They’re perennial Catholic questions. Over the centuries, countless Catholics have asked, pondered and written at length, charting a path closer to Christ and seeking to grow in virtue.
How do I grow in holiness?
How do I pray better?
Well, who better to teach us about Jesus than his brides, the contemplatives?
This summer, I was privileged to be invited to the Abbey of St. Walburga to interview Mother Maria-Michael, O.S.B., the abbess of the community, and some of the other Benedictine nuns there. An unprecedented invitation, I was granted an hour-long interview with Mother, an hour-long group interview with six nuns, and an hour-long guided tour through the cloistered property, even as the community celebrated a joy-filled Solemn Monastic Profession.
This series, which will span several weeks, is a recounting of “Wisdom from Walburga” from the mind and heart of Mother Maria-Michael, O.S.B., in answer to some of the foundational questions and concerns of countless Catholics on the road to Heaven.
‘A Return to Eden’
The Abbey of St. Walburga, situated near the Wyoming border, is an oasis of peace and tranquility amid a hectic world. Out of the distractions, noise and hecticness, God calls some to a new Eden.
“I love the story of Eden,” Mother Maria-Michael said. “I always think that God is calling us back to that relationship of Eden, where we can pray. He comes to visit us, and it’s his place; it’s that relationship where we wait for him and look for him.”
For the nuns of Walburga, the Abbey is that Eden. Invited close to the Lord’s heart through their vocation of blessed union to Jesus the Bridegroom, the nuns of Walburga live this in a particular way.
“We go to the chapel to pray the Psalms, and then we go out to work, and then we come back,” Mother Maria-Michael explained of their mini-Eden. “There’s a constant coming back to a conversation with God. You carry it out with you when you go to work. And sometimes you really better keep your mind on your work! But I love that sense of returning to that relationship with God. That was the original. A vision of holiness. And I love that, the original holiness God intended to call us to.”
For those of us in the world, such a tangible Eden might be difficult to encounter outside of the occasional visit or retreat. The Wisdom from Walburga, however, lies in the prayer without ceasing that the nuns embody day in and day out. The nuns of Walburga live the Pauline recommendation to pray always, remaining rooted in relationship with the Father. But whether in the monastery or the world, all can converse with God through daily duties.
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