Archive for the ‘blessings’ Category

Women’s Christmas Retreat 2024: Curious about Joy

January 6, 2024

Image: Wise Women Also CameImage: Wise Women Also Came © Jan Richardson

Happy New Year and Merry Epiphany! In celebration, these three wise women are stopping by with a gift for you. You might know that some folks celebrate Epiphany (January 6) as Women’s Christmas. Originating in Ireland, where it is known as Nollaig na mBan, Women’s Christmas began as a day when the women set aside time to enjoy a break and celebrate together at the end of the holidays.

It has become a tradition for me to create a new retreat each year that you can download as a PDF and use on Women’s Christmas or whenever you need some time for reflection and regathering. The new retreat is hot off the press and waiting for you! This year’s theme is Curious about Joy. It includes readings, art, questions, and blessings. You can do the retreat alone or share it with friends. (And it’s not for women only!)

There is no cost for the retreat. It’s my Women’s Christmas gift to you, with deep gratitude for your presence on my path. To download the retreat, click this link to go to the Women’s Christmas page on my Sanctuary of Women site:

Women’s Christmas Retreat 2024: Curious about Joy

I would be delighted for you to share this gift with others.

I send much gratitude and many blessings for you. Merry Women’s Christmas!

[To use the Wise Women Also Came image or order it as a print, please visit this page at Jan Richardson Images.]

An Illuminated Advent – 2023

November 20, 2023

ILLUMINATED 2023
December 3 – December 27
New for this Advent!

Beloved friends, I am so happy to share that registration for this year’s online Advent retreat is open! I can hardly begin to tell you all the ways this retreat holds my heart, and how much I am looking forward to it in this particular year. I would love to spend the season in your company.

In a chaotic time, this retreat will offer a space of elegant simplicity. Intertwining writing, art, music, and community, this online journey creates spaces of reflection and rest that you can enter into from anywhere you are, in the way that works best for you.

Info & registration:
ILLUMINATED ADVENT RETREAT

This online retreat is not about adding one more thing to your holiday schedule! It is about helping you enter deeply into a season that shimmers with mystery and possibility, solace and hope. It is especially designed to fit easily into whatever your Advent days might hold. We love hearing from people who say this retreat helps them breathe and engage the season.

Individual, group, and congregational rates are available. (And we have a very flexible definition of “congregation”!) We have gift registrations, too. Questions? Be sure to visit our Illuminated FAQ page.

I am grateful for you and sending you so many blessings as Advent draws near.

Women’s Christmas Retreat 2023 – A Gift for You

January 5, 2023

Image: Wise Women Also CameImage: Wise Women Also Came © Jan Richardson

Happy New Year and Merry Epiphany, almost! In celebration, these three wise women are stopping by with a gift for you. You might know that some folks celebrate Epiphany (January 6) as Women’s Christmas. Originating in Ireland, where it is known as Nollaig na mBan, Women’s Christmas began as a day when the women set aside time to enjoy a break and celebrate together at the end of the holidays.

It has become a tradition for me to create a new retreat each year that you can download as a PDF and use on Women’s Christmas or whenever you need some time for reflection and regathering. The new retreat is hot off the press and waiting for you! This year’s theme is In the Light of a New Constellation. It includes readings, art, questions, and blessings. You can do the retreat alone or share it with friends. (And it’s not for women only!)

There is no cost for the retreat. It’s my Women’s Christmas gift to you, with deep gratitude for your presence on my path. To download the retreat, click this link to go to the Women’s Christmas page on my Sanctuary of Women site:

Women’s Christmas Retreat 2023: In the Light of a New Constellation

I would be delighted for you to share this gift with others.

I send much gratitude and many blessings for you. Merry Women’s Christmas!

[To use the Wise Women Also Came image or order it as a print, please visit this page at Jan Richardson Images.]

