My Lord Jesus was silent before the scribes and Pharisees when they accused him, silent before his judges when they questioned him, silent before those who punished him with torture and crucifixion. Even today, he is silent before the wicked and shameless men who challenge him every day and every hour. If this is so, […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the Solemnity of the Annunciation
25 March, Solemnity of the Annunciation: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10; Hebrews 10: 4-10; Luke 1:26-38 I can easily believe that by human reason or observation of the world around us, any of us could arrive at a concept of God. I’m not so convinced that I can conceive a vibrant relationship with the living God […]
Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the 5th Sunday of Lent
Our struggle to understand the relation between the divine and human natures of Christ and how these interact can sometimes create problematic solutions to perplexing questions. Thus, for example, we have the notion (held by some) that the infant Jesus only pretended to be helpless and unable to speak, whereas, because of his divine nature, […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the Solemnity of St. Joseph
Saint Joseph, 19 March, 2021: 2 Sam 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22; Matt 1:16, 18-21, 24a According to the Gospels, Saint Joseph is descended from a fallen royal house, replaced by a monarchy that is only nominally Jewish, struggling to flex its muscle within the Roman Empire. Although aware of his […]
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
In our unhappily individualistic age we can miss the significance of Moses’ impassioned intervention on behalf of his own people threatened with annihilation because of their idolatry. Bear in mind that God’s uncompromising punishment would have spared Moses and made of him a great nation. Yet, later, when Moses returns to the Lord’s presence and […]
Tuesday of the 4th Week of Lent
EZEKIEL 47: 1-9, 12 Our fear of losing control is bound up with our struggle to trust—a weakness that extends all the way back to Eden and our First Parents. God knows and understands this weakness and thus gently and gradually trains us to trust him and forgo our desperate need to be in control […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the 4th Sunday of Lent
Fourth Sunday of Lent, YR B, 14 March, 2021: 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21 Nicodemus has a literalistic, almost materialistic worldview while straining for something more, something better. Jesus can see this, as well as the great potential in this man, and is respectful, challenging and patient in their discussion, both […]
Friday: 3rd Week of Lent
Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, seems the obvious blessed state of those rare perfected souls whose entire being loves God and radiates his presence. And yet, even in our imperfect state we too are called—even now—to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This demands deep […]
Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Lent
It would seem that it was by quickly forgetting the great debt he had been forgiven, that the wicked servant (in today’s gospel) had no qualms about refusing a similar mercy to his fellow servant. Yet, perhaps it wasn’t forgetfulness at all, but remembering too well! For, by using the very words he had used, […]
Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Thanksgiving every November is a time, not only to acknowledge so much we have to be grateful for, but also to remind ourselves of how ungrateful we have been. We can realize our ingratitude more clearly on those occasions when we are not thanked for our kindness and generosity towards others. Still more difficult to […]