The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick will take place at Holy Wisdom Monastery in the Oratory on Sunday, March 22nd, following Sunday Assembly. If you are sick and in need of the healing presence of the Holy Spirit – perhaps you have a diagnosis, or you are waiting for test results, maybe you have a surgery coming up, if you are sad and full of anxiety, whatever the issues – this sacrament is for you. Allow the prayers of this community to wash over you and let the Spirit calm your heart and soul. Be assured that the sisters, coworkers, the oblates and members of Sunday Assembly are all keeping you in prayer. Please plan to join us.

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Dec. 24, 2025

• 8:00 am – Morning Prayer (Oratory)
• 11:45 am – Midday Prayer (Oratory)
• 4:00 pm – Christmas Eve Eucharist (Assembly Room)

Dec. 25

• 8:00 am – Morning Prayer (Oratory)
• 9:00 am – Christmas Day Worship (Assembly Room)

Dec. 26-27

• No Public Prayer

Dec. 28

• 8:00 am – Morning Prayer (Oratory)
• 8:40 am – Christmas Carol Sing-Along (Assembly Room)
• 9:00 am – Sunday Assembly Eucharist (Assembly Room)

Dec. 29-Jan. 1, 2026

• No Public Prayer

Jan. 2

• Resume regular prayer schedule

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Lent is around the corner but I’m of a mind to look back on the wintry beginning of Advent. The gift – and torment – of the season of Advent is the quiet stillness that beckons us to turn inward, to perceive the darkness residing within. By December every year I’m aware of some niggling bit of unpleasantness that separates me from God, and I know that ‘now is the time’ to reckon with it. I always look forward to the peace and space, the early sunsets that make it easier to use the evening time for reading and reflection. There is less busyness all around and the invitation to stillness is appealing. But I’ve never experienced as much agony during Advent as I did this past year. When Christmas arrived and the readings and songs proclaimed that Christ has come, I was still feeling my way in the dark cave, not having untangled the knot of dissatisfaction.

Two readings touched me during the season. The first one guided my internal meanderings, a dim light that I recognized as a way out of my conundrum. It hung on the refrigerator in our kitchen during the month of December. “Once we admit who we are, fearlessness takes over,” a quote from Joan Chittister. That’s it, I realized. I truly, truly don’t want to admit who I am. There are some aspects of my personality that are so disappointing to me. I don’t want to be a person whose ego revels in attention and flattery or who withdraws from others when I’m feeling lonely. It’s so….unBenedictine. I’m finding that the longer I’ve been here at the monastery, the harder it’s become to admit my faults. It feels like I have more to lose. I want to be a certain person, a good monastic, and in my mind that means shedding certain traits. When I see so clearly that I have not in fact shed these unpleasant characteristics, it feels like failure and it wounds the (false) self-image I persist in holding onto.

The thing is, the desires are not the problem. As in politics, the problem is not the thing itself, but the cover-up.

Which brings me to the second reading, from my book of daily prayer. I will quote it at length.

“Jesus chooses to reveal himself in poverty, but it can be exquisitely difficult for us to show him ours. We are easily bothered by the marks of our humanity, especially those things we loathe about ourselves. Like Adam – who hid from God when he realized he was naked – we try to hide parts of our personality….We want to approach God with our clothes neatly ironed, hair nicely combed, teeth brushed, and shoes shined. But is that what God wants?

On the contrary, God persists in loving what we loathe. Because, if we ask for and are given the grace, the things we hate can be transformed into stones that, each by each, create a royal road that leads to honest self-knowledge and a hard-won humility. This is the only sure way to enter a life with God….Without humility we can only wander in a wilderness of pride and self-satisfaction.”

Rachelle Linner – “The Fastest Way to God’s Heart” in Give Us This Day January 2022

I’m quite familiar with that wilderness, so let me pray for the humility to admit who I am: a flawed person who would sometimes rather pretend to be perfect than have the humility to ask for the grace to be loved as I am.

