A Monk in the World
One of the ways we become intimate with the fire in our lives is to explore our passions, our deepest desires, the commitments which make our hearts burn with love. The mystics across traditions describe God as the spark or flame dwelling in each of our hearts, the source of infinite compassion. When we live […]
Monk in World Guest Post: Kirsten Keppel

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Kirsten Keppel’s reflection on living the Liturgy of the Hours. I find that living the Liturgy of the Hours through short yet consistent practices of paring and pruning, offering hospitality, and praying […]
Dancing Monk Feast Days: Reflections, Creative Invitations, and Prayers

Order Now Description Sample Creative Invitation and Prayer January 15th: St. Íta of Killeedy (c. 480–January 15, 570) I thirst for divine love. Íta is the second most significant woman saint in Ireland after Brigid, and her name means thirst. When she was young, she had a dream where she was gifted three precious stones. Unsure […]
When It Feels as if the World Is Ending ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

When It Feels as if the World Is Ending*Holy Ground of Love,the world so often feels as if it is endingwith news of wars raging, children dying,fires burning, floods rising—so much suffering, so much cruelty.My heart feels like a tree rotting away,my throat is full of gravel,my gut a boulder,my eyes swollen with tears.With the […]
Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
For Glimpses of Heaven Here and Now*Sacred Source of Joy,help us to see glimpsesof heaven all around us,in the urgency of each spring’s blooming,in the simple gifts of waterto bathe in and drink,in our morning tea or coffee,with steam rising like this prayer,in the dog’s pleading eyesor the warm embrace of a friend,in the food […]
Announcing the Map of the Dancing Monks

As a virtual monastery, our community reaches around the globe. As of November 2025, over 1700 people have affirmed the Monk Manifesto to join the Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks, committing to live a compassionate, contemplative, and creative life. We love how our virtual format allows dancing monks around the world to stand in solidarity […]
A Book of Everyday Blessings: 100 Prayers for Dancing Monks, Artists, and Pilgrims

Order Now Reflection Guide A Spirituality of Blessing: 21 Day Self-Study Retreat Description Purchase Options When you purchase books through the links to Bookshop.org or Amazon.com, Abbey of the Arts is provided with a very small percentage of your purchase price at no extra cost to you. We apply these funds toward scholarships for our […]