Benedictines take a vow of conversatio or fidelity to the monastic way of life. A commitment to conversatio is a pledge to process not just a single moment of conversion. Our rhythm of prayer, community and values provide the context for our conversatio, a daily turning as we each try to seek God. In my early monastic days, I thought it was about big moments of conversion. I’ve come to realize, however, that it is in the small daily choices and the ongoing effort to listen for God at work in my life, to listen to my sisters and the world at large.
This weekend I was reminded of just how practical the call to conversatio can be. We changed our seating in chapel to support our prayer together. Changing the physical space brought us closer to each other, created fuller singing, and has provided opportunities to practice our patience and grace with one another. This experience gives me a different perspective. I am invited to practice curiosity and less judgment as we work through the implications of the new arrangement. It invites me to accept the gifts of this change and the conversatio it calls me to in my prayer.
Changes can be challenging; they sometimes are for me. Our recent changes in chapel remind me that we are always in process. Even when change is uncomfortable it opens up possibilities. Possibilities for connection, for new perspectives and for our hearts to be softened to receive the gift of conversatio. I am grateful for the gift of conversatio and the possibility and hope it invites me to consider in my own life and even in our world.
