Mary consoles Eve- art by Sister Grace Remington, a Cistercian nun at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Iowa

Mary consoles Eve- art by Sister Grace Remington, a Cistercian nun at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Iowa

 "I am a Cistercian sister at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Iowa. We live a simple life here. We are contemplative nuns, so we do not teach or work in parishes. We pray together seven times a day. Each service centers on the chanting of the psalms, the reading of scriptures, and the singing of hymns. We make candy to support ourselves, and I help with that work. I also tend our grounds, take care of the chickens, and am the community librarian. We are out in the country, so when there is a little extra time, I like to go out for long walks. Our days start early, at 3:30 a.m., and end early, with everyone in their rooms by 8:00 p.m. We have a lot of silence in our days, but we also enjoy each other a lot. We hope to live a life of praise and prayer, dedicating ourselves and this place to God, pointing to the One who holds all things together."  Mary Consoles Eve: Advent seems the perfect time to reflect on Mary and Eve, these two “mothers of all the living.” By Sr. Grace Remington and  Joy Marie Clarkson https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/holidays/christmas-readings/mary-consoles-eve