Sr Judith

It’s a time for asking what we have to let go of to allow ourselves to embrace the freedom God offers in ways that are life-giving for us and for our communities.

What freedom is God inviting you to embrace today?

In our individualistic times, with the concerns for personal freedoms & rights this is a real challenge. are life-giving for us and for our communities. A jubilee calls us to revisit what it means to be free, to ask ourselves where we have set up barriers & limitations to this gift of freedom.

In chapter 72 of the Rule Benedict says: “No one is to pursue what the judge better for themselves, but instead what they judge better for someone else.” Part of being free means that we have to choose to put aside some of our freedom for the good of others.

Biblical freedom is communal as well as personal. One of the things I’ve learned in my time in the Monastery is that there is always a balancing act between individual freedoms and communal freedoms. No one is free to do exactly as they wish or need at the expense of others.

In the course of life’s ups & downs we encounter much that draws us away from that freedom. Much as we desire it, we find ourselves making choices that limit & curtail it. The prophet Isaiah promises: “He has sent me…to proclaim liberty to captives, release to those in prison...”

Hands raised against a blue sky…Around one wrist is part of a pair of handcuffs, the other part is unlocked and open. The text reads: “He has sent me to…proclaim liberty to captives, release to those in prison...”

A 🧵for the #JubileeOfConsecratedLife Today I’m reflecting on freedom. The biblical concept of freedom goes beyond that our human understanding. It is rooted first of all in our position as children of God. It’s an invitation to become the person God’s calls us to be. It also carries a challenge.

Hands raised against a blue sky…Around one wrist is part of a pair of handcuffs, the other part is unlocked and open. The text reads: “He has sent me to…proclaim liberty to captives, release to those in prison...”

#Benedictine, #challenge, #Christ, #Christlike, #ConsecratedLife, #freedom, #Hope, #Jubilee, #NunsOfTwitter #BruvsOfTwitter #lectiodivina, #Liberty, #newlife, #RuleOfStBenedict, #trust Accepting freedom, new blog for the #JubileeOfConsecratedLife on turveyabbey.org.uk/pilgrimage/?...

When that happens it becomes very hard to treat others with love. The psalmist reminds us that a jubilee gives us an opportunity to remember and be thankful for the that love of God which never changes, and which is with us whatever we face.

What moves you to thankfulness in your life today?

That’s always true, it’s especially true in these challenging times we are living through. As we struggle with the demands of daily life it surprisingly easy to forget that we are loved.

The psalmist takes us back to the source of that love, we are creatures of love because we are called into being and held in being by the love of God.

While this is a truth we all know and believe in our hearts, it’s one that easily gets brushed aside by the struggles and hardships of daily life.

Jubilees are times to enjoy each other’s company, to give thanks for each other, & for all we have shared. They are celebrations of our capacity to give & receive love. These words from Psalm 106 come to mind: “O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his love endures forever.”

A daisy reflected in a dew drop hanging from the edge of a dark green leaf. The text reads: “O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his love endures forever.”

A 🧵for the #JubileeOfConsecratedLife Today I’m reflecting on thanksgiving. In many ways this is the most obvious part of the biblical call to Jubilee. When we think about jubilees we think about celebrations, we think of times of rejoicing and happiness.

A daisy reflected in a dew drop hanging from the edge of a dark green leaf. The text reads: “O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his love endures forever.”

#Jubilee, #JubileeOfConsecratedLife, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #love, #newbeginnings, #newlife, #rejoice, #Thanksgiving, #trust #NunsOfBlueSky & #BruvsOfBlueSky & #SimplyJubilee, A new blog post to celebrate the #jubilee of #ConsecratedLife on turveyabbey.org.uk/pilgrimage/?...

A rainbow over the sea that is also reflected in the damp sand of the beach. The text reads, as individual words: “it’s a jubilee”… “Freedom” “Thanksgiving” “Justice” “Forgiveness”

‪ #NunsOfBlueSky & #BruvsOfBlueSky #SimplyJubilee, to celebrate the #jubilee of #ConsecratedLife
As part of the Jubilee Year, a Jubilee of Consecrated Life will be held in Rome on 8-9th Oct From 8th-12th Oct I'll be reflecting on some of the biblical concepts of Jubilee.

Simply Jubilee Later this week, the Jubilee calendar means the Church will celebrate the worldwide Jubilee of Consecrated Life. Religious from around the w...

