St Kevin Holds Opens His Hand by Christine Valters Paintner from Abbey of the Arts on Vimeo. [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Button_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] St. Kevin Holds Open His Hand Imagine being like Kevin. Your grasping fist softens, fingers uncurl and palms open, rest upward, and the blackbird weaves twigs and straw and bits of string in the bowl of your hand, you feel the delicate weight of speckled blue orbs descend, and her feathered warmth settling in. How many days can you stay, open, waiting for the shell to fissure and crack, awaiting the slow emergence of tiny gaping mouths and slick wings that

Dearest monks and artists, Thomas Merton, the 20th century Trappist monk, knew that the true mentor of the soul was nature itself. The fields, sun, mud, clay, wind, forests, sky, earth, and water are all companions for our own inner journeys. The elements of water, wind, earth, and fire offer us wisdom and guidance. They are the original soul friends. Air is the gift of breath we receive in each moment, the rhythm of life sustaining us. Fire is the gift of life force and energy and we might call to mind St. John of the Cross’ image of God

Dearest monks and artists, It is hard to believe we are a year into this pandemic. Ireland has been under another lockdown since Christmas where we are unable to travel more than 5km from home which was just extended until Easter. Vaccines are being rolled out but the process is painfully slow. Even though there are some glimmerings on the horizon of hope, the patience and endurance that has been demanded of us this last year can be wearying. One of the things that has broken my heart the most over the last many months is the proliferation of conspiracy