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Community Lectio (Visio) Divina: Art by Mary Southard

Artwork: “In the Shelter of Your Wings” © Mary Southard, CSJ Used with permission courtesy of www.marysouthardart.org With December comes a new invitation for contemplation. This month I invite you into a visio divina practice, which is an adaptation of lectio divina. In visio divina we are invited to see with the eyes of our heart, much in the way lectio calls us to listen with the ears of our heart. I was drawn to this piece of art by Mary Southard for the month of December because we are entering the season of Advent, which is a season of waiting, and in the

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December 1, 2013

With Gratitude (a love note from your online Abbess)

To receive this love note straight to your in-box, subscribe here (and also receive a free gift!) Thanksgiving I have been trying to read the script cut in these hills— a language carved in the shimmer of stubble and the solid lines of soil, spoken in the thud of apples falling and the rasp of corn stalks finally bare. The pheasants shout it with a rusty creak as they gather in the fallen grain, the blackbirds sing it over their shoulders in parting, and gold leaf illuminates the manuscript where it is written in the trees. Transcribed onto my human

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November 27, 2013

Monk in the World guest post: Edward Sellner

I am delighted to bring you another fabulous monk in the world guest post in our series. I first discovered Edward Sellner’s work several years ago through his wonderful book  Finding the Monk Within: Great Monastic Values for Today (which I recommend often as a great grounding in monasticism) and I am currently reading Wisdom of the Celtic Saints. I find much kinship with his love of the monk’s path, Thomas Merton, and the gifts of a Jungian approach. Read on for Ed’s wisdom about becoming a monk in the world: The first book I ever wrote was entitled Mentoring:

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November 25, 2013

Invitation to Dance: The Call to Our True Selves

We continue our theme this month of “The Call to Our True Selves” which arose from our Community Lectio Divina practice with the quote from Merton’s poem and continued with this month’s Photo Party and Poetry Party. Last month we explored the possibility that dance could help to soften the armoring of our bodies and yield to the impulse of life moving through us moment by moment.  In learning this kind of surrender, we deepen into the life that is truly ours, not the one we construct for ourselves. We learn to release the expectations of others and playing roles to please those around us. 

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November 24, 2013

Finding Home Within (a love note from your online Abbess)

To receive this love note straight to your in-box, subscribe here (and also receive a free gift!) Wild Rosebush How it stands there against the dark of this late rainy hour, young and clean, swaying its generous branches yet absorbed in its essence as rose; with wide-open flowers already appearing, each unsought and each uncared-for…. So, endlessly exceeding itself and ineffably from itself come forth, it calls the wanderer, who in evening contemplation passes on the road: Oh see me standing here, see how unafraid I am and unprotected. I have all I need. —Rainer Maria Rilke Dearest monks and

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November 20, 2013

Monk in the World guest post: Mary Sharratt

I first encountered author Mary Sharratt‘s work about a year ago when my interest in Hildegard of Bingen drew me to her new novel Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen.  We don’t know much about Hildegard’s years spent at Disibodenberg, but Mary does a masterful job of weaving together the historical sources we do have with historical imagination to create a compelling story about a remarkable woman. She is a beautiful writer and I loved the book. I am delighted that Mary was willing to share her own wisdom here about being a monk in the world. Mary is also offering

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November 18, 2013

Invitation to Poetry: The Call to Our True Selves

Welcome to Poetry Party #72! I select an image (*photo above by Quaker minister Brent Bill) 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

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November 17, 2013

Monk Medicine (a love note from your online Abbess)

To receive this love note straight to your in-box, subscribe here (and also receive a free gift!) Dearest monks and artists, The poem above has been shimmering for me, and at first I hesitated to share it here because we are entering the depths of winter in the northern hemisphere. But then I remembered my brother and sister monks in the southern hemisphere, who are experiencing this embrace of light and warmth.  I love that we have a global community and at any moment there is full spectrum of experience. This poem in praise of rose’s gifts shimmered because I

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November 13, 2013

Monk in the World guest post: Wil Hernandez

I first met Wil Hernandez through one of the Spiritual Directors International conferences.  He has an irresistible passion for this work of spiritual formation, direction, and supporting people in listening to the voice of the Spirit at work in the world. He has just launched an exciting new project: CenterQuest School of Spiritual Direction, is a fellow Benedictine oblate, and is the author of a trilogy of excellent books on Henri Nouwen, the third in the series released last year, Henri Nouwen and Spiritual Polarities: A Life of Tension, is especially powerful reading. Read on for Wil’s reflections on being a monk in the world: I’m

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November 11, 2013