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Reflections

Category: Dancing Monks Icon Series

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Feast of St. Francis

St. Francis at the Corner PubApproaching the door, you can alreadyhear his generous laughter.He stands on the bar upside down for a momentto get a new perspective on things,a flash of polka-dotted boxersas his brown robe cascades over his head,sandaled toes wiggling in the air in time with  a fiddle playing in the corner.Rain falls heavily in the deepening darknessand he orders a round of drinksdespite his vow of poverty and the single silver coinsin his pocket, multiplied by the last Guinness poured.Nothing like a good glass of wine, he gleefully says,heavy Italian accent echoing through the room,he holds it up

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St. Francis and the Gift of Song ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Canticle*They sat in the convent gardenbreathing in rosemary and thyme,Francis ill and frail, his vision obscured.Clare had lost use of her legs,both their faces markedby lines that told stories—how their chosen povertyhad intensified their love,had freed them from unnecessary burdens.They talked for hours,stretched like a tent above them,their laughter and weepinghung in the air like rose garlands,interrupted by moments of stillnesswhen they paused and listenedto the way the breeze rustledthe world, coaxing forth its song.And when sunlight emergedthey turned their faces toward it like daisies,and when rain pouredthey huddled under the roofto hear how its rhythm echoed their hearts.As summer

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The Year Ahead at Abbey of the Arts ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims,  We hope you have had a restful and inspiring summer. We always cherish this time of quiet reflection and dreaming into the new academic year of programs. I have savored having some time to simply be and deepen into the sacred rhythms of life. Out of this wellspring of rest, flows forth our calendar for the coming months which you can find here.  Special thanks to our always amazing program coordinator Melinda Thomas for her wonderful work putting that together. So much happens at the Abbey due to her efforts! I am excited for the variety of

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Feast of Sister Thea Bowman ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims, Today is the feast day of Sister Thea Bowman, an amazing woman whose vibrancy still radiates to us today, calling us to shine our lights in a world that is often hard to bear. Even in the midst of a slow and painful death from cancer, she embodied joyful living, knowing that joy and delight must be cultivated in the midst of injustice and suffering.  These last few months we have been creating a resource and sharing it with our Sustainers Circle. For each of our dancing monk icons (created by the wonderful Marcy

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Samhain Retreat + Love of Thousands Video Prayer Cycle Day 3 ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Blessing of the Saints* May the communion of saintsshower you with blessings,may you seek their guidancein moments of illness, confusion, gratitude.We remember their own struggles,living their humanity, enfleshed and tender.We ask those across the threshold to pray for usknowing what it is to be wounded.Call on the canonized saints,Benedict, Francis, Ignatius, Hildegard,Thea Bowman, Oscar Romero,and the saints of spirit,Howard Thurman, Dorothy Day,and thousands of otherswho witnessed to another way of being,who helped to build a community of love.Let them tether us to their earthiness,and remind us of the holinessof bone and blood, the grace of our bodiesin bringing love to

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Dancing Monk Feast Day: St Clare of Assisi

Sunday August 11th is the feast of St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253). We are pleased to offer a reflection, creative prompt, and prayer to guide your celebration of this remarkable saint. We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become.  Clare was born and raised in Assisi, where she lived her entire life. She was the oldest daughter of a local nobleman but gave up her wealth and position to follow a life dedicated to prayer and service. While Clare is often known as a friend of Saint Francis, she was a spiritual force all her

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Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Dearest monks and artists, Today is the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order.  The spirituality of Ignatius has played a huge role in my own unfolding. When I started undergraduate studies at Fordham University in philosophy I was at best agnostic (and the daughter of two agnostics raised in a completely non-religious household). My required course in Liberation Theology amazed me that I had not heard of this deep commitment to justice in the Catholic Church before. My service work in the South Bronx with at-risk youth and also in environmental restoration led me

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