By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
I’ve been thinking about the game Jenga ever since our recent reading about the fool who built his house on sand.
Have you ever played Jenga? You start with a strong tower of wood blocks, removing the blocks, one by one, till it falls. Obviously, the loser is the one who causes the tower to fall. Continue Reading
Sr. Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)
Wow! I’ve been thinking about this since last week’s gospel. It’s hard to do … even as a Catholic Sister!
We all have people in our lives we’d rather not have to deal with. Maybe they have been harsh with us, maybe they have been cold. Maybe we’ve been unkind to them in return. Continue Reading
By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
We are called eventually to get up, pull off the covers, get out of our comfortable existence. It is life-giving to go outside. – Br. Guy Consolmagno (Give Us This Day)
I remember the day as clearly as yesterday. I was sitting in a meeting with my superintendent, my principal and other teachers learning how wonderfully our Catholic school system was doing. We were thriving; the future was bright. My future was … unknown, to say the least. Continue Reading
By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
This morning we celebrated the 50th Jubilees of 2 Benedictine Sisters. Sisters Judith Ann and Rachel said “Yes” to God 50 years ago. What a difference their “yeses” have made to us all!!
Many people remember their milestone Yes moments – no matter what their call. Continue Reading
By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
At last the sun is shining as we gather on our final morning for retreat. The sky is a brilliant blue, the leaves below are many shades of green waving in the breeze. Heaven!
After 4 days of wandering in the Old Testament wilderness, we come into the New Testament. Here, the word for wilderness is cross. Our way now is to follow Jesus … to complete the interior dying that he modeled. Continue Reading
By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
The scent of coffee fills the dining room as the Sisters gather, by foot and by wheelchair, for our 4th day of retreat. Today we are treated to the story of Jacob, which we are reminded to read as our own story.
Jacob, whose name means “to grab,” spends a goodish portion of his life taking advantage of others, and controlling whatever he could control. Indeed, when God visits him, Jacob says he will worship Him if God makes good on his promises. Continue Reading
By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
Overhead lamps cast a warm glow in the dining room where we have gathered for Day #3. It’s been raining, gently and intermittently, for 2 days. Sister Mary Schmidt’s lettuces are thriving!
Abbot Jerome opened our session this morning by saying there are 2 steps to accepting a vocation. The 1st is to ACCEPT it, but we can get stuck there when we accept it with bitterness or halfheartedness. Continue Reading
By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
As a light, gentle rain fell on the patio outside our dining room, Day #2 of our retreat began. Abbot Jerome continued his talk on our journey through the wilderness, noting that we need a guide. We need God.
Even when we know that, we can go the wrong way. How? By avoiding the journey entirely. How? In denial, escape, and control. Continue Reading
By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
At long last, retreat time has arrived at St. Mary Monastery. A profound quiet fills our hallways and rooms. Many smiles and pats on the shoulder replace conversation. The sense of relaxation is palpable.
What do we do during retreat? In some ways, nothing different from usual. We follow our same schedule, give or take an hour. That is, we gather for Lauds, Noonday Prayer, Vespers and Eucharist. We pray Lectio Divina. We take our meals together at noon and 5:30. Continue Reading
By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
Today is the feast of Pentecost. What does that mean? As Father Karl Rahner wrote, “God is ours…he has given us His whole being without reserve; He has given us the clarity of His knowledge, the freedom of His love and the bliss of His Trinitarian life. He has given us Himself. And His name is Holy Spirit. He is ours … God is our God: that is the glad tidings of Pentecost.”
If God is ours and has given God’s whole being to us, what does it mean? What should we do?
We hear that God expects nothing in return, which is comforting but not an answer.
Think how much we expect from God. Should we not give back? Should we not live our lives as we are called? Continue Reading
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