Pray for us as we Pray for you ~ Community Retreat

Greetings,

Pray for us during our time of retreat; we shall keep you in our prayers.

This week all the sisters of our community are gathering at the monastery for retreat.  Usually, the sister who coordinates our on-going formation sets three separate weeks for retreat to accommodate our sisters varying schedules due to their ministry and service in different works of the Church. However, every five years (or so) the community gathers for one retreat.

This year Prior Mauritius Wilde, OSB  of Christ the King Priory will be our retreat director.  His conferences will focus on the value of detachment in the life of Saint Benedict and in our lives as Benedictine women.

This window is a icon of the Matins hour of prayer,
the wise virgins from Scripture representing
our waiting in prayer before the Lord Jesus.

Listen I (General Norms of our Federation) recognizes that "Benedictine formation is a lifelong process of daily conversion within a dynamic, monastic faith community.  The entire community is responsible, under the direction of the prioress, for the ongoing formation of all sisters.  The monastery fulfills this responsibility when it provides the environment for the sisters to share their life together in faith and to continue their own daily effort toward growth in Christ" (G111).


Listen II (Specific Norms of our Federation) reminds the prioress that "the Monastery Norms specifies the ways a monastery provides for the continuing spiritual development of its sisters, such as community renewal, annual retreats, days of recollection and other opportunities" (S129).

Our Listen III or Monastery Norms (specific to our monastic guidance) take all this into account and very simply states a list of items to support this continuing formation including "annual retreats" (M111.g).  Simple...However, this yearly week of retreat is so important within our monastic life that it is even written into our contracts so we that may set at least a week aside for personal and private prayer, reflection, and community.

Retreat allows for a deepening of relationship with God in the silence of our day, broken only by Father's conferences and our prayer, and through our personal prayer which supports our times of Liturgy of the Hours.  All this additional time in prayer reminds us to follow Saint Benedict's injunction on the oratory:

"Let the oratory be what is is called, a place of prayer; and let nothing else be done there or kept there.  When the Work of God is ended, let all go out in perfect silence, and let reverence for God be observed, so that any sister who may wish to pray privately will not be hindered by another's misconduct.  And that other times also, if anyone should want to pray by herself, let her go in simply and pray, not in a loud voice but with tears and fervor of heart.  She who does not say her prayers in this way, therefore, shall not be permitted to remain in the oratory when the Work of God is ended, lest another be hindered, as we have said" (Rule of Benedict 52).

Retreat Week Schedule (July 12-18)

for Liturgy of the Hours and Mass 

8:30 AM ~ Lauds

9:00 AM ~ Mass

5:15 PM ~ Vespers

Blessings,

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Greetings,

Tonight we begin our celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the patronal feast of our monastery.  We will begin this evening with first Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours.  The celebration continues on the day of the Feast with our prayer and Eucharist being celebrated in the Bishop Marty Chapel.  The Psalms and antiphons all echoing the reminders of Christ's great love for us poured out through His Sacred Heart.

"Let us love one another with fervent love, endure one another's infirmities; patiently serve and obey one another, and prefer nothing whatever to Christ."
~ Vespers Antiphon

"Thus says the LORD: When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son.  Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them in my arms; I drew them with human cords, with bands of love" ~ Hosea 11

The day of prayer is accented with little joys to join in the celebration:  flavored coffee during the day, homemade pie for supper, and time to gather for laughter and recreation.  These little joys are part of our family tradition too.  Tradition runs deep in our Benedictine life.  The mosaic of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (above) in the Chapter room of the monastery.  He has was designed by the artisan sisters in our community; each sister in our community joined in the art by placing individual tiles within the design.  The lintel block of our name (below) was placed above our early convent doorway over a hundred years ago.  When we rebuilt the monastery in 1999-2000, the lintel was preserved and still declares our presence.  Today, it is built into the retaining wall of the flowerbeds in front of the monastery.

We invite you to join us in Bishop Marty Memorial Chapel for our celebration of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:
~ First Vespers ~ Thursday, June 11th at 5:15 PM
~ Lauds ~ Friday, June 12th at 7:00 AM
~ Celebration of the Eucharist following prayer at approximately 7:25 AM
~ Vespers ~ Friday at 5:15 PM

  

Community Prayer of Dedication...

