“At times, he simply cannot stop laughing – like a well filled bladder that is pricked and squeezed.” St. Bernard is describing a monk he observed over nine hundred years ago. Every so often, this monk shows up again. Actually, this brother belongs to all monasteries of all times, and appears in all monks at one time or another, including me. Compulsive laughter – what does it mean?
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One Order, Seventeen Monasteries of Monks and Nuns
We are the Cistercians of the Strict Observance, a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, also known as "Trappists" or "Trappistines". Within the enclosure of the monastery, forgotten by the world, we joyfully embrace an ascetic discipline which fosters conversion of life to the pattern of Christ's life of prayer, sacrifice, and loving service to our neighbor. Since the arrival of the first Cistercians in North America in 1848, we have become seventeen monasteries in twelve states, living a distinctive life of hidden fruitfulness at the heart of the church. Learn more about us →
A Trappist's Diary
Monastic Wisdom
"More are to be received into the embrace of charity than into the embrace of friendship. We are compelled by the law of charity to receive in the embrace of love not only our friends but also our enemies.
News
Our Pope has a monk's heart and recently delivered a beautiful reflection on how the Church's evangelization is empowered by the practice of silent contemplation. Read excerpts here.
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