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Reflections

Category: Mystics and Saints

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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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August 9, 2024

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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July 31, 2024

St Patrick and Answering the Call ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

A Blessing for Coming Home*Godde of Homecomings,our lives are a pilgrimage journeyseeking the discovery of home in the world. We travel, not in straight lines, but in circles and spirals, revisiting old patternsand ways of being that need healing,trusting in life’s unfinished nature, but also our deep desires of the heart calling usto re-orient ourselves again and again. Magnify our visionso that each journey we make leads to expanded growth and wisdom.Help us to continue to dive into the refreshing river of life,allowing the current to carry us closer to you. Carve out in us a space for both grief

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April 21, 2024

The Dance of Conflict Transformation ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks and artists, We are so delighted to be welcoming Wisdom Council member Dena Jennings to lead a workshop for us on Dances of Conflict Transformation. Dena runs her own community in Virginia which she calls a Farmashramonastery.  She shares some of her wisdom here with us:  In the workshop we will look at the lives of 1st, 3rd, and 6th century saints. We will examine how each saint’s character can lead us as we work to transform social conflicts. You will have the opportunity to reflect on their lives while virtually visiting locations on the Farmashramonastery in the Appalachian

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March 10, 2024

St. Gobnait and the Place of Resurrection ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks and artists, Our featured self-study this month has been our virtual Celtic pilgrimage honoring Saints Brigid, Ciaran, and Gobnait. The pandemic inspired many new creative offerings and the virtual pilgrimages have been a favorite. (We have a brand new Celtic pilgrimage coming in late April for Beltaine where you can join us live for 9 days).  I only learned about St. Gobnait after moving to Ireland, but she is perhaps one of my favorite of the Irish saints. She is a fifth- and sixth-century monk who fled her home in County Clare and headed first for the island of Insheer. It is

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February 25, 2024

Sister Thea Bowman ~ A Love from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks and artists, We are very excited to be hosting ValLimar Jansen this Friday for a mini-retreat. She is an extraordinary musician and performer and has a special love for Sister Thea Bowman, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration and prophetic witness to the Black American Catholic experience who worked to break down racial and cultural barriers. ValLimar wrote a musical to celebrate Sister Thea’s life.  ValLimar shares this reflection with us that she wrote originally for Liguori Publications:  Sister Thea Bowman was a trailblazing African American Catholic religious sister. She was a powerful voice for social justice and a passionate

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February 18, 2024

Imbolc and Brigid’s Mantle ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks and artists, February 1st-2nd marks a confluence of several feasts and occasions including: the Celtic feast of Imbolc, St. Brigid’s Day, Candlemas, Feast of the Presentation, and Groundhog Day in the northern hemisphere! (Imbolc is August 1st in the southern hemisphere). Imbolc is a Celtic feast that is a cross-quarter day, meaning it is the midway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. The sun marks the four Quarter Days of the year (the Solstices and Equinoxes) and the midpoints are the cross-quarter days.  In some cultures, like Ireland, February 2nd is the official beginning of spring. As

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January 28, 2024

Upcoming Programs

Honoring the Love of Thousands at Samhain
Honoring the Love of Thousands at Samhain
1 Nov 24
Contemplative Prayer Service: Hospitality
Contemplative Prayer Service: Hospitality
4 Nov 24
Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer
20 Nov 24

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