As Christians, we journey through Lent and Jesus’ death toward the Resurrection – God’s promise of eternal life – and the celebration of Easter. In our daily lives we celebrate the coming of spring, the vaccine and the hope of brighter days ahead as we slowly emerge from the isolation wrought by the pandemic. Through both journeys we are reminded of the essential value of connectedness in the world today. Thus, we celebrate a year of unity, that all may be one, the phrase from the Gospel of John that is engraved above the entrance of the monastery building. It …
Welcome and Humane Treatment of Arriving Migrants
“As monastics, we strive to listen to the longings of the world ‘with the ear of our heart.’” Sometimes this means letting ourselves be torn open to recognize our own complicity in the pain and alienation of others because of personal choices we have made to benefit from systems of exclusion. If we let ourselves be opened, we will recognize the power we have to overcome the fear that separates us from one another. Then we can believe the vision set out by Jesus, who made room for everyone at the table.” –Wisdom From the Tradition: A Statement of North …
Thank you for 65 years of remarkable work and witness
Welcome and thank you for being here. You and all who have gone before us are gems and miners of this place beginning in 1953 when three of our sisters from Sioux City, Iowa, walked to the top of the hill overlooking Lake Mendota and the City of Madison, said a prayer, buried a medal of St. Benedict and whispered to one another, this is the place. Sixty-five years later, we are celebrating the remarkable work and witness of women and men, like you, who prayed with us, spoke and acted with holy boldness on our behalf and collaborated with …
Mary David Walgenbach’s Homily from July 9, 2017
We are celebrating Benedictine spirituality this weekend, beginning with our summer Oblate retreat which is usually scheduled close to the Feast of Benedict and Scholastica on July 11th. And we are culminating the weekend with Paz Vital’s first profession into the Sisters’ community at Holy Wisdom. Paz grew up in Mexico City with her parents, who are here today, along with six of her brothers and families from Los Angeles, CA. Paz is the third youngest of nine children. She liked to study and earned her doctorate in Biomedical Sciences from the National University of Mexico. She moved to Houston, …
Mary David Walgenbach’s Homily, July 10, 2016
Readings: Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37 Today’s gospel is a rendition by John Shea with some modifications. I open the parable of the Good Samaritan this morning, by telling today’s gospel as Nathaniel. I am a young lawyer; Luke calls me a scribe. I am an expert in the Law of Moses. As a young and nimble lawyer eager to distinguish myself with the priests of the temple, I, Nathaniel, accepted the request of Caiaphas to join the crowd listening to Jesus. Our purpose was for me to confront Jesus with a question to test his words and …
The journey to Christmas
The Advent season is one of expectation and preparation for Christmas. This Advent, I am especially aware of the contradictory messages that daily surround me and each one of us. I wonder: How are we to make the Advent journey to Christmas? A brief reading of the morning paper and listening to the evening news offer a picture of a gloomy world where trust of one’s neighbor is in short supply. Then across my desk comes the Wisconsin Council of Churches newsletter, November 19, 2015, with A Call to Prayer and Action to Welcome Syrian Refugees, saying: “As faith leaders …
It takes a village to raise a vocation to monastic life
Homily for the First Monastic Profession of Rosy Kandathil September 20, 2015 Texts: Sirach 51:12-20 Acts 4: 32-37 Mark 9:30-37 Stories can move people to live differently. Stories do this because our own experiences easily resonate with them. Our reflections on Scripture stories are an investment of time and energy in coming to know who we are, where we are going and who we are going with. This is part of the discovery process that Thomas Merton speaks of: finding yourself within God’s conception of yourself. Rosy chose today’s readings as an expression of her coming to know God in …
Drawn to Community: Then and Now—People Join Communities Today and Through the Ages for Many Reasons
Community life balanced with prayer, work and study is lived out at Holy Wisdom Monastery in many ways. Women and men began intentional communities centuries ago in the deserts of Egypt. They came to practice ascetical disciplines or to escape the overwhelming responsibilities of life. For many, living alone and facing their personal demons propelled them to come together for ideological support. These intentional communities began in the second and third centuries before the Christian era. In her book, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Benedicta Ward cites the need for repentance for living a life of sinfulness and gives the …
Merry Christmas!
The love and appreciation for family, friends and community are central to the celebration of Christmas! For Benedictine Women community building is at the heart of our life and ministry. We are grateful for much growth in this ministry. Sunday Assembly, an ecumenical worshipping community at Holy Wisdom Monastery, has doubled in three years since moving into our new monastery. A vibrant children’s ministry led by parents is growing. Participation by Assembly members in social justice ministries such as Luke House, food pantries and Vera Court continues. This year a Social Justice Sunday was held with tables full of opportunities …
Support our mission and ministries
November 2012 Dear friends and supporters: The end of the year is a time to reflect on the blessings from the past year, and to focus on what is to come next year. I am grateful for all the people who have come to visit us who are seeking balance and meaning through our mission of weaving prayer, hospitality, justice, and care for the earth into a shared way of life as an ecumenical Benedictine community. I hope you will consider supporting the Benedictine Life Foundation with a year-end gift. This past August, we welcomed our first participants in Benedictine Sojourners, a new ministry …
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