Foundation stone. Stone to wait by.
This year our municipality Levanger celebrates its 1000th anniversary, and in this context a manifestation was organized in the Cistercian ruins at Munkeby by Stiklestad Najonale Kultursenter. Senior pastor Karl Gervin brought the audience back to the 12th century, when the brothers came here. Daily life in such a monastery was illustrated by a number of Cistercian Medieval texts – read by the brothers who live here today.
The manifestation included a strong symbolic act : The Medieval ruin is the property of The Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments, and secretary general Elisabeth Seip presented the brothers with a stone from the choir of the ancient church : It will be the foundation stone of the new monastery, which the four brothers now are founding.
Brother Joel received the stone with these words :
Dear friends.
When we first began searching for a place to build a small monastery in Norway, we spontaneously thought of a site near the Medieval monastery at Munkeby.
The monks did not remain long in this valley, where the climate no doubt was quite hostile, but through the ruins they have left behind to this day, they succeeded in giving a testimony of their presence. This is also the case in the surroundings, since many centuries later we find topographical names which include the word 'monk'. The local recollection of the monks is very much alive, and we have several times heard that our coming is perceived as the return of the monks. This we have not dared to think ourselves, since to employ a metaphor the monks themselves often used about their illustrious forefathers, we are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants.
Who were they, these great monks, who departed with their secret: Did they come from England or Sweden – to be joined by local Norwegians, and who - as many Cistercians of the 12th century, ardently and wholeheartedly devoted themselves to monastic life?
They are very often present in our thoughts and prayers, and if our small monastery on the hill evokes the calmness of a mysterious presence, I sometimes ask myself whether this is not the product of these ancient monks whose spirit is still alive in this place.
It is in this spirit that we receive this stone from you, as a confirmation which at the same time brings us closer to a past which is still alive and justifies our presence here. Many thanks to all of you, and especially to our friend Karl, who helped to make this transmission possible.
We hope that that this stone will be the foundation stone of a new monastery, even though we cannot from our present standpoint see when and how this monastery will be built. Before becoming the foundation stone, this stone will therefore be a stone to wait by : As a witness of the past it becomes a sign of the future. Like all symbols, it reveals to us a richness of meanings which it is difficult to express in words.
We ask God to fulfill in us that which he has begun when he led us here, and that he will bless those who receive us here with good will and generosity.
Icône des saints fondateurs de Cîteaux
