This unexpected meeting between the risen Jesus and the weeping Mary Magdalene may well be the most poignant episode in the whole New Testament or indeed in the whole Bible. Mary was a woman with both a painful past and a gracious, indeed miraculous, transformation. Luke’s gospel (8:2) tells of “Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out.” Mark’s gospel (16:9) assigns this powerful exorcism directly to Jesus himself. Pope Gregory I, in 591 CE argued, perhaps misreading an earlier passage (in Luke 7), that Mary was a reformed prostitute whose sins Jesus had fully forgiven. However we …
Winged wonders of Lost Lake
Submitted by David Kelly (he/him). All photos by David Kelly. It’s finally spring. The ice and snow have melted and Holy Wisdom and there’s a lot to see. From woodlands to wetlands, life is awakening from its icy slumber. It’s time to explore. The early morning shadows stretch across the forest floor. Soft, moist ground gives way beneath your feet. Fallen twigs crackle as you walk. Each step stirs the musky aromas of last fall’s decomposing leaves. Shrubs show tiny buds, packets of energy, ready to burst. Oak, hickory and black cherry trees tower overhead. Leaves haven’t appeared, so you …
Live with love, joy and presence
Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery. James Rissler tried to prepare for his first Contemplative Renewal Immersion, and first visit to Holy Wisdom Monastery, by reading the Rule of Benedict. As a Mennonite Pastor from Georgia, he was not quite sure what to expect. He had some uncertainty about where he was heading in his vocation and a desire to explore more contemplative practices. He was concerned that St. Benedict seems to discourage humor and laughter. He wondered, “What kind of place will this be?” …
Why was Jesus executed?
(Written by Jerry Folk, Sunday Assembly member, for submission to Weekly Wisdom) John Dominic Crossan, an historical Jesus scholar, believes Jesus’ execution was not about martyrdom or atonement but about nonviolent resistance. Dom Crossan proposes that Jesus stepped into a tradition Jewish leaders had been developing for decades. Relying on the writing of first century Jewish historian Josephus, he describes a remarkable development in Palestinian Judaism between two violent revolts against Rome in 4 BCE and 66 CE. During these 70 years, Jewish religious leaders experimented with programmatic, strategic and deliberate nonviolent resistance to Roman power and oppression. This nonviolent …
Community of Joy: Stephanie Redinger
Can you tell us about your journey into the culinary world and how you came to join the team at Holy Wisdom Monastery? My first job was in a summer camp kitchen, and the majority of my jobs have been in food service since. I was looking for a job that aligned with my values, this last spring, and was led to Holy Wisdom Monastery. I am so thankful to have found a place that is filled with so much joy and light! What does a typical day look like for you in the culinary department, from meal preparation to interacting with guests or …
Walking contemplative
Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery. “I don’t know if burned out is the right word,” reflects Julane Nease when recalling what led her to apply to Contemplative Renewal Immersions, “but I was feeling the stress of my call. There’d been a lot of difficulties that had happened within the life of the people in the congregation.” When she arrived for her first immersion in July 2021, she realized she was not alone. “I remember at that first session being struck at how emotional it …
Nancy Enderle’s Homily from March 15, 2026
It isn’t always the case that the scripture passages for a particular Sunday intersect in such interesting ways – but such is the case for this, the 4th Sunday in Lent. The readings in 1 Samuel, Ephesians, and the Gospel of John all seem to point in the direction of deepening our understanding and recognition of how God works in the world and in our hearts, and how we might respond as followers of this gracious, challenging, engaging God. In 1 Samuel, we learn that even Yahweh’s chosen spokesperson, the prophet Samuel, fails to understand what God is up to …
March phenology
By Sylvia Marek Phenology is a science focused on observing and recording biological events from year to year and their relationships to the change of seasons and climate. These are the “normal” phenology events we expect to see here and in the Madison area this month. We would love to hear about what you are seeing on the grounds of Holy Wisdom Monastery. Please comment on this post with what you are observing, where at Holy Wisdom and the date you observed the event. No month ends or begins overnight. Events can be a few weeks early or late. “For, …
Jim Penczykowski’s Homily from March 8, 2026
Those of us of a certain age will remember a bumper sticker with the initials W.W.J.D.? What Would Jesus Do? It was a way of prodding people to think about their actions, their behavior as if Jesus were confronted by the day to day issues we all face. I think of this gospel passage in this way. No other Christian scriptural source suggests that Jesus ever had a mission to Samaria. He had a mission in Galilee. He had a mission in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. In all likelihood this gospel writer had a community that included Samaritan converts …
Leora Weitzman’s Homily from March 1, 2026
The serpent in the wilderness is a reference to Numbers 21. The refugees from Egypt, already weary from their long wilderness migration, have been denied passage through Edom and are dejectedly detouring around it. They’ve been eating nothing but manna for ages, and they’re beginning, not for the first time, to question their leadership and the wisdom of leaving Egypt. If St. Benedict had been around, he might kindly have warned them that grumbling divides and corrodes community and that the journey to freedom requires patient acceptance of hardships. But any divine attempt to warn the people verbally through Moses …