New Skete Monasteries News

 By Brother Luke   Sermon 171 Dec 8, 2019 Lk 8: 16-25; Gal 1: 3-10; Ezk 33: 30-33         What happens if you are in your house at night and during a storm the power goes off? Unless you happen to have a flashlight in your pocket, you will carefully negotiate your way through the dark to that drawer or closet where you have stored a flashlight and then use that to throw some light into your home’s inner darkness. I experience this frequently when I go into our small church at night. Even though I am very familiar with the layout of that small space, with all the icon stands, chairs, tables, flower vases, music stands, and carpets, in the dark, walking can be treacherous. Seeing the full reality of that space requires light.         This is the image Jesus is describing in today’s gospel lesson. Indeed, all three vignettes share the same message. How do we see reality? Through the light of the...

  by Sister Rebecca Today’s Gospel takes place on the Sabbath, when Jesus’ actions give rise to conflict with some of the Pharisees.   Jesus does not chide his hungry disciples for plucking and eating some ears of grains, and then later, in the synagogue, he heals a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees see these actions as unlawful on the Sabbath. Jesus replies, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” Throughout the Gospels, Jesus teaches people to look deeply, to see beneath the surface of the rules and regulations. His message is always this: “I have come to give life and life in abundance.” Jesus often does this on the Sabbath: renewing life, allowing life to emerge, and freeing people from bondage and from whatever snares their minds, bodies, and souls. In Exodus 20 we read: “In six days God made heaven, earth, and the sea and everything in them. God rested on the seventh day.” God blessed the Sabbath day. ...

By David Bushhouse I spent this summer (Pentecost—Transfiguration) volunteering at New Skete as part of the Resident Experience Program. I lived at the monastery in one of the guest rooms, eating, praying, and working with the monks. The past couple of months have given me the opportunity to reflect on the experience, and I can report that my time at New Skete was truly transformative. I would do it all over again if I had the chance.                    I graduated from college in May of this year with a bachelor’s degree in Biology, and I am currently beginning doctoral studies in Molecular Biosciences at Northwestern University. This summer presented a unique opportunity to take some time away from school and the lab and dedicate myself to rest, silence, and prayer. Also, I wanted the chance to work with my hands and learn humility while taking a break from the intellectually demanding w...