It’s said to be the oldest known song preserved in its entirety. It’s called the Seikilos Song – composed in ancient Greece, scholars believe, around 100 BC.

* Video courtesy WCVB5 – Boston .

I was recently invited by Catholic News Agency (CNA) to take part in an Advent podcast for CNA Newsroom. In the podcast, I share the story of my vocation and give listeners a glimpse of how the Trappist community at Saint Joseph’s Abbey celebrates Advent.

The first 10 minutes of the CNA Newsroom Advent podcast is my segment. There are other interesting Advent-related segments on the podcast. Kindly take a listen:

* CNA Newsroom is a production of Catholic News Agency. The content of the podcast are opinions and do not necessarily express the perspective of the agency.

To be both monk and artist is to live a delicate balance between two strong desires. It is the desire to live for God alone and the desire to creatively express that which is most meaningful. By temperament and training I am artist. It colors how I see, how I feel and how I express myself and how I relate to the world. By vocation, I am a monk, following the sixth century Rule of St. Benedict. It also colors my life and provides a strong spiritual direction and identity for me. But are they compatible or contradictory?

There is no easy answer to the question. When examined closely, each in itself would suggest a complete vocation and way of life. In fact, they may seem to be antithetical, in direct contrast to one another. One seeks self-expression and recognition, the other seeks self-denial and anonymity. At times they are in conflict with one another. There is no denying this.