it when plants and flowers are used to tell something.

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One day I would love to create a Biblical Garden in a corner of The Blue Garden. 

Internet connection! Unbelieveable!

 

Today´s retreat is over, and I have given myself another kind of "retreat".......a night visit to the local pub, The Three Fyshes, where they have free WiFi.
Ha, I couldn´t stay away from blogging longer than......was it around 30 hours?

Back at Christmas time I got an email from Sr.Miriam. She is a nun at Turvey Abbey north of London, and she told me that she, at least one other nun and many other people she knew of, are all reading my blog.
Long story short - we started to write a few emails back and forth, we became friends on facebook......and here I am, doing my own spiritual retreat at Turvey Abbey.

I am having very good days. Days for my heart, my mind, my body. Experiences which will be share with my diary only, or with my closests (Terje, I am looking forward to the weekend).

But a few photo from paradice can be share with the world of course.

Not difficult to sense why I love this place, is it?

Here is a  link to Turvey Abbey

Life close to the cathedral

text and images britt-arnhild

All my life I have lived close to a cathedral. I had my confirmation there, I was married there, I have a blog called Life close to the cathedral, I pass the cathedral several times a day.
It is part of my life.

My cathedral is Nidaros cathedral in Trondheim, Norway.

When you live your life close to a cathedral, it is always interesting to visit other ones.

Like St.Albans, just north of London, home to the shrine os Saint Alban, Britain´s first Christian martyr.

 Last night I went there for Evensong, and was showered in beautiful singing by the girl´s choir.
Today, actually in a few minutes, I will go there for a guided tour.

To learn more about this interesting place.
To be close to my Creator, my Saviour.
To pray.
To live. 

See you later....... 

 

My Lectio Divina

text and images britt-arnhild

Early morning. Marta still asleep. Terje gone to work.
I am staying behind for some quiet time. Some silence. Some preparations for the day ahead.

For my Lectio Divina

To get silent time between me and my Creator is a challenge during the busy, filled to the brim with things happening days. Not that I am busy all day, but still days are filled, with reading, eating, listening to music, blog writing, photographing, house fun, walking, talking........you name it.

Sr. Miriam and Sr. Judith at Turvey Abbey are both teaching me about Lectio Divina........of being in the presence of God.

Why is this so difficult for modern men?
Why do I have this urge do DO something all the time. Not just BE.

BE, in the loving presence of God.

 

The English word BE means PRAY in Norwegian. May be that´s a key to something.
Å be, to pray, doesn´t mean to seek out the correct words all the time.  Å be, to be, to pray.

My lectio divina is a lesson to let my soul be, and through this quiet being, be in prayers with The Saviour.

Sr. Miriam has sent me information about Lectio Divina. Sr. Judith has sent me a list of books to read.

The first of these books came in the mail a few days ago. "Wisdom Distilled From the Daily. Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today" by Joan Chittister.

 

I am still like a newborn, on my way to become a toddler on this road to deeper wisdom. Or is this true?

My God, my Creator, my Saviour. He is also in my busy days. In my activities. In my working, in my reading, in my writing, my house fun, my walking, my listening to music, my blogging.

I am not a newborn. I am no toddler.

I am a woman. Age doesn´t matter.
I am a woman living my life with Jesus. Learning to to wear a new set of spectacles on the way, a new pair of shoes for my feet.

My Lectio Divina.

In silence. But also in my everyday activities.

 

Photos: reflections of the cathedral spire

An invitation. The amazing blog world.

text and images britt-arnhild

Around Christmas I got an email in my mailbox. From a blog reader unknown to me.

Nothing exeptional about that. I get emails from blog readers every day. And I love it. Comments. Emails. Postcards. Letters. Meetings. Since I started blogging more than 7 years ago my world has expanded in a way I could never have dreamed of.

Nothing exeptional?

May be not? Still it was. This was a letter from a nun living in a monastery north of London. And in her email she told me that my blog, my words, photos, thoughts, they meant something to her. Something dear and important. Now she wrote to thank me.

Emails started to fly back and forth. There was so much we had to talk about, to share. Soon one more of the nuns sent words, then a third.

It didn´t take me long to feel a deep wish to visit their abbey, but how could I do that?

Well, when the invitation came I didn´t hesitate long........and soon the dates were set.

In May I am going to Turvey Abbey.

While waiting I am learning more about Lectio Divina. More about The Rule of St. Benedict.

Emails continue to flow. I am learning more about the monastery life.
How can I bring some of its spirituality into my busy life?

I am reading about the monastery. Looking at photos. Knowing deep in my heart that blogging has blessed my life. Is blessing my days.

 

Photos from Kensington Gardens in London

Link to Turvey Abbey

Isola del Deserto. A Memory. A Dream

text and images britt-arnhild

 
There is a small island out in the laguna, not far from Burano. I have passed it many times, I have read about it, and always wanted to visit.

 

Back in August Mauro took us there in his small boat, this morning, while it is still dark outside and the rest of the house is quiet, I am revisiting though photos and memories.

 
Saint Francis of Assisi came to this island, Isola del Deserto in 1220 and stayed for a couple of months, on his way from The Middle East back to Italy and Assisi. 

 

Mauro navigated his boat into the small canal, we climed out and walked up to the monastery.

Silence was what wrapped us comfortably.

 
A brother was woken from his sieasa when we knocked the gate. Welcoming us heartly. Sharing the history of the island, telling us more about Brother Francis.

 

Behind the Saint Francis church is a garden. A place for silence, serenity, thoughts, wanders. The Norwegian authour Kristin Flood, who lives in Venice, has written a book about Saint Francis. During her writing process she stayed in the island for some time. Writing.

 

 
How I wish that I could not only follow the foorsteps of Saint Francis, but also those of Kristin Flood.

