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Abbess love notes

Spring Equinox Blessing ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Spring Equinox Blessing* God of balance, we ask your blessing at this threshold when light and dark are equal. Teach us to welcome both into our lives, making room for joy and sorrow, for sunlight shimmering and moonlight radiance. As the light continues to grow, and birds and insects begin their migrations, journeying by impulse and intuition, help us to listen to your call to move in a holy direction. Inspire us to celebrate the burgeoning and blossoming of buds all around us as well as within our hearts. Holy Gardener, sustain us in nourishing this season of growth, cultivate

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Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: Christina Lelache

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Christina Lelache’s reflection and photo essay on the community of wildflower saints. Early in 2022, I began to feel a need for a new way to connect with God on Sunday mornings. My point of contact for many years had been through attending worship at church, often in a leadership role. I had stepped away from attending Sunday services when I began my leave of absence from pastoral ministry, and although my spirit breathed a sigh of

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Abbess love notes

The Dance of Conflict Transformation ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks and artists, We are so delighted to be welcoming Wisdom Council member Dena Jennings to lead a workshop for us on Dances of Conflict Transformation. Dena runs her own community in Virginia which she calls a Farmashramonastery.  She shares some of her wisdom here with us:  In the workshop we will look at the lives of 1st, 3rd, and 6th century saints. We will examine how each saint’s character can lead us as we work to transform social conflicts. You will have the opportunity to reflect on their lives while virtually visiting locations on the Farmashramonastery in the Appalachian

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Jason M. Deutsch

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Jason M. Deutsch’s reflection and poem “Whispers Beneath the Sacred Tree.” “Men, driven by fear, go to many a refuge, to mountains and forests, to groves and sacred trees,” said the Buddha. “But that is not a safe refuge … a man is not delivered from all pains after having gone to that refuge.” It’s very tempting to envision a life without any external noise or disruption. But to be a monk in the world seems to

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Abbess love notes

Entering Silence Through Breath Prayer ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Blessing for Silence and Solitude* Holy Source of Silence, beneath the clatter and din of the everyday you offer your mysteries to our hearts. You call us to pause, to slow down and listen to the true longing planted in each of us by you, a seed of holy desire. Support us in letting go of the inner and outer noise. Open wide in us a sacred cave for stillness where we can attune to your presence. Enliven us with the gift of your sweet music and allow us to encounter your holy presence flaming in each of our hearts.

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Jodi Blazek Gehr

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Jodi Blazek Gehr’s reflection on gratitude, wonder, and the sweet spot of life. As a Benedictine Oblate of a monastic community about 90 minutes from home, driving the country roads of the Nebraska “Bohemian Alps” to St. Benedict Center has become part of my contemplative practice. Sometimes I drive in silence, curious about the old homes and barns that have fallen into disrepair, soaking in the beauty of the gentle, rolling hills, captured by the neat rows of corn

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Abbess love notes

St. Gobnait and the Place of Resurrection ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks and artists, Our featured self-study this month has been our virtual Celtic pilgrimage honoring Saints Brigid, Ciaran, and Gobnait. The pandemic inspired many new creative offerings and the virtual pilgrimages have been a favorite. (We have a brand new Celtic pilgrimage coming in late April for Beltaine where you can join us live for 9 days).  I only learned about St. Gobnait after moving to Ireland, but she is perhaps one of my favorite of the Irish saints. She is a fifth- and sixth-century monk who fled her home in County Clare and headed first for the island of Insheer. It is

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Christine Interviewed on the Compass Podcast

Christine was interviewed about fasting and Lent on the Compass Podcast. She shares her insights on how fasting can go beyond traditional ideas of abstaining from food and can instead be a way to open ourselves to a deeper encounter with the divine. Christine outlines the various forms of fasting, including from multitasking and inattention, and the practice of fasting from scarcity, speed, and certainty.  Listen to the Podcast View the Podcast on YouTube Christine founded the Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery offering classes and resources on contemplative practice and creative expression. She is a Benedictine Oblate, poet,

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Anne Barsanti

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Anne Barsanti’s reflection The Quiet. I crave the quiet of a new morning. I’ve always been an early riser and am frequently astonished by the breadth of the day before it unfolds. There is so much, yet so little time. I also crave stillness of mind and heart. Mostly I find this in long-distance running, swimming, and walking. For me, the stillness does not mean being sedentary. Moving meditation comes to mind as we flow in yoga,

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Abbess love notes

Sister Thea Bowman ~ A Love from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks and artists, We are very excited to be hosting ValLimar Jansen this Friday for a mini-retreat. She is an extraordinary musician and performer and has a special love for Sister Thea Bowman, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration and prophetic witness to the Black American Catholic experience who worked to break down racial and cultural barriers. ValLimar wrote a musical to celebrate Sister Thea’s life.  ValLimar shares this reflection with us that she wrote originally for Liguori Publications:  Sister Thea Bowman was a trailblazing African American Catholic religious sister. She was a powerful voice for social justice and a passionate

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