16 February 2025, Sixth Sunday, Year C: Jeremiah 17:5-8; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:17, 20-25 Blessed are the poor; not the poor in spirit but the poor. Scholars explain that Luke’s Christian community was probably very poor, but that fails to tell my why they are blessed. Is it beatitude when you have nothing […]
Fr. James’ Homily for our Cistercian Founders
26 January, The Founders of Citeaux: Genesis 12:1-4; Acts 4:32-35; Mark 10:17-30 The few historical sources describing the struggle to establish Citeaux tell us little of the subjective attitudes of Robert, Alberic or Stephan—very few medieval documents pay attention to such sentiments. I can easily imagine, though, there were days they wondered what they had […]
Fr. James’ Homily for Christmas Day
Christmas Day Mass, Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-5; John 1:1-18 The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. This verse is a token of hope today when too many people surrender to fear, doubt or passivity. We are indeed confronted by formidable obstacles. A glance at the news reminds us that […]
Fr. James’ Reflection for December 19
Thursday, 19 DEC, 2024: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Lk 1:5-25 Remember this Gospel tomorrow when we hear about the Annunciation to Mary. Both Gospels share a similar structure but, what distinguishes Zachariah from Mary? Is my righteousness, like Zechariah’s, a substitute for trust in God? Has it degenerated into an attempt to control reality and contain […]
FRUITCAKES SOLD OUT
Those hoping to purchase Fruitcakes from our Gift Shop need to know that we are ALL SOLD OUT AS OF Sunday, December 15th. However, at time of writing, cakes can still be purchased online at monasteryfruitcake.org
Fr. James’ Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent
Second Sunday of Advent, Year C, 8 December, 2024: Baruch 5:1-9; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 1:1-6 Every Second Sunday of Advent we recall John the Baptist—and isn’t that appropriate? During Advent don’t we look forward to the Second Coming of the Lord as we look back to his First Coming? Being in neither one nor […]
Fr. James’ Homily for Christ the King
24 November, 2024, Christ the King: Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33b-37 What do we mean when we call Christ a King? In a nation born of revolt against a parliamentary monarchy, and with a representative democracy shaped by majority vote, how do we understand kingship? What can it possibly mean to us? Standing before […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the 33rd Sunday
17 November, 2024, 33rd Sunday, YR B: Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13: 24-42 Sometimes people ask me whether I think these are the end times. I usually refer them to the Gospel verse we just heard: But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, […]
Fr. James’ Homily for All Saints
All Saints, 1 November, 2024: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12a In listening to the Gospel it can be as important to note what is not said, as what is said. Jesus does not say, “Blessed are they who sing on pitch”; nor does he say, “Blessed are they who never arrive late […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the 26th Sunday
26th SUN, YR B: Numbers 11:25-29; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 Hasn’t our social media allowed us to organize ourselves into like-minded tribes, affirming our comfort zone and excluding those who disagree with us? Are we that insecure in our beliefs and prejudices that we cannot tolerate differing opinions? John in today’s Gospel didn’t […]