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 Mar 6th, 2009
My 84-year-old friend, Sister Rosemary Murphy, told me today that she had read my recent blogs and enjoyed them. So I asked her what I should write today to the women discerning their vocation. Her answer came out of today’s Gospel, when Jesus instructed his disciples how to pray. He said, Ask my Father for [...]
Posted in discernment, discernment prayer on Oct 4th, 2008
Read Nancy’s wonderful discernment prayer comparing her life to autumn in “A Time to Plant,” below. Leaves must fall before new growth can begin, she says, and I agree! In our lives we must shed our old leaves in order to grow. Discernment is a Paschal Mystery walk, where we pray to let go of [...]
Posted in discernment, discernment prayer on Sep 20th, 2008
For over 20 year Be Not Afraid has been a popular song in funeral liturgies and at retreats. It expresses our human longing to be at peace even in the midst of extraordinary tension and uncomfortable experiences. We use a similar Taize chant at the Monastery with the simple phrase, “Peace I leave you, Peace [...]