Food for the Soul

Now that I have settled back into life at the monastery, I am reminded almost daily how wonderfully blessed we are to be living where we do, close to wide open spaces.  After spending several months in Chicago which was a beautiful city in many ways, and being close to Lake Michigan which was an added bonus, these days I relish being able to step outside anytime I want to go for a walk or just to the next building, aware of the beauty all around us whether it be the trees, the gardens, the fields or the quiet of an early evening. My heart can’t help being filled with gratitude at such times. I am fully aware that most people do not live in close proximity to large open spaces or to a lake or river as we do. In one way or the other each of us, depending on our circumstances, seeks to find ways to feed our soul.  For us Sisters whether living in St. Joseph, MN or being at one of our two lake cabins, as four of us are this week, we find ways to be still and silent steping away for a time from the jabbering crowds and the constant motion of our lives.  For example, as I am writing this I am sitting facing the lake on a porch with screen windows on three sides and listening to a pair of loons calling to each other on the lake, very close to our dock. The lake is calm after a very windy day yesterday, and being early in the week there is not the usual loud rumbling of motor boats assaulting our ears. There is the merest of fluttering in the trees and in an hour or so the sun will turn the corner of the house and will be facing us promising a beautiful sunset.

An important piece during vacation that renews me body and soul are these quiet hours with congenial companions, along with extended time for meals, most often on the screened-in porch.  May each of you experience something similar for the renewal of your spirit during these summer months.