Readings: 2 Chronicles 36:154-16, 19-23; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21 The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Joseph presiding and preaching; the participants in the Monastic Immersion Weekend will be filling the choir stalls–that’s who those people in grey are! Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament follows Vespers (5:30 PM).
Fr. James’ Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent
Readings: Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25 Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. All these years I’ve been hearing, “If someone destroys this temple, in three days I will raise it up.” In other words, everything the Temple of Jerusalem signified would be fully realized in Jesus himself. […]
Daylight Savings Time and Second Sunday of Lent, 8 March, 2015
Readings: Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 1:22-15; John 2:13-25 Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday. I mention this first from memories of people appearing at 12:00 noon, sitting patiently through Midday Prayer (12:20) and asking, “what happened to Sunday Mass?!!!!” We will reset our clocks one hour ahead. Even if it seems otherwise (should you forget […]
“By hope we are saved” (Romans 8:24)
If ever there is a subject that wakens our hearts to hope, it would seem to me that it is the subject of life after death. The blessed passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the rock foundation of our Christian faith. To quote the Nicene Creed, we look forward to the resurrection of the […]
A Word from the Cistercian Fathers for March
We cannot defend ourselves from the attack of the noontide devil except with the aid of noontide light. When the noontide devil sets our to tempt a person, there is no chance of parrying him; he will tempt and overthrow his victim by suggesting what appears to be good, by persuading us–unsuspecting and unprepared as […]
Prime Availability in the Retreat House, 6 through 13 March
We had been reserving the rooms in the Retreat House for an expected group retreat from 6 through 13 March, but we just learned that the retreat would not materialize. We apologize to those we’ve turned down for those dates and invite all our readers to reconsider a retreat either on the weekend of 6 […]
2nd Sunday of Lent, 1 March, 2015
Readings: Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18; Romans 8:31-34; Mark 9:2-10. The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Vincent Collins presiding and preaching. The heat for the church is functioning again and Mass will be celebrated in the Abbey church as usual. It is the First Sunday of the Month and Eucharistic Adoration begins […]
Fr. Robert’s Homily for the First Sunday of Lent, 22 February, 2015
Readings: Genesis 9:8-15; I Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1: 12-15 The Liturgy has a way of surprising us. It will throw us a delightful curve when we are least expecting it. Here we are, all ready for the beginning of the Lenten Season, having gotten our ashes last Wednesday. We are now resolved to make heartfelt […]
Spiritual Direction Institute (SDI) in Charlottesville
I know that a number of our readers are familiar with the work of the late Fr. Chester Michael. In 1989 he had established The Spiritual Direction Institute for those who wished to learn the art of spiritual direction. On Sunday, 12 April of this year, the SDI will host an informational meeting at the […]
Prime Availability at the Retreat House as early as the Weekend of 6 through 8 March
We had been keeping a reservation for a large group from 6 through 13 March only to learn today that they would not be coming. The Weekend, Friday though Sunday, 6 to 8 March, is now available as are the weekdays, Monday through Friday, 9 to 13 March. Lent is a wonderful time for a retreat and […]