An Illuminated Advent – 2022

November 9, 2022

Illuminated Advent Retreat

ILLUMINATED 2022
An Online Journey into the Heart of Christmas
November 27 – December 27

Beloved friends, I am thrilled to share that registration for this year’s online Advent retreat is open! I can hardly begin to tell you all the ways this retreat holds my heart, and how much I am looking forward to it in this particular year. I would love to spend the season in your company.

In a chaotic time, this retreat will offer a space of elegant simplicity. Intertwining writing, art, music, and community, this online journey creates spaces of reflection and rest that you can enter into from anywhere you are, in the way that works best for you.

Info & registration:
ILLUMINATED ADVENT RETREAT

This online retreat is not about adding one more thing to your holiday schedule! It is about helping you enter deeply into a season that shimmers with mystery and possibility, solace and hope. It is especially designed to fit easily into whatever your Advent days might hold. I love hearing from people who say this retreat helps them breathe and engage the season.

Individual, group, and congregational rates are available. (And we have a very flexible definition of “congregation”!) We have gift registrations, too. Questions? Be sure to visit our FAQ page for the retreat.

I am grateful for you and sending you so many blessings as Advent draws near.

Women’s Christmas Retreat 2022 – A Gift for You

January 4, 2022

Image: Wise Women Also Came © Jan Richardson

Happy New Year and Merry Epiphany, almost! In celebration, these three wise women are stopping by with a gift for you. You might know that some folks celebrate Epiphany (January 6) as Women’s Christmas. Originating in Ireland, where it is known as Nollaig na mBan, Women’s Christmas began as a day when the women set aside time to enjoy a break and celebrate together at the end of the holidays.

It has become a tradition for me to create a new retreat each year that you can download as a PDF and use on Women’s Christmas or whenever you need some time for reflection and regathering. The new retreat is hot off the press and waiting for you! This year’s theme is A Path Called Solace. It includes readings, art, questions, and blessings. You can do the retreat alone or share it with friends. (And it’s not for women only!)

There is no cost for the retreat. It’s my Women’s Christmas gift to you, with deep gratitude for your presence on my path. To download the retreat, visit this page at my Sanctuary of Women site:

Women’s Christmas Retreat 2022: A Path Called Solace

I would be delighted for you to share this gift with others.

I send much gratitude and many blessings for you. Merry Women’s Christmas!

[To use the Wise Women Also Came image or order it as a print, please visit this page at Jan Richardson Images.]

An Illuminated Advent – 2021

November 2, 2021

Illuminated Advent Retreat

ILLUMINATED 2021
An Online Journey into the Heart of Christmas
November 28 – December 27

Beloved friends, I am thrilled to share the news that registration for this year’s online Advent retreat is now open! I can hardly begin to tell you all the ways this retreat holds my heart, and how much I am looking forward to it in this particular year. I would love to spend the season in your company! In a chaotic time, this retreat will offer a space of elegant simplicity. Intertwining writing, art, music, and community, this online journey creates spaces of reflection and rest that you can enter into from anywhere you are, in the way that works best for you.

Info & registration:
ILLUMINATED ADVENT RETREAT

This online retreat is not about adding one more thing to your holiday schedule! It is about helping you enter deep into a season that shimmers with mystery and possibility, solace and hope. It is especially designed to fit easily into whatever your Advent days might hold. I love hearing from people who say this retreat helps them breathe and engage the season.

Individual, group, and congregational rates are available. (And we have a very flexible definition of “congregation”!) Questions? Be sure to visit our FAQ page for the retreat.

I am grateful for you and sending you so many blessings as Advent draws near.

Women’s Christmas Retreat 2021 – A Gift for You

January 4, 2021

Image: Wise Women Also Came © Jan Richardson

Happy New Year and Merry Epiphany, almost! In celebration, these three wise women are stopping by with a gift for you. You might know that some folks celebrate Epiphany (January 6) as Women’s Christmas. Originating in Ireland, where it is known as Nollaig na mBan, Women’s Christmas began as a day when the women set aside time to enjoy a break and celebrate together at the end of the holidays.

