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The Soul’s Migration: Where Will You Fly? (latest Patheos column)

Fin and feather, flesh, blood and bone: the earth calls its creatures to leave the familiar, turn again into the unknown; to move steadily and continuously and at great risk toward an invisible goal, expending great energy with the possibility of failure… —Marianne Worcester I write these words from the shores of Cape May, NJ where I am leading a retreat. Cape May is a resting place for weary souls seeking renewal and refreshment. It is also the resting place for Monarch butterflies as they make their long migratory journey to Mexico. In Galway, Ireland, where I live, the mighty

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September 25, 2014

Monk in the World guest post: Patricia Kowal

This week in our Monk in the World guest post series we have a beautiful poem from fellow monk Patricia Kowal who lives in Spokane, WA. Read on for her wisdom: Mystic Within Compassion, Compass, Passion Contained in the Mystic-Within Connected to Love, guided with Love, directed in Love Flowing through one to another. The mystic—once hidden under the rubble of past hurts Covered in costume to protect the vulnerable heart Now guided in Pure Love and Purpose.  The summons is clear: Come with me. See beyond the protective dress Nestle close to the tender heart of Mystery. COMPASSION, COMPASSion, comPASSION! I am

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September 25, 2014

Invitation to Poetry: Harvesting the Inner Garden

Welcome to Poetry Party #79! I select an image (the photo above is by Christine Valters Paintner) and suggest a theme/title and invite you to respond with your own poem. Scroll down and add it in the comments section below or join our Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks Facebook group and post there. 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 below it and link back

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September 21, 2014

Monk in the World guest post: James Sargent

This week in our Monk in the World guest post series we have a reflection from fellow monk James Sargent. Read on for his wisdom: I was brought up in a Christian home.  For that I have always been truly thankful. To the age of about 40, I considered myself a committed believer, attending church spasmodically. As the years went by religion slipped out of my life until by the age of about 65, my attitude had hardened into radical atheism. ?Now at 84, I’m picking up the spiritual threads of my earlier years.  Two gifted and loving wives – now both passed on, have been

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September 18, 2014

Feast Day of Hildegard of Bingen (a love note from your online Abbess)

In honor of the Feast of St. Hildegard I share a reprise of a poem I wrote in her honor (and a new reflection below): St. Hildegard Strolls through the Garden Luminous morning, Hildegard gazes at the array of blooms, holding in her heart the young boy with a mysterious rash, the woman reaching menopause, the newly minted widower, and the black Abbey cat with digestive issues who wandered in one night and stayed.  New complaints arrive each day. She gathers bunches of dandelions, their yellow profusion a welcome sight in the monastery garden, red clover, nettle, fennel, sprigs of

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September 17, 2014

Guest Post on Hildegard of Bingen: Megan Hoyt

Megan Hoyt has recently published, Hildegard’s Gift, a children’s book about Hildegard of Bingen (whose feast day is September 17th and is, of course, one of our dancing monks!) Here Megan offers a few reflections on the impact of Hildegard for her: I first “met” St. Hildegard of Bingen when a friend shared her chants with me over a quiet cup of tea, during a lull in our conversation. I was a lover of all things Medieval, and my friend knew this about me. She must have known the lilting tones and haunting melody would catch me off guard. I held

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September 15, 2014

Invitation to Photography: Harvesting the Inner Garden

Welcome to this month’s Abbey Photo Party! I select a theme and invite you to respond with images. We began this month with a Community Lectio Divina practice with our reflection on the harvest in the Parable from the Gospel of Mark. I invite you for this month’s Photo Party to hold these words in your heart as you go out in the world to receive images in response. As you walk be ready to see what is revealed to you as a visual expression of your prayer. You can share images you already have which illuminate the theme, but I encourage you also to go for a

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September 14, 2014

Monk in the World guest post: Carol Studenka

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Carol Studenka’s wisdom on living as a monk in the world: Can I really call myself a monk in the world? Surprisingly the answer is yes? Over the last few years, I have had many changes in my life. Among them has been finding my way to including meditation practice in my daily life. What began seven years ago as a ten minute a day practice, has now become a practice that is integrally woven into every thing I do, including writing

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September 11, 2014

The Wisdom of Autumn (latest column at Patheos)

Stop by to read my latest Seasons of the Soul column at Patheos on the gifts and wisdom of autumn. If you like this reflection, I would be grateful if you would click the “like” button at the top of the page and share it with your friends via Facebook or Twitter: The leaves are falling, falling as if from far up, as if orchards were dying high in space. Each leaf falls as if it were motioning “no.” And tonight the heavy earth is falling away from all other stars in the loneliness. We’re all falling. This hand here is

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September 10, 2014

Invitation to Community Lectio Divina: Mark 4:26-29

With September we return to our monthly invitations for contemplation. Our focus for this month is harvest. In the northern hemisphere it is the season for gathering the fruits of our labors. What are you called to harvest in your own spiritual garden? I invite you into a lectio divina practice with some words from the Gospel of Mark. How Community Lectio Divina works: Each month there will be a passage selected from scripture, poetry, or other sacred texts (and occasionallyvisio and audio divina as well with art and music). How amazing it would be to discern together the movements of the Spirit at work in the hearts of monks around the

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September 7, 2014