Prayer, coping and contemplation among the living things
The houseplants in the upstairs hermitage needed watering. There aren’t as many as there used to be. As I now spend more time indoors as a writer, rather than outdoors as I once did being a gardener, I wanted sunlight streaming through the windows. The numerous houseplants I once had hoarded the light, so I [Read More...]
O Jesus, Eternal Pontiff, Good Shepherd and Fountain of life, who by the special goodness of your Most Sweet Heart, have given us priests to fulfill in us the designs of sanctification which your grace inspires in our hearts, we ask you: come to their aid with the assistance of your mercy. O Jesus, may [Read More...]
I did not see the migrating birds as they flew past, nor did I hear their calls. What I did see was fifty, maybe a hundred, small darting shadows cross over the lawn and my arms. Suddenly I felt heavy in the shadow of birds and my heart longed for home. Where I live is [Read More...]
Lord Jesus, in your wisdom and limitless love you you have planted the seed of service in all of us.We pray at this time you will kindle in the hearts of women the desire to follow you into a consecrated religious life. In the quiet of their discerning give them assurance in answering yes, the peace in their [Read More...]
On this first day of October, as we take our daily walk through the prayer garden, it seems so very appropriate that the Saint of the day is St. Therese of Lisieux. A Carmelite nun, St. Therese is, of course, lovingly known as the “Little Flower” and is the patron saint of florists. As someone [Read More...]
For the nuns and sisters suffering in the many war-torn lands of our Earth, we pray this prayer written by Thomas Merton: “Grant light, grant strength and patience to all who work for peace. But grant us above all to see that our ways are not necessarily your ways, that we cannot fully penetrate the [Read More...]
O Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ and Mother of priests, accept this title which we bestow on you to celebrate your motherhood and to contemplate with you the priesthood of, your Son and of your sons, O holy Mother of God. O Mother of Christ, to the Messiah-priest you gave a body of flesh [Read More...]
For those of you taking your daily walk through the beautiful prayer garden that is Margaret Realy’s blog post, you may notice a different gardener today. As Margaret is on retreat for a few weeks, she has very kindly allowed me to help tend to her garden while she is away. As an Oblate novice [Read More...]
On a road overwhelmed by events of great sorrow and despair, the men together walked. The story of the road to Emmaus was over two-thousand years ago. Today, and still, our priests may be journeying with the same heavy hearts. Let us offer this prayer for them in a world gone mad. Lord Jesus, hear our [Read More...]
A pair of Mourning Doves rested beside the massive zucchini leaves near the bird bath. They cooed, crouching in the warm soil, and rubbing their heads along each others beak and neck. Scratching the soil with their feet they created a shallow divot. They tucked themselves down into the earthen bowl to lay close together, [Read More...]
Margaret Rose Realy, Obl. OSB is an Advanced Master Gardener with over thirty-five years experience in the green industry and leads workshop and retreats. She is the coordinator emeritus of the St. Francis Retreat Center Garden Society, a monthly columnist at CatholicMom.com and blogs about gardening and spirituality at Patheos.com. 
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