Excerpt from
My Monastery Is a Minivan

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The following excerpt is taken from My Monastery Is a Minivan by Denise Roy. Published 2001 by Loyola Press, 3441 North Ashland Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60657. Copyright © 2001 Denise Roy. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

Introduction

I used to think that a serious spiritual practice required one to leave the world behind and enter the ordered, silent, peaceful world of a monastery.

I used to think that God, or Spirit, or the sacred could only be found if certain conditions were me--like lots of time, lots of space, lots of quiet.

I used to think I knew something.

Now I know better. Now I'm a mother.

I spent four years studying theology at a seminary many years ago, but raising children has helped me to understand much more about spirituality and spiritual practice. It's one thing to read in a book about forgiveness or compassion and quite another to practice these on a daily basis. There is nothing like the whining of a toddler demanding the blue cup instead of the green cup, or the endless repetition of cleaning up toys and clothes and dishes, to develop your patience and perseverance. There is also nothing like the softness of your baby's cheek, or the hug of your child at bedtime, to convince you of the existence of God.

I'm sure that living in a monastery comes with its own set of graces and challenges. But I venture a guess that the holiest and wisest of monks would have a difficult time trading places with us, living in our homes with our kids and monthly bills and carpool schedules. It's no wonder that most of us live much of our lives in a somewhat dazed, half-crazed state, one in which we are always in a hurry, thinking there's not enough time and way too much to do.

The stories in this book are about all of this.

I started out writing them just for myself. I discovered that as I paid attention to what was happening each day, even the simplest of moments held great wisdom. Putting the words down on paper helped me to see the meaning and mystery and magic that are already present in my everyday life. I began to appreciate that most of the moments of my life are wonderful moments--not stupendous, fireworks-in-the-sky-type moments, but clear, contented, I'm-happy-to-be-alive-type moments.

As I wrote, I also got more in touch with the realm of Spirit that is woven into our world and brings wisdom to our days. There is a love that surrounds and sustains us all, but we forget this. These are stories about trying to remember. They are stories about discovering that very simple things--like breathing and smiling and being really present--have the power to change our lives and our families and our world. They are stories of days that are full of worry and wonder, exhaustion and exhilaration, anger and awe. And they are stories about recognizing that our vocation includes working with the roots of violence and greed within ourselves so that these might be transformed, bit by bit, into compassion and peace and generosity of spirit.

My hope is that this book will help you to discover the wonder and mystery and wisdom that exist right now in your own life. If you think you don't have any stories, it means you haven't been paying enough attention to your life. Look carefully and deeply. They're right there, if you have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.

And so we embark on a journey--one in which we discover that nothing is off-limits as a potential source of wisdom, as the dwelling place for divinity. As monks and nuns of many traditions have been doing for centuries, we bring the entire world with us as we enter into our hearts, into our prayers, and into our monastery . . . which, in this day and age, just might happen to look a lot like a minivan.

Purchase the book now!

Copyright © 2001 by Denise Roy