I simply have to begin today with an “honesty” warning because your homilist finds this Gospel passage to be very odd. It appears to be an amalgam of perhaps a few authentic words of Jesus mixed in with a whole bunch of strange, later additions which don’t even come close to sounding like anything the authentic Jesus of Nazareth might have said. Today’s reading comes in a whole section of Luke from the ninth to the nineteenth chapters which takes place on the journey to Jerusalem, though actually very little of the material demands the setting of a journey. Throughout …
July 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. July Phenology “The tall grass prairie…. from the first greening of spring to the full ripening …
Reflections on 25 years as a sister at Holy Wisdom Monastery
Submitted by Lynne Smith, OSB (she/her), Prioress At the Benedictine Spirituality Workshop and Retreat prior to my final profession, Sister Meg Funk from Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove, Indiana, described Benedictine life as having two aspects: above the river and below the river. This image has stayed with me over the years. Above the river we go to prayers and meals, share in community work and conversation, greet guests and participate in leisure activities. Under the river is where the soul work happens as we seek God in all things. Under the river, praying the Psalms has offered an …
Manato Jansen’s Homily, June 22, 2025
“It’s funny how the nature of an object — let’s say a strawberry or a pair of socks — is so changed by the way it has come into your hands, as a gift or as a commodity. The pair of wool socks that I buy at the store, red and gray striped, are warm and cozy. I might feel grateful for the sheep that made the wool and the worker who ran the knitting machine. I hope so. But I have no inherent obligation to those socks as a commodity, as private property. […] But what if those very …
Wayne Sigelko’s Homily, June 15, 2025
I was texting with an old friend whose mother is a presbyterian minister and mentioned that I would be preaching today. “Well,” he responded, “mom’s advice for this Sunday has always been, ‘never preach on the Trinity.’” In my own reading and reflection preparing for today’s feast, I have come to appreciate the advice Theologian Nadia Bolz-Weber states the problem succinctly: Preachers dread this day because we see it as kind of a dry dusty theological topic after the exciting and earthy part of the liturgical year that came before it. It’s like there’s this raucous party of Easter and …
Pastor Profile: Interconnectedness
Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery Jennie Ott, a pastor at Lake Oswego United Church of Christ in Oregon, can still remember the moment in 2018 when she read the invitation to join a cohort of pastors for contemplative renewal at a Benedictine Monastery in Wisconsin. “So much of my life then, and frankly still now, is attending to other people’s needs and particularly, my children, my spouse and my congregation. And so, I think I was just hopeful. What could I do that would just be …
Here We Stand
A Declaration of the Sunday Assembly at Holy Wisdom Monastery As followers of Jesus, we proclaim that we are called to love God and our neighbor as much as we love ourselves (Matt. 22:37-39), to treat the most vulnerable among us as we would treat God (Matt. 25:31-46), and to cherish “the splendor of the flowers of the field” and all creation (Matt. 6:28-29). Many current government policies stand in opposition to these values and truths. They erect barriers that make it more difficult for us and other people of good will to love our neighbor, support the vulnerable, and cherish the earth’s splendor. …
Jerry Folk’s Ascension Day Homily, June 1, 2025
In his commentary on Luke’s gospel, New Testament scholar and former Anglican bishop N. T. Wright points out that when the angels announced Jesus’ birth, they claimed the titles of the emperor, Augustus Caesar, for Jesus. The baby lying in a manger in Bethlehem, not Augustus Caesar, is the world’s Savior, Lord and Peacemaker. This bold and treasonous declaration of the angels, Wright tells us, sets up a confrontation that runs throughout the whole gospel of Luke between the Commonwealth of God proclaimed by Jesus and the Empire of Caesar. In light of the stories that follow in Luke’s gospel, …
About Felipe Saint-Martin
Felipe Saint-Martin is a culinary innovator whose journey spans continents and cuisines. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Felipe’s passion for food and adventure led him to New York City, thanks to a prestigious visa sponsorship from Gramercy Tavern – one of Manhattan’s most celebrated restaurants, renowned for its seasonal American fare and commitment to hospitality. At Gramercy Tavern, Felipe honed his craft as Lead Line Cook, developing expertise in charcuterie and fresh pasta, and immersing himself in the high standards of a world-class kitchen. Felipe’s pursuit of pasta mastery took him to Italy, where he studied under the family …
Manato Jansen’s Homily, May 25, 2025
“Stand up, take your mat, and walk,” Jesus says to the man who has had his heart set on reaching the healing waters for years. For nearly 40 years this man has been ill, and perhaps the sense of frustration is noticeable in his benumbed response to the Christ who approaches him. If for some of you the story of the healing of this man at the Pool of Bethesda is not as familiar, here is a bit of background. The earliest manuscripts of the Gospel of John don’t explain why the people who were blind, lame, and paralyzed were …