Your Online Monastery for Your Spiritual Practice

A Different Kind of Fast: Part Six – Embrace Organic Unfolding

Dear monks, artists and pilgrims, * This is the sixth part of a seven-part series we will publish weekly during this Lenten season. It was said of Abba Agathon that for three years he lived with a stone in his mouth, until he had learnt to keep silence. (Agathon 15) The silence of the desert elders is called hesychia, which means stillness, silence, inner quiet. However, it is much deeper than just an external quiet. A person can live alone and still experience much noise within and a person can live in the midst of a crowd and have a true sense

March 28, 2020

Monk in the World: Sabbath 5 – Suggestions for Practice ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, During this Jubilee year of sabbatical we are revisiting our Monk Manifesto by moving slowly through the Monk in the World retreat materials together every Sunday. Each week will offer new reflections on the theme and every six weeks will introduce a new principle. Principle 6: I commit to rhythms of rest and renewal through the regular practice of Sabbath and resist a culture of busyness that measures my worth by what I do. Suggestions for Practice See if you can block out one day in the coming week for honoring Sabbath and renewing your spirit. If not a day, then begin with a

March 27, 2020

Soul of a Pilgrim Online Retreat in Community

with Christine & John Valters Paintner, and Jamie Marich Facilitated by Melissa Layer and Amber Andreasen April 13-June 7, 2020 You are also warmly invited to join us for The Soul of a Pilgrim, an online retreat in community starting April 13 for 8 weeks. We will deepen into our exploration of what it means to be a pilgrim in these challenging times and what wisdom the pilgrim way has to offer us and our world. Christine will be doing a weekly live session and our forum will be lovingly facilitated. Lots of creative practices as well. There is a

March 26, 2020

Monk in the World Guest Post: Michael Moore

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Wisdom Council member Michale Moore’s reflection, “The Contemplative Life in the time of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus.” This has been a season of concern, fear, frustration, and exhaustion for my wife Denise and me as we guide the congregation which I serve through this time of difficulty. To be honest, I have had to limit my intake of 24/7 news in much the same way I had to while I was serving as a Chaplain in the US

March 25, 2020

Earth, Our Original Monastery Album

We have a brand new album out now with 14 beautiful songs to cultivate our intimacy with Earth. So grateful to our musicians Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, Simon de Voil, Betsey Beckman, Lorraine Bayes, and Peter Mayer for sharing their gifts with Abbey of the Arts. The album accompanies Christine’s newest book and soon there will be dances to accompany all the songs as well! The album is available as a CD or a digital download. Special discount if you purchase the digital download of all three of our albums. Order the album as digital download or CD here>>

March 24, 2020

Love Note, Novena, and Praise Song for the Pandemic ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, This is a special love note because these are special times. During this Jubilee year we have been sharing our Monk in the World retreat content in this space and you will find this week’s below. But I felt moved to write to you directly. The global disruption happening demands that our usual patterns and rhythms be disrupted as well. We are experiencing an event unlike anything any of us has ever gone through before. There is much unknowing about the road ahead and where it will take us. We know that there will be

March 21, 2020

Monk in the World: Sabbath 4 – Guided Meditation by Christine + Audio

Dear monks, artists and pilgrims, During this Jubilee year of sabbatical we are revisiting our Monk Manifesto by moving slowly through the Monk in the World retreat materials together every Sunday. Each week will offer new reflections on the theme and every six weeks will introduce a new principle. Principle 6: I commit to rhythms of rest and renewal through the regular practice of Sabbath and resist a culture of busyness that measures my worth by what I do. Listen to the audio version below. To create your own Sabbath practice begin by reflecting on the best day of the week. Sabbath may not happen on the traditional

March 21, 2020

Ave Maria Press – Huge E-Book Sale on Several Titles by Christine

Ave Maria Press is having a huge sale on their e-book versions of their titles including 7 of the 8 books Christine Valters Paintner has published with them (AND this includes her newest one coming on April 3rd). Sale goes until April 15th! Earth, Our Original Monastery is $8.99 The Soul’s Slow Ripening is $4.99 The Wisdom of the Body is $2.99 Illuminating the Way is $2.99 The Soul of a Pilgrim is 99 cents! The Artist’s Rule is 99 cents! Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire is 99 cents! Visit Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and GooglePlay to purchase! Note: Eyes of

March 21, 2020

A Different Kind of Fast: Part Five – Embrace Attention

Dear monks, artists and pilgrims, * This is the fifth part of a seven-part series we will publish weekly during this Lenten season. It can be so tempting to think, that in our busy lives multitasking will somehow make us more efficient and productive. We bemoan not having more hours in the day, but the hours we do have our attention is scattered, always trying to keep up. We spread our gaze between so many demands that we may get many things done, but none of it is nourishing. St. Benedict wisely wrote 1500 years ago, that we are called to always

March 21, 2020

Praise Song for the Pandemic

Praise be the nurses and doctors, every medical staff bent over flesh to offer care, for lives saved and lives lost, for showing up either way, Praise for the farmers, tilling soil, planting seeds so food can grow, an act of hope if ever there was, Praise be the janitors and garbage collectors, the grocery store clerks, and the truck drivers barreling through long quiet nights, Give thanks for bus drivers, delivery persons, postal workers, and all those keeping an eye on water, gas, and electricity, Blessings on our leaders, making hard choices for the common good, offering words of

March 19, 2020

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A Different Kind of Fast: Part Six – Embrace Organic Unfolding

Monk in the World: Sabbath 5 – Suggestions for Practice ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Soul of a Pilgrim Online Retreat in Community

Monk in the World Guest Post: Michael Moore

Earth, Our Original Monastery Album

Love Note, Novena, and Praise Song for the Pandemic ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Monk in the World: Sabbath 4 – Guided Meditation by Christine + Audio

Ave Maria Press – Huge E-Book Sale on Several Titles by Christine

A Different Kind of Fast: Part Five – Embrace Attention

Praise Song for the Pandemic

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Give Me a Word Reviewed by Library Journal!

Monk in the World Guest Post: Jill Ore

Joy and Rest + Prayer Cycle Podcast Day 5

Monk in the World Guest Post: Veronica Spasaro

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