God of all creation, and God of our hearts,
 on this feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
we remember the love with which you first loved us.
We remember the gift of your Son,
Jesus Christ who brings us to birth and feeds us
with the blood and water flowing from his side, pierced on the cross.  
Inspired by the Spirit of Love, we desire to give our hearts to you,
and to make the heart of Jesus our own.
Through his most Sacred Heart
we consecrate to you our monastery, the life and work
of each member of this community, and our beloved sick.
We ask you to receive this offering, which we make through Christ,
in the power of the Holy Spirit, one with you forever and ever.  Amen.  

Memorial Day

Greetings,

You are welcome to join us in honoring and interceding for the deceased members of our nations Armed Forces: morning prayer begins at 8:30 AM, followed by the Celebration of the Eucharist.

We also invite you to follow our link to Busted Halo, sponsored by the Paulist Fathers.  They  have created a 'virtual' Memorial Day retreat to use as a reflection and prayer for those who have and continue to serve in our armed forces.

The Passing of Saint Benedict

Greetings,

While the universal Church honors Saint Benedict with a memorial to him as abbot in the midst of July, we Benedictines commemorate the anniversary of his death today.  Here at Sacred Heart Monastery we join Benedictines around the world in celebrating the Passing of our Holy Father Benedict with great joy.  How you might ask...

Prayer for the feast began on the eve of the day with a solemn procession of statio into first Vespers.  The solemnity continues today with chanted and sung prayer honoring Saint Benedict at Lauds and the celebration of the Eucharist the next morning.  Even in the midst of repentant Lent, our joy overflows into the hallways and offices.  The greetings of "Happy Feast!" break the morning silence and ripple cheerfully throughout the day.  After a celebratory supper (a little simpler during this Lenten season), we end the day of solemn joy the way we began, with our voices raised in the song and chanted prayer of Vespers.

St. Gregory the Great recounted the death of Benedict in chapter 37 of his Dialogues:

In the year that was to be his last, the man of God foretold the day of his holy death to a number of his disciples.  In mentioning it to some who were with him in the monastery, he bound them to strict secrecy.  Some others, however, who were stationed elsewhere he only informed of the special sign they would receive at the time of his death.   

The death of Saint Benedict depicted
in the gardens at his monastery
of Monte Cassino in Italy.

Six days before he died, he gave orders for his tomb to be opened. Almost immediately he was seized with a violent fever that rapidly wasted his remaining energy.  Each day his condition grew worse until finally, on the sixth day, he had his disciples carry him into the chapel where he received the Body and Blood of our Lord to gain strength for his approaching end.  Then, supporting his weakened body on the arms of his brethren, he stood with his hands raised to heaven and, as he prayed, breathed his last.   

That day two monks, one of them at the monastery, the other some distance away, received the very same revelation.  They both saw a magnificent road covered with rich carpeting and glittering with thousands of lights.  From his monastery it stretched eastward in a straight line until it reached up into heaven.  and there in the brightness stood a man of majestic appearance, who asked them, "Do you know who passed this way?" "No," they replied. 

"This," he told them, "is the road taken by blessed Benedict, the Lord's beloved, when he went to heaven."  Thus, while the brethren who were with Benedict witnessed his death, those who were absent know about it through the sign he had promised them.  His body was laid to rest in the Chapel of St. John the Baptist, which he had built to replace the altar of Apollo.

Wondering what else we do in celebration?  Ask your questions...through comments here or our Facebook site!

Happy Feast!

Join us in prayer...

Greetings,

We've picked up on several Catholic websites calling for a day of prayer for an end to Christian persecution. We invite you to join us this Sunday, March 1st from 2:00~4:00 P.M. in Eucharistic Adoration.  We join our hearts and prayers: "For the end of violence against Christians and against all people, that peace may come by the power of our most fervent prayer and God's intercession. Amen."

St. Benedict's Lenten Reminder

Greetings, 

Rule of Benedict:  chapter 49 "On the Observance of Lent"

Although the life of a monk out to have about it at all times the character of a Lenten observance...we therefore urge that during the actual days of Lent the brethren keep their lives most pure and at the same time wash away during these holy days all the negligences of other times...and give ourselves up to prayer with tears, to reading, to compunction of heart and to abstinence.

