I find the Advent Liturgical Season the richest and most fundamental for my life. As we listen to Prepare the Way of the Lord and Come Oh Come Immanuel, we join with humanity in waiting for Christ to come.
Advent serves as a great tool for discernment. It is the perfect time to take stock of the past year and to prepare – to set goals – for the coming year. Continue Reading
This week I can suggest several Scripture passages that reflect an important aspect of discernment. While there are many areas to pray and reflect upon when discerning a vocation to religious life, the fundamental and essential area is that of our relationship with God. What type of life leads to God for you? We want to know from God the answer to this question, don’t we? Staying focused on our relationship with God allows us to see what is authentic in our discernment. Continue Reading
The last several days the story of Job has been in my prayer and reflection. We meet Job in the Old Testament as he rebounds from losing everything meaningful in his life – his family and possessions. We encounter him in a very vulnerable state. When all is lost he turns to God and, after a struggle, is blessed abundantly. The last we know of Job he is praising the wonder of God who brought him from nothing to life. At he heart of this story is Job’s struggle to let go of many meaningful parts of his life in order to receive from God a new life. You might find in Job inspiration to address those changes in your life and to learn Trust in a gracious God who is with you. Continue Reading
By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB
“O God you are eternal life and everlasting peace by your essence,” prayed the seventy-some women and men who participated in the 3rd annual Muslim/Christian Women’s Dialogue, sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters of Rock Island. The doors opened with flowing crowds coming from their study clubs, their Scripture groups, coming with their spouses, their daughters, their mothers and by themselves. They came until all chairs were filled and the room was electrified with greetings of, “It is so good to see you again!” “I don’t recall your name but you were at my table last year!” Continue Reading
Jesus often used images in His teaching to create profound messages. A recent Gospel, for example, used the image of a small mustard seed growing into a sturdy tree. How amazing that from a small kernel grows a large tree! Metaphorically, most of us would have our doubts that something meaningful could come from something so small. Continue Reading
Getting up the courage to tell friends and family that you want to become a Sister can be nerve-wracking. How will they react? Our latest newsletter, Steps, explores that question with the parents of one of our newest members. Check it out!
Last Sunday I had the opportunity to attend the Quad City Symphony concert. It was a bold concert, featuring the work of Peter Tchaikovsky. Listening to the many instruments blending together to create the whole work, I thought of God’s work creating each of us.
Like a creative composer, God entwines many movements to bring our lives to this very moment. It is a softness of the strings, the brazen brass, the deep tuba, the breeze of the woodwinds that bring a symphony to life. It is the soft, bold and deep experiences of our lives that lead to God. Continue Reading
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