Inspired by Scholastica

Sister Helen Buening was a gifted, holy woman. She combined her artistic talent with her deep spirituality to create works of clay, serigraphy, and ceramic tiles. She was also a beloved art teacher of people of all ages. She compiled an art manual with prints of the masterpieces and examples of children's art from her time as the "Picture Lady" in area schools. She found beauty everywhere and opened others up to the beauty in and around them. In one of her talks she conveys her view of people:  “You are all artists, every person is a special kind of artist, every activity is a special art. Some of you are artists working with the soil, creating your gardens. Others will create from the harvest of your gardens. . . Some of you experience clay – the potter’s wheel where you are transformed as you form vessels. Others turn wheat into bread. All, yes, all of you are artists working with the best of clay, the living vessel, the person." Sister Helen lived a long life,...

Graduations are generally happy times of celebration. Graduates have a feeling of accomplishment and anticipation. Parents rejoice and take pride in their children's achievements. But graduations, whether from grade school, high school, or college are just beginnings on the journey of life. In a 100-yard race, they are just the first few laps. There is so much more ahead, so many detours and unexpected turns. Hopefully, graduates have the preparation they need and enough support along the way to reach their goal. Some college graduates know exactly what they want to do and others are still searching. There will be surprises and disappointments as they continue their journey. Commencement speeches are mostly forgotten in the excitement of the day. But if I were to offer graduates advice, I would tell them three things: be true to yourself; be generous with your gifts and talents; and be forgiving of yourself and others. Being true to yourself gives you integrity and character. Shar...

God’s mercy is not measured out by  spoonfuls or cupfuls, or even wagonloads, but overflowing, brimming over, juiciness oozing in all directions, drenching our shriveled  spirits, deluging our  Saharan hearts, opening the  floodgates to enlarge our paltry understanding of compassion.

In his apostolic letter, "The Joy of the Gospel," Pope Francis has a section on preaching homilies. He says that the homily should be a "dialogue between God and his people." He also stresses that "the words of the preacher must be measured, so that the Lord, more than his minister, will be the center of attention." When I think of the homilies I have heard, many of them fall short of his exhortation. Some are so academic, they do not touch ordinary people's lives. Others are too long and boring. Others stray far afield from the scriptural readings of the day. Pope Francis stresses preparation on the part of the homilist: "a prolonged time of study, prayer, reflection, and pastoral creativity." Listeners can tell the difference between "off the cuff" and diligent preparation. I think of how Jesus used agrarian images when he taught the people of his day -- mustard seeds, fig trees, sheep, fish, and birds. He used things they were fa...

Before dawn breaks open the new day, and tinges of light are barely seeping through the night cover, birds awaken, wide-eyed, not yet ready for flight, but eager to welcome rosy streaks, to prance across dewy blades in search of crumbs to feed on. Brackish and discordant notes fill the air as they begin their day of gliding from tree to tree, alert for predators as breezes fluff their feathers and sunbeams filter through swaying branches. Bird songs alert the world to see afresh the same old fields of weeds and stubble, ready to be plowed and planted, ready to burgeon with fresh-sown wheat and greening cornstalks after lying fallow under winter’s hoary frost and frozen earth.

"A Benedictine soul is a soul that takes care of things ... and 'treats all utensils and goods of the monastery like sacred vessels of the altar.'"- Sr. Joan Chittister St. Benedict may have been the first ecologist back in the 6th century. Benedictines have long cared for the earth and preserved possessions for future generations. I remember in the novitiate we used to make culpa for breaking a dish or not lifting our habits when going down the stairs. Carelessness was not to be tolerated. Today we have translated this care into recycling, composting, and not using products that harm the environment. We try to use real dishes instead of disposables, vinegar instead of laundry softeners, and tap water instead of bottled water. We are growing more of our own vegetables and raising bees for honey. We also have invested in 150 solar panels and more gas-efficient cars to cut down on our dependence on fossil fuels. Sometimes we need to remind one another because i...

Do you ever feel like there are not enough hours in the day to do all you want or need to do?  We want to get all our work done, pray, exercise, visit sick friends, answer letters, get enough sleep, eat nutritional (not fast) food, clean out our closets, and the list goes on. What to do? Prioritize. Put most important things first and then do what you can about the rest. Breathe deeply, relax, and remember God didn't create the world in one day. I thought when I retired that I would have all the time in the world. Actually the days fill up with a myriad of small jobs, reading, visiting, exercising, and writing. But I am grateful that I can still contribute, still have enough energy to be out and about instead of sick in bed. I ask God to help me do what needs to be done and to be patient with myself when I run out of time. I also try to ask for help from others when I can't do it all myself. It's a blow to my pride and keeps me humble. Above all, make time for prayer. It pu...