No Need to Run on Fumes

"Selfie": Joanne outside Sacred Heart Chapel

With so much on the go to meet the myriad demands of family and work, sometimes we miss the signs of thirstiness in our spiritual lives.

Following three years of volunteering as a writer and administrator on a very busy hospital ship serving the people of Africa, I found myself parched for a long and deep spiritual drink.

I connected with the living waters I thirsted for through the Studium Program at Saint Benedict's Monastery. By living in residence here at the St. Joseph campus, I have ready access to the soul-nourishing daily Liturgy of the Hours, prayed morning, noon and evening in the Oratory. I also sup the Body and Blood of Christ at daily Mass held in Sacred Heart Chapel.

I have come to realize, after a number of weeks of daily spiritual imbibing, that even the occasional prayer-filled sip can provide much needed refreshment. This, in turn, leads to revived energy and the return of a more joyful perspective.

No need to let your well-being run on fumes when daily prayer and Mass is open to all in the environs of the monastery of Saint Benedict or anywhere with a monastery nearby.

Joanne Thibault

Studium Scholar