It has become a tradition for me to create a new retreat each year that you can download as a PDF and use on Women’s Christmas or whenever you need some time for reflection and regathering. The new retreat (our tenth!) is hot off the press and waiting for you! This year’s theme is The Sanctuary Between Us, and it offers an invitation to ponder how we hold space for one another across the distance. It includes readings, art, questions, and blessings. You can do the retreat alone or share it with friends. (And it’s not for women only!)

There is no cost for the retreat. It’s my Women’s Christmas gift to you, with deep gratitude for your presence on my path. To download the retreat, visit this page at my Sanctuary of Women site:

Women’s Christmas Retreat 2021: The Sanctuary Between Us

I’d be delighted for you to pass along the gift by sharing the link with others.

I send much gratitude and many blessings for you. Merry Women’s Christmas!

P.S. Our festive Advent discount on annual subscriptions to the Jan Richardson Images site continues through Epiphany Day on January 6. An annual subscription enables you to download any images for use in worship during the year. Advent rate: $125 (regularly $165). Click Subscribe to sign up.

[To use the Wise Women Also Came image or order it as a print, please visit this page at Jan Richardson Images.]

An Illuminated Advent – 2020

November 11, 2020

Illuminated 2020-banner

ILLUMINATED 2020
An Online Journey into the Heart of Christmas
November 29 – December 26

Beloved friends, it has been hard to wrap my head around what the season of Advent might look like this year. But I do know this: I will be offering a new online Advent retreat, and I would love to spend the season in your company! Registration is now open for the Illuminated 2020 Advent Retreat. In a chaotic time, this retreat will offer a space of elegant simplicity. Intertwining writing, art, music, and community, this online journey creates spaces of reflection and rest that you can enter into from anywhere you are, in the way that works best for you.

I am excited that this year, for the first time, the Illuminated Retreat will be based on my book Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas. Whether you are new to Night Visions or are someone who returns to it each year, I invite you to join us for this unique chance to travel through it together. (Purchasing the book is not necessary.)

Info & registration:
ILLUMINATED ADVENT RETREAT

This online retreat is not about adding one more thing to your holiday schedule! It is about helping you enter deep into this season that shimmers with mystery and possibility, solace and hope. It is especially designed to fit easily into whatever your Advent days might hold. I love hearing from people who say this retreat helps them breathe and engage the season.

Individual, group, and congregational rates are available. (And we have a very flexible definition of “congregation”!) Questions? Be sure to visit our FAQ page for the retreat.

I am grateful for you and sending you so many blessings as Advent draws near.

Holy Week & Easter Sunday: We Begin in the Dark

April 8, 2020

And Love Will Rise Up and Call Us By NameImage: And Love Will Rise Up and Call Us By Name
© Jan Richardson

If we have grown weary in this season. If we have become overwhelmed. If we are living with fear or anxiety or worry about what lies ahead. If the swirl of Holy Week has become intense. If time is moving strangely. If grief has been a traveling companion. If the ground beneath us has given way. If resurrection seems less than certain.

—Jan Richardson, from Holy Saturday: Breathe
The Painted Prayerbook, March 2018

Beloved friends, I hardly know what to say in this Holy Week except that my heart is with you, along with my prayers. This year, more than ever, I am mindful that John’s Gospel tells us Mary Magdalene went to the tomb while it was still dark and found it empty. As we move through the shadows cast by COVID-19, I have gathered up a collection of reflections I’ve written for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. I offer them with so many blessings and with deep gratitude for you and the graces you bear. In the darkness and in the day, may the risen Christ meet you with solace and hope.

