Over a pot of steaming English Breakfast tea one morning, a Jewish friend and I talked about how she prepares for and observes the Sabbath Day. Since Biblical times, Jews have kept a Day of Preparation to get ready for the Sabbath Day. Clearly, it takes planning to prepare for…
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Our community recently hosted the Benedictine Women’s Novice and Director Institute (NADI) from May 8-18. Two novices from St. Martin’s Priory in Lacey, Washington, and one novice with her director from Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas attended. Sr. Karen Ann Lortscher directed the Institute. Established in 1988, NADI is…
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There is a children’s song composed by George William Cooke that begins: “I’ve got that joy, joy joy, joy down in my heart…down in my heart to stay.” Joy is one of the supplies on our spiritual journey. Let’s begin this blog by referring to the biblical meanings of the…
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Many things can be said about Catholics, but it can never be said that we don’t honor our Mother! In addition to the myriad feast days honoring Our Lady in her many titles and virtues, the entire month of May is especially given to her praise. May is traditionally dedicated…
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Sometime near the beginning of Lent I awoke with a start and a question lingering in my consciousness, “Are you thriving or just getting older?” What a question! Where did that come from? During Lent and Easter, we are bombarded with imagery and language that force us to grapple with…
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“Yet, all things are to be done with moderation on account of the fainthearted.” Rule of Benedict, Chapter 48 Today I am quite tired in body and soul, so I thought I had chosen wisely to set aside daily activities and take a sabbath rest. At the end of the…
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The Paschal Journey I travel each year during Lent and Easter has always been such a gift to me, a realization that I am being called to get back on the road, the road in which I am aware of Jesus’ presence by my side each step of the way…
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I’ve been mesmerized by Brian Whelan’s painting, “Raising of Lazarus,” with his imaginative rendering of the gospel story from the eleventh chapter of John. All last week, I meditated on this painting and the gospel text which still have not let me go! Now that we are in Holy Week,…
Read MoreThe ninth step of humility is that one controls the tongue and keeps silence until asked a question; for the Scripture shows that “In a flood of words, you will not avoid sinning” (Prov 10:19) and that “the talkative one goes about aimlessly on the earth” (Ps139[140]:12). The monastic tradition…
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Our spiritual journey entails being disciples on a mission- a mission calling us to be salt of the earth. Jesus tells his disciples (we are included), you are the salt of the earth (Mt. 5:13). The uses for salt are the same today as in Palestine at the time of…
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