Readings: Isaiah 26:1-6; Matthew 7:21, 24-27 Isaiah’s triumphant vision portrays a God who turns upside down what most societies value, and a God with a predilection for the poor and powerless. If many of the themes at the beginning of Advent give us pause, this prophecy should really have us worried. These are not the […]

Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Matthew 8:5-11 Isaiah’s sublimely harmonious vision of Jerusalem belies everything we know of that beleaguered city’s history. The prophet looks to the eschatological, not the historical, city. Certainly nothing in our contemporary experience corresponds to this prophecy. Yet I’ve heard from so many contemporary pilgrims and tourists, visitors to that same city, […]

Readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 I would not limit today’s Gospel to those who will live through the end of time. Even if I never have to face the catastrophes indicated by this Gospel, I am not exempt from the return of the Son of Man. There are many ways that […]

We begin the new liturgical year this Sunday, the First Sunday of Advent, Year C. And we also observe the monthly Eucharistic Adoration. Adoration begins at 3:00 PM and continues through Vespers (5:30 PM), followed by Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. All are invited to join us.

According to the Fourth Gospel, Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist, who directed him to Jesus. In his turn, Andrew brought his brother, Simon Peter to Jesus. I wonder whether Peter had till that time dismissed his brother as a flakey “seeker” or left him to take the initiative and investigate what […]

Readings: Revelation 14:1-2, 4b-5; Luke 21:1-4 This morning’s reading from the Book of Revelation is a reminder of the liturgical character of this book, which abounds in hymns, canticles and heavenly ceremonies. It recalls the great drama of salvation which we re-engage through the liturgy; and that the drama of our lives and history is […]

The experience of suffering and the presence of evil in our world have a way of undermining our sense of gratitude. This is because all the good things we are blessed with can easily be cast into shadow by the hardships, disappointment, and trials of life. Indeed, this is not only a factor inhibiting gratitude, […]

The community Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM, Abbot Joseph Wittstock presiding and preaching. It is a non-work day for the community and we follow the Sunday schedule.

Today’s readings (with their apocalyptic tone) can evoke feelings of anxiety and even dread amid the dire descriptions of the end of the world and what Daniel terms a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time. Indeed, these distressing features surrounding the Lord’s final return have been used by some to induce […]

Readings: Titus 1:1-9; Luke 17:1-6 The conclusion of this Gospel passage is genuinely Good News. Jesus plainly says that in our uncertainty, in our weakness we don’t need more faith. Our faith can be as small as a mustard seed; we just have to allow it to do what it can do. Think about that! […]