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March Tea with the Abbess

I so enjoyed our Tea with the Abbess session. Since I can’t pour you a cup of tea myself I led a brief meditation on the theme of being kissed by the beloved which was inspired by a poem from Rumi. Then I shared some of our programs for March and answered a lot of great questions. Such a joyful time with our wonderful community. Grateful to the 100 or so dancing monks who showed up live.  We have a number of resources to support you in your contemplative journey including:  March Lift Every Voice Book Club – A Brown

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March 3, 2023
Lift Every Voice Book Club

Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color – March Video Discussion and Book Group Materials Now Available

Join Abbey of the Arts for a monthly conversation on how increasing our diversity of perspectives on contemplative practice can enrich our understanding and experience of the Christian mystical tradition.  Christine Valters Paintner is joined by author Claudia Love Mair for a series of video conversations. Each month they take up a new book by or about a voice of color. The community is invited to purchase and read the books in advance and participate actively in this journey of deepening, discovery, and transformation.  This month’s selection is A Brown Girl’s Epiphany: Reclaim Your Intuition and Step into Your Power by Aurelia Dávila

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March 1, 2023

Monk in the World Guest Post: Christina Lelache

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Christina Lelache’s reflection on cyclical time in discernment. A leafy green plant entered the sanctuary first, quickly followed by my congregant’s mirthful face as he told me to look away so I would be surprised later on in the worship service. It was my last Sunday as this congregation’s pastor, just a couple of weeks before my leave of absence from ministry would begin. And indeed, I was surprised when my staff-parish committee gifted me with this

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March 1, 2023

I Want to Be the Kind of Woman ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, I am delighted to share I have a third poetry collection being published on May 9th from Paraclete Press titled Love Holds You: Poems and Devotions for Times of Uncertainty.  As part of my preparation to release this book into the world, I worked with my favorite filmmakers at Morgan Creative here in Galway to create a series of poem videos. I want to invite you into a meditative space with these poems and see what they stir in you.  The first poem I am sharing is modelled after a poem written by Jenni Fagan titled “I

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February 26, 2023
Hildy Tails

Hildy Tail: Disfigured Saints (Brigid, Wilgefortis, & Dearbhla)

This week we are featuring one of our Hildy Tails. This series of essays were composed last year for our Sustainers Circle. They were dictated to John by the Abbey’s mascot, Hildy the Monk-ey. Hildy is a bit of a free spirit who likes to entertain and doesn’t normally feel constrained by conventional story structure . . . or grammar, in general. She lives by the motto that “all stories are true; some actually happened.” We wanted to share them with you, our wider Abbey community, to give you a small monkey-sized, humorous perspective on some biblical passages and stories

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February 24, 2023
Uncategorized

Monk in the World Guest Post: Marianne Patrevito

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Marianne Patrevito’s reflection “Bits and Pieces.” I love art and the creative process. I love playing with paint and shreds of paper forming something, anything that is expressive. I came to art in my middle time of life, when I was in dire need of a healing process. The years prior to this time, had been years of chaos, struggle and loss. It was around this time that I was introduced to Process Painting. Process Painting is

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February 22, 2023
Abbess love notes

A Journey of Release for Lent ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, I have been in a long season of release. Ongoing health issues can bring clarity over what is most important in a given season of life. My word for the year is distillation and it is providing a compass for how I discern what to take on and what to let go of.  While there has been some clearing out of closets and donations to the charity shop, most of what I am releasing are the old patterns and ways of being that deplete me and obstruct my full access to the divine image carved

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February 19, 2023
Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: Diane Morris Jones

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Diane Morris Jones’ reflection on being a bridge builder. Am I a bridge builder or a wedge driver in my relationships? The time and energy of a reflective process of distinguishing between the two can be insightful. Discerning whether we are a bridge builder or a wedge driver—in our thoughts, in our feelings, in our behaviors—is an awareness practice that invites us to open our hearts and look closely at our intentions.  I so desire to have

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February 15, 2023
Prayer Cycle

Pray with Us! (Prayer Cycle Daily) – Birthing the Holy

We now have four weeks of morning and evening prayer for you in audio podcast form (the video podcasts for Birthing the Holy and The Soul of a Pilgrim will be coming later in 2023). We invite you to pray in community with us. Each week will rotate through the four prayer cycles and we will provide the link to the featured one. If you subscribe to our daily emails, the links for each day’s prayer will be contained in those.  This week we will pray with Birthing the Holy Prayer Cycle. We being today with Day 1: Queen of

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February 12, 2023
Abbess love notes

Exploring Our True Hungers ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, John Cassian, one of the early theologians in the Christian church, writes about what he calls the three renunciations. In her book Thoughts Matter, Mary Margaret Funk describes his teaching:  “First, we must renounce our former way of life and move closer to our heart’s desire, toward the interior life. Second, we must do the inner work (of asceticism) by renouncing our mindless thoughts.…Third, and finally, we must renounce our own images of God so that we can enter into contemplation of God as God.” Renunciations are a kind of fast. They are an intentional giving

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February 12, 2023