Reduce, Reuse...Repair? ...by Sr. Dorothy
Life can be very busy in the 21st century. So busy that we often feel we don’t have time to repair things—clothing, furniture, electronic equipment. We just need to keep going, so we throw away things that could be repaired—some of which we could repair ourselves—and buy new ones. from Weaving Vectors by Vecteezy. com This feeling of time pressure is very real, but not particularly new.
Read the full post: Reduce, Reuse...Repair? ...by Sr. Dorothy
A Gift of Time and Space ...by Sr. Laura
Monasteries can be busy places. At least for us. Normally I carve out an hour here and an hour there to research, think and write. But the gift of uninterrupted time for writing is valuable. I have been gifted by the Board of Hypatia-in-the-Woods with a few days to do just that. This is a simple and beautiful place. I sit at their knotty pine table looking out at old forest--and if I look closely--the Puget Sound.
Read the full post: A Gift of Time and Space ...by Sr. Laura
Jubilee of Hope, a Time to Restore Hope and Trust ...by Sr. Paz
Pope Francis opens the Holy Door My baby brother Diego and his wife Lili just returned from their Vatican pilgrimage. He told me about the Jubilee year. Last year Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica on December 24 as a symbol of the opening of the Jubilee year of Hope, and called on all Christians to become pilgrims of hope. This Jubilee year will end on January 6. 2026.
Read the full post: Jubilee of Hope, a Time to Restore Hope and Trust ...by Sr. Paz
Christmas in the Monastery ...by Sr. Julian
Although the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours are the essence of our Advent and Christmas seasons, we do manage to celebrate in other ways too! After a wonderful Thanksgiving feast prepared by our Chef Nico, we gather in our community room to draw Kris Kringle names. All during Advent, we keep the secret of whose name we have chosen and may offer special prayers and little gifts anonymously for this person.
Read the full post: Christmas in the Monastery ...by Sr. Julian
Dedication to the Work of God ...by Sr. Monika
Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “Prayer is the mortar that holds our house together. ” Walter Burghardt said, quoting someone else, “Contemplation is a long, loving look at the real. ” St. Paul said, “Pray always. ” Teresa of Avila suggested that missing prayer is a mortal sin! And St. Benedict, a model of moderation, said, “Prefer nothing to the Opus Dei (e. i. the Work of God, referring to the Divine Office.
Read the full post: Dedication to the Work of God ...by Sr. Monika
Thanksgiving? ...by Sr. Dorothy
Our Sr. Paz was not with us this year to celebrate Thanksgiving. On the evening of Saturday, November 23, she received a phone call from her family: her mother had unexpectedly passed, following a fall earlier in the day. This was shocking news for her and all of us. Sr. Paz left early the next day to join her family in California.
Advent Statio ...by Sr. Julian
Statio. It’s a different kind of word; almost seems incomplete, like it should be station or stationary or something. Statio is a Latin word (pronounced "staht-see-oh) meaning station or position. One early use was a Roman stopping place where travelers could find shelter and change horses. Over time it has become known as a pause or transition.
Friendship ...by Sr. Dorothy
It was my turn to post on our blog this past week, but I had company and just couldn’t find time or attention to do it. I was enjoying being with my friend too much! How do two people get to be friends? It can happen in many different ways, as we may realize when we stop to think about it.
El Dia de los Muertos | Day of the Dead ...by Sr. Paz
The Day of the Dead is here. I am really excited about it. It is a bittersweet celebration. It is like sugar, salt, lime and tequila, which sounds like a weird combination, but tastes great as a margarita! I am so excited because finally this year I am facilitating a retreat about my favorite celebration. This celebration reminds me of my colorful culture with their smells of food and flowers to honor the memories of our deceased loved ones.
Read the full post: El Dia de los Muertos | Day of the Dead ...by Sr. Paz
Space and Privacy ...by Sr. Julian
When I was growing up, ‘space’ meant outer space: galaxies, planets, even black holes. I became curious about the time when ‘space’ began to mean something personal. Around 1963, cultural anthropologist Edward Hall began identifying various forms of distance (Proxemics: “study of the amount of space that people feel it necessary to set between themselves and others”). Later, Neuropsychology came along and began to investigate ‘space’ in its extrapersonal, peripersonal and percutaneous forms.
