June 15-20, 2025
“Listen with the Ear of Your Heart”-Sister Kathleen Storms, SSND
by Mary Elizabeth Ilg, OblSB
The Annual Community Retreat was held for the Sisters and Oblates of St. Paul’s Monastery on June 15-20, 2025 facilitated by Sister Kathleen Storms, SSND, on “Benedictine Values as Seen from an Outsider.” Sister Kathleen is from the School Sisters of Notre Dame, residing with her Community in Mankato. She shared her interest and excitement for our cherished Benedictine values throughout the week, focusing on Humility and Simplicity and leading to the ultimate goal of deepening our relationship with God and experiencing profound spiritual transformation. The Sisters gathered each morning and afternoon for 30-minute sessions to listen to Sister Kathleen’s presentations. The retreat materials were rich and varied, including poetry, music and videos from various sources. One of the most striking poems was shared on the first morning, “Just Beyond Yourself,” by David Whyte:
Just beyond
yourself.
It’s where
you need
to be.
Half a step
into
self-forgetting
and the rest
restored
by what
you’ll meet.
There is a road
always beckoning.
The retreat began during a weekend of great sorrow and fear in the Twin Cities, after the assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband on June 14, and the attempted assassination of Minnesota DFL Senator John Hoffman and his wife. The largest manhunt ever undertaken in the State of Minnesota was going on outside the walls of Monastery. The Twin Cities’ population was reeling and jittery from this unspeakable event, with several neighborhoods locked down and shelter in place orders issued.
Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda issued a Statement Regarding Deadly Attacks on State Lawmakers and their Family Members on Saturday, June 14. He asked for prayers for the repose of the souls of Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and concluded: “At this time of fear and uncertainty, we need to rely even more on our loving God and that begins with prayer—both privately and communally. May the Prince of Peace lead us away from such senseless violence.” In Twin Cities parishes, we prayed for the families of the victims of these shootings. On June 27, Former House Speaker Melissa Hortman lay in state at the State Capitol, the first woman ever to receive this honor in Minnesota history, with 7500 people attending to pay their respects. On Saturday morning, June 28, her funeral was held at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis, attended by 1500 people including former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Sister Kathleen referred to this crisis of political violence several times throughout the week, reflecting on the Benedictine value of JUSTICE: “To work toward a just order in our immediate environment and in the larger society… that in all things, God may be glorified” (RB 53). She called us to work for justice, to speak out, to take a stand. An act of violence of this magnitude, occurring in the typically tranquil Twin Cities suburbs, has shocked many of us to the core. Melissa Hortman, a well-known public servant in the Minnesota House of Representatives, was shot and killed at age 55 at the peak of her career, leaving behind a devastated family and community. It is easy to fall into a state of hopelessness and despair in the aftermath of this tragedy. We must turn with even greater reliance upon the Lord for strength and consolation, who is always with us in our suffering. We can continue to work for the good of all, to be supportive of one another at this difficult time. Sister Kathleen urged us to speak up about the injustice we encounter in our society, to call it out, as Speaker Hortman was known to do.
Sister Kathleen touched on all of the Benedictine values throughout the week and provided new insights. I was especially drawn to AWARENESS OF GOD, experiencing the divine through the beauty of nature. Two retreat presentations included YouTube videos with commentary by Brother David Steindl-Rast. “A Good Day” is a stunning five-minute video focused on gratefulness at being given one more day to live, the wonderment of nature, the distinct variations of the seasons, and our interactions with other people. We see an endless field of white daisies moving gently in the breeze against a backdrop of blue sky and white cottony clouds. I know of a field exactly like this, where I often go for rest and solitude. There is no other place like it. Brother David urges us to respond “as if this were the very first day of your life,” with awe for the beauty in the world, but also to respond as if it were “the very last day of your life.” I was reminded of St. Benedict’s instruction to “keep death always before your eyes.” Then our appreciation for life as we know it today is more intense. Tomorrow is not a given, and should not be taken for granted. We have experienced this dramatically in the Twin Cities.
LISTENING: Through the practice of discernment, we are always listening with the ear of our heart to what God is calling us to in our daily lives, in our work, and in our families and community. We can hear God’s voice in the silence, in the Liturgy, in answers to our prayers, through the words and actions of others. It is truly a holy experience, one of the cherished
Benedictine traditions. Sister Kathleen provided several key Scripture passages to reflect on, including Philippians 4:5-6: “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything…”. Let nothing whatsoever disturb your peace.
When you see
the two sides
of it
closing together
at that far horizon
and deep in
the foundations
of your own
heart
at exactly
the same
time,
that’s how
you know
it’s the road
you
have
to follow.
That’s how
you know
it’s where
you
have
to go.
That’s how
you know
you have
to go.
That’s
how you know.
Just beyond
yourself,
it’s
where you
need to be.
-David Whyte
As we strive to climb the great ladder of Humility in Saint Benedict’s 12 Steps, we go beyond and shed the remnants of our false selves, our vainglory, pride, grievances, selfishness and vexing irritation with others and begin to see as Gods sees. We are finally able to let things go and love our neighbor as ourselves. As Sister Kathleen shared, if we truly followed the words of the Lord’s Prayer with their holy instruction in our daily lives, there would be no more violence, there would be no more malice, greed nor evil. We would experience the Kingdom of God on Earth.
There was much wisdom shared by Sister Kathleen over the course of the week. It was like walking through a deep sunlit forest path, strewn with jewels. Many things she said stayed with me: if you have been emotionally harmed in childhood, this pain comes back to you when you are older. She did not say why. Perhaps it is because our defenses are down. We are more vulnerable physically as we age, so emotional vulnerability may also resurface.
Sister Kathleen shared a poignant memory of her sister dying of cancer, who at one point pushed her son away from her while lying on her deathbed. Her son was hurt and confused by this action. He asked his aunt, Why is she pushing me away? Sister Kathleen told him: She wants you to let her go, so you can be free to lead a good life. To live your own life to the fullest. If we can’t let go of people, Sister Kathleen said, it harms us. If we are wracked by grief and depression for years following the death of close family member, we are stifled and held back.
The closing ritual of the retreat on Friday morning was highly memorable, as each Sister came forward to place a small white seashell in a ceramic Kintsugi bowl, an art object created years ago by Sister Virginia Matter. In the Japanese tradition, the broken pieces of the pottery
are put back together, the cracks mended with urushi lacquer containing powdered gold. Each Sister shared a Benedictine value she felt called to live into more deeply at this time. The ritual was quiet and profound, leaving a lasting impression on all of us.
What is “niggling“ at you? What is bothering you? What speaks to you in the quiet of your heart, the uncomfortable gut feeling you get in certain situations? The shadow side of humility, looking honestly at our own faults and hidden wounds, is where the real inner work happens. What is God calling you to now?
The goal is always transformation, and deepening our relationship with God. He will lead you into all truth.
The words of the closing song spoke to us about the urgent need for this transformation:
If not now, tell me when?
