For the third time, the Sauk City-based company Estate “The Tree Care Specialists” sent members of their staff out here to do some paid and donated work to help remove unwanted trees on the property. Periodically, it becomes important to remove trees that have died or non-native trees that don’t fit into the prairie landscaping at Holy Wisdom Monastery. “Estate is so helpful in providing professional services to remove trees that we don’t have the staff and volunteer capacity to remove,” says monastery groundskeeper Paul Boutwell. “I appreciate their donated labor and professional expertise.” This past March 12, several staff …
Scripture Commentary for Easter, March 31, 2013 by Arthur H. Cash
EASTER DAY 31 March 2013 For this, our most holy, mysterious, and joyful day of the year, only one comment is appropriate: Christ has risen!
Jim Penczykowski's Homily from Holy Thursday, March 28, 2013
Our action this evening is simplicity itself, wash one another’s feet. What does it mean to you? Does this action mean, “I wish I had had time to put on clean socks before I came here so I wouldn’t offend anyone when I take my shoes off?” There is something to this, you know. This is a very sensual activity to come into close proximity to another person’s feet. Those feet have seen a lot of miles; they may be tired; they may be ticklish; they may be suffering some neuropathy. I want to be gentle with those feet; I …
Holy Wisdom Monastery supports ARTICULTURE exhibit on Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Holy Wisdom Monastery is pleased to support the ARTICULTURE, an art exhibit reception hosted by Forward Community Investments that will celebrate local artists and chefs while highlighting sustainable agriculture. Monastery chef Barbara Wright will provide a dish of colorful vegetables from our monastery gardens, complemented by feta yogurt dipping sauce. You are invited to attend this exhibit! It will be at the offices of Forward Community Investments, located at 2045 Atwood Avenue in Madison, on Wednesday, April 17 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
Gratitude to Fiskars for their in-kind donation of pruners
Holy Wisdom Monastery is grateful to Fiskars Brands, Inc. for their recent in-kind donation to the Benedictine Life Foundation of Wisconsin, Inc. for five hand pruners and five telescoping pruners. “These pruners will allow more volunteers remove invasive species from our property,” said Paul Boutwell, groundskeeper at Holy Wisdom Monastery. “Volunteers are integral to helping to maintain the nearly 100 acres of prairie that we maintain, and having the proper equipment for our volunteers is vital. We need volunteer help because we can’t do it alone.” Fiskars is an international company based in Madison that is a leading global supplier …
Scripture Commentary for Palm Sunday, March 24, 2013 by Arthur H. Cash
PALM SUNDAY 24 March 2013 FIRST LESSON Isaiah 50:4-9a Our reading is one of several passages in Second Isaiah (Chapters 40-54) about the “Suffering Servant.” Because he attempts to teach God’s word, the Servant is turned upon, cast out, beaten, spit upon (especially Chapter 53). When one looks at the context of these passages, he can have no doubt that for the original readers the Servant was a metaphor for the body of Jews who remained faithful during their slavery at Babylon, the Jews who preserved their religion. As you know, the Christian tradition and doctrine is to take …
Nature Notes Spring 2013
Pasque flower at Holy Wisdom Monastery (not this year yet!) The land at Holy Wisdom Monastery was exceedingly dry at the beginning of the winter, as we had experienced one of the most severe droughts on record, the worst since the dust bowl drought of the 1930s. Prairie plants have evolved in the open with little to no shade and one of the compensating evolutionary strategies in this high water loss situation was to develop a really deep root system. For example, prairie dock and big bluestem grass, which you can find at the monastery, have roots that go …
Scripture Commentary for March 17, 2013 by Arthur H. Cash
FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT 17 March 2013 FIRST LESSON Isaiah 43:16-21. Second Isaiah prophesies the return from bondage in Babylon. In his vision, God addresses the Jews, reminding them how he helped their ancestors escape from Egypt. But let the past go, for he will now do a new thing: he will bring Israel back from Babylon in an act which will renew the land and, more importantly, establish a nation whose purpose will be to praise God. The speaker/poet uses images that will appeal to desert people, waters that God pushed aside to allow their escape and then …
Libby Caes' Homily from March 17, 2013
Mary: a dangerous old woman John 12:1-8 (Is.43:16-21; Psalm 126, Phil. 3:4b-14) In the early 90’s ads began appearing in the New York Times for a new kind of hearing aid. I am sure you have all seen ads for hearing aids: invisible, in your ear, cheap with catchy names…ads that make outlandish promises and probably with little to deliver. This New York Times ad was for a new technology: digital hearing aids made by 3M. Dave, my husband, would make sure I saw the ad. He told me that I should check it out. Each time I brushed him …
Celebrate the Risen Christ at Holy Wisdom Monastery
By Lynn Lemberger, director of prayer and worship and Carolyn McGinley, director of communications Processing to the baptismal font during the Easter Vigil. Come experience Holy Week at the monastery! Photo by Gregory Bleck Worship at Holy Wisdom Monastery is ecumenical, meaning the unity of Christians. Services follow the Christian tradition and are also shaped by Benedictine spirituality. All are welcome and encouraged to participate fully. This includes the prayer and worship services during Holy Week and Easter. As in most Christian churches, Holy Week is the most sacred time of the liturgical year at Holy Wisdom Monastery. During this week we offer …