This blog post begins with a biography of Umiltà of Faenza (1226-1310), also known as Saint Humility or Saint Roxanne, an Italian nun who founded monasteries and lived as an anchoress for many years. It also presents my favorite quote from Umiltà and includes images and a description of a fourteenth century polyptych, with images of her life, that was painted by Pietro Lorenzetti. Biography of Umiltà of Faenza Umiltà was born in 1226 into a wealthy family that lived in Faenza, a town close to Ravenna, in northeastern Italy. Her parents, Elimonte and Richelda, named her Rosanna Negusanti, and...
Over the years, I have collected quite a library of books associated with art and spirituality. I thought I would share my list with you, because there are just so many good books to choose from. Allen, Pat. Art is a Spiritual Path: Engaging the Sacred Through the Practice of Art and Writing. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, 2005. Allen, Pat B. Art is a Way of Knowing: A guide to self-knowledge and spiritual fulfillment through creativity. Boston, MA: Shambhala, 1995. Apostolos-Cappadona, Diane, ed. Art, Creativity, and the Sacred: An Anthology in Religion and Art. New York: Continuum Publishing, 1996. Azara,...
I led morning prayer again this week and gave the following reflection on the Sunday readings. The texts for today are Isaiah 9:1-7, Psalm 36:5-10, Romans 15:8-13, and Matthew 4:12-17. In the first lesson today, we read: But there will be no more gloom for the land that was in anguish! In the past, God humbled the land of Zebulun, the land of Naphtali, but in the future, God will bring glory to this Road to the Sea, this Land Beyond the Jordan, this Galilee of the Nations. The people walking in darkness are seeing a brilliant light—upon those who dwell...
Teresa of Ávila was a sixteenth century Carmelite nun from Ávila, Spain, who wrote spiritual treatises, founded monasteries, and is one of only four women to be honored as a Doctor of the Catholic Church (the others are Catherine of Siena, Hildegard of Bingen, and Thérèse of Lisieux). Teresa was a mystic, religious reformer, author, and theologian of the contemplative life. I’ve posted about Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) before, and you can find my previous blog post that includes a summary of her biography here. She is truly a spiritual guide whose knowledge of contemplative practices and the spiritual life is...
Teresa of Ávila was a sixteenth century nun from Ávila, Spain, who wrote spiritual treatises, founded monasteries, and is one of only a few women to be honored as a Doctor of the Catholic Church. She was a mystic, religious reformer, author, and theologian of the contemplative life. This blog post provides a short biography of Teresa of Ávila, various images of Teresa, a few details from my visit to her convent in Ávila, and the famous bookmark quote from Teresa. Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) was born in either Ávila or Gotarrendura and was named Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y...
This blog post presents the O Antiphon for the apostle Thomas that was previously used on his feast day, December 21. It also describes three iconographies of Thomas related to the post-resurrection story of Thomas examining the wounds of Jesus and his subsequent admission of faith. I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. In the Roman tradition, there are seven standard O Antiphons that are...
The gospel reading today, Luke 14:25-33, begins by saying that “large crowds were traveling with Jesus.” Attracted by his miracles, at witnessing Jesus’ power over demons, diseases, and disabilities, Jesus had developed a big following. But he doesn’t leave it there – He goes on to challenge these travelers by telling them that something more is required, for them to become His true disciples. In this difficult teaching, Jesus tells us exactly what “more” is needed for us to transform from being just a traveler into being a disciple of Jesus – the three things that need to be addressed....
Lectio divina is an ancient monastic spiritual practice, dating back to the early church, when the scholar, patristic father, and theologian, Origen of Alexandria (circa 185–253 CE), advocated scriptural reflection and interpretation and wrote about “scripture as a sacrament.” Origen believed that Christ, as the Word, was incarnate in the scriptures, and he passed his teachings on to Ambrose of Milan (circa 339–397 CE). Ambrose, in turn, taught Saint Augustine (354–430 CE), and an emphasis on reading and reflection on the scriptures was subsequently passed down to the Western monastic tradition. Last year I released a blog post that describes the...
