Joy in the Winter: A Gaudete Sunday Terra Divina

Joy in the Winter: A Gaudete Sunday Terra Divina

An Advent Snowshoe Pilgrimage

What if the next place you encountered God was beneath your snowshoes?

On Gaudete Sunday, bundle up and join us for a contemplative Advent pilgrimage through the Priory Preserve near St. Paul’s Monastery. Together, we’ll snowshoe through the winter landscape, making space to listen for God in the stillness, beauty, and hidden life of creation.

Terra Divina — “divine earth” — invites us to encounter the natural world much as we encounter Scripture in lectio divina: slowly, attentively, and with an open heart. On this winter journey, Scripture, silence, the senses, and Benedictine wisdom will accompany us as we consider a very Advent question: What is God doing beneath the surface while we wait?

Seven Movements Through the Winter

Our pilgrimage will unfold through seven movements, each inviting us to notice something in the winter landscape and something stirring within ourselves:

Crossing the Threshold — Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord
We begin at the Monastery, blessing our journey and the path ahead.

First Tracks — Prepare the Way
Following tracks into the Preserve, we consider the paths we follow and what it means to listen for the way God is leading us.

Winter Trees — The Wisdom of Letting Go
Among bare branches, we reflect on what can be released to make room for Christ.

Beneath the Snow — The Hidden Life
The earth appears dormant, yet life continues unseen. In silence, we ponder the hidden work of God and the deep waiting of Advent.

Breath — Receive the Breath of God
The cold winter air makes each breath tangible, inviting us to become aware of the God who gives and sustains life.

The Long Winter — Stability
Winter cannot be hurried. We explore the Benedictine practice of stability and what it means to faithfully inhabit the season in which God has placed us.

Homeward — The Light Shines in the Darkness
We turn toward the Monastery and the promise at the heart of Advent: even in darkness, the Light is already coming toward us.

Come Ready for Winter

This is an outdoor, contemplative experience with periods of walking, spoken reflection, prayer, and extended silence. And because it is Gaudete Sunday, there will also be room for joy along the way — perhaps even make a snow angel or two!

We’ll conclude back at St. Paul’s Monastery with warm cocoa or cider, cookies, and Benedictine hospitality of the Incarnation season

Sunday, December 13 | 1:00–3:00pm
St. Paul’s Monastery + Priory Neighborhood Preserve

Participants should dress warmly and bring their own snowshoes. If there is not enough snow for snowshoeing, the pilgrimage will continue as a winter walk; sturdy, treaded winter boots will be necessary.

Prayer. Snowshoes. Hot cocoa. Advent.

Come ready to notice. Come ready to listen. Come discover the joy and quiet work of God in the winter.