This past week, we made a trip up to the Pacific Northwest. It was refreshing to come back to this part of the world with my family. There was cause for remembrance and thanksgiving for all that God has given.

On the first day, we stopped by the Catholic cemetery to pay my respects to Archbishop Vlazny. His kindness has been etched in my memory. Always kind, he was a man who always remembered me, the first bishop to write a personal note of thanks to me, and one who truly lived and enjoyed life. When I stood at his grave a flood of memories from the early years came rushing back and I was filled with gratitude.

To reunite with Pia, Gary, and Raquel brought back the immense love and respect that I have for friends in the Pacific Northwest. They were giants whose love and kindness molded my perseverance, shaped my compassion, and gave roots for my ministry to this day.

As we checked in to our Airbnb in Silverton, my family settled in and I made my first return to the hilltop for Evening Prayer with the monks. I sat in the silence of Abbey Church and at 5:15pm the peal of bells rung from the Tower of the Visitaton, calling everyone to the praises of God.

At the conclusion of the bells the pipe organ arose from its silence and Brother Isaiah began the fanfare to open the Solemnity of Saint Benedict and then in ranked order they came. The monks processed into the choir stalls by their seniority of entrance into the house. At the end of the procession, Abbot Jeremy, who for a moment glanced at me as he processed with his crozier in hand, and then returned his gaze toward prayer. I felt this sense of being home.

Later in the evening, my family and I came up the hilltop and the boys ran around and enjoyed the hill.

At the end of our evening play on the hilltop, I took my family to the cemetery to meet some of the giants who impacted my life.

The days ahead were treasured moments with old friends. We participated in the Saint Benedict Festival, an annual celebration hosted by the monks where people from all over come to the hilltop and experience the Mount of Communion.

What can monastic life offer our lives? Saint Benedict is a steady reminder of our need to listen. We must listen with the ears of the heart, listening to the silence, until God speaks in the whisper. This wisdom has stood the test of time.

Deep listening makes us attentive to our needs and the needs of others. It helps us to be a human community. It has helped me grow as a husband and father. It has helped me live out my friendship with Jesus.

The journey as a Benedictine Oblate has led me to deeper friendships that have enriched my life.

This year, I have the immense honor of celebrating the 20th anniversary of episcopal ordination of Bishop Kevin Vann, my classmate at Mount Angel Seminary in the Doctor of Ministry program and fellow oblate of Mount Angel Abbey.

Being an oblate has welcomed a fresh way of living life. It has filled my life with interior peace rooted in prayer. It has helped me focus on loving my family. I find great comfort knowing that I am grafted into the daily rhythm of prayer on this hilltop. As we descend the hill and return to California, I keep the memory of the monks and this place in my heart. In a special way, I know my family will do the same.