Isaiah encourages Israel to not look back but to believe all things are new. Isaiah believes in a God who forgives and looks to the future in us. Israel, as a nation, has offended God many times when they strayed from following what they knew to be God’s Will. Isaiah tells the people to put those ‘iniquities’ behind and look to the new. Continue Reading
Mary sat at the feet of Jesus…to listen to Him speak. Luke 11: 38 – 42
This passage was what I found in my daily mediation book on Monday and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. The story of Mary and Martha is often the Gospel used for the Feast of St. Scholastica. I’ve realized it is a powerful model for discernment. Continue Reading
All Benedictine women celebrate February 10 as the Feast of St. Scholastica. Saints Benedict and Scholastica were twins but, more importantly, they were of One Spirit. They were extraordinarily close and several very colorful stories are recorded by St. Gregory the Great about their relationship. St. Scholastic followed her brother as he left Rome and later established a small community. She established similar communities of women who followed Benedict’s teaching and Rule. Continue Reading
Turn away your face from my sins, blot out all my guilt. A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit Psalm 51
When discerning about religious life it is essential to look at yourself and where you have been in your life. My last blog posed the question of who loved you immensely and in some way introduced you to the intimate love of God as reflected in Psalm 139. Today I look at Psalm 51, another passage I suggest for discerning about your personal history.
Psalm 51 is powerful because it recalls the loving, forgiving and nurturing God. Continue Reading
‘I know your resting and your rising…..” PS 139
This week I focused my prayer on one of the passages I offered for discerners in my earlier bog. PS 139 has always been a very favorite of mine. It is a very intimate prayer between Creator God and creation. It is a prayer of being known, cared about and cared for by a loving God. Continue Reading
Create in me a discerning heart, O God, and put a new spirit within me. (Psalm 51)
The discernment process is to help you come to some resolution regarding your call to religious life. As we begin a new Liturgical Year of Ordinary Time I thought it might be helpful to ‘walk through’ some key areas of discernment. The goal is to create a discerning heart. Continue Reading
This week marks the beginning of Ordinary Time in the Church. It’s all BUT ordinary, of course. It begins with Jesus inviting people to “Come Follow Me” after his baptism. The very next day Mark’s Gospel tells us the fishermen drop everything (fish, nets, boats) to follow Jesus.
The surprising part is that Jesus says they must leave all behind including family. This has always bothered me, for isn’t the family key to one’s preparation of faith, trust and hope? I should think family would be a group that we want to bring along with Jesus! Continue Reading
One of the vows Benedictine Sisters profess is the vow of stability. This weekend as I looked out the Chapel window at the snow covered woods I noticed a single tree that still had its golden brown leaves. An odd site in a snowy winter like we are experiencing. But there is was – big, bold and stark against the barren woods. Continue Reading
It was great to hear from Alissa a couple of days ago. She has touched upon a fundamental discernment question for many women. They are pulled between marriage and children as well as religious life. Amost every woman I have encountered has grappled with that choice. That is why it is important to be prayerfully connected to God – as God helps us discover the path for us. Continue Reading
Today we celebrate one of the Church’s most beautiful feasts, Epiphany. Can you imagine the three wise men traveling to find Jesus and give him their gifts? The drama of their journey in evading Herod and those working against them, their faith and determination to find Jesus and, finally, being saved by the Star. What a dramatic story! Continue Reading
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