Constant Movement of life, Breath of ever-changing being, Holy One, forming and transforming continually— This dancing world is Your Body, This evolving world is Your being flung forth; Let me trust the changing of my own life, For I have become a stranger in a strange land. In the disappearance of the familiar Let me recognize the mystery of Your transforming dance; In the preponderance of the untried Let me accept the challenge of your unfolding newness; In the absence of old friends Let me discover the presence of the human circle; In the landscape of the strange Let...
O Holy One, You are from the beginning Who Heaven sent to be born of Mary Into a cold, dark world. We await your coming once again this Advent Season To be Heaven’s gift to a lonely people In need of a Savior who will re-unite with God. Husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, And people of all nations in unity seeking and worshipping. One Holy God, One Blessed Savior Jesus Christ Our Lord. Holy One, are you waiting too this Advent Season? Do you wait for us to offer you our hearts That you may love...
Take seriously your grief.It is love, stripped bare.Let it flow through you. Trust that you are held.We all are held by the Beloved,the Broken-Hearted One,the One who Suffers most Deeply. Know you are not alone.Millions bear your sorrow.Ancestors and even unborn generationswalk with you gratefully. Seek others who are tenderhearted.Receive all the grace you can.In the flesh is best, but even in spirit,know we are here. Trust the Goodness.God has not given up on us.Through every disaster grace remains.Refuse to despair. Choose courage over selfishness,trust over fear, love over anger.You do not know the end of grace. There is much...
All-powerful God, we thank you, as we are finding ourselves alive in this gorgeous universe and blessed by Your presence today. We know that You extend Your presence both to the smallest of creatures and to the vastness of our ever-unfolding Universe Story. When we look deeply at the spiraling celestial stars at night, we could almost get lost or feel dizzy as we gaze into the boundlessness of our immense universe. Creator God, we praise You for the beauty of the expanding cosmos – the spinning knots of stars and blue shadow moons and circling planets and spiraling galaxies....
The hills and groves were God’s first temples Filled with the glory of God Stone sermons Set us off on a great adventure Filled with the glory of God Every hidden cell throbbing with music and life A great adventure of mind and heart Every tree swirling in glorious enthusiasm Every cell throbbing We are all kin in the evolving community of life Every tree tossing their branches, enthusiasm like worship Our vision must be one of flourishing for all Our evolving community of life is now under siege Stone sermons Give us visions of an evolutionary future that will still surprise us No wonder the hills and...
God of healing and miracles, we bring our weakness, brokenness and hunger for wholeness to You. We do not always know exactly what to pray for, but we bring our hands and hearts, our minds and souls to you completely. Healing Spirit, You make everything holy and whole. Come and heal the shattered places within us and around us – those shards painfully scattered in our innermost selves and across the globe. And bring us closer to You in completeness, knitting us together in spirit, soul, and body, surrounded by Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Jesus, heal us of...
Most Holy One, we thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed on us in our lives. When we look at the ways others have been gifted by you and seek to compare them to ourselves, grant that we may reach first for gratitude as an antidote. Keep us from fixating on their achievements and attributes, instead of focusing on who we ourselves are and what we are uniquely called to do. Merciful God, forgive us for our feelings of envy and jealousy that are so detrimental to our health and well-being. Open the inner eyes of our hearts...
Last updated: September 14, 2024 Lectio divina (Latin for “divine reading”) is an ancient monastic spiritual practice – a contemplative way to connect with the aliveness and wisdom of sacred texts. Traditionally, the texts are scripture readings, but texts could include other spiritual writings, nature, art images, music, poetry, or even the text of our own lives. There is a long history of practicing lectio divina, and the roots of this prayer method date back to the early church. Desert monastics from the 4th and 5th centuries CE memorized scriptures and meditated on them extensively, since handwritten manuscripts were very...
