Almut, here's a note of joy from this cloister where I have sought silence and solitude most of my life! In fact, as I open my blinds in the a.m. my first prayer is that of St. Padre Pio: "Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to Love You more and more." I feel your longing, Almut, and I am sure God longs for you as well.. . .
Sister Renee, I am always delighted and honored to read from you. You all have been my monastic teachers 🙏. Thank you for sharing your prayer with me. I will write it down and try to start my day with it also.
Almut, We met at the oblate renewal weekend. It was such a wonderful reflective yet inspiring community of women sharing experiences in our spiritual journeys! I so appreciated our time together and conversation on the sofas in the Spirituality Center. I hope you are well. I have been your follower for a while.
Cindy, I so much agree. We need both. Bonhoeffer said it so well, we cannot be alone if we cannot be together and we cannot be together if we cannot be alone.
This essay reminds me if the one you write when you found clustered quiet in a courtyard off a busy street in Berlin last spring. Our hearts yearn for silence and solitude in the busy clamour of our lives.
Dear Almut, Cloister Notes is perfect for me. Why? When I open these emails -- even if the day has been hectic or filled with "issues" that need attention -- your notes transport me away from the immediate to a space of contemplation and thought. Like you I love being in an actual cloister or quiet place away but sometimes the place alone isn't sufficient or we don't give it time to be. Your words and images are teleport us and give us something tangible and new to think about for a time.. Thank you.
Anne, what beautiful words. Thank you so much. It is so good for my soul to hear how my writing is received. And you describe it so powerfully. Thank you! So great to hear from you also. It has been a while that our paths crossed. Sending a virtual hug your way.
I'm unfamiliar with Merton, but I love the peace and longing in his words that you shared.
I enjoy your Cloister Notes as observations and reflections set apart just a bit from the world. This perspective is so different from most and for me is grounding.❤️
Bei mir findet sich die Einsamkeit und das intensive Reden mit Gott im Bewegen durch den Wald statt.
Leider kenne ich klösterliche Räume nicht direkt, könnte mir aber auch dort eine Kontemplation mit und über Gottes Wort vorstellen, was Nahrung für meine Seele ist.
Wie schön, von Ihnen zu lesen, lieber Herr Herbek! Ja, der Waldspaziergang ist eine wunderbare Möglichkeit, mit Gott allein zu sein. Interessanterweise gibt es da im Englischen zwei Begriffe zur Einsamkeit, die wir im Deutschen so nicht kennen: solitude und loneliness.
Ich bin sicher, Klöster würden Sie auch ansprechen :-)
"I have only one desire, to be lost in solitude... to be. one." Oh yes, that definitely pulled on my heart. Yet this is what I wrote in my notebook "monastic solitude is not lonliness. Instead it brings us into communion with all of creation..." This eloquently describes how I feel about solitude... when I'm in a "state" of solitude, it feels like I am one with that place. There are other times when I am by myself and it's not a "state" of solitude as there is no "dropping in" to place. Those times do feel lonely...
You are so point on on this, Christina. There is loneliness and there is solitude. And we all know both states quite well, I guess. Indeed, Merton thinks solitude further as a state of mind which transcends the otherness and makes us one.
Oh no, I'm the first to comment, one of your "lurkers." This one really spoke to me. Cloister Notes are from the sacred side and not the profane side; from the still side, not the noisy side. "Be still and know that I am God." A place with covered walkways for our journey.... Thank you.
Roderick, Thank you so much for being brave to go first :-) I loved to hear what "Cloister Notes" means to you. And your image of the covered cross walk. What a sacred place indeed.
For what it's worth - I love the name! And glad that you've wrestled your way into the deep knowing that the name chose you! As an aside, I just started reading a memoir of a former nun, which is titled "Cloistered."
The line that spoke to me today from Merton's words that you shared with us is the desire to be "submerged in God's peace." The use of the verb submerge is so lively and compelling. Like not just a little bit of it, but wanting to be fully dunked under in the pools of that deep contemplation with God. (Maybe it's because I also love water and swimming!)
Lastly - when are we getting the first date story!? LOL!
Almut, here's a note of joy from this cloister where I have sought silence and solitude most of my life! In fact, as I open my blinds in the a.m. my first prayer is that of St. Padre Pio: "Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to Love You more and more." I feel your longing, Almut, and I am sure God longs for you as well.. . .
