The Everyday Apostle - EP010 - Mary, Queen of Peace

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What does it take to disappear from the modern world, To trade the endless noise of 24-hour news cycles, the clamor of smartphones and the incessant hum of progress for silence?

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For the Benedictine sisters of Mary, Queen of Peace, it wasn't just an idea, it was a call, and not just any call.

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It was the kind of call that shakes you, stirs you, compels you to leave everything behind and build something radical, Something that feels almost impossible in today's world A life of total, unshakable peace.

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A life of total, unshakable peace.

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But how did three women, Mother Gertrude, Sister Scholastica and Sister Regina end up on a farm in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, living in complete devotion to prayer, the land and a 1500-year rule written by a monk who lived in a cave?

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To answer that we need to go back to a man named Benedict and, believe me, he's not quite the figure you might be imagining.

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Welcome to the Everyday Apostle, where ordinary lives meet extraordinary faith.

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Join our host, kendall Peterson, as we explore how everyday men and women bring the gospel to life wherever they live, work and play.

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Let's dive into it right now.

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It's the 6th century, a time of upheaval and uncertainty in Europe.

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Empires are collapsing, kingdoms are clawing for dominance and barbarian tribes are reshaping the map of civilization.

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Into this chaos steps Benedict of Nursia.

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Now forget the image of a serene monk growing up with a halo of holiness.

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Benedict was born into privilege, a wealthy Roman family in the heart of a decaying empire.

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Rome was a city of grandeur, yes, but also one steeped in corruption, decadence and moral decay.

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Benedict could have easily followed the crowd, indulging in the luxuries and power his status afforded him, but instead he chose a path that shocked his peers.

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He left the noise and corruption of Rome behind and retreated to the rugged hills of Subiaco.

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There, among the caves and solitude, benedict began a life of prayer, silence and reflection, one that stood in stark contrast to the chaos of his time.

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This radical way of life didn't go unnoticed.

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Like a light in the darkness, his commitment and wisdom began to attract others.

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Men sought him out, drawn by his clarity and discipline.

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But Benedict wasn't interested in fame or followers.

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He was laying a foundation, one that would not just survive the chaos of his era but would endure for centuries to come.

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It was here in the wilderness, that Benedict wrote the Rule of St Benedict, not just a guide, but a manifesto for a way of life, a life that would survive empires and outlast kingdoms.

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A life built on three deceptively simple words ora et labora, pray and work.

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But this wasn't your typical prayer life.

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Oh no, benedict's rule wasn't for those who wanted a life of ease.

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You couldn't just sit in contemplation all day.

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Benedict's vision required you to work, to till the soil, to plant, to build, to bake, to serve.

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He saw no distinction between prayer and labor, because, for Benedict, the work of your hands was the work of your soul.

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And here's where it gets interesting, this idea, the balance of prayer and work, the sacredness of labor.

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This is what would eventually lead three women, mother Gertrude, sister Scholastica and Sister Regina to do something that seems almost unbelievable in our modern world.

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They would create a sanctuary, a monastery farm, where that same balance of prayer and work would come alive in ways even Benedict himself might not have imagined.

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Fast forward to the present, or rather 2003.

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Imagine this Mother Gertrude, sister Scholastica and Sister Regina, three women each called to the monastic life, each driven by the same vision that had inspired Benedict 1500 years earlier.

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But there's a problem.

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The modern world is loud, it's relentless, it's distracted.

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Where on earth can you go, live out a life of prayer and work in peace?

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The answer comes in a twist of fate Rutherfordton, north Carolina.

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A plot of land nestled in the foothills, far from the noise of the world.

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This, they realize, is where they can bring their vision to life.

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This is where they can plant their seeds, literally and spiritually.

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They aren't just building a monastery, they're building a way of life.

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And so, brick by brick, prayer by prayer, they create Queen of Peace Monastery, a place where silence reigns, where the hum of a tractor is as much a part of liturgy as the singing of the psalms, where the clucking of chickens mixes with the soft chanting from the chapel.

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The monastery farm is not your typical patch of land.

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It's a living, breathing embodiment of aura et labora.

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Picture this Before sunrise, sister Regina heads out to the barn.

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The morning mist clings to the rows of sweet potatoes.

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As she wrangles a tribe of goats, checking to be sure that each has the food and water they need.

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To her, this isn't just farming, it's prayer in motion.

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Every drop of water, every sprig of alfalfa is a silent offering.

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Meanwhile, mother Gertrude moves through the farm like a conductor, overseeing everything with a quiet authority.

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She isn't just the superior of the community, she's the heart of the farm, ensuring that everything runs smoothly, that the balance of prayer and labor is upheld.

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She watches over the daily tasks and making sure the animals are fed, the gardens tended and the guests welcomed.

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And then there's Sister Scholastica, her hands deftly working to collect the eggs in the chicken coop, her face reflecting the quiet peace of someone who knows that every act, no matter how small, is an act of devotion.

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After breakfast, the sisters make their way to morning mass at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, where they serve and worship.

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Then they return to continue their work.

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Perhaps it's mowing a field, perhaps it is pruning the concord grapevines to nurture the harvest, perhaps it is repairing a fence.

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Whatever the work for the day, you can rest assured it is done with love and prayer.

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Life at Queen of Peace Monastery is a delicate dance, one where the rhythm of the earth mirrors the rhythm of prayer.

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This isn't just a farm, it's a monastery, where the hands in the soil are just as sacred as the hands lifted in prayer, and that is what makes this place so unique.

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But the Benedictine sisters of Mary, queen of Peace are not content to simply live this life.

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They want to share it.

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Their monastery has become a place of refuge for those seeking peace in a world that seems determined to rob us of it.

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Mother Gertrude opens the doors of the retreat center to those who come looking for a break from the chaos.

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Some come for a weekend, some for longer.

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All leave changed.

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Sister Regina shares her knowledge of the land, teaching visitors how to find God in the act of planting a seed, how to listen for the sacred in the rustling of leaves and the turning of the soil.

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Sister Scholastica leads guests in workshops on gardening, showing them how the careful tending of the earth mirrors the careful tending of the soul.

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Every retreatant who comes to Queen of Peace leaves with more than just a new perspective.

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They leave with a taste of the balance, the harmony that comes from a life where work and prayer are one.

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As the sun sets on the fields of Queen of Peace, the sisters gather once more in the chapel.

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The day's work is done, but the prayers continue.

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It's a rhythm that has endured for centuries, one that began with a man in a cave 1,500 years ago and has been carried forward by three women who had the courage to create something different.

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The Benedict and sisters of Mary Queen of Peace remind us that peace, true peace, doesn't come from the absence of work, but from finding the sacred within it.

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It's about balance, about listening to the quiet wisdom of the earth and the echo of prayers rising to the heavens.

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In any world that's louder and more chaotic than ever, these three sisters have created something extraordinary a place where prayer and work come together in perfect harmony, a place where peace isn't just sought, it's made.

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Perfect harmony.

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A place where peace isn't just sought, it's made.

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Learn more about the Benedictine Sisters of Mary Queen of Peace and to support their very important work, check them out at QOPBenedictinescom.

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That's Q-O-P like Queen of Peace, benedictinescom.

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Thanks for listening.

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Thanks for tuning in to the Everyday Apostle.

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Don't forget to like and subscribe on YouTube, on your favorite podcast outlet, and at our website at everydayapostlecom.

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Until next time, stay blessed.