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Being a Benedictine Sojourner during this season comes with its own kind of hopefulness and expectation. As you read this, I will have just completed my first three months of the Sojourner experience. Based on my arrangement with the Sisters, mid-December could have been the end of my time, but we have agreed that I will continue on and complete the full term of six months. I’m staying because I am finding the experience meaningful, and because my heart tells me that whatever God has planned in this place and at this time, it has not finished developing.

These past weeks have been so full of changes and adapting to new relationships and routines, that in many ways it feels like I’m just now starting to catch on to the rhythms of monastic life. I’m finally starting to settle in, feeling less like a guest and more like a part of the community. And these are still just the early stages of the formative process that prepares individuals for monastic living. Becoming fully prepared to live and thrive in Benedictine community takes time, prayer, patience, guidance and discernment. It also requires individuals to be aware and to let go of old habits, preferences, diversions and distractions in order to really listen for God. Monastics must embrace humility and simplicity, and they must want to practice self-discipline.

As I begin Day Two of Week 13, I can’t say for certain what is in store for me in the next trimester of Sojourning, but I do know that changes are occurring, and new facets of understanding and capability are taking shape within me and around me. The daily routine of centering prayer and liturgy of the hours has brought me a sense of groundedness and a quiet assurance that I am growing closer to God each day. Being in community has given me a growing awareness of the relationship between independence and isolation. Voluntarily living on a fraction of the budget I once allotted for my personal expenses is helping me separate my wants from my needs. And each day I am invited to consider that freedom may be less about having what I desire than it is about desiring only what God has provided.

This isn’t always easy or comfortable. Saying yes to God’s Spirit means risking the status quo and painful grieving for a way of life that is being shed and left behind. But, I think that is also where hope and expectation are most essential and visible. My faith tells me that by participating in the transitions and transformations of the Sojourner experience, something new and wonderful has a chance to be born.

Advent and Christmas blessings to all, and a very happy New Year!

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We, the whole neighborhood, start the Our Lady of Guadalupe Novena on December fourth. The neighbors take turns hosting evening communal rosary at their houses. After that everybody enjoys drinking coffee, tea or atole (a sweet, hot drink), with cookies or sweet bread. During these nine days each street hosts a street mass. The people decorate their front doors to indicate that they want the priest to stop by to bless their home and family after mass. Each family stands together at the front door waiting for the priest and the procession of people that attends Mass. On that day we have something special to eat, like tamales, and atole.

Some people make a pilgrimage to visit Our Lady in groups from their neighborhood. When I was a teenager, my older sisters and brothers and I joined about 40 young people in our area and made a pilgrimage. We walked from our neighborhood to downtown Mexico City where the Basilica is. Her shrine is at the Basilica on the top of a hill, where she appeared. We walked for 3-5 hours, then had mass and a special blessing, and returned home on the train. The Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most important day of celebration in Mexico after Christmas.

Las Posadas is a nine day celebration starting December 16 to commemorate the nine months that Mary carried baby Jesus in her belly. Posada means ‘lodgings,’ and for nine days the neighborhood re-enacts Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a warm place to stay for the night. Nine families volunteer their houses to celebrate the posada, while the rest of the neighborhood processes in the street carrying small colorful candles. We go praying and singing from one house to another, with two children chosen to play the parts of Mary and Joseph, until we arrive at the designated house. There, the host receives us singing, “Enter holy pilgrims.” Then the children collect their special Christmas treats like colaciones and alfajores and adults eat and dance, and finally the piñatas come out. Everybody, kids and adults, enjoy singing and catching fruit and candies once the piñata is broken. There is always extra fruit and candies for those who weren’t lucky enough to catch any fruit.

I’m very happy to share a version of these celebrations from home and I hope others will look forward to them with joy as I do every Advent season.

