As promised, Andy has coached me on how to import photos from my cell phone into my blog. I am on my way to Wonder-Boy status! Last week, I spent 4 days with my friends at Monastery of Our Lady of Grace in Connecticut. I shared 6 talks with the 40 cloistered nuns there. They have been like family to me and my own family for the past 16 years when we first met. These women devote most of each day to prayer, with their first time of community prayer at 5:50 am and their final evening prayer at 8:00 pm. They pray the offices of the Church throughout the day and also celebrate Mass in the morning at 7:00 am. They pray for themselves, each other, the hurts and hopes of the world, and for you and me. To describe my experience in one word: holiness. Many of these women radiate the grace and goodness of God. You can literally see the holiness of God in their faces. They are modest and humble,loving and kind. The community lives simply. Quiet and stillness permeate the monastery. It was an honor to be with them and to be invited to teach and speak. The time proved to be a great retreat for me. Quiet. No web access. Prayer. Beautiful New England Fall in its fist stages. Long walks. Time to reflect and be with God. Best of all, the woman taught me much about prayer, faith, suffering, and God. Here are a few photos of the monastery and grounds. I have chosen not to share photos of the ladies themselves so as to honor their privacy and cloistered call. I will post a few more photos next week. Here is the church itself, which is open to the public for prayer and for mass each day. And the garden outside the church. This garden stands where the original monastery was built. It burned down in the 1950's and several sisters perished in the fire because they did not want to leave the community they had committed to. The sanctuary and altar in the church. The picture does not capture the beauty. Truly magnificent.