Catholic Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, Ill., blog with inquirers discerning their religious calling to monastic life.
Posted in discernment, discernment prayer on Jan 27th, 2009
Create in me a discerning heart, O God, and put a new spirit within me. (Psalm 51) The discernment process is to help you come to some resolution regarding your call to religious life. As we begin a new Liturgical Year of Ordinary Time I thought it might be helpful to ‘walk through’ some key [...]
Posted in discernment on Jan 18th, 2009
This week marks the beginning of Ordinary Time in the Church. It’s all BUT ordinary, of course. It begins with Jesus inviting people to “Come Follow Me” after his baptism. The very next day Mark’s Gospel tells us the fishermen drop everything (fish, nets, boats) to follow Jesus. The surprising part is that Jesus says [...]
Posted in Benedictine vows, discernment on Jan 13th, 2009
One of the vows Benedictine Sisters profess is the vow of stability. This weekend as I looked out the Chapel window at the snow covered woods I noticed a single tree that still had its golden brown leaves. An odd site in a snowy winter like we are experiencing. But there is was – big, [...]
Posted in discernment on Jan 11th, 2009
It was great to hear from Alissa a couple of days ago. She has touched upon a fundamental discernment question for many women. They are pulled between marriage and children as well as religious life. Amost every woman I have encountered has grappled with that choice. That is why it is important to be prayerfully [...]
Posted in discernment on Jan 4th, 2009
Today we celebrate one of the Church’s most beautiful feasts, Epiphany. Can you imagine the three wise men traveling to find Jesus and give him their gifts? The drama of their journey in evading Herod and those working against them, their faith and determination to find Jesus and, finally, being saved by the Star. What [...]