Holy/Maundy Thursday

Holy Thursday: At the Table, Speaking of Love
Holy Thursday: Blessing the Bread, the Cup
Holy Thursday: Take a Blessing
Day 38/Holy Thursday: Cup of the New Covenant
Holy Thursday: Feet and Food


Good Friday

Good Friday: Speaking, Still
Good Friday: Still
Good Friday: A Blessing for What Abides
Day 39/Good Friday: They Took the Body of Jesus
Good Friday: In Which We Get Nailed


Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday: Anticipate Resurrection
Holy Saturday: Breathe
Holy Saturday: Vigil
Holy Saturday: In the Breath, Another Breathing
Day 40/Holy Saturday: Therefore I Will Hope
Holy Saturday: The Art of Enduring
Holy Saturday: A Day Between


Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday: Where Resurrection Begins
Easter Sunday: This Is Not the End
Easter Sunday: While It Was Still Dark
Easter Sunday: A Blessing for the Rising
Easter Sunday: Seen
Easter Sunday: Out of the Garden


Using Jan’s artwork

To use the image “And Love Will Rise Up and Call Us By Name,” please visit this page at janrichardsonimages.com. (This is also available as an art print. After clicking over to the image’s page on the Jan Richardson Images site, just scroll down to the “Purchase as an Art Print” section.) Your use of janrichardsonimages.com helps make the ministry of The Painted Prayerbook possible.

Using Jan’s words
For worship services and related settings, you are welcome to use Jan’s blessings or other words from this blog without requesting permission. All that’s needed is to acknowledge the source. Please include this info in a credit line: “© Jan Richardson. janrichardson.com.” For other uses, visit Copyright Permissions.

Epiphany Day: If You Could See the Journey Whole

January 4, 2020

TheWiseOnesImage: The Wise Ones © Jan Richardson

Reading from the Gospels for Epiphany Day: Matthew 2.1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.
—Matthew 2.1

Friends, as Epiphany Day draws near, I want to share a blessing with you that first appeared here at The Painted Prayerbook some years ago. In the turning of the sacred year, this day of mystery and light continues to be a favorite of mine. I pray that no matter how hidden your path may become, you will be attended with mercies and wonders in every step. Blessings to you!

For Those Who Have Far to Travel
A Blessing for Epiphany

If you could see
the journey whole,
you might never
undertake it,
might never dare
the first step
that propels you
from the place
you have known
toward the place
you know not.

Call it
one of the mercies
of the road:
that we see it
only by stages
as it opens
before us,
as it comes into
our keeping,
step by
single step.

There is nothing
for it
but to go,
and by our going
take the vows
the pilgrim takes:

to be faithful to
the next step;
to rely on more
than the map;
to heed the signposts
of intuition and dream;
to follow the star
that only you
will recognize;

to keep an open eye
for the wonders that
attend the path;
to press on
beyond distractions,
beyond fatigue,
beyond what would
tempt you
from the way.

There are vows
that only you
will know:
the secret promises
for your particular path
and the new ones
you will need to make
when the road
is revealed
by turns
you could not
have foreseen.

Keep them, break them,
make them again;
each promise becomes
part of the path,
each choice creates
the road
that will take you
to the place
where at last
you will kneel

to offer the gift
most needed—
the gift that only you
can give—
before turning to go
home by
another way.

—Jan Richardson
from Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons


P.S. And Merry Women’s Christmas, too!
My new retreat for Women’s Christmas (which some folks in Ireland and beyond celebrate on Epiphany/January 6) has just been released. It’s a retreat that you can download at no cost and use anytime you wish throughout the year. For a link to the retreat and more about Women’s Christmas, click the Wise Women image or the title below. You are most welcome to share the retreat gift with others.

Wise Women Also Came
Women’s Christmas 2020: What the Light Shines Through


Using Jan’s artwork…

To use the image “The Wise Ones,” please visit this page at janrichardsonimages.com. Your use of janrichardsonimages.com helps make the ministry of The Painted Prayerbook possible. Advent special! During this season, subscribe to Jan Richardson Images and receive unlimited digital downloads for use in worship for only $125 per year (regularly $165). Click Subscribe to sign up. (Extended through Epiphany Day/January 6!)

Using Jan’s words…
For worship services and related settings, you are welcome to use Jan’s blessings or other words from this blog without requesting permission. All that’s needed is to acknowledge the source. Please include this info in a credit line: “© Jan Richardson. janrichardson.com.” For other uses, visit Copyright Permissions.