A few weeks ago, I went on retreat at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in Northern New Mexico. Part of the Benedictine charism is hospitality, and guests are welcome. For all who come to stay, there is daily Mass, Gregorian chant, and communal meals with the monks.
I had a room to myself in the Guest House, which is some distance from the chapel and the main building. I had no computer and no cell phone coverage. Except for a few conversations with friends and an introduction to the monastery donkeys and sheep by Abbot Christian, most of my time was spent in silence.
God was there.
Contemplation Garden 