Dear monks, artists, and pilgrims,
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, 2024 and you are automatically entered for the prize drawing (prizes listed below).
WIN A PRIZE – RANDOM DRAWING GIVEAWAY ENTER BY JANUARY 6th!
- One space in our Love of Thousands online companion retreat to the book
- One space in our online Lent retreat on A Different Kind of Fast
- Two people win a space each in their choice of self-study retreats
- Three people will win a digital album of their choice.
- Three 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)
Winners will be announced on Sunday, January 12th.
If you would love a retreat experience to support you in listening for your word, letting your word ripen, and carrying your word into the year ahead, please join us for our Give Me a Word Advent and Christmas season retreat which begins today! I am joined by many wonderful guest teachers and there is a suggested practice for each day from now until Epiphany!
Join us tomorrow for our Contemplative Prayer Service where I will be joined by Simon de Voil and Polly Paton-Brown to reflect on the gifts of Mary for our journey.
With great and growing love,
Christine
Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE
P.S. We are delighted to announce the release of Birthing the Holy: Dancing with Mary and the Sacred Feminine! This digital collection of 12 dances and companion teaching videos by Betsey Beckman and guest artists offers another beautiful resource for engaging with the gifts of Mary.
Image paid license with Canva
233 Responses
My word for 2024 is moon to remind me to reflect the light and to know that life waxes and wanes, and to call me toward contentment
My word for 2024 is Awe. Inspired by the Advent season and the awe and wonder surrounding God’s great gift to the world. I hope to be inspired to grow learn and listen as the year unfolds.
My word for 2024 is ‘abundance’. I plan to daily remind myself that I can live from a base of abundance, rather than scarcity! Happy 2024!
Susan
My word is CELEBRATING. The thought or dream of Celebrating my 60 years as a Cenacle sister in 2024 using the Sister Circle ritual gives me much joy and excitement.
I look forward every year to inviting this word to fill my life! Thank you
My word, in active verb form, is DISCERN. I ask for God to be with me ad to assist me to discern the best path.
My word is hopefulness.
I got a phrase, be still and know. God knows me, knows how I can worry and feel urgency over things I have no control over. So, I believe, He calls me to be still and know that He is God and He IS in control. This frees me from worry and provides calm and room for me to hear His voice.
my word is “dwell” … reminding me to take those extra moments to “pause and dwell” …
in beauty, in thought, in conversation, in silence, in the light …
The 2024 star word which chose me is courage…frightening me with questions of why/where do I need more courage AND invitation to allow the Holy to prepare/equip me in those spaces.