Lent

March 31, 2017

5th Sunday: Roll the stone away and untie yourself!

burial cross

By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB

John 11 tells the story of Lazarus. It offers a deeper look into the ministry, heart and prayer of Jesus.

Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, first send word that Jesus’s friend, Lazarus, is ill. This, Jesus ignores, telling his disciples, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

He waits until Lazarus dies to go.  Continue Reading

February 7, 2016

Springtime for your soul: A Lenten/Easter mini-retreat

daffodils-pushing-up-through-brown-leaves

By Sister Mary Core, OSB

Spring is the perfect season for spiritual renewal! This 15-part online mini-retreat is perfect for anytime you need a breath of fresh air … or maybe even a change of mental scenery. Follow the links for the spiritual nourishment you need to take a new look at yourself and the world around you:

Easter: Personal Emmaus/Resurrection Moments

Mid-Week: Let it Shine!

Holy Week: Be the Light

Mid-Week #6: Persevere!

Week #6: What Do You Want Me to Do for You?

Mid-Week #5: Letting Go to Move Forward

Week #5: See, I’m Doing Something New!

Mid-Week #4: Walking WITH God

Week #4: Do Justice! Love Goodness!

Mid-Week#3: How Weakness becomes Holiness in God’s Hands

Week #3: Finding Strength in Weakness

Mid-Week #2: Sitting Still with God

Week #2: Be Still and Know I Am God

Mid-Week #1: Who is Your Sun, Soil, Rain?

Week #1: Be a Grain of Wheat

Sister Mary is a Catholic Benedictine Sister of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, IL. To learn more about our community, visit www.smmsisters.org. Blessings!

April 14, 2011

A Mirror of Lent

This morning as I looked out my window it occured to me that the view was like a mirror of my Lent.  At the beginning of Lent the trees, lake, and all were in darkness.  With no view of life it all seemed barren.  I felt this barrenness and realized that Jesus spent 40 days in the desert.

In scripture barrenness has always been a time of waiting for God to act, waiting with trust.        Continue Reading

March 21, 2011

Seeing the Essential Oneness of God's World

By Sr. Phyllis McMurray, OSB

A story is told in the Life of Benedict attributed to Gregory the Great about Benedict’s own spiritual transformation.  It is said that Benedict, close to the time of his death, went to a tower cell late at night to pray, when the rest of his community was thought to be at rest. As he gazed out into the darkness, he saw an amazing light break through the black of the night.  Afterwards, Gregory recounts, it was as though “the whole world, contracted as it were together, was represented to his eyes in one ray of light.” Continue Reading

March 19, 2011

Our Own Transformation

Second Sunday of Lent: Gospel of Matthew 17: 1-9

By Sr. Catherine Cleary, OSB

Matthew’s gospels for the first two Sundays in Lent clearly show readers that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecies of Israel.  Last week, Jesus’ fasting in the desert reminded us of Moses’ sojourn in the desert.  Today’s gospel highlights Jesus as the new Moses as he appears on a high mountain with Moses and Elijah, his face shining as Moses’ did when he saw God.  (Ex 34:29) Continue Reading

March 9, 2011

An Ancient Form of Prayer for Lent

By Prioress Sister Phyllis McMurray, OSB

Lord, impart to us the meaning of the words of Scripture and the light to understand it. St. Hilary of Poiters

We read in the gospels of occasions when Jesus withdrew from others in order to pray in solitude. One episode was when Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. When tempted by the devil to satisfy his hunger, Jesus replied, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Continue Reading