Starting tomorrow... Brought to you by the #NunsOfBlueSky & #BruvsOfBlueSky ~ our very own #SimplyJubilee, to celebrate the #jubilee of #ConsecratedLife

Read about it, in #TodaysHeaven
allthislifeandheaventoo.blogspot.com/2025/10/simp...

And look out for #SimplyJubilee! 🥳🙏😇
#SimplyLife #Choice4God

It’s when life is hardest that we need to nurture that tiny flame. It’s when faith and trust seem the least likely response that we need to allow it to become the basis of all our interactions with others.

In these challenging times what helps you to sustain a spirit of love in your interactions?

"...for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power & love & self-control.” Faith is easy when life goes well. It is much harder when the world is dark & uncertain. Yet it is when life is most challenging that we need faith most, to trust that spirit of power, love & self-control.

St Paul & his companions knew equally hard &challenging times. They too lived in a violent &unequal world, & often suffered because of it. In his 2 letter to Timothy he writes: “Beloved: I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,...

In such times it is so tempting to become hopeless, to lose faith in God and in the goodness of others. This leaves us feeling that there is nothing we can do that will make a difference. The voice that calls us in that direction can be powerful and compelling, but it’s not the voice of Christ.

Close up of a sparkler against a dark sky. The text reads: “Beloved: I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God… for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.”

A 🧵on living in love. We are living in challenging and disturbing times. All around us the structures and customs we relied on to hold our world steady seem to be under threat. Many of our values are being called into question and we are compelled to live with a great degree of uncertainty.

Close up of a sparkler against a dark sky. The text reads: “Beloved: I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God… for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.”

#Benedictine, #challenge, #Gift, #GiftsOfTheSpirit, #gospel, #Grace, #Hope, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #lectiodivina, #love, #newlife, #Power, #SelfControl, #Spirit, #StPaul, #trust Living in love, new blog post on turveyabbey.org.uk/pilgrimage/2...

In these times when we are overwhelmed by the suffering we see in every area she offers us a way of making a difference. By choosing to show love in a world that often feels hateful our actions can affect real & lasting change.
Where are you being called to put love at the heart of your life today?

"...My vocation is love… I had discovered where it is that I belong in the Church, the niche God has appointed for me. To be nothing else than love… That’s to be everything at once.” She was able to see the one thing that she could do that had the power to change the world, one small act at a time.

In a time when the church placed little value on love she was courageous in putting it at the heart of Christian life. She writes:
“Love, in fact is the vocation which includes all others; it is a universe of its own, comprising all time and space – its eternal…

In these challenging times we might be tempted to look for a saint who is more obviously heroic than this young woman. To do that would be to greatly undervalue her message. Saint Therese was a woman of faith, courage, wisdom and discernment. Her little way takes us to the heart of the gospel.

Even after her death, when her saintliness is recognised, she is often presented with an overlay of sentimentality and sweetness. Her spirituality is often called “a little way” and that can make it tempting to dismiss her.

Close up of a daisy in bloom against a blurred background. The text reads: “Love, in fact is the vocation which includes all others… My vocation is love…To be nothing else than love… That’s to be everything at once.”

A🧵for the feast of St Therese of Lisieux. Today we are celebrating the feast of St Therese of Lisieux. She entered Carmel at 15 and died at 24. Once she entered Carmel she never left, she built no career, had no wealth and little influence.

Close up of a daisy in bloom against a blurred background. The text reads: “Love, in fact is the vocation which includes all others… My vocation is love…To be nothing else than love… That’s to be everything at once.”

#CarmeliteSpirituality, #challenge, #Christ, #Christlike, #Church, #Corinthians, #Discipleship, #gospel, #Hope, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #lectiodivina, #love, #Saints, #StPaul, #StTherseOfLisieux, #trust New blog post for the feast of St Therese on turveyabbey.org.uk/pilgrimage/?....

The call of Christ, the call of the gospel is not to gather riches, not to look after ourselves, but to share whatever we have, however little, with others.

Where is Christ calling you to share your gifts generously today?

We sanitise this, dismiss it as a morality tale, but it is much more than that. It’s a call to all of us who live with plenty to examine our attitudes to what we have. Unlike the rich man, we have someone who rose from the dead to show us the way of life.