The Benedictine Sisters wish all of you a blessed and peaceful Easter! May the Risen Savior inject hope in each of your hearts as we continue to live in these unsettling times. In the midst of the pandemic, and all the struggle and pain that the past year brought us, the word celebrate might not…
The Passion of Christ we hear this Sunday is not unlike the experience of many who have been infected and died of Covid-19 and those that mourn their loss. It is a difficult reality to comprehend. Just yesterday I was healthy and today I am fighting for my life, we hear so many say. It…
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1 Click Benedictine Voice – Spring 2021 (pdf) to read more.
John 12:20-33 As we draw closer to Holy Week, the readings remind us of what is coming. In this reading, Jesus wants us to know that as we look at his death and ours as well, we are not talking about the ending of a life, but about transitioning from the old to the new,…
Blessings to all from the Benedictine Sisters on this Feast Day of St. Benedict! We celebrated a day early as the Sisters gathered for our Community Meeting, followed by a special meal and lots of sharing.
John 3:14-21 In order to understand today’s section of this Gospel, one must read the entire gospel. In this chapter of John, we find Nicodemus, a Jewish leader, coming to Jesus for spiritual direction in the middle of the night. Nicodemus wants to understand Jesus and his message. Why did he come at night? Was…
Under the leadership of Siobhan O’Neill Meluso, Director of Communications for the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago, a group of communicators from Benedictine women’s monasteries have produced a video, “Benedictine Values – Modern Monasticism,” that illustrates 10 Benedictine values with photographs provided by 21 monasteries. “When the pandemic began, I proposed the idea of a collaborative…
John 2:13-25 What makes Jesus so angry in the gospel today? Exchanging money to purchase animals for sacrifice at the Temple had been a long-held tradition. “Stop making my father’s house a marketplace,” Jesus says. Jesus was offended by the blatant disregard of the sacred act of offerings to the Holy. Any of us would…
By Sister Bernadine Reyes, OSB After reading and reflecting on the four Gospels of the month of March I could not help but remember a favorite hymn used in the Lenten season, “Jerusalem, My Destiny,” by Roy Cooney. I do not know the intent of the composer of this hymn so I’m taking the liberty…
Mark 9:2-10 In her book, Lent in Plain Sight, Jill Duffield states, “God works through the ordinary. Ordinary people, everyday objects, things we bump up against moment by moment. From burning bushes to talking donkeys to a booming voice from heaven, God goes to great lengths to communicate with people, sending Jesus Christ, God’s only…