You are currently browsing the monthly archive for June, 2007.
I’ve had a rough week with the ‘flu. (Trouble is, I often hear God more clearly on my back…) How did monastics view illness? Was it sin, discipline or just bodily inconvenience?
Wow! Didn’t realise the magnitude of what Francis Pfanner began… Since its break from the Trappist Order in 1909, can the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries be regarded as the best example of Catholic missional monasticism in Africa?
In his post on the tonsuring of Hierodeacon Seraphim, Steve Hayes affords a fascinating glimpse into the rite of Orthodox ‘ordination’. This event is important since it may signal “a new stage in the development of … an indigenous Southern African monasticism”.
Would it be possible to contact this brother and interview him online, Steve?
Roger Saner reminded me of St Benedict’s House in Rosettenville.
A quiet oasis in a city of noise. I attended two retreats there, one led by Gavin Sklar-Chik. The Anglican sisters of the Order of the Holy Paraclete are from the UK but seem quite in tune with the local situation.
How does monastic spirituality differ from the ‘conventional’ sort?
I came across an online prayer site, www.sacredspace.ie Run by Irish Jesuits, it guides one’s prayer along the outline: Presence of God > Freedom > Consciousness > The Word > Conversation > Conclusion
Soothing colours, simple language, smooth transitions between pages… Sacred Space draws one Godwards without pushing.
What is monasticism, really? How does it work as a vital way of doing faith in Africa today? Old / new, missional or contemplative, intentional faith communities are what this blog’s all about.
Recent Comments