Your Online Monastery for Your Spiritual Practice

Celebrate the Celtic feast of Beltaine ~ A love note from your online abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, In the Celtic Wheel of the Year, today is the feast of Beltaine and the very start of summer. This is an excerpt from our online self-study retreat Sacred Seasons: A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year (click link for details and registration): Beltaine (which means bright fire) is another of the cross-quarter days, representing the mid-point between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice and it is often experienced at the height of spring. In Ireland it is considered to be the beginning of summer and the beginning of the light

May 1, 2016

Illuminating the Way: new 12-month journey with FREE monthly teleconference

Starts Monday, May 23rd with Francis of Assisi! Join us for a FREE 12-month journey through Christine Valters Paintner’s newest book Illuminating the Way: Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics. Each month Christine will host a teleseminar where she will explore some of the themes of the monk and mystic featured, lead a meditation experience, and read one of her poems, as well as offer the opportunity to ask questions. The recording will be available if you can’t participate live on the call. This is a wonderful way to move slowly and intentionally through the material. You do need to purchase

April 30, 2016

Christine is interviewed on The Soul Directed Life

Janet Connor interviewed Christine Valters Paintner about her new book Illuminating the Way. You can listen to the conversation here about embracing your inner monk, visionary, and pilgrim through the inspiration of Thomas Merton, Hildegard of Bingen, and Brendan the Navigator.

April 29, 2016

Monk in the World guest post: Theresa Walker

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Theresa Walker’s reflection on waiting, letting go, and opening to creative gifts. Years ago, I waited anxiously to see if I would get the job I had interviewed for. I wanted the job very much. At last my interviewer called and said, “I’m sorry, but I still can’t give you an answer.” My spirits plummeted. Disappointment, anxiety, and a worrisome desire to achieve my goal gripped me. That night I dreamed a woman stood in front of me holding a baby. I reached out my

April 27, 2016

Illuminating the Way: Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics is now available!

Illuminating the Way takes you on a journey through your inner life accompanied by twelve great monks and mystics from the Christian tradition. Each figure invites you to discover the energy and potential of a particular archetype–the inner sage in Benedict; the inner visionary in Hildegard of Bingen; and the inner orphan in Dorothy Day. From the prophet Miriam of the Hebrew Scriptures to twentieth century monk Thomas Merton, Paintner offers an array of challenging and enlivening models to explore. Christine is beloved by readers for her creative practices, guided meditations, and beautiful prayers and poems, and she has

April 26, 2016

Embrace the wisdom of your inner orphan ~ A love note from your online abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, Illuminating the Way: Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics will be released very soon! In my newest book I explore twelve monks and mystics and how each of them invites us into a deeper connection to our own inner multitude, sometimes described as archetypal energies. Last week I shared an excerpt from my reflection on the Sovereign. This week I share from perhaps my favorite archetype of all, that of the Orphan, the tender and vulnerable part of ourselves we so often push away: The Orphan appears across myths, fairy tales, and popular culture,

April 24, 2016

Invitation to Dance: Flowers Appear on the Earth

We continue our theme this month from our Community Lectio Divina practice with the Song of Songs passage about spring arriving and continued with this month’s Photo Party and Poetry Party. I invite you into a movement practice. Allow yourself just 5 minutes this day to pause and listen and savor what arises. Begin with a full minute of slow and deep breathing. Let your breath bring your awareness down into your body. When thoughts come up, just let them go and return to your breath. Hold this image of “Flowers return to the earth” as the gentlest of intentions, planting a seed as you prepare to step into

April 22, 2016

Monk in the World guest post: Shawn Kafader

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Shawn Kafader’s reflection on monastic service and retreat: I have felt the sense of God’s presence since the earliest memories of my life. As a child I loved to attend church, listen to the stories of the Bible, and share time with God in prayer. By the time I was a teen I knew that I would offer my life to God in some form of vocational ministry. Not always the smoothest of journeys, I can look back knowing that every

April 20, 2016

Embrace your inner sovereign ~ A love note from your online abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, Illuminating the Way: Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics will be released very soon! I am very excited to share this work exploring twelve monks and mystics and the archetypes they embody and invite us to live more fully into. This week I share another excerpt from the book, this time on the archetype of the sovereign from the chapter on King David: There is a story about Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell which expresses the heart of sovereignty well. Sir Gawain must decide whether he wants Lady Ragnell to remain beautiful by day

April 17, 2016

Invitation to Poetry: Flowers Appear on the Earth

Welcome to our Poetry Party! I select an image and suggest a theme/title and invite you to respond with your own poem. Feel free to take your poem in any direction and then post the image and invitation on your blog (if you have one), Facebook, or Twitter, and encourage others to come join the party! (If you repost the photo, please make sure to include the credit link and link back to this post inviting others to join us). We began this month with a Community Lectio Divina practice with a passage from the Song of Songs on the arrival of spring. We followed up

April 15, 2016

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

Reflections

Filter

Celebrate the Celtic feast of Beltaine ~ A love note from your online abbess

Illuminating the Way: new 12-month journey with FREE monthly teleconference

Christine is interviewed on The Soul Directed Life

Monk in the World guest post: Theresa Walker

Illuminating the Way: Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics is now available!

Embrace the wisdom of your inner orphan ~ A love note from your online abbess

Invitation to Dance: Flowers Appear on the Earth

Monk in the World guest post: Shawn Kafader

Embrace your inner sovereign ~ A love note from your online abbess

Invitation to Poetry: Flowers Appear on the Earth

Upcoming Programs

Recent Reflections

A Blessing for Creativity + Sabbatical Announcement

Monk in the World Guest Post: Teresa Calpino

Monk in the World Guest Post: Anne Marie Cribbin

Brother Lawrence and the Practice of the Presence + Prayer Cycle Day 6 ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Connect with Us