In ancient times, wise men and women fled out into the desert to find a place where they could be fully present to the divine 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, 2022 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, we are 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, December 5th email and at the bottom of each Sunday following).
WIN A PRIZE – RANDOM DRAWING GIVEAWAY ENTER BY JANUARY 6th!
- One space in the Virtual Celtic Pilgrimage: The Wisdom of the Irish Saints Brigid, Ciaran, & Gobnait
- Four people will win their choice of our self-study online retreats (with 18 to choose from!)
- One signed copy of Breath Prayer: An Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred
- One signed copy of The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems by Christine Valters Paintner
- One signed copy of Dreaming of Stones: Poems by Christine Valters Paintner
Please share your word with us in the comments below
(and it would be wonderful if you included a sentence about what it means for you)
Subscribe to the Abbey of the Arts newsletter to receive ongoing inspiration in your in-box. You can choose daily, weekly, or monthly. Share the love with others and invite them to participate. Then stay tuned – on January 9th we will announce the prize winners!
79 Responses
My word/phrase for this new year is Devotion in Motion. What this means for me is still unfolding…it invites more physical movement in the way of hiking, dancing, yoga…and maybe even bicycling again…that stirs much needed inner (e)motion…and devotion to practices that nourish and sustain me and inspire the sharing of my gifts.
t- trust
r- radiant
u- unconditional
e- essence
Radiance captured my attention as THE word for me for this year. Seeing the Radiance that shines all around me, allowing the Radiance of my true self to spill over into all of my life . . .
My word is ‘Surrender’. This means to let go of a want of control, to trust and have faith that God’s plan is unfolding beautifully for me and that I need to get out of the way!! Thank you
My word is choices reminding me not to stay dormant and safe in my spaces.
The word “Relinquish” has found me …reminding me to let go and let God as I go about my day.
My word is Life: to encompass will, breath, self, creation, venture, and practice.
My word is Wholehearted – completely and sincerely devoted to the well being of myself, my community, the world.
The word that has found me for 2022 is Honour…
for January this is “Honour the Moment” and it is already bring healing & light
My word for 2022 is BURST. I don’t know if it’s going to be burst into bloom or burst into tears or just burst into a million pieces. But that’s the word that keeps coming up. We shall see.