Catholic Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, Ill., blog with inquirers discerning their religious calling to monastic life.
Posted in Christmas on Dec 25th, 2010
On December 10, I received a phone call saying my brother-in-law, Cozz Regele, had died. He and my sister, Colleen, had been married for 59 years, raised 7 children and have 20 grandchildren. My mind rolled back many happy memories of Cozz; one tangible one was that he had given me his two Baltimore Catechisms [...]
As Advent nears completion and Christmas is upon us let’s take a moment to reflect on what it all means. For me, Advent is the most special time of year. Filled with hope, anticipation, the first snows, Vespers in the early darkness and wonderful readings from Isaiah all capture the time before the arrival of [...]
Posted in Benedictine values on Dec 23rd, 2010
By Sr. Ruth Ksycki, OSB Have you ever experienced the total darkness when the electricity goes off in a storm? You stand in a moment of panic and grope about for candles or a flashlight. Then the questions come one after another: How will I fix food or do laundry? How will I open the [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Dec 18th, 2010
By Sr. Margaret Murphy, OSB I found within myself a dry empty place…a disappointment for someone who loves the richness of preparing while waiting for Christ to come. So I decided to take Christ to others who might find emptiness, dryness, or pain as part of their waiting. I began to seek out those who [...]
Posted in Advent on Dec 16th, 2010
By Sr. Catherine Cleary, OSB 1st Reading: Is 7:10-14 “The virgin shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel”; 2nd Reading: Rom 1:1-7 “Through him we belong to Jesus Christ, and are called to be holy” Gospel: Mt 1: 18-24 “And they shall call him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” Today is [...]
Posted in Advent on Dec 13th, 2010
By Sr. Ruth Ksycki, OSB Rejoicing is the theme of the third Sunday of Advent. The reading from Isaiah 35:1-6a,10 gives us the desert blooming with profusion. Why? Because we will see the glory and splendor of God. Because God will come to save us. What a message of hope and joy!