Articles

As we live out the Single Consecrated Life many of us have experiences that enrich our lives. We share these with others in the hope that we will have a deeper understanding of each others lives and spirituality.

Pink blossom

A Gift Of The Spirit

Georgina Alexander OSLG

Like many people I had always felt rather dubious about the Charismatic Movement. I had seen programmes about it on TV and it all seemed much too emotional…

Read the Story >

Tealights in a church

A Silent Meditation group

Georgina Alexander

I have always been drawn to silent prayer myself and one year when I was not able to go my usual retreat at Fairacres, I went on a Contemplative Outreach…

Read the Story >

A close up photo of leaves

An Unwanted Gift?

Phillip Tovey

Singleness is something that needs a positive image. Much of our terminology presents it in a bad light; one is an old maid, left on the shelf, alone.…

Read the Story >

A magpie moth on a blue flower

Ancren Riwle

Sr Liz Rees OCV

Sr Liz OCV gave us a stimulating talk on the consecrated single life in the medieval Church. She began by commenting on the parallels between SCL and…

Read the Story >

Close up photo of green grass

Becoming what you are

Georgina Alexander

I imagine that to say that prayer is the way to become ‘what you are’ would surprise most of us. Most people, if they do think about it…

Read the Story >

A leaf held up to the sun

Dreaming Prayer

Sr Meg SCL

A Community of nuns was shrinking in numbers. They were growing older together; younger women were not coming forward to join them. They were really…

Read the Story >

A robin on a branch

Endless growth in divine beauty

Sr Meg SCL

When do we stop growing? Physically, we start as tiny, helpless babies and actually grow very quickly in our first year, and continue till we start…

Read the Story >

Green seed on a tree

Marion Rebecca Hughes

Phillip Tovey

Marion Rebecca Hughes (1817-1912) was the first person to make a religious profession in the Church of England after the dissolution of the monasteries.…

Read the Story >

Looking up at some trees

Mary and Obedience

Sr Marian

One of the first words a child learns to say is, “NO!” with, “why” quickly following!  None of us if we are honest likes…

Read the Story >

Red leaves on a tree

MInding the Gap

Sr Meg SCL

It is many years since I was able to use the Underground, but when I did, I remember a voice saying ‘Mind the Gap. Please, mind the gap’…

Read the Story >

Sand tunnels

Seeking God in the Desert

Sr Liz Rees OCR

The Church has seen many revolutions. People have heard God calling them, and have been led into an ever increasing variety of life-styles. In this…

Read the Story >

An open bible

Shuffling priorities

Sr Meg SCL

If we are to be Guardians of the Gap and to have space for Dreaming Prayer, it may not be sufficient simply to make a few judicious cancellations in…

Read the Story >

A sleeping kitten

Sleep

Margaret Gale

Have you ever felt this tired? This is one for all of us who have been burning the candle at both ends. The blissful look on the cat’s face says…

Read the Story >

Pink flowers

Spirituality of St Augustine

At a recent day conference, Patricia Hellier introduced the spirituality of St Augustine and led a discussion about the implications of his teaching…

Read the Story >

Red leaves on a tree

The Consecration of a Widow

Phillip Tovey

While the rite for the consecration of virgins is perhaps well known to us, not least because of its active revival in the Roman Catholic Church after…

Read the Story >

A forest at autumn

The Servants of the Word

Andy Pettman

‘In response to the exceeding greatness of the gift of God, we dedicate ourselves to loving Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and…

Read the Story >

A red maple leaf

The vocation of Single Consecrated Life

Karen Ann Mckinna (Ottawa)

I am writing to introduce you to the vocation of the Single Consecrated Life ( SCL ) which I am living. I hasten to add however that celibacy is a calling…

Read the Story >

A close up photo of leaves

Virgins’ Crowns at Abbots Ann

Phillip Tovey

I recently took a trip to Abbots Ann, a village just south of Andover, and therefore not very far away from where I live, to see the rather unusual…

Read the Story >

A colourful Indian painting

Visit to India

Philip Tovey

I travelled to India just after my consecration on St Mark, 25th April. Part of the reason for the journey was a fact-finding mission for the Malabar…

Read the Story >

An open bible

Webs and their Symbolism

Sr Meg SCL

Symbols are one of the major ‘tools’ in spirituality – they sometimes speak to us with greater ability to touch our hearts than words.…

Read the Story >