Reflections

My four-week online class on the Wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers has begun over at Spirituality and Practice, if you want to join us it is not too late.  You can still register and once you log on you will be able to read any emails from the first couple of days you might have missed at the website.  Then you can dive right in and continute the journey. . .   If you love becoming a monk in the world, the wisdom of the desert elders is really foundation to this practice.    Consider joining me!

For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! –Song of Songs 2:11-13 Dearest kindred souls, I am finally starting to catch up with myself after a few very full weeks. You mean, your online Abbess gets busy and overwhelmed too? Yes, indeed. Sometimes it is impossible to avoid

Hello dear monk friends,   I am so excited to be offering a 30-day course on desert wisdom and spirituality through the wonderful folks at Spirituality and Practice.  I have been working on completing my manuscript on the desert mothers and fathers this past year, and have absolutely fallen in love with the wisdom and insights they have to offer us in our twenty-first century world.  If you want to explore the roots of Christian monasticism and contemplative practice, this is where you begin.  If you are intrigued by these fierce companions on the journey, here is your chance.   

Easter blessings my dear monk friends! I hope your Lent was a rich and meaningful journey through the desert to the place of your resurrection. Beyond bunnies, baskets, chocolate, and jelly beans, Easter calls us to the profound practice of resurrection of the body. Resurrection is about entering the fire of our passion and letting it burn brightly. It is about what enlivens us and makes us feel vital, releasing fear and anxiety over what is to come, and embracing this moment here and now.  Resurrection calls us to experience the full weight and lightness of our physical being. In the