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 5, 2023 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 11th email and at the bottom of each Sunday following).
WIN A PRIZE – RANDOM DRAWING GIVEAWAY ENTER BY JANUARY 5th!
- One person wins a space in our Lent retreat on A Different Kind of Fast
- Three people win a space each in their choice of self-study retreats
- Five people win their choice of one of our digital albums
- Seven people win one of our Dancing Monk Medallions
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 8th we will announce the prize winners!
475 Responses
This year has been harder to hear the right word calling me. I think this one stays: thirst.
My acrosta poem for the word “emerge”:
Everything
Mirrors
Expansive
Reflections of
God’s
Essence
My word for the year is an active word that helps me navigate deep grief over the death of my beloved son in law. Earlier in the year, I began to pray ‘May all Beings Dwell in Equanimity’, and now even more than ever, dwelling in the comfort and re-balancing power of Equanimity feels essential. So, Equanimity (with wings of Comfort and Joy) is/are my word/s of centering for this upcoming year.
Unfolding
Patience, my soul, as the story reveals itself.
Luminosity (haiku)
God: Let there be light,
the first word of creation.
Makes the shadows dance.
My word is “Transform”
Leave the old.
Step into the new.
My word is the latin word ‘Inspirare’. There were so many words on my mind until ‘Inspirare’ showed up and I knew immediately this is the one, because it covered all other words, they are all related to ‘Inspirare’. Can’t share my poem, because it’s in dutch and the letters are wrong then, ha ha. Thank you so much for this 12 day long journey!
“Awaken”
Awareness
wider than the sky.
Attentive to giving and receiving
kindness.
Emptying the self.
Naked mind.
True
Honest
Real
Ever
Sacred
Home
Our
Living
Divine
Over my daily journey through these reflections, my word gradually revealed itself…
……NOW…
…..with the mantra “Be here now.”