Shortly after posting Contemplatives and the World, I came across this excerpt from Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen that presses the point even further. It makes a perfect Part II to the original blog: When a person is captured by God's love and leaves earthly pursuits behind in order to cling - as far as possible - [...]
So embrace the whole world with the arms of your love and in that act at once consider and congratulate the good, contemplate and mourn over the wicked. In that act look upon the afflicted and oppressed and feel compassion for them." - St. Aelred Wall space in our tiny novitiate classroom is VERY limited. [...]
When the bow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature—every mortal being that is on earth." - Genesis 9:16 Obviously these photos are not in chronological order! - Sr. Augusta is not a postulant again! Rather, I am not just getting around to [...]
Once again, we have to ask ourselves: Is Jesus really our first and only love, as we promised he would be when we professed our vows? Only if he is, will we be empowered to love, in truth and mercy, every person who crosses our path. For we will have learned from Jesus the meaning [...]
"What did not lie in my plan lay in God's plan. And the more often such things happen to me, the more lively becomes in me the conviction of my faith that - from God's point of view - nothing is accidental, that my entire life, even the most minute details, was pre-designed in the [...]
To you, who are at the beginning of the journey of life, I ask: have you thought about the talents that God has given you? Have you thought about how you can put them at the service of others? Don’t bury your talents! Bet on big ideals, those ideals that enlarge the heart, those ideals [...]
The flu has visited our community, inviting some of us to a different sort of Lenten penance than originally planned. I spent the greater part of my own 'forced retreat' with some good friends, just catching up. Yes, St. Therese and Pope St. John XXIII were happy to keep me company, being that germs are [...]
"From my own experience I can certainly say that these seven psalms, though not all equally, are one of God's greatest gifts in keeping us in touch with a true sorrow for sin and in giving us the words we need to pierce through the haziness of self-justification." - Mother Maureen McCabe Late last year, [...]
On February 8th, we invited all to come and see Our Lady of Solitude Monastery Chapel! To celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life, we had an open house, tour and reception. The day far exceeded our hopes! People from all over the Valley joined us. It was simply glorious. With a Chapel FULL of [...]
