Readings: Luke 19:28-40 [Processional Gospel]; Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 22:14-23:56 [Passion Gospel] The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Abbot Robert Barnes presiding. The celebration begins with the distribution and blessings of palms, commemorating Jesus triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. The Celebration begins in the Chapter Room; monks will direct you from the […]
The Solemnity of St. Joseph, 19 March, 2016
Readings: 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16; Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22; Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 The community Mass is celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Joseph Wittstock presiding and preaching. We follow the Sunday schedule so Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament will follow Vespers (5:30 PM)
Available Rooms at the Retreat House in April
About eight rooms have opened up at the Retreat House for the second weekend in April, Friday, 8 April though Sunday, 10 April. That’s definitely the spring and the season of budding trees and warmer temperatures to enjoy God’s glorious creation outdoors. It’s the Easter Season. Could there be any better time to take a […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent
Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11 Today’s Gospel is very beautiful, very challenging but emerges from a sinister background before the narrative begins. I’m ready to concede that these scribes and Pharisees are upright, uptight men and not hypocrites. But if they were able to catch this woman in the act of adultery, how […]
Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C, 13 March, 2016
Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11 The Community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. James Orthmann presiding and preaching. We will continue to experiment with other aspects of the Sunday celebration and the configuration of the church furnishings. If you have feedback, your observations are welcome.
Confession? Reconciliation?
In this Jubilee Year of Grace, I’ve been very privileged in our Guest House to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with many people who haven’t celebrated it for quite a while. It’s encouraging to see how opening that Jubilee Door in each Diocese has inspired Catholics to reconnect with, to have confidence again in their Church. […]
Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C
Readings: Joshua 5:9-12; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-12 The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Vincent Collins presiding and preaching. There will be a few changes in the arrangement of church furniture for this Sunday’s Mass. We are anticipating renovating our monastic church and have decided to experiment with our use of space […]
Fr. Joseph’s Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent, Year C
Readings: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:20-4:1; Luke 9:28-36 Purported visions of Jesus, Our Lady, or one of the saints, typically result in the site of visions becoming a place of pilgrimage for the curious and faithful alike. This is not surprising considering that our Christian faith is just that: faith and not sight. Accordingly, supernatural […]
A Word From The Cistercian Fathers For March
There is now many a consolation to relieve the torment of a guilty conscience. God is kind and does not let us be tempted beyond our strength. Especially at the beginning of a conversion, he anoints our wounds with the oil of mercy so that the acute nature of our sickness and the difficulty of […]
Fr. Robert’s Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent, Year C
Readings: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9 I tell you, if you do not repent, you will perish as they did. The Gospels are clear. Even Jesus had a bad day once in a while. We don’t especially want to hear things like that, because we want Jesus to be our comfort […]