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Please Help Support Our Jubilee Year ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, Contemplative rhythms are essential here at Abbey of the Arts, both in terms of what we teach as well as what we practice. Each week we try to take a Sabbath day as a time to celebrate the lavish gift of rest. Each summer we take a month of sabbatical time to refresh and renew our bodies and spirits. We both long for a longer time of sabbatical. If we still worked in a university or church setting this might be built in to the financial support, but since we are entirely self-supporting taking this

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May 12, 2019

Monk in the World Guest Post: Adam Webber

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World Guest Post series from the community. Read on for Adam Webber’s reflection, “The Lady Loves Me.” Tuesday morning, I wake up grumpy. I don’t want to go to work. Lying in bed, I recite the Breastplate of Saint Patrick to myself: “I arise today through a mighty faith….” I don’t know whether I have a mighty faith this morning or not, but I arise anyway. In my church office I go over the lectionary readings for next Sunday. I am the pastor of this church, and it

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May 8, 2019

Sacred Rhythms of Sky, Sun, Sea and Stone: Participant Poems

In April, 18 creative souls gathered with us for our retreat on Inismor – Sacred Rhythms of Sky, Sun, Sea and Stone. We had a wonderful group with participants from all over the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia. I am delighted to share some of their poems. Pour a cup of tea, imagine yourself on a windswept limestone island in the Atlantic, and savor for a while. From Katharine Kane: Inishmore fairies Passing the leaf bare brambles Glimpse the fiery sun Stone etching welcome Misting from selkies haven Ancient rebirthing Waking Up in the City In praise of the city noise

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May 6, 2019

Requiem for Myself ~ Poem Video: A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Requiem for Myself When I die plant a pinwheel in an open field where winter’s wind and rain march forcefully across in battalions, and you can stumble out there to meet me one late afternoon when you feel the world must surely be ending. You, soaked from tears and storms, kinship with dark sky. Me, rainbow axis whirling, an orbit of joyful defiance. You then, inspired, tumble gleefully across grass, pirouette, forgetting for a moment grief’s burden, knowing the world will be with you for many years to come. Never think this brief sojourn wasted as you head back to

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May 5, 2019

Featured Poet: Rabbi Rami Shapiro

We are launching a new series this spring with poets whose work we love and want to feature! Our next poet is Rabbi Rami Shapiro, whose work is deeply inspired by the happening of God.  You can hear Rabbi Rami reading his poem “The 23rd Psalm” below and read more about the connections he makes between poetry and the sacred. After Psalm 93  The earth is secure; it is I who imagine her frailty. The earth stands firm; it is I who plot her downfall. She is greater than me, and includes me in a larger scheme. I am her child though

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May 1, 2019

Monk in the World Guest Post: Mary Van Denend

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read of for Mary Van Denend’s post “Girls in the Trees.” My granddaughters are playing “jungle,” scrambling up branches as high as they dare go, in a leafy playground tree, fat as a hot air balloon.  We’ve exhausted the slides, the swings, the merry-go-round, the balance beams, and me. It’s only April but the day has turned unseasonably warm.  The tree’s shade offers coolness. Lucia, the youngest, screeches from her perch in a red and purple peasant dress we just purchased at

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April 24, 2019

Easter Blessings + Take My Hand (new poetry video) ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Take My Hand Please don’t plant me neat rows of rosebushes and tulips at attention, no manicured gardens or crystal vases of cut stems. Instead, take my hand, lead me onto rain-softened grass which undulates like a boat on a summer lake, lie down with me in a quilt of sunlight and shadows among yellow petals, violet trumpets, a feast for hares and bees, let’s linger and forget ourselves until even the tiled sky above is cracked open by stars and all that is restless and wild within us can roam the heavens howling the moon aloft. —Christine Valters Paintner,

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April 21, 2019

Featured Poet: Dorothy Walters

We are launching a new series this spring with poets whose work we love and want to feature! Our next poet is Dorothy Walters whose work is deeply inspired by sacred ecstasy and “the Beloved Within.”  You can hear Dorothy reading her poem “The Transition” below and read more about the connections she makes between poetry and the sacred. Seekers  “What you seek was seeking you.” Rumi How is it that when I was looking for You, You were seeking me also? Silently You watched and waited. Sometimes gave me a brief glimpse or taste of who You were, like a shy

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April 17, 2019

Monk in the World Guest Post: Anne Marie Walsh

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Anne Marie Walsh’s reflection, “Deep Within.” Silent retreats, generally considered “time apart”, also point a way for me to be contemplative in the world moment to moment. Sometimes I arrive in exhaustion, feeling there is no time even for this retreat, what was I thinking, how on earth is this going to help? But allowing the sure footedness of the decision to come, now after many such retreats, I know it is a great gift to enter

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April 10, 2019

Vespers (New Poetry Video) ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Vespers The sun slides down the gap between houses its amber reach crosses the grass toward me, shadow of the elder tree has grown long and I remember under the mulberry spectacle of sky how everything I love must end: this cup of tea with steam ascending, the dog curled right against me, your warm hands over mine, how this sweet leaving of day makes me draw the world as close as possible. —Christine Valters Paintner (*originally published in U.S. Catholic magazine) Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, The poem above is part of a series of poems I wrote to

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April 7, 2019