Vow Prep. Update 1: Arrival Through Grey's and Torrey's

Dear All,

It has been quite some time since I posted to this blog site.  It was once a novitiate blog, then a local community blog, now it is full of odds and ends.  I think I will use it for the time being as a way to share some of my prayer and experiences during this time of preparation for final vows.  My hope during these next nearly six weeks is to rest in God and to truly celebrate what was, is, and will be in this journey towards perpetual commitment as a Sister of St. Joseph.

I have been in Denver, Colorado for nearly a week now.  The sisters with whom I am staying and those in the area have been wonderfully welcoming.  I am taking a daily yoga class, something I have never done before.  I find that my strength and balance are good, but that I am not as flexible as I might be in some areas (I wonder what this says about life in general?).  The first two classes left me tighter than before I started as I think I was trying to hold the poses just right.  But, I am learning to breathe into the spaces of my mind and body that need release, and to be where my body is, not where I think it ought to be.  I think the movement and variations of sun salutations are my current favorite.

I am reading The New Spiritual Exercises:  In the Spirit of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin by Louis Savary which has been a perfect connector among the nature that surrounds me here, the yoga mind-frame, our evening prayer exploration of the gospel of John, and the CSJ charism of loving God and neighbor without distinction.  I LOVE when everything comes together so effortlessly.

I have had the opportunity to do a little hiking.  I went on Sunday to Eldorado Canyon at the foothills of the Rockies.  It is less than an hour from Denver with easily accessible trails, beautiful scenery, and a mountain stream that, this time, was filled with little children.  Yesterday, I hiked two 14,000 foot peaks, Grey's and Torrey's (the pictures are from there).  They are saddled, so we, my friend Julie, who teaches at St. Francis, and I, only had to descend part way before hiking the second peak.  Reaching the summit was amazing.  The entire range stretched in front of us, without a cloud in the sky.  Snow fields, mountain goats, the sound of running water under the boulders beneath my feet, and thousands of little wildflowers made for quite a day. 

I leave tomorrow for a weekend retreat at Walburga Abbey.  The retreat is called, "Weaving, Labyrinth, and the Contemplative Experience."  I am looking forward to mapping out some of my journey in a tapestry, as well as to the setting and the prayer of the abbey itself.  This time is an incredible opportunity, and I am so grateful for all who share it with me here and back home.  Can't wait to share more later. 

Peace--Sarah