Sister Renee, I am always delighted and honored to read from you. You all have been my monastic teachers 🙏. Thank you for sharing your prayer with me. I will write it down and try to start my day with it also.
Almut, We met at the oblate renewal weekend. It was such a wonderful reflective yet inspiring community of women sharing experiences in our spiritual journeys! I so appreciated our time together and conversation on the sofas in the Spirituality Center. I hope you are well. I have been your follower for a while.
Thank you, Stephanie, I am glad you are with us. It was indeed lovely to meet at St Ben's!
Sometimes I feel the need to bust out of my cloister and be with people, beauty and nature! I feel the need for both!
Cindy, I so much agree. We need both. Bonhoeffer said it so well, we cannot be alone if we cannot be together and we cannot be together if we cannot be alone.
This essay reminds me if the one you write when you found clustered quiet in a courtyard off a busy street in Berlin last spring. Our hearts yearn for silence and solitude in the busy clamour of our lives.
Thank. you, Donna, for the reminder, I am astonished. I have to go back to this post and remind myself! Thank you for being here with us 🙏
Thank you
you are so welcome, Charlotte, and thank you for being here 🙏
Dear Almut, Cloister Notes is perfect for me. Why? When I open these emails -- even if the day has been hectic or filled with "issues" that need attention -- your notes transport me away from the immediate to a space of contemplation and thought. Like you I love being in an actual cloister or quiet place away but sometimes the place alone isn't sufficient or we don't give it time to be. Your words and images are teleport us and give us something tangible and new to think about for a time.. Thank you.
Anne, what beautiful words. Thank you so much. It is so good for my soul to hear how my writing is received. And you describe it so powerfully. Thank you! So great to hear from you also. It has been a while that our paths crossed. Sending a virtual hug your way.
I'm unfamiliar with Merton, but I love the peace and longing in his words that you shared.
I enjoy your Cloister Notes as observations and reflections set apart just a bit from the world. This perspective is so different from most and for me is grounding.❤️
Thank you, Kathleen, for your kind words, so goof to know, thank you for being here 🙏
Bei mir findet sich die Einsamkeit und das intensive Reden mit Gott im Bewegen durch den Wald statt.
Leider kenne ich klösterliche Räume nicht direkt, könnte mir aber auch dort eine Kontemplation mit und über Gottes Wort vorstellen, was Nahrung für meine Seele ist.
Danke für die Anregungen, Frau Furchert
Wie schön, von Ihnen zu lesen, lieber Herr Herbek! Ja, der Waldspaziergang ist eine wunderbare Möglichkeit, mit Gott allein zu sein. Interessanterweise gibt es da im Englischen zwei Begriffe zur Einsamkeit, die wir im Deutschen so nicht kennen: solitude und loneliness.
Ich bin sicher, Klöster würden Sie auch ansprechen :-)
"I have only one desire, to be lost in solitude... to be. one." Oh yes, that definitely pulled on my heart. Yet this is what I wrote in my notebook "monastic solitude is not lonliness. Instead it brings us into communion with all of creation..." This eloquently describes how I feel about solitude... when I'm in a "state" of solitude, it feels like I am one with that place. There are other times when I am by myself and it's not a "state" of solitude as there is no "dropping in" to place. Those times do feel lonely...
You are so point on on this, Christina. There is loneliness and there is solitude. And we all know both states quite well, I guess. Indeed, Merton thinks solitude further as a state of mind which transcends the otherness and makes us one.
Oh no, I'm the first to comment, one of your "lurkers." This one really spoke to me. Cloister Notes are from the sacred side and not the profane side; from the still side, not the noisy side. "Be still and know that I am God." A place with covered walkways for our journey.... Thank you.
Roderick, Thank you so much for being brave to go first :-) I loved to hear what "Cloister Notes" means to you. And your image of the covered cross walk. What a sacred place indeed.
For what it's worth - I love the name! And glad that you've wrestled your way into the deep knowing that the name chose you! As an aside, I just started reading a memoir of a former nun, which is titled "Cloistered."
The line that spoke to me today from Merton's words that you shared with us is the desire to be "submerged in God's peace." The use of the verb submerge is so lively and compelling. Like not just a little bit of it, but wanting to be fully dunked under in the pools of that deep contemplation with God. (Maybe it's because I also love water and swimming!)
Lastly - when are we getting the first date story!? LOL!
Restful, peace, pondering, reflecting, freedom from all distractions.