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Anticipating Christmas with the O Antiphons

During the last week before Christmas, we begin the daily singing of the   O Antiphons, an ancient practice that embraces the sense of longing and anticipation for Christmas which swells with each day.  These antiphons are sung prior to the Magnificat, the Song of Mary from Luke 1:46-55, in our evening prayers throughout this week.  Each antiphon begins by addressing God with a name that expresses God’s loving design for people of all times and places.  Each antiphon is completed with the petition to “Come” and continue the redeeming activity needed in our lives and in our world today.  We invite you to enjoy the richness of this tradition, by joining us for evening prayer (4:30 pm) throughout these days. Antiphons for each day and accompanying prayers and blessings are reprinted below, along with special prayers for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Epiphany Sunday.

December 17
O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come teach us to walk in the paths of knowledge.

Holy Wisdom, Mother and Friend, you fill our hearts but are never exhausted; you guide our ways and never fail us. Give us powers of discernment to seek your ways, and guide us, heart and mind and conscience, in being followers of Jesus, who is Emmanuel, God with us, for ever and ever.

Blessing
May holy Wisdom bless us with her presence, enlightening our hearts and refreshing our minds. 

December 18
O Adonai, leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and gave him the law on Mount Sinai: come with open arms to set us free.

Liberating God, in Israel you set down a pattern of bringing your people out of slavery into the glorious freedom of your children.  Help us to see the bondage of sin and death afflicting the times in which we live, and to be part of your liberating grace.  We ask this through Jesus, who was, who is, and who is to come, Incarnate God, for ever and ever.

Blessing
May Adonai, the Lion of Judah, reach out with a strong arm to defend us and to be our Savior. 

December 19
O Root of Jesse’s stem, you stand as a sign among the peoples; to you all nations cry for help; before you rulers stand in silence: come to save us, do not delay. 

O God, in the fertility of Elizabeth and Zechariah, you trace your saving ways in human history. Open our hearts and minds to the miracle that is every human birth, and to the goodness in which we are born. We ask this in Jesus’ name.

Blessing
May Christ, the Flower of Jesse’s stem, take root in our lives and bear fruit in our communities. 

December 20
O Key of David, scepter of the house of Israel: you open and no one closes; you close, and no one opens. Come free the prisoners in darkness and the shadow of death.

God of light, as evening draws on, we bring to mind all who live in prisons of any and every kind. Led by your desire for freedom and joy for all peoples, may we spread the good news to all captive hearts. 

Blessing
May God bless us, who comes in Christ to save us and release us from the chains of death. 

December 21
O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light and sun of justice: come illumine those lost in the darkness and the shadow of death. 

O God, the dawning of each day is the promise of your salvation at work in our lives. In Jesus you have radiated a new light through his words and example. Keep the light of Jesus burning brightly in our lives so that the work of the Gospel may continue, and people may be freed from doubt and despair. We pray this through Jesus the Christ.

Blessing
May Christ, the rising dawn of eternal light, shine on us with justice and illumine us with peace.  

December 22
O Ruler and hope of all nations, cornerstone uniting all as one: come save the people you formed from the earth.

O God, your love for us unites us in Jesus. By the power of that love, you seek to break down barriers between peoples, nations and churches. Strengthen in us a drive to unity and reconciliation which can speak to the divisions of our times. Grant this, we ask, through Christ, our Peace, for ever and ever.

Blessing
May God, the Ancient of Days, lift us up through the salvation Christ is creating among us. 

December 23
O Emmanuel, God’s presence among us, our Ruler our Judge: come to save us, O Christ, our God.

O God, you are near, even in our hearts, and have opened to us the mystery that lies within our very being. Grant that we may cherish the interior life, finding in abiding contemplation the gift of energy in the world. We pray through Jesus the Christ, living with you and the Spirit, now and for ever.

Blessing
May Christ, Emmanuel, God with us, bless us with abiding peace. 

Christmas Eve – Blessing of the Crèche

God of Mary and Joseph, of shepherds and animals, bless us whenever we gaze on this crèche. Through all the days of Christmas may these figures tell the story of how humans, angels and animals found Christ in this poor place. Fill our households with hospitality, joy, gentleness and thanksgiving and guide our steps in the way of Christ’s peace. Grant this through Christ our Savior. 

