pray the news
by julie parker

She is Sister Terese Boersig. She has been a cloistered Carmelite nun for fifty-six years. Her role at the monastery? Computer trouble shooter. Sister Rachel Salute has been a cloistered Carmelite nun for fifty-three years: she oversees the modems. They are part of an order of thirteen Carmelite nuns...and they have a website.

These thirteen women have been called to a life of prayer. Their core values are prayer, silence and solitude, and community. "For the last forty years we have moved steadily toward a new understanding of the ways in which our contemplative life can be more visible and available to the needs of the world." praythenews.com/Pray.htm (Removing the Veil > What Renewal Has Meant)

With this new direction, thirteen sisters of the Carmelite order, which began in the 13th century, have hung up their habits and moved to cyberspace: their website is praythenews.com. Is this radical shift because of the influx of hip young Gen-X'ers who cut their teeth on technology? Well, no. Of those women profiled on the web, the youngest was born in 1956. The others: 1926, 1928, 1929, and 1932. Think about it: most of these women were born in the 'Roaring Twenties'!

Every couple of weeks since March of 2001, several sisters comment on the prevalent topics of the day on their website. December 2, 2005, Sister Therese began her commentary on Intelligent Design like this...

I have always believed in God by whatever name. I have believed that God is the Source of all Being, the Creator that sustains and creates all things. I also believe in evolution. My first belief is my faith belief, the second is my trust in the scientific process. I do not see a conflict in these two beliefs.

...and ends like this:

Teachers do not need to instruct students in science classes about faith, just let them teach science as presented by the best research, give them the desire to delve into the mysteries of this wonderful world, and let them gain their own appreciation of mystery and be led to the God who is the Source of all Truth, the Source of all Beauty, and the Source of all Good.

Why should we listen to a group of women who have lived apart from the world for decades? In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna counsels Arjuna: Yogastah Kuru Karmani. Established in Being, perform action. With their daily practice of prayer, contemplation, and silence, they are daily 'established in Being'...gaining a broader perspective on the events of the day, a perspective based in love, not righteous indignation.

These women are not mindlessly spewing church dogma. In their online course on mindfulness, they say

even the smallest action by an individual can have repercussions upon the population of our entire world. That is a great challenge to being mindful. What we think, or the way we react, is extremely important. We do infect one another, especially in community. What is in our hearts passes into the vibes of the group. So we must try to avoid unmindful, routine ways of feeling and thinking.

Nuns...talking about vibes!

They also comment on the death of Rosa Parks, the aftermath of Katrina, Bolton and the UN, even on Karl Rove. Their commentaries began in March of 2001 and move through racial profiling, women and depression, and Third World Debt. As I write this, the current commentary is on the New York City transit strike.

I particularly like their section: "News You Miss: A topic that might not be in the headlines, but the sisters think is worthy of interest." The current posting:

At Least They Are Getting Better
The number of teenagers who say they would act unethically to get ahead if there was no chance of getting caught has dropped to 23 percent, down from 33 percent in 2003. A recent poll compared the percentages.

On further questioning, the teenagers did believe that people who practice good business ethics are more successful than those who don’t.

The sisters' comment:

May God give to all–both teenagers and adults–the grace to see when they are about to act unethically and not give in to the temptation. The grace is always there, we need to see it, and use it.

Every month they address a topic of social/economic/political/humanitarian importance and provide a step by step process to assist visitors to their site in "placing that topic in a mindful context." This month they are pointing to the work of Thomas Merton, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Dalai Lama. Their instructions in one part of the course:
When you see a spider web, meditate on life as a Holy “web,” sustained by God’s creative power and presence. You may wish to re-read the introduction before you begin.

Read the first chapter of The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

In a moment of frustration, ask yourself “How can this moment of my life impact the world situation?”

Imagine our beautiful planet as a green garden in space—no boundaries between countries.

These women have seen the power of the Web. They have seen its relation to the Web of Life, and are weaving with intelligence, with creativity...and with love.

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you’ll join us,
And the world will live as one.

Song Lyrics by:
John Lennon© Bag Productions Inc.