In the mysterious providence of God, some of us began our spiritual journey with hearts that were like that rocky ground in which the germinating seed of salvation battles to survive and flourish. Some of us were more fortunate and began with fundamentally good soil, but because of various spiritual wounds, have had to battle […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the 24th Sunday
12 September, 2021: Twenty-Fourth Sunday, Year B: Isaiah 50:4c-9a; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35 Until this episode in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus has been discouraging anyone to identify him as the Christ. Granted, up to this point it has only been demonic spirits who know who he is. Those demonic spirits trembled at Jesus’ authority […]
A Word from Our Cistercian Fathers
I said above that God is the reason for loving God. That is right, for he is the efficient and final cause of our love. He offers the opportunity, creates the affection, and consummates the desire. He makes, or rather is made himself lovable. He hopes to be so happily loved that he will not be […]
Abbot Joseph’s Homily for Fr. Maurice’s Funeral
At our last community-sharing on Experientia, our dear Fr. Maurice spoke of what he termed the risk of pledging obedience to one’s abbot, but then suggested that it was worth the risk for, as he said, it all works out in the end. I’m not sure whether at that time he was aware of just […]
Fr. Maurice’s Funeral
Fr. Maurice’s Funeral will take place on Saturday, September 4, at 2.00 p.m. Unfortunately, because of the present COVID-related restrictions, attendance at the Funeral Mass and Burial will be limited to the Monastic Community and the immediate family. The Funeral Mass will, however, be live-streamed. May the soul of Fr. Maurice, and the souls of […]
Finishing the Race; keeping the Faith
It is with sadness (and yet also with joy born of faith), that we make known the sudden passing, (yesterday, August 24) of our Father Maurice Flood. After more than 64 years of monastic life, and one month short of his 86th birthday, Fr. Maurice could make his own those immortal words of Saint Paul: […]
Feast of Saint Lawrence
The seed that falls to the ground, dies, and yields much fruit, doesn’t have too much say in the matter—it falls where the sower casts it. Similarly, although many martyrs were given the option of avoiding their fate by denying Christ, others were given no choice and simply murdered by their oppressors—Edith Stein being an […]
A Word from Our Cistercian Fathers
‘And the Virgin’s name was Mary.’ Let us now say a few words about this name, which means ‘star of the sea’ and is so becoming to the Virgin Mother. Surely she is very fittingly likened to a star. The star sends forth its ray without harm to itself. In the same way the Virgin […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the 17th Sunday
17th Sunday, Year B, 25 July, 2021, 2 Kings 4:42-44; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 6:1-15 This Sunday the liturgy interrupts our progress through Mark’s Gospel to introduce Chapter Six from John’s Gospel. We recognize this section as John’s exposition of the Eucharist. Why he places it here rather than during the Last supper in Chapters […]
Saturday of the 16th Week
Our presence at this Eucharist is a witness to the communal dimension of our Christian faith—a reminder of our oneness in Christ and our fundamental incompleteness apart and separated from one another. Nevertheless, Mary Magdalene, alone and weeping outside the empty tomb expresses that other and personal dimension to our faith in Christ. Although we […]