Christmas Vigil

Good and gracious God, while all the world lay wrapped in deepest silence, and night had reached its midpoint, your Word leapt down to grace the world forever. As year by year the beauty of this night returns, growing old with our aging, yet renewed in the wonder of every child, so may we give birth to Christ again in lives of faith, hope and love. We pray through Jesus, the Word made flesh, living in the splendor of eternal light with you and the Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Christmas Day

God of love, eternal parent of all, the waiting night that once covered the earth has given way to the brightness of your Word made flesh. Make us a people of light. Keep us faithful to your Word, that we may bring life to the whole world. Grant this, we ask, in Jesus’ name. Amen

Blessing
May God’s blessing be with us for joy, for the warmth of love, and for peace.

Epiphany Sunday Vigil

In the darkness of night, O God, a star has risen in the East, shining upon the Word made flesh, Savior of the world and light to the nations. Grant us to walk by this light, radiating your love for the world, and bearing a message of peace. For Jesus is God-with-us forever and ever.

O Antiphon texts adapted from traditional Latin antiphons and translations by Colleen Winston, OSB ©2001, St. Walburg Monastery, Villa Hills, KY. Prayers and blessings published by Benedictine Women of Madison, Holy Wisdom Monastery, Middleton, WI ©2010.

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I am thinking about my Christmas preparation time back in Mexico, and I remember that I used to have a communal preparation. We, the whole neighborhood, start the Our Lady of Guadalupe Novena on December fourth. The neighbors take turns hosting evening communal rosary at their houses. After that everybody enjoys drinking coffee, tea or atole (a sweet, hot drink) with cookies or sweet bread. During these nine days each street hosts a street Mass. The people decorate their front doors to indicate that they want the priest to stop and bless their home and family after Mass. Each family stands together in the front door waiting for the priest and the procession of people that attend Mass. That day we have something more than just coffee and cookies, we have something like tamales and atole! Between these days we also celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary, on December 8. We can hear the churches bells and the fireworks very early in the morning. We all are involved in a huge preparation. Then we have three days of rest until December 16 when the first posada starts.

Paz celebrating Christmas 2014 with her youngest niece (front and sister-in-law (right)

Las posadas is a nine day celebration. We commemorate the nine months Mary carried baby Jesus in her belly. There are nine neighbors on the street that volunteer their houses to celebrate the posada. The hostess offers fresh seasonal fruit punch, and some food for adults, kids usually are happy just with their special Christmas treats-a small bag full of Christmas candies, special candies we can have just in this time, like colaciones and alfajores. And everybody is waiting for Mary and Joseph in the procession. We carry a small colorful candle and go praying and singing from one house to another, until we arrive at the chosen house. There, the host receives us singing “enter holy pilgrims.” Then the kids collect their special Christmas treats and adults eat and dance, and finally the piñatas. Here everybody, kids and adults, enjoy singing and catching fruit and candies once the piñata is broken. There is always extra fruit and candies for kids that are not that lucky catching fruit.

Paz (middle row, left) with her parents, brothers, sisters and nieces, Christmas 2014

It is the same for eight nights, but on Christmas Eve everything is more festive, your extended family is visiting and also your neighbor’s extended family that you also know and are your friends, since you play with them each vacation time. This evening we have piñatas almost in every single house. Kids can stay outside very late. Next morning, Christmas morning, everything is quiet, but at noon the relatives that for some reason could not make it the day before that show up for the reheated leftovers. And again the party starts.

Here at the monastery, the Advent preparations are a lot more solemn. It is also a communal preparation but the songs are not so festive and popular, compared with las posadas celebrations. Here the preparation is more spiritual, with more depth. I think also less passing or transient. I hope I can transmit some of this depth spirituality to my family. I am thinking about my vacation time in Los Angeles-there I will celebrate Christmas Eve with my family, there everything resembles Mexico a little more. I hope to spend a nice warm Christmas without real snow, just some fake snow in the windows. After that I will charge my batteries to return to the Madison tundra again.

