"A sower went out to sowhis seed"At the end of his manuscripts the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) wrote these words. S-D-G - soli deo gloria - to God alone the glory. In Chapter 57 of the Rule St. Benedict instructs us to glorify God in all...
“In returning and rest we shall be saved.In quietness and trust shall be our strength.” Isaiah 31:5The Community Gathers The Chapter Room is a’buzz with mews. Resident Novices are finding their comfortable, but not too comfortable cushions. Several are already...
Saint Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage(c. 210 - 258)Benedict’s instruction to prefer nothing whatever to Christ comes from Cyprian, a third century bishop in North Africa. In Cyprian’s treatise on the Lord’s Prayer - de dominica oratione, #15 – he included a list of “the...
Novice Jacab aka JakeWorldwide Novice Jacob (aka Jake) created quite a stir at a recent Worldwide Novice Zoom call. He shared the following quote from Finding Joy With The Rule of St. Benedict, by feline Benedictine scholar, Sr Maria Benedicta Ramos, OSB-F: “Chapter...
Novice Master Br. Ricky, OSB-FYou are invited to join the Feline Cloister in a focused year of preferring nothing whatever to Christ It is all about love. It points me to Christ. Ultimately, the whole meaning and purpose of the Rule is simply,[in Benedict’s own words]...
Hello and Happy Thanksgiving! I’m Sr Nikki, OSB-F, Cloister Porter. Br Ricky asked me to introduce the results of the survey “Novices Mew Their Thanks.” Life is busy and so I thank all the novices and their humans who shared their thanksgivings with us. Here are the...
“Let your gentleness be known to everyone." Philippians 4:5Hello! Amma Jane here. I was reluctant to write another article so soon as I’d written one last month. But when I shared a story about Rudy, Br. Ricky pressed me to tell you, too. “See how you can...
Do playing games and The Rule of St. Benedict seem miles apart? On first glance it might seem so. St. Benedict was serious about the search for God and salvation. And the times were uncertain and harsh. Yet Benedict was understanding and compassionate....
Br. Ricky, OSB-FNovice Master and EditorHello! Hope your day is going well. As Novice Master I want to share one of the important ways that I offer hospitality to feline and human, stranger and friend. It’s one of the Fruits of the Spirit named by Paul. “The fruit...
How do you respond to strangers? Are you a welcoming presence? Or does your fur stand on end? Do you cower in another room, literally or figuratively? What happens inside you when a new feline enters your household or organization? How about a new human? I’m...