Category Archives: Benedictine Spirituality

Home | Archive by category "Benedictine Spirituality" (Page 6)

Blog

Just Wave: Following that Holy Nudge

Just Wave: Following that Holy Nudge

PHOTO CREDIT: Carol Jorgensen Just Wave The Benedictine Center welcomes stories of encounter that remind us of the nearness of God and that call us to living the way of hospitality Benedict commended in the Rule. This reflection by Carol Jorgensen, Hospitality Specialist for the Benedictine Center, captures the wisdom of one such moment.  Just…
Read more
Cradle in the Corner

Cradle in the Corner

Cradle in the Corner Last Fall, a brief skirmish with some mice brought me to the far corner of my garage, where the breaker box is, right next to the driveway. That corner is the most chaotic because it’s the most convenient, and most of the stuff in that corner is damning evidence of my…
Read more
Being Real (Part 1): Learning to Swim By Swimming

Being Real (Part 1): Learning to Swim By Swimming

When I turned 30, I decided that I wanted to complete a triathlon. One problem: I did not know how to swim. I wasn’t scared of the water and I could stay afloat, but the most fruitful results of my childhood swim lessons were a goofy-looking breast stroke that didn’t involve putting my head under the water and a “little bird, big bird, fly.” The latter was basically laying on my back, flapping my arms, and propelling myself (slowly) through the water. These were not the ways of a triathlete.

Read more
The Messy Middle: Where Change Happens

The Messy Middle: Where Change Happens

The Messy Middle: Where Change Happens In the Benedictine Center office, we’ve been talking about Brené Brown’s book Rising Strong (Random House, 2015). She makes that point that, if we want to experience real growth and change in our lives, we can’t skip the “messy middle” part of our stories. The first pass at such an observation…
Read more
Benedict and Change

Benedict and Change

Benedict and Change Book vendors and websites are loaded with titles touting self-help themes of all kinds. Our current culture seems to be one that wants a different shape, a different nose, a different attitude, or a different belief. So, no matter what kind of change one is seeking, there is an author who has…
Read more
Benedict’s Wisdom for Change and Transition

Benedict’s Wisdom for Change and Transition

Benedict’s Wisdom for Change and Transition We stand in a long line of Benedictines who have seen the needs of society and people of God and adapted our way of living to serve more effectively. Take, for instance, the shift from a completely cloistered life in Europe to one of teaching in the early days…
Read more
Life, A Continuous Advent

Life, A Continuous Advent

According to Saint Benedict, “The life of a monastic ought to be a continuous Lent.” However, what Benedict presents is life as a continuous Advent. We can confidently stand ready and raise our heads because our redemption is at hand.

Read more
Change IS Possible

Change IS Possible

Change IS Possible People can’t change.  If I had a dollar for every time I have heard these words uttered, I’d have a pretty hefty savings account. It wasn’t until I recently heard my sixteen-year old niece proclaim them that I knew I’d had enough.  I responded, “Honey, if I didn’t believe people could change,…
Read more
The Hospitable Lathe

The Hospitable Lathe

The Hospitable Lathe “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ ….” Rule of Benedict 53:1 My daughter, Katie, would impress you on several levels: a quick smile, a quicker wit, a keen sense of justice, lotsa’ golden hair, and a dynamic creative spirit. Part of her creativity also involves making things—drawing,…
Read more
Becoming Real: Questions that Move Us Toward Our Best Selves

Becoming Real: Questions that Move Us Toward Our Best Selves

Eily Marlow serves as the Program Associate for Vocation and Reflection in the Center for Civic Engagement at Macalester College. Along with Kiely Todd Roska, Eily is facilitating the upcoming event “Being Real: Practicing Authenticity, Courage, and Humility in Everyday Life” (Thurs., Nov. 9, 9a-3p). Learn more and register online. Being Real Questions that Move…
Read more