Spirituality

Envision the Benedictine value of Prayer through Visio Divina (Divine Seeing)

Spirituality / By

This is the fist of 6 Visio Divina Meditations, as an alternative to New Years Resolutions. Joseph O’Connell’s Sculptures: Prayer, Work and Community The brochure “Vision Through Sculpture,” published by The Sisters of Saint Benedict’s Monastery, explains that “In 1982, Joseph O’Connell . . . was commissioned by the Emerson Hynes family” to create a sculpture …

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Visio Divina (Divine Seeing) as an alternative to New Year Resolutions: envision your new self-story based on Benedictine values and commitments

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This is the introduction to 6 Visio Divina Meditations, as an alternative to New Years Resolutions. Visio Divina (Divine Seeing) as an Alternative to New Years Resolutions Benedictine Spirituality is not a self-improvement project, rather, because it is rooted in humility and relies on the gracious love of a divine power greater than ourselves, the …

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Exploring Inner Rooms: an online 12 days of Christmas retreat at Cloister Seminars

Spirituality / By

It’s not too late to join a heart-stirring, soul-deepening, online “12 days of Christmas” retreat at Cloister Seminars Retreat leaders, married couple Chuck Huff and Almut Furchert invite you to “take a break from the hustle and bustle, to breathe, and to wonder, guided and sustained by wise women and men.” Elaborating on the reflections of …

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4 characteristics of vibrant, strong communities from The Rule of Benedict

Poetry, Spirituality / By

The poet Emily Dickinson, now recognized alongside Walt Whitman as one of the cofounders of a uniquely American poetic voice, lived in almost complete social isolation.  If a poet wants to write remarkable, enduring poems, is it, therefore, best for her to live an isolationist life? Paul the Hermit lived his long adult life alone …

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What nuns, monks and poets know about heartfelt listening and how we learn compassion

Poetry, Spirituality / By

What is heartfelt listening? Scientifically, the heart is the organ that pumps the blood. Philosophically or spiritually, however, the idea of “heart” is more difficult to put into words. Heartbreak is emotional anguish. Heartland is the center of a country. The heartless are unfeeling; to know something by heart requires intimate familiarity; and a heartwarming …

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What nuns, monks and poets know about confirmation bias, with 3 practices to help overcome the fear of change

Poetry, Spirituality / By

What is confirmation bias? It clouds vision and causes the prejudice that makes people irrational and illogical. It can negatively effect our health and well being. It increases the likelihood we will falsely accuse innocent people and will readily believe malicious, unfounded lies. It leads to miscommunication and conflict in relationships. It is confirmation bias. Psychologists …

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8 Things Poets and Monastics Can Teach Us About Happiness; with 8 Poems to Make Life More Meaningful–Part 1 of a series

Poetry, Spirituality / By

What poets and monastics have in common When people think about what poets and monastics (monks and nuns who live in monasteries) have in common, the list might look like this: They have their heads in the clouds; They’re hermits;. They dress weird; And they’re dying off.  Like all potent rumors, there’s a smidgeon of …

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The destruction of apathy: how Emma Gonzalez mobilized the tools of poetry to empower the #NeverAgain movement

2 Comments / Poetry, Spirituality / By

On March 26, 2018, at the ‘March for Our Lives’ demonstration in Washington D.C., one of the march’s organizers, Emma Gonzalez, took the stage to speak against the insane notion that nothing can be done to protect us and our children from gun violence.  People were shaken out of apathy and the #NeverAgain movement, organized …

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5 safe, mid-winter retreats for spiritual seekers, Benedictine Oblates, and anyone who wants to nurture a sacred way of life during the pandemic

Spirituality / By

This article will:
* Explain why making a retreat can be a positive, life-transforming experience;
* Provide details about 5 upcoming pandemic-safe retreats for seekers, oblates, and anyone seeking to nurture a sacred way of life (4 visual retreats + 1 stay-at-home, ebook-guided retreat);
* Offer help for deciding which retreat is best for you through a link to “Listen with the ear of your heart to make up your mind: a Benedictine process for spiritual discernment.”