We at Aleteia are big fans of Monk Mindset, the new platform designed to help ordinary people transform their lives through the wisdom of monks and nuns.
Monk Mindset just released The Monastic Mother, a new series featuring 10 meditations guided by the cloistered Norbertine Canonesses and experienced mothers Lisa Canning, DeeDee Mihaliak, and Danielle Rose.
You can count on The Monastic Mother to meet you where you are, in the noise, the doubt, and the daily demands of motherhood. These meditations are not about doing more, but about discovering peace along the way.
As Lisa Canning, mother of 11 and entrepreneur, explains in the series, “God is not asking you to become a generic ideal of motherhood or someone else’s version of motherhood. There is a mission the Lord is calling you into uniquely.”
Peace in God’s hands
The concept of being a “monastic mother” brings a spiritual depth to ordinary life. (I’ve shared my own experiences with it here and here). If this concept resonates with you at all, you will love The Monastic Mother, which was beautifully designed to help mothers grow in a rich interior spiritual life within the demands of family life.
The series touches on real pain points, such as how to deal with the worries and responsibilities of motherhood, and how to make time for prayer while juggling multiple schedules. And the reflections provide a monastic lens and practical tips to overcome these challenges and grow in peace.
Mother Mary Oda, the Prioress of the Norbertine Canonesses, helped create the series. She explains in the meditations how trusting in God and his love can transform even the busiest of lives, saying:
Recently I have been pondering Matthew 10:31, where Our Lord says, “Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.” Every one of them is known and cared for by our Heavenly Father, and it is He who enables them to carry out their work.
As mothers, you are dealing with a lot. You may have small children needing attention constantly, or you may be homeschooling or working to keep straight the school and extracurricular schedules of older children. There are always tasks that need to be done, always many things to deal with.
But everything is in God’s hands. If we can keep remembering that He is guiding every detail of our lives, that nothing falls outside of His plan, we can find peace even in the midst of a very busy and full day.
Listener Kendra shared with Aleteia how much she enjoys the series’ blend of content from religious sisters and mothers of families. She said, “The nuns are relatable, giving value to motherhood. The moms are great because they can empathize with a mother but make prayer a priority.”
You can access The Monastic Mother with a one-year Monk Mindset subscription. Use code MOTHER20 to get 20% off any annual gift subscription.
A subscription also unlocks content across the 7 Monk Mindset Principles with tips to put it into practice, resources to build a personal monastic schedule, customizable app blocking tools to reclaim focus and freedom, and much more.
