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 …
What Does it Mean to be a Volunteer in Community?
Volunteers in Community Hershey Mallette (left) and Stephanie Borger (right) join Sister Lynne Smith in the monastery garden. This summer between June 10 and July 6, 2013 the sisters will welcome single women from various backgrounds to experience life in the monastery as Volunteers in Community. In the six years we have offered this program over 30 women have prayed with us, worked on the monastery grounds, and shared their stories with us. We have been challenged and enriched by the vitality and the faith they bring. If you know a woman who might be interested in becoming a volunteer this year, …
Donor Profiles: Millennial Giving at Holy Wisdom Monastery
One of the true joys of my job is being able to connect with our supporters who share a passion for the sisters’ mission and ministries. I have the privilege of many impromptu conversations and correspondence with some passionate people who are drawn to the works of the monastery. It’s always wonderful to hear about their life experiences, especially some of the folks who have been involved at the monastery since the 1950s when the sisters first settled here. Our donor records go back to 1970 and some of these original donors are still monthly donors today. There is strength in …
Patti LaCross' Homily from March 10, 2013
Laetare Sunday March 10, 2013 Joshua 5:9-12, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3,11b-32 prod·i·gal adjective. Lavish – profuse – extravagant – wasteful – spendthrift In my old school, when I was a child¸ I remember that this parable was commonly called the Prodigal Son. Lessons focused on the young man who left with his premature inheritance to squander it unwisely, until muddied and hungry he had no choice but to return home, where – no surprise to those of us with many siblings – he was shown so generous a welcome that his obedient brother spent the …
Scripture Commentary for March 10, 2013 by Arthur H. Cash
FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT 10 March 2013 FIRST LESSON Joshua 5:9-12. The Israelites are drawing close to the goal of their long trek from Egypt. They have passed the Dead Sea to the south and come northward along its eastern bank. They have now turned to the west, crossed over the Jordan River (with some divine help), and entered the promised land, a territory occupied by a variety of ethnic peoples. They are approaching a Canaanite city that stands in their way. They cleans themselves by circumcising all the men; they sit tight until the men are healed. Then …
Celebrating our 60th anniversary ~ March 11, 2013
This month the sisters celebrate 60 years of presence in Madison – a wonderful opportunity to renew the vision, commitment and strength of our sisters’ community and to recall the women who set out on a new venture. In the seeds of our founding, 60 years ago, was a deep faithfulness to God’s call and a pioneering spirit that has moved our community into uncharted waters throughout our history. Most recently this “pioneering spirit” motivated the bold step of becoming the first ecumenical Benedictine community in the US. Reflecting on early ecumenical experiences and the move toward greater ecumenism, …
Wayne Sigelko's Homily from March 3, 2013
Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent: Reflections on Exile and Figs, Manure and Potatoes I mentioned to my twin that I would be preaching today. His response was that he saw it as very fitting since the central metaphor of the Gospel is manure. Actually, he wasn’t quite that polite. The first reading is one of those that I came to love the very first time I heard it. And, as I learned more about it, I have become even more impressed with its power and depth. It was written by someone we have come to call Deutero Isaiah, since …