St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556 C.E.), famous for his “Spiritual Exercises,” was the Roman Catholic counter-Reformation founder of the religious order known as the Jesuits. He knew well the vagaries of the human heart. He recognized patterns of spiritual fluctuation ranging from periods of “consolation” to “desolation.” Experiences of consolation, marked by inner peace and…
In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground … A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now. —Wangari Maathai, Nobel Lecture, Oslo, Dec. 10, 2004…
Each year, one of Prairiewoods’ most beloved traditions is our Blessing of the Animals, which we hold near Saint Francis Day (Oct. 4). However, given rising Covid numbers, we have decided not to hold an in-person Blessing of the Animals this year. Instead, we are hoping to help you create your own blessing in your…
Sept. 22 is the beginning of autumn. It is the equinox, one of two times a year when day and night are equal length. I’ve found this moment of astronomical balance to be a wonderful time for inward reflection and to ground myself in preparation for winter and all of the longer, darker nights ahead.…
Tuesday thunder and lightning and our world is another place no day will ever be the same no blood Untouched they know this storm in otherwheres israel ireland palestine but God has blessed America we sing and God has blessed America to learn that no one is exempt the world is one all fear is…
I never tire of kneeling before the oaks that flank the altar in the chapel, centering myself with the one to the east first, then pivoting south. In their presence it seems more possible to pray, to feel the spirit skittering through me like the squirrel leaping from branch to branch, like the sun climbing…
“Witches can be right; giants can be good” (lyrics from “No One is Alone,” from the Sondheim-Lapine musical “Into the Woods,” 1986). What? We don’t often think of notorious archetypes of evil as fonts of truth or dispensers of reality and goodness. Morality and ego-development are so much easier when our “witches” are bad, and our…
The Irish poet Brendan Kennelly wrote, “Hell is the familiar all stripped of wonder.” Ceasing to marvel at the miracle of ordinary life is a joyless way of being. Yet, life is clearly not all roses and butterflies. Even ordinary life itself provides enough suffering with frequency and magnitude to drain the soul of inspiration.…
All of creation invites us to unify seemingly contrasting energies. Robin Hines and his dog, Odie, faithful friends of Prairiewoods, daily walk the woods and prairie. To Robin’s surprise, Odie and this deer held each other’s gaze for a solid five minutes, extending hospitality to one another. Odie and Robin stop and greet every person…
When Death Comes by Mary Oliver … When it’s over, I want to say all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms. When it’s over, I don’t want to wonder if I have made of my life something particular, and real. I don’t…