During these days, therefore, let us increase somewhat the usual burden of our service, as by private prayers and by abstinence in food and drink.  Thus everyone of his own will may offer God "with joy of the Holy Spirit" something above the measure required of him.  From his body, that is he may withhold some food, drink, sleep, talking, and jesting; and with the joy of spiritual desire he may look forward to holy Easter.

Rule of Benedict:  chapter 52 "On The Oratory of the Monastery"

And at other times also, if anyone should want to pray by herself, let her go in simply and pray, not in a loud voice but with tears and fervor of heart.  She who does not say her prayers in this way, therefore, shall not be permitted to remain in the oratory when the Work of God is ended, lest another be hindered, as we have said. 

Our daily Mass and Liturgy of the Hours are celebrated in the Peace Chapel amid the simple stone and purple banners of Lent.

Our Lenten resolutions and promises...

Rule of Benedict:  chapter 49
On The Observance of Lent (cont'd)
Let each monk, however, suggest to his Abbot what it is that he wants to offer, and let it be done with his blessing and approval.  For anything done without the permission of the spiritual father will be imputed to presumption and vainglory and will merit no reward.  Therefore let everything be done with the Abbot's approval. 

Sister Penny, Prioress, reads from Vita Consecrata
during supper. The Sister Reader rings the little
bell to quiet the room before she begins.
After pausing to reflect at the end of her portion,
she rings the bell to indicate the sisters may
visit at their tables.

Our Lenten resolutions, received and blessed by the Prioress on Ash Wednesday, remain before the altar throughout the Lenten season as a reminder to us and a continuous offering and sacrifice to the Lord.

Ash Wednesday also begins our monastic Lenten traditions of sacrifice and almsgiving. As a community, we join the Universal Church in continuing our Friday sacrifice and abstinence from meat; however, we add an additional simple supper of soup and bread on Wednesdays. We also refrain from our Sister Baker's fresh-made pies throughout the Lenten season. 

Our community also shares in the Benedictine tradition of table reading during our weekday suppers. This Lent we will share in listening to Pope John Paul II's exhortation Vita Consecrata to commemorate this Year for Consecrated Life. Our Benedictine family will join in almsgiving; the Sunday donations to the monastery and our sisters personal offerings, reserved from their personal budgets, will be offered to AIM, Alliance for International Monasticism.

Be assured of our prayers for you throughout this sacred Season of Lent. If you would like to share your intentions with us, follow this link to our homepage for prayer requests.

Blessings,

The Celebration of Light

Sister's calligraphy and art illustrating Simeon's
prayer upon meeting Christ in the temple.

Greetings,

Our candles arranged on the Sunday feast of
Candlemas during 2014.

Today, we commemorate the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple with the feast of Candlemas. It is a celebration of Jesus as the light of the world; a celebration that we too carry that light within us. In this celebration of light we bless the waxy reminders of the light of Christ. The altar was surrounded by the variety of candles that we use during our prayer in the Chapel and in our living groups.

Opening Prayer:
Forty days ago we celebrated the joyful feast of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today, we recall the holy day on which he was presented in the temple, fulfilling the law of Moses and at the same time going to meet his faithful people. Led by the Spirit, Simeon and Anna came to the temple, recognized Christ as their Lord, and proclaimed him with joy. United by the Spirit, may we who are gathered in this house of God welcome Christ the Lord. There we shall recognize him in the breaking of the bread, until he comes again in glory.

The candles are lit ....

Blessing of the Candles:
God, our Father, source of eternal light. Today, you revealed to Simeon and Anna your Light of revelation to the nations. Bless these candles and make the holy. (Sprinkle Candles) May we who use them to praise your glory, walk in the path of goodness and come to the light that shines for ever. In the power of the Holy Spirit, we ask this through Christ, our Lord.
~ Amen

The Prioress blesses these candles during our morning prayer and they remain in the Chapel through evening prayer. After our Vespers, a sister from each of the living groups carries the blessed candle to the group room to be used in our noon and compline prayers. It is just one of the many little liturgies that connects us to the greater Church and to each other. Knowing that even when we pray the shorter hours of noon and night, the blessing of the Prioress and the gathered prayer of the community continues to hold us all together. And we continue to hold you in our prayer.

