

May - Heartfelt Reflections from OMI Novices
La Vista joins all those on our planet who are feeling the great loss of Pope Francis who heard the cry of the earth and the cry of the...


Blessed by an Ethical Beekeeper
David Brantley, beekeeper of 29 hives on the Novitiate land, arrived at La Vista's Spring Equinox Celebration with this sons, an...


March - Unfolding Home
Look around you as you take a walk. Look closely. Tightly bound leaves are unfolding on tree branches, daffodil flowers are unfolding as...


February - More than a Dust of Snow
In early January we experienced a foot of snowfall, more than we have seen in eight years. The view from the office window was...


January - A Transformative Turning
The turning of the calendar on January one to usher in a new year is a human construction; whereas, the winter solstice on December 21...


December - The Grace of Well-being
“ Many of us have made our world so familiar that we do not see it anymore. An interesting question to ask yourself at night: What did I...


November - Living Mountain
La Vista's online book discussion group is currently reading John Philip Newell’s The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul in the...


October - Champions and Mentors
I have passed by this stately Basswood tree on the front lawn of the OMI Novitiate for twenty years without noticing it. It was Steve,...


September - Let There Be Night
This picture taken from my home in Godfrey, Illinois, came to mind as I listened to a webinar about light pollution. The speaker didn't...


August - Road to Wider Compassion
Last month’s reflection focused on a special plant, Spigelia genuflexa, an example of plant behavior providing the best environment for...