Last updated: January 24, 2025 Amma Syncletica was part of a monastic tradition that was established primarily in the desert areas around Jerusalem and Alexandria. Desert Mothers were women, known as ammas or “spiritual mothers,” who lived as Christian ascetics in the fourth and fifth centuries CE. Ammas were women who had achieved a spiritual maturity and wisdom, actively developed during their withdrawal from mainstream society. These women gathered together in monastic communities, but there were also some who lived as hermits. For these early Christian women, one appeal of living in the desert was the freedom they could experience...
Last updated: December 21, 2025 The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “arrival” and is also related to the words ad venire, that translate as “to come.” Since Advent has a number of moving parts, it is good for us, as pilgrims, to ask each year, “How do we Advent?” One answer of “how” relates to our journey in this season of waiting, where paradoxically we move and grow, but at the same time are called to sit waiting in stillness. Every year, we re-read the ancient prophesies, celebrate the joy of now, and look forward...
Last updated: December 26, 2025 I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. So yesterday was the end of the traditional seven days for praying the O Antiphons. And yet, here is the bonus eighth O Antiphon that...
Last updated: August 25, 2024 Having this website allows me to respond to events and to share information I get when I research things that really interest and excite me. I was so excited to find out that the Sisters of Earth conference just coincidentally happened on the exact same week back in July 2022, when NASA released the first stunning images from the James Webb Space Telescope – really a kind of synchronicity to be honest. The Universe is astoundingly beautiful! It’s been over a year since the conference, so I thought I would just finish up this blog...
Last updated: February 4, 2025 Happy Easter!! On Easter we celebrate the triumph of Christ over death! Ok, yes I know – Easter was a few weeks ago already, and yes, I am often late for these kinds of things. However, we are still technically in the Easter season until Pentecost (right around the corner now), so I figured I should hurry up and just finish this blog post off. This year, I would like to share some really great artistic depictions of the resurrection. The Bible does not contain a description of the exact moment when Jesus actually rose...
Last updated: January 25, 2025 The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross or the Via Dolorosa, originated from the design of pilgrimages that were wildly popular in the Middle Ages. Many pilgrims to Jerusalem wanted to literally follow the footsteps of Jesus as he walked to his crucifixion. During the 13th century, the Franciscan order became caretakers of the Christian holy sites, and the earliest use of the word “stations” to describe this Way of the Cross occured in the narrative of an English pilgrim, William Wey, who visited the Holy Land in the...
Last updated: November 9, 2024 One symbol/model that has been important to me in my personal spiritual development is the Figure 8. When you open your eyes, you can start to see Figure 8 symbols in a few different, critical places. For example, if you have ever been on a sailboat or tried mountain climbing, you may be familiar with the Figure 8 knot. This knot, shown at right, is commonly used as a stopper knot on ships and boats, serving as a temporary knot to tie them off. In addition, the Figure 8 knot is frequently used to attach...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. Today is the final seventh O Antiphon out of the last seven days before Christmas, in this very late day of Advent intensification. Hopefully by now you are somewhat more...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. Today we pray the sixth O Antiphon out of the last seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification. We are now just two days away from...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. Today is the fifth O Antiphon out of the seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification. With only three days before Christmas Eve, we continue to...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. So today is the fourth O Antiphon out of the seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification – just over half way through the week. Are...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of these meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. Today is the third O Antiphon out of the seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification. As Christmas comes yet closer, it’s a good idea to...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. So today is the second O Antiphon out of the seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification. Are you finding ways to get into the rhythm...
I wrote a blog post about the O Antiphons in 2019, and I loved picking out the image to illustrate each one. So I have decided to post on the O Antiphons again, in order to highlight additional images and to explore the scriptural roots of the meaningful word images. If you aren’t familiar with the O Antiphons or need a refresher, please check out my 2019 blog post here. So now, beginning today with O Sapientia, I will be posting on each O Antiphon for the next seven days before Christmas, in these late days of Advent intensification. Even...
