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
My word for 2023 is FAITHFUL.
my husband and I celebrate 50 years of our sacrament of marriage this year. We have learned much about being faithful but there is always more to learn.
It also applies to my spiritual, creative and physical intentions for the year.
My word is confluence. I have recently moved from the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers in the USA (a sacred space for the Dakota) to the confluence of the Saone and Rhone Rivers in Lyon, France. Confluence is defined as an act or process of merging, that is “flow together”. Plus, my “wild word” was water.
As soon as I thought about a word for the year – “resilience” came into my mind.
I am approaching the end of my 90th year, struggling with physical problems. It is my intent to study and practice “resilience”, and to share the information with family members struggling with their own problems.
DISCOVERY
of myself, of relationships with others, of health challenges, of aging, of spirit, of love, of travel
I am not sure if my post from while I was travelling came through (apologies if it did – but I could not find it just now), so I am posting it again: my word for 2023 is RELINQUISH.
I love that it contains the word “RELISH” and the sound “INQ”, as that is what I am devoting myself to in the coming year: the ink of writing. Writing above all. Relinquishing my other, equally worthy but distracting, occupations, taking a sabbatical (possibly permanent, we shall see) from them, in order to push back time boundaries to write well. A poetry poring and outpouring, and minutes, hours, days to relish it all. My life’s work, the words that need to come.
I am also working on relinquishing social media, my principal time thief. Blessings to you all. I am loving reading through your Words of the Year too!
VISION
The word came to me
tomorrow I start a journey both spiritually and
In reality as I cross Canada where
I will be at a Convent discerning to be
An Oblate..
I will ponder this word this time , this year
My “word” for 2023 is “Today”. I hope to make each day one that is pleasing to God. I am frequently scattered with many different creative pursuits
which are both a delight and a frustration because many “starts” never get “finished”. So–I will put my faith in God first and strive not to be distracted. “This is the day the Lord hath made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it!”
Dear Christine, thank you for all the work you put into the “Abbey”. I will pray that your health improves and you get stronger each day. You are a blessing to so many people. God love and bless you, your dear husband and all those who contribute to this beautiful and holy space.
My word is:
FORWARD
It came unannounced after a dear friend e-mailed me, telling me that her word for the year came to her. I hadn’t thought about it but as I stopped to consider a word for the year, my word tumbled from my brain into my mouth and landed within my spirit to be carried FORWARD through the year.
“Ripen.” The fruit that has been cultivated is ripening. Crossing a threshold into a season of ripened fruit and harvest.
My word is “united”. As I traveled this inquiry, I found it continues to come to mind to be united with everything. Not resisting. Being at oneness with whatever arises each day. Staying centered and present as I walk through each day, best I can. Blessings to each of you.