Gratitude as a Spiritual Practice ~ A love note from your online abbess
Dearest monks and artists, The United States celebrates the feast of Thanksgiving this week. I have always loved this time of gratefulness and sharing with loved ones. My heart overflows with gratitude for this beautiful community we have created together. I delight daily in knowing there are dancing monks all over the world. The 5th century […]
Writing on the Wild Edges ~ A love note from your online abbess
Dreaming of Stones In the world before waking I meet a winged one, feathered, untethered, who presses in my palm three precious stones, like St. Ita in her dream, but similarities end there, her with saintliness and certainty, me asking questions in the dark. All I know is I am not crafted from patience of […]
Samhain Blessings and Feast of All Saints & Souls ~ A love note from your online abbess
Dearest monks and artists, Tuesday night and Wednesday in the Celtic seasonal calendar is the feast of Samhain and in the Christian liturgical cycle the Feast of All Saints (followed by All Souls). It is a very special time of year when the northern hemisphere is moving toward growing darkness and is time of preparation […]
Earth is the Original Monastery ~ A love note from your online abbess
Dear monks, artists, and pilgrims, The following reflection is excerpted and adapted from an article that appeared in Presence: A Journal for Spiritual Directors International earlier this year. It speaks to what feels like the heart of the work I do in reclaiming an intimacy with creation and letting her wisdom guide our contemplative practice. […]
Feast of St. Francis and the Holy Fool ~ A love note from your online abbess
St. Francis at the Corner Pub Approaching the door, you can already hear his generous laughter. He stands on the bar upside down for a moment to get a new perspective on things, a flash of polka-dotted boxers as his brown robe cascades over his head, sandaled toes wiggling in the air in time with […]
The Unraveling Toward Love ~ A love note from your online abbess
Dearest monks and artists, We live in an era of unraveling: wars, financial breakdown, gun violence, unemployment, mass migration, racial discrimination, gender inequality, poverty rising, and the poisoning of our ecosystems. Even as I write this litany, I am sure I have forgotten others, and certainly there are the smaller issues of daily life wherever […]
Mystical Hope and the New Thing ~ A love note from your online abbess
Dearest monks and artists, Our website issues have all been fully resolved and security strengthened. We also welcomed a new group of pilgrims to Galway and are journeying together this week. Like many of you, global events lately feel quite overwhelming at times and I ponder and pray about my response. One thing I keep […]