Visit the Abbey of the Arts online retreat platform to access your programs:

Summer Solstice Blessing

Summer Solstice Blessing*

Radiant One,
creator of the cosmos
and the luminaries which light our way,
bless this day of longest light
and the gift of the sun
to bring warmth to our lives
and abundance of growth,
sweetness of blueberries,
refreshment of lemons,
nourishment of kale
and a thousand other kinds of food.
We sing in gratitude
along with the sparrows and robins
rising each morning
to celebrate another day.
Help us remember
the universe came into being
14 billion years ago,
with ancient skies unfurling,
stars spilling across the heavens,
and manifesting in every living thing.
Light is our inheritance,
calling us to be bearers of radiance,
bringing new life
from the fertile darkness.

*written by Christine Valters Paintner from a future book of blessings

You might also enjoy

Loving Into Justice ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims,  We are delighted to begin our 2025-2026 program year and our 20th year of ministry this Friday, August 15th with a retreat on Loving into Justice led by the wonderful Coke Tani. Coke offers this reflection and introduction to what we will

Read More »

Monk in the World Guest Post: Rachel Grandey

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to our Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Rachel Grandey’s reflection on bringing the heart of contemplative practice to research and opening to the questions. In 2023 I left my

Read More »