Pathways to wisdom

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“Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily $1000 loan today discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her. One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for she will be found sitting at the gate. To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding, and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care, because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets …

Practicing kinship at the monastery

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As a student of theology and ministry studies, I’m often busy reading and writing theological propositions, exercising my critical eye as a reader, and learning the arts of ministry like preaching and spiritual care. I find myself thoroughly convinced of the veracity of many theological arguments and of the necessity to rethink traditional models and modes of religious community. I know many things to be true and spend an exorbitantly large amount of time demonstrating it. Such is the life of a graduate student. Since coming to Holy Wisdom Monastery, I’m wondering if I feel any of those well-reasoned propositions …

Rodent wrangling and ambiguity

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This week, on Tuesday morning, a group of us headed over to the garden. We hoped to beat the day’s heat and get some weeding and other work done before it became unbearably hot and humid. Sister Paz Vital and I were working in a fenced-in garden plot that contained rows of okra, cabbage, radishes, kale and a huge grouping of tomato plants. Suddenly, I heard a rustling in the corner of the garden near where we were working. The many, many weeds in that corner shook. A rabbit emerged, bounding through the garden. “BUNNY!” I yelled to Sister Paz. …

Creating an Oak Savanna at Holy Wisdom Monastery

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By Ron Endres and Will Mann As you drive around Lake Mendota on County Highway M and pass in front of the Holy Wisdom Monastery property, you see two primary ecosystems: prairie (or fields that have been recently planted as prairies) and woodland. Prairie and woodland are wonderful ecosystems. If we finished constructing the prairies, cleaned up the weeds and hedgerows, did a bit of maintenance in the woodland, it would be acceptable to call the Wisdom Prairie project complete. But in nature this is not exactly how a prairie transitions to woodland.  In pre-settlement days, the Eastern states were …

Leora Weitzman’s Homily, February 1, 2015

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4th Sun in Ordinary Time • 2/1/15 • Leora Weitzman Deuteronomy 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28 Inhabited by fiery mountains, idols, and unclean spirits, today’s readings might not seem to belong in the modern world at all.  They will distance us still further if we use the first reading and the Gospel to emphasize the special role and power of the historical Jesus.  Although that may well be Mark’s intent, we will miss a very practical, personal message if we stop there. Consider the experience of the person who experienced healing.  I’ve always been captured by the unclean spirit’s …

Rosy holding poster - Myth - All nuns are Cathollic

Myth #12 – All nuns are Catholic

Holy Wisdom MonasteryHomepage, Living in Community, Myth busting

Not at Holy Wisdom Monastery. Our Benedictine community welcomes single women of any Christian tradition. Here, you can become a Benedictine sister and share the richness of your religious background. We are an ecumenical monastic community, seeking God through a life following the Gospel and the Rule of Benedict. We live, pray and work together and welcome other single Christian women to explore life with us. We honor diversity among our members and in the communities we help create: the sisters’ community (Benedictine Women of Madison), Benedictine Sojourners, Oblates of Holy Wisdom Monastery, coworkers, volunteers and our Sunday worshipping community …

Libby Caes' Homily, January 25, 2015

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January 25 I Samuel 3:1-20 The story of Samuel and Eli is an endearing one. We can all identify with a child’s nocturnal imagination that keeps him or her from sleeping. Imagining monsters under the bed, imagining someone coming in through the window, imagining a voice calling. Imagining whatever…shadows, things that go bump in the night. Rational conversation doesn’t help to turn off the creative mind! It doesn’t just happen to kids though. At any age we  have times when we can’t sleep and our minds are out of control. Three is the stuff of fairy tales. Goldilocks and the …

Joseph Wiesenfarth’s Homily, January 4, 2015

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4 January 2015 – Epiphany Sunday 1 Kings 10:1-13, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2: 1-12   The Queen of Sheba brings gold and precious stones to Solomon.  The Magi bring Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Paul brings “news of the boundless riches of Christ” to the Ephesians.  Having paid my property taxes and given my granddaughter pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and dollars in equal amounts for each of her two piggy banks, I may not have much left to give you today.  Certainly nothing like the Queen of Sheba brought to Solomon or the Magi brought to Jesus.  And I …

Patti LaCross’ Homily, December 28, 2014

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Merry Christmas! It’s good to be back here with you today, praying – and singing.  I can’t seem to get enough that this week. Wednesday afternoon we slipped into a packed church with my parents, to a corner behind the trumpet, drums and the children’s choir at their parish. It’s the custom there for everyone to bring bells to ring during the Glorias, which adds to the festivity, and entertains the little ones. All quite lovely. But this is home. It’s hard to imagine Christmas without children. In case there is anyone here who hasn’t yet heard, our family’s movement …

Libby Caes' Homily, December 24, 2014

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A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while (Quai-RIHN-ih-us) was governor of Syria. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her …