Paraclete Press Blog

By Sr. Nun Other Come, labor on. Claim the high calling angels cannot share. These beautiful words, written by English lyricist Jane Bothwick, perfectly describe the pilgrimage of a soul. I can say, in the best sense of the idiom, … Continue reading →

By Sister Spero God created flowers. Each species, fully developed, is beautiful. A flower cannot choose its own beauty. It begins with the seed, containing the nature of the parent plant. If the seed drops, or is placed, in soil … Continue reading →

By Hummingbird As I sit at my desk to write to you, a small dog is peacefully resting in my lap hemmed in by the arms of the desk chair and the top of the desk. I am heart warmed … Continue reading →

By Sr. Nun Other If God said, “You may choose one gift of the Spirit and become that gift,” which would you choose—love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control?  Me? I’d choose kindness because our world … Continue reading →

By Melodious Monk I’m still very much a novice gardener and one plant I’m still scared of is the vaunted, precious, glorious gem of the summer crops, the vine ripened tomato! Perhaps I’m still haunted by the tomato plants that … Continue reading →

By Sr. Fidelis One look at this antiphon reveals that it is very similar to the Mode 3 selection we looked at last week. The characteristic FA-MI relationship (home tone MI) is found right at the beginning of this antiphon.  … Continue reading →

By Hummingbird I have noticed a curious hold my four legged friend has on me. I have long puzzled over it. He comes and fixes me with his eyes and is communicating something. If I am slow to respond, he … Continue reading →

By Sr. Nun Other Last week, I wrote about grapes maturing on the vine. A reader reminded me there are further steps to this process, depending on each grape’s destiny. One definition for vineyard is “sphere of activity.” Let’s say you’ll one … Continue reading →

Last week, I started a week-long conversation with the Lord. It began with me in my frustration, asking God how long it would take me to change. ( well, honestly, it really began with me asking the Lord how long … Continue reading →