Getting Fired Up ....by Sr. Monika
Sunday, May 19 is Pentecost in the Christian tradition. It is a solemnity marking the day the believers, who were shivering in fear, received the Holy Spirit. On that day the Spirit descended upon the believers as tongues of fire, and did they ever get fired up!--even to the point of praising God in various languages that everyone understood. Howard Thurman said, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask instead, ‘What makes you come alive?’ and go DO THAT.
Don't Give Up ....by Sr. Dorothy
In early May, a group of eight Tibetan monks stayed for several days at The Priory Spirituality Center. They had dinner with our St. Placid Sisters on Sunday evening, and though most of them had minimal English, there was plenty of good will and a bit of conversation. Tibetan monks enjoy a meal with St.
NRVC / RFC Regional Meeting ....by Sr. Paz
Three exciting days at St. Placid Priory: From April 30 to May 2, fifteen sisters’ vocation and formation directors from the Pacific Northwest area came together to pray, celebrate, learn and collaborate together. Sr. Mary Pat Garvin, RSM and Sr. Diane Tomkinson, OSF joined us for a presentation via Zoom. We were honored with the presence of Sr. Debbie Borneman, SS. C. M.
Read the full post: NRVC / RFC Regional Meeting ....by Sr. Paz
A Mug for All Seasons ....by Sr. Julian
Our lives here at St Placid Priory have a daily rhythm which is guided by a liturgical calendar. Isn’t a calendar just a calendar? Well, no, not always. The liturgical calendar is both different and similar to a normal everyday calendar. Both the liturgical and secular calendars mark special seasons such as Christmas and Easter. But the liturgical calendar also reflects which days are Catholic solemnities and feasts and seasons such as Lent and Advent.
Fallow Time ....by Sr. Monika
The psalmist wrote, “. . . the hills are arrayed with flocks; the fields are blanketed with grain. ” I enjoy these images. Blankets of grain. It isn’t hard to imagine such a glorious scene. The earth in our part of the world is bursting with new life right now–hyacinths, violets, fruit trees, big leaf maples.
What Is Love? How Do We Do It? ....by Sr. Dorothy
“I did not understand that love is primarily a language of presence. And that the nature of any form of love is revealed in its acts more than in its words. ” --Michael D. O’Brien, quoted in On the Edge of Eternity, A Biography of Michael D. O’Brien by Clemens Cavallin.
Read the full post: What Is Love? How Do We Do It? ....by Sr. Dorothy
SMU Students Come Visiting ....by Sr. Paz
Last Tuesday, April 2, was a wonderful evening. Seven young women from Saint Martin’s University visited us along with Campus Minister Nick Hoffman. I welcomed them at the Priory’s entrance, where it was very nice to meet familiar faces--Reine, Nick, Bianca, and greet new faces--Lillian, Daniela, Carina, Carmelina and Delaney. I gave them a tour of the Spirituality Center, and the Stations of the Cross—created and donated to the Priory by artists Renata and Walter Siegl.
Read the full post: SMU Students Come Visiting ....by Sr. Paz
An Encounter at Midnight ....by Sr. Anna-Camille
One year when I was teaching 6th grade, King County offered free worm bins--worms and all--to any interested classroom. I was definitely interested so that year became the year of the worm bin. As you might expect, some of the kids were fascinated, some grossed out beyond their ability to put into words, and a few were mostly indifferent. In their experience, teachers often did inexplicable things, and this was just one more thing to add to the list.
Read the full post: An Encounter at Midnight ....by Sr. Anna-Camille
What I notice ....by Sr. Monika
When I finish a piece of art, I'm not really finished with it. I like to look at it now and then and see if I notice more in it than I originally thought or intended. Often, I find more than I expected. In this example called Hearts A-Blossoming, I see motion--lines swirling around the heart of things. Hearts blossoming, flowing out from the center. God's heart, my heart, the hearts of everyone.
Care of the sick—Again ....by Sr. Paz
St. Benedict, in Chapter 36 of The Rule, tells us “Care of the sick must rank above and before all else, so that they may be truly served as Christ, for [Jesus] said: “I was sick and you visited me” (Matt 25:36) “The music that arrived to stay” is the title of a radio station in Mexico City that my mother loves to listen to.