The Feast of the Presentation is also a day of celebrating our Consecrated Life. Just as Christ was consecrated to the service of God in the temple, we too are consecrated to the service of God's people and the needs of the Church. Last year, our Holy Father's message reminded us to view our religious life as an opportunity for others to encounter Christ. "In the light of this Gospel scene, let us look at consecrated life as an encounter with Christ: it is he who comes to us, led by Mary and Joseph, and we go towards him guided by the Holy Spirit. He is at the center. He moves everything, he draws us to the Temple, to the Church, where we can meet him, recognize him, welcome him, embrace him" (Pope Francis). This year the USCCB has moved our national day of celebration to the weekend of February 7-8.

Blessings,

O Emmanuel

The banner was designed by

the Benedictine Sisters

of Turvey Abbey and

sold by McCrimmons.

O Antiphon...

O Emmanuel,
our holy King
and giver of the Law,
the expectation of the nations,
their longed for
Redeemer and Savior:
O come, come soon to save us,
our Lord GOD-WITH-US!

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel"

(Isaiah 7: 14).

"Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.  When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 

Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us." (Matthew 1: 18-23)

O King of Nations

The banner was designed by

the Benedictine Sisters

of Turvey Abbey and

sold by McCrimmons.

O Antiphon...
O King of Nations,
you for whom
all lands are longing,
you are the holy cornerstone
who binds together
all God's people:
O come, come and save humankind whom you formed
from the dust of the earth.

"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: See, I am laying a stone in Zion, a stone that has been tested, a precious cornerstone as a sure foundation; whoever puts faith in it will not waver" (Isaiah 28: 16).

"Open the gates of righteousness; I will enter and thank the LORD. This is the LORD’s own gate, through it the righteous enter. I thank you for you answered me; you have been my savior.  

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad. LORD, grant salvation! LORD, grant good fortune!"
 (Psalms 118: 19-25)

Christmas Season Liturgies

We invite you to join us in prayer throughout the Christmas Season...

O Rising Sun

The banner was designed by

the Benedictine Sisters

of Turvey Abbey and

sold by McCrimmons.

O Antiphon...

O Rising Sun,
the splendor of eternal light
and brilliant sun of justice,
come and with your holy light,
shine on us who sit in darkness
and in death's shadow!

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone."
(Isaiah 9: 1)

"Now I am sending my messenger—he will prepare the way before me; And the lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple; The messenger of the covenant whom you desire— see, he is coming! says the LORD of hosts.They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my own special possession, on the day when I take action. And I will have compassion on them, as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.  For the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble, And the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, the sun of justice will arise with healing in its wings; And you will go out leaping like calves from the stall and tread down the wicked; They will become dust under the soles of your feet, on the day when I take action, says the LORD of hosts" (Malachi 3: 1, 17, 19-21)

O Key of David

The banner was designed by

the Benedictine Sisters

of Turvey Abbey and

sold by McCrimmons.

O Antiphon...

O Key of David,

and scepter of the House
of Israel, who open the door
and no one closes,
who close the door and
no one opens: O come, rescue us  from our dark prison,
where we sit in death's shadow!

"I will clothe him with your robe, gird him with your sash, confer on him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one will shut, what he shuts, no one will open. I will fix him as a peg in a firm place, a seat of honor for his ancestral house; On him shall hang all the glory of his ancestral house: descendants and offspring, all the little dishes, from bowls to jugs" (Isaiah 22: 21-24)

"“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write this: “The holy one, the true, who holds the key of David, who opens and no one shall close, who closes and no one shall open, says this: “I know your works (behold, I have left an open door before you, which no one can close). You have limited strength, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name" (Revelation 3: 7-8).

O Root of Jesse

Banner was designed by
the Benedictine Sisters
of Turvey Abbey and
sold by McCrimmons.

O Antiphons...

O Root of Jesse,

who stand as a sign
of the people,

before whom all nations
shall pray,

O come, come Lord
to free us and delay no longer!

"On that day, The root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the peoples—Him the nations will seek out; his dwelling shall be glorious...He shall raise a signal to the nations and gather the outcasts of Israel; the dispersed of Judah he shall assemble from the four corners of the earth." (Isaiah 11:10, 12)

O Adonai

The banner was designed by
the Benedictine Sisters
of Turvey Abbey and
sold by McCrimmons.

