SHARE YOUR WORD FOR 2016
In ancient times, wise men and women fled out into the desert to find a place where they could be fully present to God and to their own inner struggles at work within them. The desert became a place to enter into the refiner’s fire and be stripped down to one’s holy essence. The desert was a threshold place where you emerged different than when you entered.
Many people followed these ammas and abbas, seeking their wisdom and guidance for a meaningful life. One tradition was to ask for a word – this word or phrase would be something on which to ponder for many days, weeks, months, sometimes a whole lifetime. This practice is connected to lectio divina, where we approach the sacred texts with the same request – “give me a word” we ask – something to nourish me, challenge me, a word I can wrestle with and grow into. The word which chooses us has the potential to transform us.
What is your word for the year ahead? A word which contains within it a seed of invitation to cross a new threshold in your life?
Share your word in the comments section below by January 6, 2016 and you are automatically entered for the prize drawing (prizes listed below).
A FREE 12-DAY ONLINE MINI-RETREAT TO HELP YOUR WORD CHOOSE YOU. . .
As in past years, I am offering all Abbey newsletter subscribers a gift: a free 12-day online mini-retreat with a suggested practice for each day to help your word choose you and to deepen into your word once it has found you. Even if you participated last year, you are more than welcome to register again.
Subscribe to our email newsletter and you will receive a link to start your mini-retreat today. Your information will never be shared or sold. (If you are already subscribed to the newsletter, look for the link in today’s email).
WIN A PRIZE – RANDOM DRAWING GIVEAWAY ON JANUARY 6TH!
We are delighted to offer some wonderful gifts from the Abbey:
- One signed copy each of Soul of a Pilgrim, Eyes of the Heart, The Artist’s Rule, and Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire.
- One space in Sacred Seasons: A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
- 4 people will win their choice of self-study online classes from the following: Creative Flourishing in the Heart of the Desert: A Self-Study Online Retreat with St. Hildegard of Bingen, Soul of a Pilgrim: An Online Art Retreat, Seasons of the Soul, Lectio Divina: The Sacred Art of Reading the World, or Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Contemplative Practice.
So please share your word (and it would be wonderful to include a sentence about what it means for you) with us below.
Subscribe to the Abbey newsletter to receive ongoing inspiration in your in-box. Share the love with others and invite them to participate. Then stay tuned – on January 6th we will announce the prize winners!
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712 Responses
Timing: sometimes this will mean patience and waiting on God or until the time is right. But not always. Many times I have waited until the time was right or until I got to a certain point – it has been the story of my life. Now that I am older I have discovered that there were times when I *shouldn’t* have waited and some people are never ready for you. If you think it right, just go for it. There may never be “the” right time – one of those “maybe” times should have been acted on instead.
My word is freedom…freedom from the bondage of worries, cares, responsibilitie….
My word for 2016 is “Discernment” Having Mental illness its not easy to identify if the trials, thresholds are from God or am I rushing ahead?
Also are the trials from the Devil or from my illness?
My word for 2016 is HOME.
My word is…Wilderness (think of it in terms of “born to be wild”) It came to me during our online retreat we just finished. I had lost my natural feeling to jump out of bed in the morning and want to go explore and not come home til dinner time! So excited to see what the new year brings!
I have been meditating on the phrase “embrace the Living Word now” and still feel connected to expand the theme of Embrace Now for 2016
“Prayer” is my word. I am being drawn into deeper listening as my soul finds its way to draw closer still to the Divine.
Gratitude.
From “release” last year falling headlong into “gratitude” this year.
Hope. During this advent season and with Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Mercy, I have much hope in what all of this will bring. The Light of Christ permeating every person living on this earth.
“Un-knowing” in relationships, discernments, and myself. Treating all people as new, both friend and stranger. No judgment, no assumptions….just love.