I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Jean Wise’s reflection on the power of silence: Rediscovering Silence I love words. I love taking sounds and syllables and dance with them on a page either in my journal or in my work as a writer. My ears tingle with the sound of words as they roll from my tongue in speaking or in song. Words have their benefits. They form a container for me to hold reason, a sense of control and clarity and dare I say, my ego. We

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Jodi Blazek Gehr’s the sacred pilgrimage of driving country roads: A Country Road Contemplative My country drives are a sacred experience, a contemplative, scenic journey through four counties of Nebraska.  Driving country roads has become a pilgrimage of its own as I travel to St. Benedict Center, a Benedictine retreat center and monastery seventy miles northwest of my home. Once or twice a month, I receive spiritual direction, participate in or lead retreats, attend Oblate meetings or pray with the monks. It’s where I go

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Susan Heffron Hajec’s reflection on living as steadfast love: Walking in Faithfulness “For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.”  Psalm 26:3 I am an ordinary person who is immensely grateful for the gift of living an extraordinary life. At the age of 72, I recognize the steadfast lovebefore my eyes that has accompanied my journey all along the way. At my age, life’s responsibilities are simplified and I love that. But even during the frantic

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Michelle Chung’s reflection on recovering from perfectionism: Helpful Tips from the Recovering Perfectionist When I started practicing contemplative spirituality, I faced quite a culture shock. Being from the Silicon Valley, I was task oriented, perfectionistic, and goal driven… everything the contemplative ways are not. Where were the deadlines and checklists I’m so familiar with? It took quite a while for me to understand and adapt to this new and curious lifestyle. The contemplative traditions are more “organic”.  You can follow a plan

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Patricia Campbell Kowal’s reflection on living the mystery: “I commit to finding moments each day for silence and solitude, to make space for another voice to be heard, and to resist a culture of noise and constant stimulation.” This is the first expression of commitment in the Monk of the World Manifesto which has become a foundation for my life. One way I practice this first expression is by sometimes putting my prayer- thoughts on paper. If it stirs a God-thought for me or another

  I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Jamie Marich’s reflection on gratitude for a sacred convergence: Dancing Mindfulness Meets Dancing Monks: A Story of Gratitude Early last summer I received an inbox notification telling me that a woman named Christine from Galway ordered a copy of a DVD I produced called Dancing Mindfulness: LIVE. Although it always warms my heart to fill international orders, I grew even more excited when I saw the domain on her email: Abbey of the Arts. Curious, I looked up her website

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Melinda Thomas Hansen’s reflection turning on the homing beacon. “Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” ~ The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows A table was set up outside the bookstore at Kanuga, the retreat center where my family and I spent our summer vacation. As so often happens, on our final day there I felt the stirring need to purchase a little