O Antiphon...

O Adonai, and Leader
of the House of Israel,

who appeared in a burning bush
to Moses and gave him
the Law on Mount Sinai,
O come, come Lord
and redeem us with Your
strong arm outstretched!

"There the angel of the LORD appeared to him as fire flaming out of a bush. When he looked, although the bush was on fire, it was not being consumed. So Moses decided, “I must turn aside to look at this remarkable sight. Why does the bush not burn up?” When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to look, God called out to him from the bush: Moses! Moses! He answered, “Here I am.” God said: Do not come near! Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your father, he continued, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God" (Exodus 3: 2-6).

"But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah least among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, Then the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel. He shall take his place as shepherd by the strength of the LORD, by the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall dwell securely, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth..." (Micah 5: 1-3).

O Wisdom of God

The banner was designed by
the Benedictine Sisters
of Turvey Abbey and
sold by McCrimmons.

O Antiphon...

O Wisdom of God,
who came forth
from the mouth
of the Most High,
reaching from beginning
to end, and with great power
yet gentleness, You set all creation in order:
O come Lord and teach us
the way of Wisdom!

"Does not Wisdom call, and Understanding raise her voice? On the top of the heights along the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand; By the gates at the approaches of the city, in the entryways she cries aloud: “To you, O people, I call; my appeal is to you mortals. You naive ones, gain prudence, you fools, gain sense. Listen! for noble things I speak; my lips proclaim honest words. Indeed, my mouth utters truth, and my lips abhor wickedness. All the words of my mouth are sincere, none of them wily or crooked; All of them are straightforward to the intelligent, and right to those who attain knowledge...Those who love me I also love, and those who seek me find me...“The LORD begot me, The beginning of his works, the forerunner of his deeds of long ago;From of old I was formed...at the first, before the earth. Then was I beside him as artisan; I was his delight day by day, playing before him all the while, Playing over the whole of his earth, having my delight with human beings. Now, children, listen to me; happy are they who keep my ways. Listen to instruction and grow wise, do not reject it! Happy the one who listens to me, attending daily at my gates, keeping watch at my doorposts; For whoever finds me finds life, and wins favor from the LORD" 

(Proverbs 8: 1-9, 17, 22-23 , 30-35).

Gaudete!

Our week of Advent Gaudete (rejoicing) brings the 'rosy' light of hope
to our winter days. May their light brighten your Advent too. 

"Rejoice O Jerusalem, with a great joy,
for your Savior will come to you, alleluia!" ~ Vespers Antiphon

These stained glass works of art light the Sisters' Advent Wreath as we gather
for the Liturgy of the Hours. The candle-lit designs progress
from deep purples and blues in the first week to lighter tones and shades.

May their light brighten your Advent too...

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Hail, bright star of the ocean,

God's own gracious mother,

Virgin ever sinless, take our supplication,

to your Son, our Savior.

Surely, He will hear you. ~ Amen

Vocations Awareness Week!

Greetings!

This week the Catholic Church invites us to celebrate the gift and call of vocations within the Church.

Sunday evening, we began our Vocation Awareness Week with a very 'punny' supper with our sisters.  The supper included: 'Priestly' pork chops, 'Diaconate' dumplings, 'Sisterly' sauerkarut, a 'Generous Singles' salad bar, 'Brotherly' bites of ice cream, and even 'Married Life' morsels of cookies.

The evening continued with our monthly Eucharistic Adoration for Vocations.  The sisters invited students from Mount Marty College and local parishioners to join us. Our silent Adoration before the Lord was only broken by Scripture readings and theological reflections every half-hour.

The sisters found new table decorations when we gathered for lunch on Monday.  The Vocations Awareness folk had created table tents with vocation themed conversation topics and ideas for each table of sisters.

Tuesday evening we gathered with our Mount Marty Student prayer partners.  The evening began with prayer that our hearts be open to God's Call.  At the end of our prayer together, the Sisters their hands in blessing over the Student Prayer Partners "May God bless you with open minds, joyful hearts and loving companions as you listen to the Lord in your lives."  Then the students extended their hands in bless and prayed, "May God bless you with peace and joy as you prayerfully listen and live the Benedictine way of life."  After prayer, the evening continued with time for the sisters and their prayer partners to visit, play, and maybe have a treat too.

