To each of you here today at this Mass for our Brother Stephen, to you who are Brother Stephen’s family–and those who cannot be here with you; to you Betty and Sister Rosemary, Brother Stephen’s two sisters, and to E.J. and Berta, to Frank and Marian and your families, I offer you the sympathy and […]

Brother Stephen was born and baptized William Joseph Maguire, Jr., the second of six children born to Martha Kelly Maguire and William J. Maguire. A few years after his birth in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the family moved to Northern Virginia. Br. Stephen grew up in Falls Church. When he was the Abbey’s Bakery Manager, I remember him […]

The Lay Cistercians of Holy Cross Abbey are observing their annual retreat at the Abbey this weekend. On Saturday, after Midday Prayer, the professed members of the group gathered in the monastic choir to re-affirm their original promises. This is not a ceremony like the renewal of vows–the promise that each had made at profession is […]

When we celebrated Holy Thursday, I believe that we reached the culmination of the meaning of humility in the life of the monk. The Rule’s teaching on humility reflects Gospel humility and that, of course, is best found in the example of Jesus Christ. The Holy Thursday’s liturgy crystalizes his humility in the Gospel and action […]

From a Chapter Talk by Abbot Robert When St. John Paul II announced the Jubilee of the Third Millennium in 2000, he proclaimed a new evangelization. His diminishing health slowed down the thrust of his promulgation which he had hoped to promote. Just a year and a half ago, Pope Benedict XVI called the Synod […]

I began these reflections on humility exploring what the Fear of the Lord is and what it isn’t. In essence that is the First Step of Humility that St. Benedict mentions in Chapter Seven of his Rule. Today I’d like to introduce the Biblical image of the Shekinah, the overshadowing presence of God. In the Lenten […]

These sacred days of our Lord’s Paschal Mystery begin with a meal. Not just any meal but the very Passover meal which Moses commanded the Israelites to commemorate–the covenant of blood that the Lord God made with his Chosen People when he freed them from slavery in Egypt. Now the Son of God has transformed […]

After a ministry of concealing his identity, Jesus allows the people of Jerusalem to greet him as the Messiah on Palm Sunday. There is a real change of direction here., as if we are again picking up the loose threads from his earlier manifestations: his manifestation to the shepherds, that we celebrate at Christmas; or to the Magi, […]

A number of important events have interrupted my reflections on St. Benedict’s teaching about humility. It is natural for many Catholics during Lent, especially of an older generation, to recall our sinfulness and seek effective ways to amend our lives. Although there is a guilt-ridden way to acknowledge our sinfulness, which is a dead-end, there […]

The monastery was under clouds and light rain through most of the weekend making the walk from Retreat House to the Abbey Church a wet one.  Several of our Retreatants still walked every single time for the Office. During our two days as community within community we got out of bed at 3 am (to the tune […]