with every hope we ever dreamed,

and every word we remember of its insights,

and all the joy and possibility it ever brought

to all our wishes and all the promises we promised before these times

to celebrate the rest of life.

--from the Afterword by Joan Chittister, OSB

Mary Lou Kownacki, a Benedictine nun and writing partner of Joan Chittister, was an activist in the Christian nonviolence movement and blogger of "Old Monk's Journal" a 12-year collection of personal and spiritual writings offering rare glimpses into monastic life and the best-loved feature of the Monasteries of the Heart website.

These lovingly chosen selections including those when Kownacki was nearing the end of her life, offer timeless wisdom on faith, community, activism, and the things that truly matter.