We will continue you uphold you in prayer as this week of Vocations Awareness continues.

GOD OUR FATHER, 

we thank you for calling men and women
to serve in your Son's kingdom
as priests, deacons, and consecrated persons.   Send your Holy Spirit to help others to respond generously and courageously to your call. 
May our community of faith
support vocations of sacrificial love
in our youth and young adults.  
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.  ~Amen

May Perpetual Light Shine Upon Her ~ Sr. Marie

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her. 
May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Welcoming Postulant Terry!

Greetings,

The Postulant Theresa, escorted by our vocation director, knocked at the monastery door. Prioress Penny greeted her and asked, "Terry, what do you seek?" She responded, "I seek to live in loving service to God in this community." Each new postulant offers her own response to this question.  After the Postulant Director proclaimed a reading from the Rule of Benedict, the Prioress called upon the whole community to live as example and share our support with Terry as she begins this deeper discernment of our monastic life. With this simple ceremony at the front doors of the monastery, Terry became a Postulant and began her journey into our Benedictine life.  Almost two months later, she has begun settling into our daily life of the community.  How does someone settle into our family life?  Slowly… 

Terry recently shared that some of her new experiences were those that our Midwestern sisters had been living most of their lives. “Since I come from the East Coast (I’m a Philly girl), I have had some experiences that are new culturally. For one, I have never experienced a “corn party”. First we shucked and shucked and shucked some more, more corn than I have ever seen before. We also had corn on the cob for lunch and dinner for about two and a half weeks. Then we cut the corn off the rest of the cobs so we could enjoy it all year long. That’s a lot of corn. I will also be experiencing my first “pasta party”, wherein I am told the pasta will be flowing faster than I can imagine. I don’t even know how pasta is made, but I will be a professional before the end of the day, I am told! The pasta is being made for the Holiday Fair when the sisters sell homemade goodies made right here in the monastery.”

Postulant Terry’s room is in the monastery hall dedicated to the new members in formation.  The new members are allowed to settle-in to feel comfortable in their bedroom, “I brought a guitar, computer, and some stuffed animals. Recently I used one of the stuffed animals as a doorstop to keep the door from slamming shut in the wind. One of the sisters saw it (it is an eagle) and she said she saw a giant mouse in my doorway. Ever since the “giant mouse” has taken to stalking her –outside her door in the middle of the night, checking out her office desk, and even reading from her book of the Divine Office.” However, not everything from home can be brought to the monastery. Postulant Terry needed to leave her dog, Samson, in the loving care of a new family.

As a Benedictine family, we also work to care for our home together and even the Postulant has a household charge or two, “My charges include Friday evening and Sunday brunch dishes and cleaning the Peace chapel,” as well as charges taking care of the monastery hall and group room for formation members. “I’d have to say that washing the dishes is my favorite among these current tasks.” These daily tasks are on top of Terry’s continued work teaching as a Professor of Theology at Mount Marty College and new work learning in her beginning formation classes. “I am currently reading a book and discussing it with two sisters on the topic of transitions – this is helpful to me in facing some of the facets of transition. I am also taking singing lessons each week and a liturgy class based in the Church’s teaching and Liturgy of the Hours.”  With all this juggling around the monastery, it has been important to remember “how thoughtful St. Benedict was in incorporating time for everything in any given day: prayer, work, leisure, communal and private time, rest and refreshment – and it all seems to work!”

Central to our Benedictine life is the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharist.  Soon after entering, even Postulants begin to fall into the liturgical rhythm, “I really enjoy the chanting of the prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. My favorites come from the chanted renditions of the Benedictus.”  Personal prayer is also an essential part of the prayer life of new members, “I have long been aware of and tried Lectio Divino in the past, but since entering this is a prayer that I practice every day.”

“Don’t forget to breathe.” This advice was shared with loving prayer from another sister as Postulant Terry began to settle in to our monastic life.  As Terry continues her discernment, she offers this wisdom, reminiscent of Pope Francis, to women who are considering religious life, “Make sure you are happy with the decision to enter religious life. The Church needs happy religious.” This advice is a reflection of her own response when sisters ask how she is doing, a quote from Tobit, “brimming over with joy!”

Please pray for Postulant Terry's continued discernment in our Benedictine Community!