Br. Mark 
Writings of Br. Mark Dohle, OCSO, a monk of Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers Georgia. Br. Mark is formerly Prior and is currently guestmaster for the Monastery, His writings relate to those he works with in his ministry, particularly the elderly and dying.
Our parking lot cats
About two weeks ago I noticed that we had some new cats in our parking lot. They were 5 kittens. They were not feral, so I suppose someone just dropped them off. I was concerned over this and at first did not know what to do. I really don’t want to relive the problem we… Read More ›
Different ways of prayer but the focus on the Lord Jesus
When talking to people who don’t pray, they tend to think there is just one kind, which is the prayer of petition. I guess the reason behind that is many people only pray when they are in trouble, then stop when things settle down again. Like after 911, the churches were full, but soon the… Read More ›
Breathe in; breathe out
The practice of prayer When I ask this “what do we pray for”, many do not understand what I am getting at. I guess we can start with the question what is prayer? The simplest answer is that it is “raising our heart and mind to God”. But that answer can lead to another question…..what… Read More ›
I don’t kid myself
There is a saying, though who originally said it I have no idea. The saying goes like this: “Human justice is without mercy.” I believe there is more than a grain of truth to this, mostly from experiencing this within my own heart. It is easy for me to condemn, it is almost instinctive and… Read More ›
Fear does not work
When young I was taught about sin, a mark on the soul, a stain, perhaps leading to death separation from God for all eternity. Confession, a way to placate a deity angry, always watching; my image of God at that young age was of a being with millions of eyes attached to long tentacles watching… Read More ›
The Gift Giver’s Grace
“Everyone has something to teach me and to give me. Everyone has gifts from God to give to me; I made the choice to accept these gifts”. (Gail Bardis) In order to truly receive what others have to give is not always easy. It means that we are not sufficient unto ourselves. To accept the… Read More ›
Temporary loss of hearing
Malchus the servant of the High Priest Over the last three months I had some temporary diminishment in my ability to hear in my left ear. At first I did not notice because it was so gradual. However I did notice that when speaking on the phone I had to switch to my right ear…. Read More ›
Youth and the thirst for water
Thirst, water and life When I was young, I was petty much thirsty all of the time. Running and playing and yes fighting and sweating makes for a thirsty boy. When I was a young monk and used to work in the garden at the hottest times of the day, I would always be thirsty… Read More ›
Beauty and fragility
Insects are a problem for us. I guess you could say we are a war with them, a war we can’t win, but can only hold them back. We have ‘people’ come in and spray around certain areas of the retreat house in order to keep insects out. Or if they come in, they do… Read More ›
Our vows, our commitment
A life without commitment is not a life that is free, but is in fact scattered and running around in circles. Another word for commitment is taking some sort of vow. Marriage for instance, as well as in some sort of religious vocation is one of the most common ways to make a promise. If… Read More ›