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....
Monday Mewsings
Bandage a Wound with Kindness
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...
Give a Gift – Create A Welcoming Space for Others
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...
Be Porter of Your Heart
The Chapter Room of the Feline Cloister is a-buzz with mews, feline chuckles, and the rustling of papers as Resident Novices gather for the latest instruction from Br. Ricky, Novice Master. On the monitor projecting Zoom, excited Worldwide Novices wave to each other...
A Good Friday Story – Forgive
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus* there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them;or they do...
Spiritual Wisdom from the 9th Century? Yes!
Welcome to this Monday Mewsing offering from the Feline Cloister. My name is Novice Benjamin, Bennie for short. This month’s Novice Instruction is a tad different from the usual – three audio recordings by Amma, done at the request of Br. Ricky. As I am a very...
Nip Grumbling in the Bud – Try “PUP”
A Challenge is Identified My quest started in our last Chapter. Amma lamented that her efforts to nip her grumbling yielded no positive results. "When I start to grumble about someone or something," she confessed, "the grumbling takes off into an ever-growing mental...
A Benedictine Practice for the New Year or Anytime
Hello and welcome! Br. Ricky here. Today I offer Worldwide Novices and human readers a Benedictine Practice for the New Year. This idea came to me on a Zoom call with a prospective novice, Jasper McPurr. Jasper was looking for an alternative to the usual...
Patience – Holding Fast to the Way of Christ
Have you ever been in a supermarket check line, when the person at the checkout presents a fistful of coupons? Groannnnn. Or thrown into the grip of frustration hearing those four dreaded words: “I need a price!” Or how about the other four dreaded words: “I need...
Sharing Moments Filled with the Glory of God
An Account by Br. Ricky, Novice Master When Cloister members gathered to talk about their moments full of God's Glory, everyone was there - the Benedictine sisters Nikki and Espy along with the Resident Novice. The Worldwide Novices had joined by Zoom. I first posed...