Br. Ricky Reflects on His Retreat at St. Benedict’s - Feline: Finds Two Verses to Guide Us Every DayPrefer nothing whatever to Christ. RB 72.11"…Seek first the reign and justice of God..." (Mt 6:33) RB 2.35Hello, Novices! Amma and I flew out to Minnesota in July...
Monday Mewsings
Living in the Present Moment
Hello. Novices and friends. In July, 2023, I spent a wonderful week in a hermitage at St. Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota. This was my fifth retreat with the wonderful sisters. I would like to share what I discovered about living in the present moment...
The Benedictine Cure for a Lop-Sided, Crazy-Busy Life
Hello. I’m Resident Novice Sebastian Thomas. Br. Ricky thought I’d be a good candidate to write this article about Benedictine ways to find balance in life. One of the reasons I came to the Cloister is that I was totally overwhelmed with everything I had to do. You...
St. Benedict’s Plan for a Balanced Life
The cloister members Sisters Nikki and Espy along with the Resident Novices are seated in a semi-circle around Br. Ricky in the Chapter Room. Hushed mews are heard as the felines anticipate the first discussion of how the Rule of St. Benedict can help humans. ...
What My Human Needs to Learn
You are just in time to join Br. Ricky, OSB-F, Novice Master, and Sr. Maggie, OSB-F, Cloister Contemplate and Assistant Novice Master, on their Zoom call. Sr. Maggie, on assignment in Florida, has finished compiling the results of one of the questions on the Novice...
Amma Jane’s Sabbatical Reflection – January 2023
“Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God.” The Rule of St. Benedict, Prologue Verse 9aHello and welcome to a Amma's reflection on a sabbatical taken in January 2023. I (Br. Ricky, Novice Master) encourage you to read these slowly. Take your time over a...
Listen! The First Word in The Rule of St. Benedict
"Listen carefully, my child, to my instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from one who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice.” Prologue 1Cross-Cultural Listeningfrom the heartThe Whys and Whats of...