 
Writing my name in the monastery´s guestbook was like saying: I will be back.......

 
A Memory. A Dream

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Do you have A Memory A Dream to share today?

I Know it will Make a Change

text and images britt-arnhild

 
In January 2007 I spent a week at Tautra, in the monastery there, finishing my book. The year before, French brother Jöel from the monastery of Citeuax in France had spent a few months at Tautra, and during his stay a dream was born. A small monastery at Munkeby, deep into the Norwegian countryside.

 

A small monastery at Munkeby is a reality now, and for a couple of years a group of four French brothers have been living, praying and working here.

 
Tuesday I wrote an email to Munkeby, yesterday Preben and I stopped there on our way back to Trondheim from our daytrip north. We met brother Jöel, brother Bruno, brother Arnaud and brother Cyril.

Our visit was a short one. We sat down in the chapel for a silent prayer, we talked with  brother Jöel and he took us around. A short stay, but as I sat there, amazed by brother Jöel's very good Norwegian speaking, I felt peace. I felt at home. I felt surrounded in a good, comforting way.

 

The combined kitchen and eating room is modern and minimalistic. Very different from a kitchen were I spent some time last spring.

 

The old farmer's kitchen at Santa Maria in Tuscany was also a place for peace. A place for transformation. A place where I could let my direction change.

 
The presence of peace and prayers. The presence of God.

Several days at Santa Maria. A few minutes at Munkeby. God's kiss on my cheek.

 

I let my hand touch my cheek tonight. It is still warm and a little wet. My right index finger follows a few lines of love. God has something to tell me.

 
An image is forming in my mind.

My hands fold themselves.

Prayers.

 

Four brothers are breaking up from a safe monastery life in France. Following God's calling.

Blessings spread like rings in water.

 

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Dear friends.

I know this is a confusing post. I had planned to tell you the story of the French brothers and their new life in Norway. My heart wanted something else. The short time I stayed at Munkeby yesterday did something with me. I don't know yet what.

Life feels like a chest of treasures right now. I am still opening the lid, seeking out the secret rooms in the chest.

 

Concecration of the Monastery Church

Text and images Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

 
A few weeks ago I visited the Bridgettine Sisters, Birgittasøstrene, in Trondheim, and wrote about it here.

The sisters have been in Norway since 1998, their new monastery and church was finished in August 2009, and yesterday it was finally time for the concecration of their church.

 

Together with my bishop I was invited. As a Lutheran, this was my first time taking part in the concecration of a catholic church. It was all new to me, and I breathed it all in.

 
 

The architect hands over the keys to the church to bishop Bernt Eidsvåg, the catholic bishop of Oslo and Trondheim.

 
The concecration mass lasted for more than 2 1/2 hours. A lot of familiar elements, still most of them new to me.

 
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After the service there was first coffee and greetings. Then a lovely localy made dinner, and the possibility to make new international friends.

 

Birgittasøstrene in Trondheim

Text and images Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

Birgittasøstrene, The Saints of the Bridgetines, have been in Trondheim since 1998. For many years they lived, prayed and worked in an old house, their new monastery with church and guesthouse opened in 2009.

The monastery is built on old farmland, close to where we lived during all the important years when our three oldest kids grew up. We had no idea then that a monastery would be built where we used to go cross country skiing, where I picked the first wild flowers during spring, where I did my long evening walks......where we almost bought an old farmhouse before buying The House in the Woods.

   

How I would have loved to be a close neighbour of the sisters, of the monastery. Almost inside their inner circle of players, of blessings.

It was not to be. Still I know I am inside their circle. I am with them in their prayers. Ora et labora.

In May I am taking a group of deacons from Nidaros diocese to Roma and Assisi. To prepare for our stay we are studying St.Frances of Assisi and Santa Birgitta of Vadstena/Sweden.

Two weeks ago we had one of our meetings in the monastery, diggging deeper into the lives of the holy saints.

We don't have this holy water close to the entrance in our Lutheran churches. Coming into a Catholic church I always dip my right hand index finger into the water, painting a wet cross in my forehead, saying a silent prayers.

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Last Sunday, February 6, we celebrated The Sami People's Day in Norway. in Nidaros Cathedral we had a mass where we partly used the South Sami language (spoken only by a few handfuls of people). Lithurgical music is made especially for this language, music which easily find its way to my heart. When I woke up this morning it was with one of the hymns, a blessing, filling all of me. I knew deep in my heart that the music, the prayer, the blessing, had been with me all night..............and with it, so had God, my Holy Father.

A link to Birgittasøstrene In Trondheims website

Walking their paths side by side with God.

At Tautra, a tiny island in the Trondheim Fjord, a small group of women is walking their paths hand in hand with their Creator. The women, originally sent to Norway by Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Iowa, came to Tautra in 1999. Since then the group of 7 nuns has been living in a small farmhouse, but a few years ago the resolution was taken to built a new monastery.

Tautra has a long history with monasteries. Around 1200 a Cistercienserchurch and monastery was built here, and played an important part of the religious life of the Trondheim area untill the reformation came in 1537. The ruins from this abbey can still be seen and visited at the island.

The new monastery is now finished. The official opening will be in spring 2007, and this September the nuns are opening up the whole monastery and inviting people in. We went there today. Took part in the prayer at "non" (the 9th hour), met the nuns, walked around in the different rooms and visited the soap factory. The Soap from the Tautra monastery is famous, and an important way for the nuns to raise money for their monastery life.

The monastery has its own webpage where you can read more about the history and the building progress.

http://www.tautra.no/

As a protestant, monastery life has| always been alien to me. But as I grow older I am more and more fascinated by it. I can never become a nun, but spending a part of my life in a monastery, far from my worldly responsibilites, close to God, a life in prayers.....yes, I could really do that.