As monks our entire lives are oriented towards union with God and divinization. Divinization can sound esoteric and evoke images of ethereal beings no longer fully human. However, if becoming divine in and through Christ is what divinization entails, and if God is love, then Paul gives us a very good non-esoteric catalog of some […]
Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the Exaltation of the Cross
Scars are visible reminders of past injuries and sometimes a significant event or emotional story is associated with each scar. Jesus was no exception and in that memorable meeting with Thomas, he showed him the scars or wounds left by his passion thereby confirming the reality of his resurrection. The cross serves a similar purpose […]
Awaiting Renovation
After several weeks of hard work the company carrying out the abatement and inner demolition work in our old dorm has completed its work. The completion of this first phase of the renovation project allows us a better sense of the space available and how this might suit our plans for the building. Our architect, […]
Tuesday of the 23rd Week of the Year
Although today’s gospel doesn’t say so explicitly, Jesus’ night in prayer does seem to have been in service of selecting his twelve apostles. That he seems to have made a poor choice in choosing Judas Iscariot can be both comforting and disconcerting. Comforting because for us discerning the Father’s will and choosing the best course […]
Wednesday of the 22nd Week of the Year
Seeking Jesus because you need him and seeking Jesus because you love him can be complementary aspects of our relationship to Christ. However, seeking Jesus (as did the crowds in today’s gospel) only because you need him and require his help is indicative of a still one-sided and immature relationship that lacks the mutuality of […]
Saturday Memorial of Our Lady
Saturday of the 21st Week of the Year: Some notions of humility would find this virtue exemplified in the third servant with the one talent who humbly admitted his failure to trade with that single talent. In contrast, the servant who received five talents and made five more seems proud and even boastful. And yet […]
DEPARTURE
After nearly two years of patient discernment and prayer our Brother Mark Amaral has come to the realization that he is not called to cloistered Cistercian life. His initial plans are to move to Massachusetts in order to be nearer his family. We are grateful for Mark’s time with us and trust that his stay […]
Solemnity of Saint Bernard
Greatness and littleness seem to be mutually exclusive. Any yet in the spiritual realm, as we know, littleness paradoxically opens us to greatness. Once greatness is achieved, however, littleness must be preserved if true greatness is not to be lost. Bernard, often mistakenly (but understandably) thought to be the founder of our Order, is someone […]
Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the 19th Sunday of the Year
Saints are spiritual heroes we look up to and yet while they offer encouragement and inspiration they can also be intimidating in their radical commitment to Christ. And so we may find ourselves more inclined to admire rather than emulate them. This is because some of the saints seem to have been fearless, resolute, unwavering, […]
Tuesday of the 19th Week of the Year
The paradox of a scroll tasting sweet to Ezekiel despite being inscribed with lamentation and woe, suggests that it wasn’t the lamentations and woe, per se, that made it sweet, but rather that these were calling God’s rebellious people back to fidelity and friendship. In this sense, all suffering that serves to draw us back […]