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Embracing Mystery in the New Year: Ten Essential Practices

Let mystery have its place in you; do not be always turning up your whole soil with the plowshare of self-examination, but leave a little fallow corner in your heart ready for any seed the winds may bring, and reserve a nook of shadow for the passing bird; keep a place in your heart for the unexpected guests, an altar for an unknown God.  —Henri-Frederic Amiel   Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims,   Who doesn’t love the promise of new beginning the New Year offers? St. Benedict described his Rule as a Rule for beginners, reminding us to always begin

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Dancing Monk Icons on Sale!

From November 26 – December 5 if you buy two or more dancing monk prints by Marcy Hall of Rabbit Room Arts (also includes Marcy’s other artwork), you’ll get 20% off your order, plus free shipping anywhere in the US! Includes: Saints Benedict, Hildegard, Francis, Teresa, John of the Cross, Mary Mother of God, Amma Syncletica, Prophet Miriam, King David, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Celtic Saints: Brigid, Brendan, Kevin, Patrick, Columcille, Dearbhla, Sourney, Gobnait, Ita, Ciaran, Colman, and Enda! Order your prints here>>

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Poetry News from Christine

Christine Valters Paintner’s poem “St. Gall and the Bear” has been published in the most recent issue of Crossways which can be read online at this link. This artwork to the right is by the wonderful UK artist David Hollington who we are commissioning to put several of Christine’s poems in a series about saints and animals into visual form. This painting accompanies the published poem above. Christine has also officially signed a contract with Paraclete Press for her next poetry collection titled The Wisdom of Wild Grace and it includes a section of about 35 of these saint and

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Notes from the Jubilee: Ancestral Pilgrimage to Latvia

During this sabbatical year I have several ancestral pilgrimages planned and we are traveling back now from the first one to Latvia. A few months ago I asked Olga Tomchin of Genealogy Yenta to help me with some research and she found an article online about an oak tree that was planted in 2017 for my great grandfather. It turns out that he was the first Chief Justice of the Latvian Supreme Court when the independent state was formed after World War I and for their centenary celebration they decided to honor his memory in this way. My father was born

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Dreaming of Stones review from the Chicago Tribune

Dreaming of Stones: Poetry collection offers spiritual solace by Barbara Mahany, Chicago Tribune To enter the pages of Christine Valters Paintner’s “Dreaming of Stones” feels akin to wandering the undulations of Celtic wilds, the barren landscape that cloisters timeless secrets and truths. It’s not hard to imagine ancient ruins off in the mist-drenched distance. Nor to hear the cry of North Atlantic winds, sweeping across moor and mountain. It’s haunting and it’s beautiful. Most of all, it’s to find yourself at home in a place you’ve never been — the very definition of soulful retreat.   And so it is

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Writing on the Wild Edges:
Participant Poem from Linda Courage

At the end of August, 17 creative souls gathered with us for our retreat on Inismor – Writing on the Wild Edges of the World. We had a wonderful group with participants from all over the U.S., Canada, Singapore, and Australia. I am delighted to share some of their poems over these next few weeks. Pour a cup of tea, imagine yourself on a windswept limestone island in the Atlantic, and savor for a while. From Linda Courage: Back yard spaces With buckets and overturned containers Diggers and trailers Useful and necessary at certain moments But left to befriend passing

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