By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB

This week, I’ve been attending (and loving) a Benedictine vocation directors’ conference. One of the topics we’ve discussed is “community.” That has a special and particular meaning for Benedictine monastics.

Living in community means we all live together under one roof. We live in a monastery and pray, eat, and take leisure together. If it sounds like a big family, it is … with all the joys and warts that come with it.

Here’s one of the chief joys: we belong. Belonging to a group of people who have come together for a purpose – in our case, to seek God together – is amazing!

Is it always easy? Heavens, no. But one of our speakers, Brother John Mark, OSB, says hold on. The challenging times are where growth happens.

Br. John likens Benedictine community life to a giant rock tumbler, with Sisters and Brothers as the rocks. For all the clatter that goes on as we bump into each other, we come out smooth and polished.

We come out better. Wiser. More loving and ready to serve God.

We can’t do it without community.

Give me a shout and I’ll share more: smacdonald@smmsisters.org.