Pictures from St. Meinrad’s monastery – the Abbey. September 2015

Outside. Looks like Hogwarts. The building to the right is the seminary.
Abbey outside<a>

Stained glass inside. The tree with the forbidden fruit becomes the cross that Jesus is crucified on in atonement for our sins.
adamcross

The altar, set out in the middle, amongst the people, rather than far away and separate from them. Note the two large candle holders. Two candles represent the Old Testament and the Gospels – and are also reminiscent of the two candles used at the head and foot of a dead body lying in state.
altar

Another picture of the altar. Note the really unusual Christus painting on the back wall. It is all in black.
altar1

Where the laity sit. Note the small amount of informational books to help you follow along.
congregation pews

Where the monks sit. Solid, with slight dividers. This way they pray together, but also have some privacy.
monk pews2

Note the vast amount of informational books here for the monks. You’d think they wouldn’t need it more than the laity.
monk pews

The flying cross
cross

The cross
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The cross and altar. Note how the baptismal font looks like a chalice atop the altar at this angle.
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Outside door in the sunlight. This is a door that is not normally used.
door

It is quite atmospheric this time of day and year.
door2

The baptismal font. Covered in scenes depicting stories about water in the Bible. The font is connected to a water pump so it burbles all the time with fresh water. It is quite large.
font3

Outside the Abbey front doors.
front1

Inside the Blessed Sacrament chapel.
host6

The Black Madonna.
Mary 1

A sunny picture of the Abbey.
outside17

Very ornamented.
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Inside, a Corinthian column.
pillar

A Yale lock on the front left door.
yale

Poem – God and money

I saw a church sign that said
“Did you give back to Him this week?”

I’m pretty sure what they meant
was money.
But what God wants
is work.

God wants your service.
God wants you to use your talents
to help someone,
to feed someone,
to clothe someone,
to visit someone in prison.

Bono said
“The God I believe in isn’t short of cash, mister.”
I think he’s on to something.
If God wanted money,
God would make money.
Instead,
God made people.
God made us
to help each other.

God doesn’t want your money.
It isn’t as easy as that.

To give your money
to a church
or a charity
is to pay someone else
to do
your
good deeds.

What God wants
is for you
to help people
directly.
When you give money
to a charity
or a church
you’re letting someone else
get that good feeling
that comes
from helping someone
directly.

God and Caesar

Then the Pharisees began to plot, trying to trap him by his words. They sent some of their disciples along with some of the members of a Jewish political party. They wanted to get him arrested by the civil authorities.

They asked him “Teacher, we know that you correctly teach God’s laws and that you treat everyone the same, regardless of who they are. Tell us your opinion on this, then – according to the law, are we supposed to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Jesus knew what they were up to and said “Why are you testing me? Show me a denarius. Whose picture and name is on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they all said.

“You have your answer,” Jesus said. “Give back to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar, and give back to God the things that belong to God.”

They were all speechless at his answer.

MT 22:15-22, MK 12:13-17, LK 20:20-26