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Category: Abbess love notes

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St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Contemplative Path ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, I am excited that we have been adding to our dancing monk icon series! We had paused for a while but now the creative juices and inspiration is flowing again and Marcy is hard at work. I am not sure when or if cards will be available (we are doing a special limited set of the 10 new cards for our Sustainers Circle supporters), but Marcy will make these available as prints as always.  I wanted to introduce Ignatius of Loyola first because his spirituality had a significant impact on me in my early years of

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August 7, 2022

Sabbath Rest for Abbey of the Arts ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, Every summer we try to step back from this wonderful work and take a bit of time off for planning, dreaming, and resting. Sabbath is one of the profound gifts of a generous and abundant divine presence who says that work is good and rest is necessary. We are so grateful for all the ways this community supports our work in the world and we are eager to listen more deeply in the coming weeks to what new things want to be birthed through the Abbey in the coming year. We will be taking a

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June 26, 2022

Prayer Cycle Day 7 Morning and Evening Prayer ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, We conclude our release of the Birthing the Holy Prayer Cycle with an excerpt from Day 7 Evening Prayer honoring Mary, as Mirror of Justice. The video above is for the beautiful song Magnificat which we commissioned from our dear friend Simon de Voil. He created such a moving sung prayer. You are invited to pray with it in the audio podcast of the Prayer Cycle or with the images in the video above. Let this be a time of meditation on Mary’s desire and longing for justice in the world and how we might be empowered

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June 19, 2022

Prayer Cycle Day 6 Morning and Evening Prayer ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, We are delighted to share Day 6 of our Birthing the Holy Prayer Cycle with you which honors Mary as Theotokos (God-Bearer/ morning prayer) and Mystical Rose (evening prayer). The video above is another one created by our filmmaking friends in Galway, Morgan Creative, to bring this beautiful song to life. We invite you to pause for a meditative moment. If you have any rose tea on hand (either rose hips or rose petals or both!) consider brewing a cup to inhale and sip slowly while contemplating the images.  The song itself is based on an old traditional German

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June 12, 2022

Prayer Cycle Day 5: Morning and Evening Prayer

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, We continue to share the release of our 7-Day Prayer Cycle to honor Mary and the sacred feminine with Day 5 which focuses on Mother of Sorrows and Greenest Branch.  The first reading for Morning Prayer on Mary as Mother of Sorrows is from Clarissa Pinkola Estes: Even yet in the midst of all our bandages and broken spirit-bones, [Mary] calls us to stop mis-thinking that we stand alone in our challenges, when in fact, she ever stands with us. We ought ever flee to her side, ever hide under her shoulder, ever shelter under

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June 5, 2022

Prayer Cycle Day 3: Morning and Evening Prayer ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, We continue this week with an excerpt from Day 3 of our new Birthing the Holy prayer cycle exploring Mary as Star of the Sea and Vessel of Grace. Below is an excerpt of the Prayers of Concern from Morning Prayer.  O Creator of the Cosmos, thank you that you have placed a Star in the sky who remains a constant presence, ready to guide us no matter how perilous our journey, if only we look up. Forgive us when we focus on the waves and the force of the wind. Help us know that Stella Maris is there

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May 22, 2022

Jewish Mysticism + Prayer Cycle Day 2 Morning and Evening Prayer ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, We are delighted to release the audio podcasts for Day 2 of the Birthing the Holy Prayer Cycle featuring the titles of Mary as Untier of Knots, and Mustafia. Mustafia is one of Mary’s Islamic names and means “She Who Is Chosen.” Here is the opening to evening prayer. Mary, Mustafia, chosen by God to birth the holy, help us to answer our unique calling in the world. May your love heal divisions with those we “other” and reject based on culture, skin color or belief. Guide us this evening to a path of peace, kindness, and compassion. This Saturday

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May 15, 2022

Upcoming Programs

Cultivating Seeds of Liberation – Prayer Cycle Launch and 20th anniversary celebration!
Cultivating Seeds of Liberation – Prayer Cycle Launch and 20th anniversary celebration!
2 May 25
Contemplative Prayer Service: Creative Joy
Contemplative Prayer Service: Creative Joy
5 May 25
Writing on the Wild Edges: St. Brendan’s Voyage as Creative Guide
Writing on the Wild Edges: St. Brendan’s Voyage as Creative Guide
12 May 25

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