Benedictine Oblates Blog

We often think of “praying constantly,” but what about praising God constantly?

Prayer can be petitionary, a way of dredging up what’s stirring inside our soul and giving voice of it to God.

But prayer of praise, which Psalm 95 invites us into all this week, is something we may often see as a subset of prayer, rather than its ever steady backdrop (like the sound of those vuvuzelas blown constantly during World Cup games). Continue Reading »

Join Sisters Ruth and Bobbi on their trip to Rome! Sr. Bobbi is sending dispatches and photos home as often as possible. Today they are attending the Pentecost Mass at St. Peter’s!

I’m sick today. Nothing serious, just a cold, but enough to stay home for. I ache, but not severely, and my voice is two octaves lower than usual. Sleep overtakes me every two hours or so, for two hours or so. In the waking intervals I read and consume hot tea and chicken soup by the gallon. Continue Reading »

Tags: illness, vocation

I’ve noticed that often the Sisters’ daily Facebook updates feature flowers, and reference praise of God by way of the beauty of the natural world.  I think for many people the flower is a kind of sacramental, a visible reminder of the grace of God mediated to us in this fleshy wondrous world. Continue Reading »

Sr. Maureen Coughlin died Sunday at the monastery. Read her obituary and a poem written for her by Sr. Marilyn.

“It’s the Octave of Easter,” said Pastor Chuck cheerfully as he ate a handful of jelly beans and several pieces of chocolate–all before he and his wife Cheryl and I headed out to a restaurant for dinner.  A time of full-fledged feasting.

Continue Reading »