The Future of Church? Bright!

hannah-and-student

Sister Hannah, right, was one of the mentors (along with me) for the high school students responsible for prayers at NCYC.

By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB

Recently one of the sisters in my community sent me an article about a conference called “New Faces, New Voices, New Ways of Being Church: An Exploration of the American Catholic Church Going Forward.”

Our church is certainly in a time of change. We are moving to something new, which is all we know for sure. Continue Reading

Be Vigilant! 1st Sunday of Advent

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By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB

“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent.”

“People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world.”

St. Luke’s Gospel (Luke 21: 25-28; 34-36) for this 1st Sunday of Advent seems prophetic for this Advent season as we reel from the bombing and killing in Paris just 2 weeks ago. Continue Reading

Why Pray the Psalms?

candle and bible

Benedictines immerse themselves in the Psalms at least 3 times – and sometimes as many as 7 times – every day during the Liturgy of the Hours.

By the time the Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery celebrate their 50th jubilees, they have spent well over 20,000 hours praying and pondering the Psalms together.

Let’s just say the Sisters know the Psalms.

But how do they feel about them … and why? Continue Reading

Obedience: Deep Listening

margaret-murphy-and-directee-hospitality

By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB

“This message of mine is for you, then, if you are ready to give up your own will, once and for all and armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to do battle for the true King, Christ the Lord.” The Rule of St. Benedict: Prologue

The word “obedience” is fraught for many people. But it’s not blind obedience that Benedict calls for. Continue Reading

Everyday Saints

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By Sister Marianne Burkhard, OSB

As we celebrated All Saints (both the officially known and all the unknown ones) Day on Sunday, I find myself thinking of those everyday saints – with a small “s” – we have known along our way.

These are people who have shared their faith with us, touched us in a special way by being ‘the presence of God’ in a particular moment when that presence of God was needed for support or as stimulus for further spiritual growth. Continue Reading