Catholic Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, Ill., blog with inquirers discerning their religious calling to monastic life.
Posted in Benedictine values, prayer, retreat on Jun 9th, 2011
Thunderstorms crackled and roared through the area early this morning, leaving puddled walkways, downed branches, and, for the moment at least, no breeze at all. Our resident chipmunk darts past as if the sun were shining brightly. Overhead, flat-iron gray clouds are pocked with wisps of light. More thunderstorms are forecast.
Posted in prayer, spirituality on Nov 22nd, 2010
Every Thanksgiving I pray/read the following poem written by a friend and co-worker at Lutheran Social Services. We were both working with difficult cases, she with children of abuse. She was tall, slim, with beautiful laughing, blue eyes and short cropped natural curly hair.
Posted in Benedictine practices, prayer on Apr 9th, 2009
I was in a discussion this week when a woman said, “It is very hard to understand the resurrection. People have a hard time understanding death, let alone someone being raised from the dead.” And she is right. The resurrection is very difficult to understand.
Posted in Benedictine Prayer, Benedictine practices, prayer, spirituality on Mar 12th, 2009
When a desert abba once said, “Watching means to sit in your cell and be always mindful of God,” he could have been talking about Centering Prayer. An ancient practice that may lead to contemplation, Centering Prayer helps practitioners, through silence, learn to rest in God – and know God. It is stunningly simple. Learn [...]
Posted in discernment prayer, prayer on Feb 7th, 2009
Turn away your face from my sins, blot out all my guilt. A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit Psalm 51 When discerning about religious life it is essential to look at yourself and where you have been in your life. My last blog posed the question of who [...]
Posted in News, prayer, spirituality on Nov 16th, 2008
By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB “O God you are eternal life and everlasting peace by your essence,” prayed the seventy-some women and men who participated in the 3rd annual Muslim/Christian Women’s Dialogue, sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters of Rock Island. The doors opened with flowing crowds coming from their study clubs, their Scripture groups, coming [...]