To eat in a monastery refectory is an exercise in humility; daily, one is reminded to put communal necessity before individual preference. While consumer culture speaks only to preferences, treating even whims as needs to be granted (and the sooner… — Kathleen Norris Copy Share Image
One may have been a fool, but there's no foolishness like being bitter. — Kathleen Norris Copy Share Image
The ordinary activities I find most compatible with contemplation are walking, baking bread, and doing laundry. — Kathleen Norris Copy Share Image
“At its Greek root, "to believe" simply means "to give one's heart to." Thus, if we can determine what it is we give our… — Kathleen Norris Copy Share Image
In any free society, the conflict between social conformity and individual liberty is permanent, unresolvable, and necessary — Kathleen Norris Copy Share Image
Before you begin a thing, remind yourself that difficulties and delays quite impossible to foresee are ahead. If you could see them clearly, naturally… — Kathleen Norris Copy Share Image
When you are unhappy, is there anything more maddening than to be told that you should be contented with your lot? — Kathleen Norris Copy Share Image
“I was vaguely attracted to both library science and accounting, for the way that these disciplines impose order on chaos.” — Kathleen Norris Copy Share Image
None of us knows what the next change is going to be, what unexpected opportunity is just around the corner, waiting a few months… — Kathleen Norris Copy Share Image
Laundry, liturgy and women's work all serve to ground us in the world, and they need not grind us down. Our daily tasks, whether… — Kathleen Norris Copy Share Image
The demon of acedia -- also called the noonday demon -- is the one that causes the most serious trouble of all. . .… — Kathleen Norris Copy Share Image
