Reflections

Abbey of the Arts is thrilled to offer another beautiful CinemaDivina meditation for this month of December.   Marilyn Freeman is a fellow pilgrim on the Benedictine path and she offers this videos as a way of inviting us to pray visually through the medium of film. (You can read her description of it here). Give yourself the gift of a holy pause for just three minutes right now.  Pour some tea, close the door, and turn off any distractions.  Breathe deeply, put your hand on your heart, and give yourself over to three minutes of reflection and see if you can welcome

The theme for November here at the Abbey is community based on the third principle of the Monk Manifesto: 3. I commit to cultivating community by finding kindred spirits along the path, soul friends with whom I can share my deepest longings, and mentors who can offer guidance and wisdom for the journey. In September I introduced the wonderful work of Marilyn Freeman, a filmmaker in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. and fellow lover of the Benedictine way. One of her art forms is the practice of CinemaDivina. Rooted in the contemplative prayer and listening of lectio divina, CinemaDivina draws on film

. . .   Karla Grauberger!   You have won a space in my upcoming online retreat – Birthing the Holy: An Online Retreat for Advent with reflections by Macrina Wiederkehr, OSB and myself, and the wonderful art of Mary Southard, CSJ. Make sure to stop by and savor the wondrous poems offered there on the theme of community!  Thank you to everyone who participated for making the Abbey such a beautiful community of poets.