Abbey of the Arts

Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts

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  • Books
    • Breath Prayer:
      An Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred
    • Sacred Time:
      Embracing an Intentional Way of Life
    • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems
    • Earth, Our Original Monastery:
      Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature
    • Dreaming of Stones: Poems
    • The Soul's Slow Ripening:
      12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred
    • The Wisdom of the Body:
      A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women
    • Illuminating the Way:
      Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics
    • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
      Eight Practices for the Journey Within
    • Eyes of the Heart:
      Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice
    • The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom
    • Desert Mothers and Fathers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Annotated & Explained
    • Lectio Divina–The Sacred Art: Transforming Words and Images into Heart-Centered Prayer
    • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements
    • Awakening the Creative Spirit:
      Bringing the Arts to Spiritual Direction
    • Lectio Divina: Contemplative Awakening & Awareness
  • Poetry | Art | Music
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    • Poetry by Christine Valters Paintner
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      • Monk in the World art series by Kristin Noelle
      • Saints & Animals art series by David Hollington
      • Sacred Time art series by Alexi Francis
      • Mary block print art series by Kreg Yingst
  • Programs
    • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color Book Club
      • Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color (Book Club – March 2021)
      • God Alone is Enough: A Spirited Journey with Teresa of Avila (Book Club – February 2021)
    • Community Online Retreats
      • Harriet Tubman and Howard Thurman-on Being Free
      • Writing Into Bloom
        with Christine Valters Paintner
      • Revelations: The Mysticism of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe
      • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: A Weekend Retreat Online
      • The Spiral Way:
        Celtic Spirituality and the Creative Imagination
      • Sacred Balance:
        Aligning Body and Spirit Through
        Yoga and the Benedictine Way
    • Self-Study Online Spiritual Retreats
      • Creative Flourishing in the Heart of the Desert:
        An Online Retreat with St. Hildegard of Bingen
      • Dreaming of the Sea:
        A women’s discernment journey through the story of the Selkie
      • Earth, Our Original Monastery
        A Companion Retreat to the Book (SELF-STUDY)
      • Exile and Coming Home:
        An Archetypal Journey through the Scriptures
      • Eyes of the Heart:
        Photography as Contemplative Practice
        (Companion retreat to the book)
      • Honoring Saints and Ancestors:
        Online Retreat for the Season of Remembrance
      • Lectio Divina:
        The Sacred Art of Reading the World
      • A Midwinter God:
        Making a Conscious Underworld Journey (SELF-STUDY)
      • Sacred Rhythms of Sky, Sun, Sea & Stone:
        A Creative Retreat with the Elements (SELF-STUDY)
      • Sacred Seasons:
        A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
      • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
        Eight Practices for the Journey Within
        (a companion retreat to the book)
      • The Soul's Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seekers of the Sacred (a companion retreat to the book)
      • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire
      • Watershed Moments
        in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures
      • Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist:
        A 12-Week Companion Retreat to The Artist's Rule
      • The Wisdom of the Body:
        A 10-Week Online Companion Retreat to the Book
      • The Wisdom of Mary and the Sacred Feminine
    • Live Programs: Pilgrimage & Retreats
      • Writing on the Wild Edges (Ireland)
      • Hildegard of Bingen (Germany)
      • Awakening the Creative Spirit: Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors in the Expressive Arts (Northwest)
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Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: Bianca Esquivel

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to our Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Bianca Esquivel's reflection on prayer and work.

"Prayer is work and work can become prayer." ~  St. Benedict

When I was a child, I would observe my mother in the act of various homemaking duties. Whether washing dishes, cooking, sweeping, or driving my brother and me to school, she always seemed to be at peace. She would be in silence and would be so focused on each task. In my naivete, and because we were always laughing and chatty, I would think that maybe she was upset. I would ask her and she would respond, "Oh no, I'm not upset. I'm meditating. I'm praying." She taught me that to wash dishes was a privilege because it meant we had just enjoyed a great meal. To cook meant that we had the blessing of food and community. To my mother, prayer is alive in everything, if we make it so.

As I grew, I learned in a deeper way what this meant, through conversations with my mother and through my own practice. My mother taught me mindfulness and the sacrament of the present moment, influencing me at such a young age by her very own example. These memories are etched in my heart and not a day passes where I don't thank God (and my mother) for all I have learned.

I am an adult now, embracing 30 years old next summer. My mother's teaching of the Benedictine way became my own and has fused with every part of who I am, especially because of the very nature of the work positions I have been called to hold. I've served as a chaplain resident in a hospital and as a programs director for a nonprofit serving those who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated. Presently, I serve in the field of organ donation, journeying with families who choose to save lives in the midst of their pain and grief. To me, all these experiences are truly life-giving and are much more than "work". They are sacred opportunities I have been given to serve others and to grow in love, living through the mysteries of this life.

I am often asked how I am able to "do" the work I have done and currently do. The truth is that I often feel as if I'm having an out-of-body experience. I don't think I do anything, other than engage my best self and get out of the way so that I can be an instrument for peace and love. I use breath, journaling, and other little moments I can find to create a sense of ritual, to pause before I am with a family or anyone I meet who is grieving, struggling, angry. When I sanitize my hands before entering and upon leaving a hospital room, I use that time as a cleansing prayer of gratitude, for strength and mercy. When I make notes about the encounters I've had, I process and debrief internally. I practice walking meditation and delight in my time in nature each day.

Sometimes hospitals can feel rushed and chaotic. Eventually, events settle and most often, hospitals become places of waiting. This is hard for families and staff. I've learned to lean into the waiting, the "thin veil" of life and all that encompasses a life that is lived. This takes work and is a practice. In the doings, I am given the courage to BE. I am reminded to create intentionality, to hold onto it, to celebrate and fully live each moment. These graces humble me and give me such awe, helping me thrive in the midst of all that is around. Being present does not mean forgetting the past or ignoring the possible outcomes. It means surrendering to the experience in this very present time. Living with this attention and awareness in my work (and a lot of time is invested in my work) helps me continue to practice what my mother showed me all those years ago. I strive each day to have gratitude be the foundation of every moment so that anything I'm doing or going through has the potential to be transformed into something greater. This practice is a very real part of who I am and who I am becoming. It is part of me when I eat mindfully, when I exercise or dance or meet my yoga mat, when I write or create, when I shower, when I drive. It is a part of everything I do and how I live.

And of course, there are moments when I don't practice this as well as I would like. As with a sitting meditation, I return to it the next chance I get. I want to be a forever pray-er. I feel my heart opening, my spirit expanding, and am grateful.


Bianca Esquivel celebrates life through many hobbies and passions that strengthen her relationship with God, others, and herself.
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Leave a Comment May 16, 2018

Upcoming Programs

  • Writing Into Bloom with Christine Valters Paintner
    • May 1, 2021
  • Revelations: The Mysticism of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe
    • May 13, 2021
  • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: A Weekend Retreat Online
    • May 15, 2021 - May 16, 2021
  • View All Upcoming Programs

Recent Reflections

  • St. Kevin Holds Open His Hand and Radical Hospitality ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Monk in the World Guest Post: Greta Kopec
  • Monk in the World Podcast + Harriet Tubman Mysticism ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color – April Video Discussion and Book Group Materials Now Available
  • Hildy Tails 12: Is ait an mac an saol ~ by John Valters Paintner

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