From a monk's cell, Fiesoli, Italy
I have four full days remaining at the cottage. Days when I can get up early and sip coffee as I watch morning come; days with all the time in the world to live into my routine of prayer, reading, napping, meditating, walking.
There is a long history of monastic tradition of prayer, study and work that contemporary writers have explained for those of us drawn to some kind of prayer routine. Joan Chittister, Esther de Wall, Noreen Vest and Kathleen Norris suggest ways for us to apply the Rule of St. Benedict to our own lives.
I find that keeping a prayer practice gives me enormous comfort, comfort that I lose when I allow my basic prayer routine to wander. When I feel restless and out of sorts, I realize that I have forgotten to keep sight of the spiritual buoys that keep God’s presence in sight. If I want to live a life for God, Benedict points me in the right direction, helping me remain intentional about the stability, obedience, and humility. A prayer routine is my best way of staying aware of the presence of God in all things.
There is a long history of monastic tradition of prayer, study and work that contemporary writers have explained for those of us drawn to some kind of prayer routine. Joan Chittister, Esther de Wall, Noreen Vest and Kathleen Norris suggest ways for us to apply the Rule of St. Benedict to our own lives.
I find that keeping a prayer practice gives me enormous comfort, comfort that I lose when I allow my basic prayer routine to wander. When I feel restless and out of sorts, I realize that I have forgotten to keep sight of the spiritual buoys that keep God’s presence in sight. If I want to live a life for God, Benedict points me in the right direction, helping me remain intentional about the stability, obedience, and humility. A prayer routine is my best way of staying aware of the presence of God in all things.
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