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I recently recorded a podcast for Trinity Cathedral’s Advent series, Reverberation of the Spirit. In the busy-ness of Advent, we can easily forget that Advent is about waiting, anticipation. And that requires a centeredness and stillness that allows us to truly appreciate the significance of Christ coming to earth. Stillness requires silence, moments when we canContinue reading “Silence and Stillness”

From the Rule of St. Benedict (Ch. 13):  “On weekdays the Morning Office shall be celebrated as follows. Let Psalm 66 be said without an antiphon and somewhat slowly, as on Sunday, in order that all may be in time for Psalm 50, which is to be said with an antiphon. After that let twoContinue reading “Praise and Thanksgiving”

“Let the brethren serve one another, and let no one be excused from the kitchen service except by reason of sickness or occupation in some important work. For this service brings increase of reward and of charity” (RSB 35).  I just finished doing the dishes. I grew up having to take my turn washing dishes, aContinue reading “Servanthood”

Before addressing the mundane tasks involving physical labor that had to be done around the monastery, Benedict writes about prayer, specifically praise. Physical tasks had to be done to maintain the community, and Benedict considered this work to be holy work, too. However, the most important work of God (opus dei) was prayer. The factContinue reading “Throughout the Day”

While driving home from the store one morning this week, I was stopped at a light, and the pickup in front of me was signaling the driver’s intention to turn left from the thru lane, not the marked left turn lane. Sure enough, when the light changed, the truck sat there, while the driver waited forContinue reading “Humility and Driving”

According to Wikipedia, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, every year on September 14th, celebrates, among other things, the finding of the true cross by Saint Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, in about 326-328 CE and the return of the true cross to Jerusalem in 629 CE. The Roman Catholic Church, Eastern OrthodoxContinue reading “Holy Cross”

“I don’t do obedience,” my friend said sharply when I was explaining the three vows I took as a Benedictine: stability, obedience, conversion of life. She is a strong, very independent woman who doesn’t hesitate to speak out when she disagrees with a decision made by unenlightened leaders. Obedience is the one vow that mostContinue reading “Mutual Obedience”

As it falls in the church calendar, this Sunday was a celebration of the Transfiguration, that time on the mountain when three of Jesus’s disciples witnessed a scene in which they saw Jesus in a new light.  As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as aContinue reading “Mountain Top”

Bible Trivia Question: Who was the first apostle? In all four gospels, Mary Magdalene was a witness to Jesus’ crucifixion, the empty tomb, and Jesus’ resurrection. In John 20, after Mary had come to the tomb early in the morning, Jesus said to her, “Mary,” causing her to suddenly realize he was not the gardener, but herContinue reading ““I Have Seen the Lord””

Benedict has lots to say about stewardship, especially in chapters 31 through 34 of his Rule for Monasteries. To begin with, he mandates that the monastery cellarer (the monk in charge of supplies and tools) should be someone who is wise, mature, temperate, and not wasteful, among other things. He instructs the cellarer to take care of everythingContinue reading “Stewardship”