• Home
  • About
    • Monastic Life
    • Gallery
    • History
      • Holy Cross Abbey
      • Cistercian Order
      • Property and Battlefield
    • FAQs
    • Videos
  • Take Part
    • Pray with us
    • Visit
      • Service Times
      • Directions
    • Vocation
    • Lay Members
  • Vocation
  • Retreat House
    • Testimonials
  • Cemetery
    • Overview
    • Stones
    • Rules Overview
    • Pricing
  • Store
    • Gift Shop / Porter’s Cottage
    • Bakery Products
    • Webstore
  • Updates
    • News
    • Liturgy
    • Abbot’s Lectio Post
  • Contact

Holy Cross Abbey

901 Cool Spring Lane Berryville, Virginia 22611

Support Us
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

All Saints of the Benedictine Family

November 13, 2020 by Fr Joseph

The radical and literal laying down of one’s life for one’s friends is generally an exception in the life of most Christians and monks. However, this does not mean that this noble deed is without relevance in our ordinary daily lives. Every time we resist our selfish inclinations or don’t satisfy our self-centered wishes and desires at the expense of a brother or sister, we participate in the same generosity that inspires those who do literally lay down their lives for others. Paul describes this self-forgetfulness in terms of sharing in [Christ’s] sufferings by being formed into the pattern of his death. The psalmist describes this daily self-renunciation in terms of thinking the truth in [our] hearts, and not slandering others with [our]tongue; and not harming [our] neighbor. And so every time we think first of the other and his/her good, rather than our own, we are laying down our lives (however modestly), and practically fulfilling Christ’s command that we love one another as he has loved us. May all the Saints of the Benedictine Family intercede for us in conforming our lives to Christ and thus becoming his true friends—and thereby, true friends of one another.

All Saint of Benedictine Family

Share

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Abbot's Lectio Post

Documentary Trailer

Watch the full-length documentary on the videos page.

More Video

Support Us with a Donation

Contact Us

Newsletter Signup

Holy Cross Abbey

901 Cool Spring Lane
Berryville, Virginia 22611-2700
Phone: (540) 955-4383

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Quicklinks

  • Cemetery
  • Retreats
  • Directions
  • Links
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Get Involved

  • Pray with us
  • Visit
  • Vocation
  • Support Us

Copyright © Holy Cross Abbey - All Rights Reserved
Website Development and Management by MarketSpark
Maintenance Log -  Webmail -  Admin