Monasteries of the Heart

Anne Arundel Community of Reconciliation (AACOR) Monastery

Employing ancient Benedictine wisdom, we seek to reclaim the balance and harmony often missing from modern life.  We pause regularly to center our life and action in the Spirit. We practice hospitality and intentional listening. We welcome the unexpected, and the sacred in the everyday. As we begin to integrate Benedictine spiritual foundations and practices into our lives, we find ourselves slowly transformed. Ultimately we recognize that true change in the world comes first from a transformed heart.  

Every Thursday we will post a discussion thread and we hope to offer occasional gatherings--in person--to supplement our online discussions.  This online version of the AACOR is intended to build and support community through the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. corridor, and will be particularly useful for those who are unable to attend the Benedictine gatherings at St. Anne’s Church in Annapolis. Welcome!

“We must prepare our hearts and bodies.... Listen carefully...Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God, and our ears to the voice from the heavens that every day calls out...Love God with your whole soul and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself...your way of acting should be different from the world’s way; the love of Christ must come before all else...these, then, are the tools of the spiritual craft.” -The Rule of St. Benedict

Content posted for Anne Arundel Community of Reconciliation (AACOR) Monastery

Index of all posts on this group page. Sort by category, name, date or number of comments.

Category Titlesort descending Post date New comments
Silence Beauty of Silence October 27, 2011
Community Community as Body of Christ January 15, 2012
conversion Conversion/Transformation December 16, 2011
faith Faith January 25, 2012
Other Fasting and Feasting March 7, 2012
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Group Leader

thonnard

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Beauty of Silence
Public Content
Posted by thonnard on October 27, 2011

Let us focus for a moment on silence. As Thomas Merton writes in Thoughts on Solitude,

Silence teaches us to know reality by respecting it where words have defiled it.
When we have really met and known the world in silence, words do not separate us from the world nor from others, nor from God, nor from ourselves because we no longer trust entirely in language to contain reality.
Truth rises from the silence of being.

Breathe deeply. Relax. Trust. Be present.
Remember that you are held in love.

Lectio Divina: Luke 1:78-79

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We Act Differently
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Posted by thonnard on October 6, 2011

We begin with lectio divina (see first discussion thread if you have questions on this), then on to Chapter 2 of Sr. Chittister’s book. Remember, we are simply sounding the rhythms of balance.

If you like, allow your eyes to close and breathe deeply. This is a time to release the cares of the day, and to become present. It is a time of transition from the noise of daily life into a deeper awareness, with a knowing that this deeper awareness constitutes our real home.

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Gentle Invitation
Public Content
Posted by thonnard on September 30, 2011

Welcome.

We begin with lectio divina (see first discussion thread if you have questions on this), then on to Chapter 1 of Sr. Chittister’s book. We are sounding the rhythms of balance.

If you like, close your eyes and breathe deeply. This is a time to release the cares of the day, and to become present. It is a time of transition from the noise of daily life into a deeper awareness, with a knowing that this deeper awareness constitutes our real home.

Lectio Divina: Psalm 119, 12-16

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First discussion thread
Public Content
Posted by thonnard on September 21, 2011

Place your hope in God alone.
--The Rule of St. Benedict 4.41

Welcome all!

We begin gently, first with lectio divina, then with the introduction to Sister Chittister’s book. We close with a prayer by Thomas Merton. Remember, we are simply sounding the bells of ancient Benedictine wisdom; if you consider the bells as music, then you may dance as much or as little as you like. There is no “right” way.

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