“It’s okay to doubt. We don’t master God, and sometimes doubt plays an important role in our faith,” Brother Minh (pronounced Ming) said.
We were sitting in a very comfortable kitchen for visitors at the Saint Joseph Monastery in Lucerne Valley. I had just met the Cistercian monk a few moments before, and it was very easy to talk with him about all things, spiritual or secular.
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| Overview of Saint Joseph Monastery in Lucerne Valley |
My friend, Paul, and I had traveled northward along Highway 247 in search of a place we had both watched on a YouTube video. We were hunting for a supposed abandoned nuclear launch pad located somewhere near the Sandwinder Gold mine.
What we learned was two things. Number 1: Don't believe everything on the internet. There was no missile silo standing anywhere near where we had traversed, searching for hours across the Mojave Desert.
“Hey,” I said. “Why don’t we film a couple of buildings from Bodie and post them on YouTube and tell viewers that they are located in Holcomb Valley. That could be fun.”
I would not do that.
The second thing we learned on this new adventure was that in Lucerne Valley, not far off Highway 247, was a most beautiful place for meditation and worship.
“We often have many visitors come and spend time with us,” Minh said. “In fact, if people come here, we will offer to celebrate a mass with them, no matter the time of day.”
The Cistercian order, to which all nine current resident monks belong, is a very old part of the Roman Catholic Church. The name for the order comes from the place it was founded, the Citeaux Abbey in France, in the year 1098. The monks follow the beliefs of St. Benedict - embracing a life of manual labor, contemplation, prayer, and spiritual pursuits.
Minh smiled. “For us, monk means to pray and work.”
And these monks have worked since the monastery opened its doors 17 years ago in a secluded canyon in the Mojave Desert. All the work seen, including the multitude of buildings, storage sheds, beautiful intricate concrete walkways, pagoda-style sitting areas located everywhere, and the multitude of carefully handcrafted sculptures, was all done by the monks.
“Now, we do have volunteers that assist us, but most of the work is done by the monks here,” Minh stated.
Prior to meeting Brother Minh, Paul and I had spent an hour walking around the grounds of the monastery, taking in the elaborately paved walkways leading the visitor to dozens of statues of Jesus Christ and Saints.
One trail, rather steep and long, wound up a small hill, and every few yards was a sculpture indicating one of the Stations of the Cross - that’s Catholic speak for the 14 stations that point to key events of Christ’s passion and death on the way to Calvary, including his burial.
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| One of the many hand made statues at Saint Joseph Monastery |
I remember those stations very well from attending St. Catherine’s Elementary and then Notre Dame in Riverside, California.
All the monks are part of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Vietnam, and Minh has been a resident at the monastery for 13 years.
“Do you ever get bored?” I asked.
“Yes, we are bored sometimes, and being human, we’re not always happy, but always peaceful. Happiness is short, but peace is long-lasting and from God.”
Paul brightened up. “I’m happy when a cold beer is near, but not so much when it’s empty.”
“But peace is knowing that there are more at the store,” I said.
Minh smiled. “Exactly.”
It was interesting sitting with Minh in the coolness of the kitchen, just talking. He was cheerful, at times funny, and at other times, serious.
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| Brother Minh and John R Beyer |
I asked him about the turmoil in the world and how everyone in our country seems so divided against one another.
“When people fall away from God, we divide and only think about ourselves. But with God we learn to love others, and perhaps love ourselves a bit more.”
He was one smart and spiritual guy, this Brother Minh.
“If a person smiles at you while walking by, how does it make you feel?”
“Better,” I said.
“Imagine if we smiled more and complained less?” Minh replied.
Our discussions continued, and while we sipped on bottles of cold water (yes, water), we moved into the idea that more and more young people seemed to be moving toward a more heartfelt faith in God than in the near past.
“Do you believe there is a resurgence in young people coming back to church?” Paul asked.
“Yes, I think young people are looking for something,” Minh said. “They are tired of social media, trying to keep up with one another, and then learning that most things they are hearing are not true. There’s a lot of emptiness out there in people’s hearts, and they are looking for true answers to fill that emptiness. God is doing that for them.”
I found it strange that this monk would know about social media.
“We keep up on modern events,” Minh smiled. “It's hard to assist others if we do not know what is going on.”
The monastery currently encompasses 300 acres of land, with plans to increase to 600 acres, a nearly one square mile of respite from the outside world.
We were given a tour of the chapel, which was actually designed by a Buddhist Monk and has the entry in the image of praying hands - it is a masterful work of art that visitors pass through on their way to services.
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| The gorgeous chapel at Saint Joseph Monastery in Lucerne Valley |
The public, all denominations, are welcome to the daily masses, and as stated earlier, the monks will have a mass or prayer services for visitors whenever the need or desire arises.
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| The monastery is easy to find right off of Highway 247 |
These monks are true men of their word when they state they are here to serve their fellow citizens in search of peace and harmony.
Before leaving, Brother Minh said, “We will never fully understand God, even the angels don’t understand God, so how can we? And, that is fine - that is faith.”
For more information: http://www.saintjosephmonasteryca.org/
John can be contacted at: beyersbyways@gmail.com
