Thomas Merton once wrote: "The monastic vocation is therefore by its very nature a call to wilderness, because it is a call to live in hope. The monk carries on the long tradition of waiting and hoping." That certainly is the case of the Benedictine monks in this fascinating one-hour documentary produced and directed by Diane Marron. It took her four years to capture the rhythm of prayer and praise of God which structures the time of these monks from early morning to the end of the day. The filmmaker covers an Advent Mass, a Christmas Midnight Mass, Holy Thursday worship, and the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.

The monks talk openly about their calling, the challenges of living in a close-knit community, the meaning of asceticism, and the relationship of their prayer to the well-being of the church and the world. The desert setting provides an ideal frame for their empahsis upon simplicity, solitude, and silence.

Purchase: Janson Video 1-800-952-6766