2024: St. Andrews Abbey Retreat – Divinization in the Rule of Benedict and in Benedictine Spirituality

Friday, 20 December 2024 5:00 PM –
Sunday, 22 December 2024 11:00 AM

Presenter: Father Luke Dysinger – Fr. Luke has been a monk of Valyermo since 1976. He is a priest and a physician who writes and teaches in the fields of mystical theology and biomedical ethics. He earned a Ph.D. at Oxford University and currently teaches at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, CA as well as online courses.

---

Friday – afternoon 

• Arrived a little past 2pm, settled into my room. This place feels like home. I belong here. I feel peace as soon as I drive onto the property.
• I have changed a lot this year… all good… I would say.
  • Philosophy has become a major part of my intellectual life. It’s hard each semester to learn new concepts, figure out what I think is true, and then write about it. Across the school year, the workload is continuous. I actually enjoyed having a summer break.
  • Camping has been huge fun for me. I just completed 24 straight months. I’m really proud of that. Biking is good exercise, and I love to bike when I go camping. I started astrophotography three months ago. It’s a nice add-on to camping. My physical life is going better than I could have hoped for.
  • Spiritually I am finding myself being respected and asked to lead. I don’t have any goals as far that goes. I just do what I’m asked to do.
  • Being in leadership at church has introduced me to a lot of new people. I have a lot of new friends. It’s taken over three years, but I finally have a few people I really enjoy. Socially, I am more outgoing. I guess that’s a good thing… idk.

Friday – evening 

• I was hoping to get some time with Fr. Luke to discuss God’s “Middle-Knowledge” (Luis Molina) with him. Unfortunately, he is grading papers for his seminary students, and has tight limits on his free time.
• I’m working on a philosophy paper entitled, “Divine Sovereignty and Human Free-Will”. Last year I had just started taking philosophy at Cambridge. I really had no idea what I was doing. Now that I’m into my second year, I really am looking forward to connecting what I am learning at university with what I have learned at church for 45 years and what I am learning at the monastery retreats. I have high hopes, but I will have to be patient. It might take a while for the lightbulb to go on. 
• Fr. Luke mentioned that Christ came for two reasons:
  • To repair the damage to our human nature that was done by sin = SANCTIFICATION
  • To restore in us (or rather… partake again of) the “divine” nature = DIVINIZATION

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature…” 2 Peter 1:3-4 

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

• So, what is the difference between nature and identity? Do humans share similar natures (i.e.; sinful or justified) but each one has their own identity? Changing my nature… but preserving my identity? Is this change in my nature purely a spiritual transformation?
• Can we say that all humans operate in 3 different dimensions of natural existence: as creatures, as agents, and as persons. But, through Christ we are given a 4th dimension, a supernatural existence … as spiritual beings? This spiritual rebirth extends and expands our existence to a new realm. This transformation doesn’t take away from our previous nature; it adds to it. My identity isn’t destroyed, but it is given a new mode of expression. 

Saturday – morning

• During Vigils this morning, I realized how spiritually-minded the monks are, and how philosophically-minded I have become. This weekend is resetting my perspective… at least temporarily. Fr. Luke said last night that contemplation changes us into what we focus on. It’s true, I feel the difference since a year ago. I have spent so much effort rearranging my thinking to conform to the requirements of university. So swings the pendulum.
• How does God reshape our Nature, Image, and Identity? How does God use time and eternity to reshape us? God is not just restoring us; he is reinventing us. A dynamic progress into God.
• Are we human beings having a spiritual experience; or are we spiritual beings having a human experience. (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin thinks the latter)
• Will we spend eternity learning who we really are… the limitless extent of our divine nature? Co-heirs with Christ.

Saturday – afternoon

• Consequences of the Fall:
  • Humans have stepped outside of ourselves. Salvation begins the process of putting us back into ourselves.
  • There is now a difference between “objective” and “subjective”… which will be collapsed in eternity.
  • Progress and purpose are sometimes achieved by thwarting our desires and abilities.

Saturday – evening

• I got a chance to discuss Molinism with Fr. Luke. He knew about Luis Molina, but he had very little to add, and was not intrigued by the question of God’s Soveregnty vs. Man’s Free-Will. My assumption is that he has settled the matter in his own mind, and has no reason to revisit it.

Sunday – morning

• I realized during Lauds that this year I have learned a lot and served a lot, but spiritually I have not grown a lot. I’m busy, and I may even be flourishing. But, I see how dry my spiritual life is lately. I feel close to God, but I’m not being challenged spiritually. My spiritual life is practical, useful, and important …. But not deepening.
• Like the monthly “Adventure Newsletter” I send out, I would like to start a monthly “Spiritual Newsletter”. Not because I have anything to tell people, but I need to intentionally grow spiritually, and this might be a way to encourage that.