Norcia Earthquake Follow-up

The Monks of Norcia have started keeping a blog about events following the earthquake. You can find it here: https://en.nursia.org/earthquake/. It makes fascinating reading.

Most of the monks have (temporarily) relocated to Rome, though a hardy pair remain behind.

We monks who remained, staying in tents, have returned to the days of our youth, and are camping out in the garden area of the our monastery outside the walls. The tents were positioned far from any buildings so the we were not in danger, but tremors throughout the night made sleeping difficult — as did the occasional sound of wild boar in the woods! Restorations to our property outside the city walls (Fuori Le Mura) had only recently started. Restoration work on the Church was made with the latest anti-earthquake materials and, thanks be to God, it has mostly withstood the tremors.

This morning, the monastery’s prior, Fr. Cassian Folsom, offered a reflection that is worth reading in its entirety.

Some people have hurricanes, some have tornadoes, some have typhoons – we have earthquakes. There are two possible attitudes toward this fact. One is a kind of dull resignation. The other is one of entrusting everything to God’s providence.

Monks make a vow of stability. One of the fruits of that vow is what we call “love of place”. We love this place. And we will rebuild it.

There is a spiritual interpretation we can give to the St. Bartholomew earthquake of 2016. An Easter antiphon comes to mind: “Ecce terraemotus factus est magnus…” (Behold there was a great earthquake). The antiphon refers to creation’s reaction to the resurrection of Christ. We too will rise again at the end of time, when the Lord will come to judge the living and the dead.

Read the whole thing here.

Please, in your mercy, continue to pray for the monks and the people of Italy affected by this earthquake, including for the souls of the dead.