By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
After taking a few years to work and live my Catholic parish life, God sent me another message.
I was at church with my father and youngest sisters, when Sisters from a habited community filed in. The pastor introduced them, and they seemed very nice.
By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB
Imagine hiding in a room with your friends, fearing for your lives. In grief. In desolation. Lost without the man you followed. “Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house. Then appeared tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. A strong, violent wind and tongues of fire resting on each one’s head.” Continue Reading
By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB
Pentecost, in the time of the Apostles, was a Jewish day of celebrating the wheat harvest (Shavuot), and commemorating God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus.
And so the frightened little band of “Followers of the Way” as they would become known, were gathered, or maybe hiding, in the Room where they had eaten the Last Supper with Jesus. Continue Reading
As we approach Pentecost, I’m reminded of my 6th grade religion class. We had to memorize the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Today I’m more interested in what the gifts mean than their exact wording. Continue Reading
Sister Stefanie MacDonald signs her monastic promises during a simple but beautiful ceremony in our chapel during her first monastic profession.
One of the differences between apostolic communities (like the Franciscans and Dominicans) and Benedictine monastic communities is our vows. In fact, we don’t actually make “vows.” We make promises. It’s more than a word difference!
Our promises underscore our commitment to each other, as Sisters of St. Benedict. They underscore our commitment to seeking God together. They underscore our commitment to be faithful for life. Continue Reading
For those in monastic religious life, prayer practices take on both communal and private significance.
For instance, Benedictine Sisters pray together daily during Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharist. Continue Reading
Recently one of our Facebook fans asked us to talk about our ministries. It’s actually a complicated request!
The Benedictines weren’t founded to teach, care for the poor or nurse the ill, as most apostolic orders were. They were founded by St. Benedict to seek God. Continue Reading
By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB
“Whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (John 13:20)
Have you ever tried to play catch with a small child?
You show her the ball, tell her what you’re going to do, tell her what she should do, then throw gently … and watch it bounce off of her onto the grass. Continue Reading
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