Shall We Chat?

This room looks a bit elegant for a monastery parlor, do you think?

The truth is that the first monastery parlor I ever entered was not unlike this scene.  Remove the chandelier, dial the opulence down half a notch, and we're left with a room that's amazingly similar to the one I was ushered into when I was seventeen.

I was then a prospective boarding school student at an Academy run by semi-cloistered nuns.  The students' classrooms and dorms were not so elegant, and the Sisters' cloister (as I would see years later) was really quite plain.  But visitors were treated to an elegant welcome in velvet-draperied parlors.

It is now many years later, and I, for one, look upon this room with a touch of nostalgia.  I also find its painted chairs appealing.  They look just right for a few minutes of online visiting.

Shall we chat? 

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The Cloistered Heart Revisited

What is happening in our monasteries as we look again at what it can mean to live for God in the midst of the world?

Let's talk!

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Happy Easter!

A blessed Easter season to all!  

Let's keep talking.  



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End of Lent, 2013

There are tiny signs of spring outside as I write this... a bird song, a brave yellow daffodil poking its head through frozen soil.  

And we have things to talk about here.  So let's do.... 

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Conclave Edition

The comment screen in the 'post' before this one would not accept my most recent reply, so again I open a new screen for that reason.

Besides, I write this just as the Cardinal Electors prepare to enter the Conclave.  I have a feeling that Cloistered Heart blogposts will revolve around this in the days just ahead.  So I suppose this can be considered 'The Parlor, Conclave edition.' 

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Lent 2013

Now that we are well into Lent, I decided it was time to change the offerings on our parlor table to something a bit simpler!

How is your Lent going?  Let's keep talking...

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Let's Talk

As I write this, snow swirls about outside our parlor.  The tea is hot and scones are warm. 

Let's talk....


 
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A Blessed 2013

As we sit poised on the edge of a new year, I'm taking this opportunity to open a new page here in the Parlor.  As we remember, this is the place to visit with one another, and to leave comments about what has been found on The Cloistered Heart blog.

May God help us all to grow closer to Him in 2013!

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Our Christmas Oasis

The Christmas tree is now decorated in our Parlor.  The tree in this photo looks very like the one in my own home, because it's... well.....  the one in my own  home.  

I pray for a peaceful, prayerful Christmas season for all!  

As always, please leave comments here about anything from the Cloistered Heart blog.  If you'd like to share how you find peace and a sense of "oasis" during this busy time of year, we would love to hear from you.

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God bless us every one!

As We Prepare for Him...

Advent is here!  Plus, it's time to open a new comments screen here in the Parlor - so I shall do so now, as we prepare to celebrate Our Lord's birth among us.

As always, you may leave comments here about anything from the Cloistered Heart blog.

A blessed Advent to all! 

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As We Live Scripture

Welcome to a new day here in the parlor.  May God be glorified by our conversation!

 

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Our Day of Lectio

Come in and pull up a chair!  Let's talk about what God is doing as we meet with Him in Scripture today....

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Continuation of our Next Monastic Day...

Again I've had trouble getting the last few comments (on the Parlor post before this one) to show up onscreen, so I've closed that and moved our conversation to THIS "parlor."  Isn't it fortunate that our "monastery" has so many rooms?? :) ?

So - the second part of our "next monastic day" finds us meeting here.  Such a pleasant room, don't you think?  As the air cools in my part of the world, I appreciate the idea of a fireplace.  I can almost hear the crackle....

As always, the comments from the earlier part of this "day" will remain visible on the post just before this one, so we can read back over them if we wish.

In our second cloistered day, meanwhile, we are in the middle of our afternoon tasks....

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Our Next Monastic Day

Welcome back!  It is the dawn of a new day in our monastery!  Your kind conversation is again very welcome.  

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Our Monastic Day, Part Two

It looks as if the second part of our monastic day will commence with the noon meal.  Having had significant trouble getting the comments screen on our previous post to even show all of what you've written (much less let me comment!), I am now beginning "part two" of our day in hopes that a new page will be more cooperative.

The 90-ish comments from the first part of the "day" will remain visible on the post just before this one, so we can read back over them whenever we want.  In addition, I will attempt to copy the last few of these on this page's comment screen, so we can pick up where we left off.

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