A New Cloistered Adventure

God always comes through.  Today I asked Him to help me know what to post here in the near future, and immediately....

Plunk.  

It was as if a 'format' dropped into my head. 

Which is not to say there had been no background 'mulling' beforehand.  I'd been thinking about how important it is to go over various facets of 'heart cloister' for those who are just discovering the concepts.  

I was also considering how I, who have tried to live this for nearly thirty years, need constant reminders.  After all, in the midst of the world there is much to distract us from God.  And I didn't really need to say that, did I?  We all know it.  We know it very well.

Every day or two, I hope to post something on a particular monastic topic, covering (in sequence) one of the following 'numbers.'  Topics like the monastery, enclosure, the grille, the habit, prayer life... each will have several posts, in succession, about 'it.'  Ideally I will post every day, at least for awhile.  I will also be re-posting some things from the archives. I expect it all to be a blend of older and newer reflections.

I'll also be linking back to this post frequently, so new visitors can see the following list and hopefully figure out what we're doing.  

May God lead this endeavor, for the glory of His Holy Name. 

Basic Sequence of Posts on Each Topic: 

1.  Physically Cloistered  (pictures, quotes, brief explanations, possibly videos)

2.  Spiritually Cloistered (how the 'topic' can apply to our own lives in the world)
 
3.  Scripture and/or the Church and/or Saints Speak
 
4.  How We are Living This Now (can include various things... possibly quotes from books, or personal reflections that some of us have written)

There may be more than one post on each "number," particularly on numbers 3 and 4.  

Painting:  Stefan Lochner, Triptych with the Virgin and Child in an Enclosed Garden



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