For many years, one of my summer rhythms has been to read or study something different from what I do the rest of the year. I love that change of pace as the season shifts. Summer, for me, becomes a time of leisurely reading and deeper reflection. This summer finds me focusing on Benedictine spirituality.…

Give us hearts of flesh, O God, that we may serve you. This month I’m sharing something I wrote in 2020—a time that caused us to dig deep into our heart and soul. — This morning I was drawn to a passage in the book of Ezekiel that has captivated me for many years: A…

A new year has come to us all. We each may receive it with a variety of emotions. Yet, many of us are drawn to the idea of a fresh start, a new beginning, a clean slate. Each year, I enter a quiet practice shared by many: prayerfully listening for a word to carry into…

We have entered into Advent 2025. This liturgical season often holds the tension of a longing for stillness to wait for and ponder Christ’s coming anew in our lives at Christmas, AND being immersed in the seemingly relentless activity of the Christmas season. Not wanting to add MORE to your plate, I am simply going…

We have entered into Advent 2025. This liturgical season often holds the tension of a longing for stillness to wait for and ponder Christ’s coming anew in our lives at Christmas, AND being immersed in the seemingly relentless activity of the Christmas season. Not wanting to add MORE to your plate, I am simply going…

This month I’m sharing another of my reflections from my Spiritual Direction school days in 2020 on Teresa of Ávila, whose feast day we celebrated last month. We were to read and reflect on The Interior Castle (The Mansions) – her masterpiece, describing the soul’s journey to union with God through seven “mansions” or stages…

Here is another one of my assignments I wrote in 2020 for my Spiritual Classics course. Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) was a Benedictine abbess, visionary, composer, and writer. She recorded mystical visions, composed sacred music, and wrote on theology, nature, and medicine. Canonized and named a Doctor of the Church, she is remembered as one…

This month I’m going to continue sharing from reflections I wrote in 2020 for the Spiritual Classics course I took while studying to be certified as a spiritual director. We read You Set My Spirit Free: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of John of the Cross. St. John of the Cross (1542–1591) was a…