SHARE YOUR WORD FOR 2017
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, 2017 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 the Sunday email).
WIN A PRIZE – RANDOM DRAWING GIVEAWAY ON JANUARY 6TH!
We are delighted to offer some wonderful gifts from the Abbey:
- One space in our upcoming New Year’s online retreat – Spiraling Inward: Seven Celtic Spiritual Practices
- One signed copy each of Illuminating the Way, Soul of a Pilgrim, Eyes of the Heart, The Artist’s Rule, and Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire.
- One space in our online program Sacred Seasons: A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
- 4 people will win their choice of our self-study online retreats
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!
316 Responses
My word is “listening” (with the ear of the heart. Listening within and without….. this pilgrimage of waiting for a word feels like it has actively helped me to begin embodying deeper listening. Thank you to Christine and to all my fellow travellers. Wishing you all peace and joy.
At first the word seemed to be “humility”. Then the next day it seemed “home”. “This will never do” I thought as more than one word presented itself.
Then both evolved as I traveled Christine’s lessons to “ABIDE”.
I was so surprised to see both humility and home wrapped in one beautiful word “ABIDE.”
Yesterday and today I saw that I can abide with myself. Another surprise! I humbly will accept and abide in this body, this life and soul given. I will meditate on peace with myself and not inflame myself against myself. Thank you Christine for fostering such a journey for me to walk this next year with my word. May God bless my journey and all my brothers and sister’s journeys in the Abbey.
My word is peace. I have had that word in my head since election day.
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My word for 2017 is “Fierce.” This word was unexpected, as there were other words floating in my awareness, softer words like Presence and LettingGo. Those are still important words in the “circle of words” that has been alive for me in these days of contemplation. Even as the word Fierce fell into my awareness from an unexpected source and immediately felt resonant with my spirit, I actively wondered if it’s too aggressive. It can be that, of course. But it can also be understood as “showing a heartfelt and powerful intensity.” As in keen, strong, powerful, passionate or impassioned. As I consider the words and thoughts that are playing in my mind these days in the waning of 2016 and the waxing of 2017, “fierce” represents my fierce devotion to letting go of all that inhibits my ability to be fully present —to myself, to others, to the community — and embracing all that moves me closer to my heart’s desire of being fully present.
Just saw this now, Saiorse! great meme and comments – inspire me. thanks. b.w.
My word for 2017 is “Deeper.” I want to go deeper into all aspects of my life: creativity, spirituality, healing, social interaction, health. It’s the idea of digging deeper, past the obvious and superficial layers, to the true meat and bones of my art, my life, my beliefs. In a lot of ways, this word dovetails in with my word for both 2015 [Becoming] and 2016 [Forgiveness & Acceptance], as it feels like the next natural step in the process of my life’s journey. The shift of energies from negativity to positivity takes a lot of time and work, a lot of steps that may seem pointless or repetitive, until you winnow away all of the chaff to find yourself with the nugget(s) of truth and your personal reality.
Movement. Both physically and metaphorically. I’m once again finding myself in the annual moving house process, but that is an outward sign of what needs to happen internally. I’ve been studying various practices, but haven’t put any into action or held to a firm study I’ve let my artistic practice lie fallow, my spiritual practice is almost asleep, and my once active lifestyle has been co-opted by sitting and and searching the web down rabbit holes… feeling like Alice. Time to pick directions and go forth. Movement.
I’m still in the process of discerning which of these two words it will be for me: COURAGE or FEARLESS. I’ve only been choosing a word for the year for the last 2 years. In 2015 it was ‘balance’ – something I needed during a turbulent time of change. In 2016 my word was ‘pilgrimage’. Both words were helpful for me to state early in the year as intentions, and by holding them close, and journaling with them, they came to fruition in their own ways. (My year of inner and outer pilgrimage was highlighted by an intentional spiritual journey abroad) Now I’m being led to stoke the fires closer to home and conquer some of my fears – fears for my country, fears around business. So in a way, ‘fear-less’ is standing stronger with me at the moment.
The word that came for me is Generosity. I sense that to be faithful to this word, I will first need to be generous to myself so there will be an overflow of Infinite Generosity to give to others. Thank you, Spirit, for your generosity in giving me exactly what my spirit needs.
Thank you, Christine, for your very thoughtful use of words. They continue to inspire and awe me! The word that bubbled up in me is OPENINGS … to my heart, to my soul, so I can more deeply like, love myself, find my self-esteem.
Prepare. Interesting because I tend to neglect foundation.