_________________

Read this post in Spanish. Para seguir a paz en español: Preparaciones para la Navidad

Read more from Paz in her blog series, Little notes from a prairie journey.

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The origin of the O Antiphons is unclear, but there is evidence of their use in Benedictine monasteries as early as the 5^th century, and in the wider Church of Rome in the 8^th century. They appear in these liturgies in the final week before Christmas. Each antiphon lifts a different name or title for the Messiah: O Wisdom, O Leader/Adonai, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Radiant Dawn, O Ruler, O Emmanuel. In addition, the first letter of the Latin for each antiphon, from last to first, spells out “Ero cras,” or “Tomorrow I come.” One may imagine that these additions to the liturgy provided (and still provide) an additional focal point for prayer and meditation as the faithful travel through that final week toward Bethlehem.

We invite you to incorporate the O Antiphons into your Advent journey. Gathered in this blog are the texts of the antiphons we sing at Holy Wisdom Monastery. Text and music is adapted from the traditional Latin antiphons by Colleen Winston, OSB, St Walburg Monastery, KY. Brief suggestions for meditation written by Joan Chittister, OSB, follow each antiphon.

O Wisdom

O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come teach us to walk in the paths of knowledge.

“Wisdom: the ability to see the world as God sees it. Try reading the newspaper today through the eyes of a God who was born in a stable, counted to be of no account, hounded by society from one place to another.” – Joan Chittister, OSB

 O Leader

O Adonai, leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the burning bush
and gave him the law on Mount Sinai:
come with open arms to set us free.

“When we build a vision of life it is necessary to realize that Jesus must be the center of it – not our institutions, good as they may be; not our plans or personal talents, necessary as they are.” – Joan Chittister, OSB

 O Root of Jesse

O Root of Jesse’s stem,
you stand as a sign among the peoples;
to you all nations cry for help;
before you rulers stand in silence:
come to save us, do not delay.

“It takes generations to build the Christ vision in the world, just as it took generations after Jesse to prepare for the coming of the Christ. It is our task to root ideas now that will bring the next generation to wholeness.”
– Joan Chittister, OSB

(photo by Gregory Bleck)

 O Key of David

O Key of David,
scepter of the house of Israel:
you open and no one closes;
you close, and no one opens.
come free the prisoners in darkness and the shadow of death.

“We are called to the kind of Christian commitment that opens doors and breaks down barriers between people, that brings unity to a divided world. Try to unlock one door that is keeping someone locked out of your heart.” – Joan Chittister, OSB

(photo by Nick Wilkes)

 O Radiant Dawn

O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light and sun of justice:
come illumine those lost in the darkness
and the shadow of death.

“The celebration of the God of Growth in our lives – those moments of insight in which life comes newly alive in me – helps us to recognize those moments of insight in which life comes newly alive and I begin to see differently, to live differently, to function differently. A new friend, a new work, a new idea are all ‘radiant dawns’ in life that can enable me to become more than I ever dreamed I could.” – Joan Chittister, OSB

(photo by Gregory Bleck)

 O Ruler

O Ruler
and hope of all nations,
cornerstone uniting all as one:
come save the people you formed from the earth.

“We are not the beginning and the end of the universe. We are part of a vision of humankind, seen in Jesus, and yet to be achieved in us, a vision of global sharing, universal peace and individual security.” – Joan Chittister, OSB

(artwork by Rosy Kandathil, OSB)

 O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel,
God’s presence among us,
our Ruler, our Judge:
come to save us, O Christ, our God.

“Jesus Emmanuel has already come. It is not a matter now of Christ’s being where we are; it is a matter of our being in the consciousness of where Christ is in life and where He is not as well. Where is Christ for you? Is there a place in your life that you know down deep is not in the spirit of Christ at all?” – Joan Chittister, OSB

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