You may recall that the 100th anniversary of Thomas Merton’s birth was commemorated at Holy Cross Abbey on Sunday, 15 November of this year. It had only been on 13th November that the terrorist action in Paris had occurred. One of the participant’s shared the experience of her grandson asking how something like that could […]
Fourth Sunday of Advent, 20 December, 2015
Readings: Micah 5:1-4; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-44 The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Joseph Wittstock presiding and preaching
Available Rooms at the Retreat House this Weekend
There are still four openings available at the Retreat House for this weekend, Friday, 18 December through Sunday, 20 December. It’s a fine time to get away from the nonsense of the year’s end commercialism and refocus yourself spiritually. To make a reservation you may telephone Carol Hensley at 540-955-4383 or email her at information@hcava.org
Merton: The Monk as a Marginal Person, Part Five
It’s time to conclude these musings and, as I mentioned at the end of the last post, this entry will address three questions. The questions were posed by three participants at the Merton celebration and, I hope, will be relevant to our readers. Of course, I have to take responsibility for the responses. Thomas Merton […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent
Readings: Zephaniah 3:14-18a; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18 The entrance antiphon, the first two readings, the responsorial psalm all exhort us to rejoice. But in today’s Gospel, the words “rejoice” or “joy” don’t even appear. Instead we find John the Baptist responding to the crowd’s questions with demanding replies. We are only told that these people […]
Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday), 13 December, 2015
Readings: Zephaniah 3:14-18a; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18 The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. James presiding and preaching.
Abbot Robert’s Homily for the Immaculate Conception
Readings: Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1:26-38 On this wonderful feast today of the whole Church, we acknowledge how God’s wisdom continually surprises and delights us. It was God’s wisdom to choose to create for himself human creatures with a free will, such as the very angels of God have. Mortal creatures, unlike […]
2016 Abbey Calendars are In
Here’s a terrible, blurry photo of the cover of the new calendar for 2016. You can acquire a copy or copies (Christmas remember!) by sending a check for $15 for each calendar to the abbey with “calendar sales” on the envelope. We will rush them out to you as soon as we get them to […]
Thomas Merton: the Monk as a Marginal Person, Part Four
To begin wrapping things up, we have already seen that authentic prayer is inseparable from authentic life choices and that they feed one another. Prayer is not another activity or option in my life but the life’s breath of my life that not only takes me out of myself but relates me to the mystery of God. […]
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 8 December, 2015
Readings: Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1:26-38 Today’s Solemnity is the patronal feast of the United States. The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Abbot Robert Barnes presiding and preaching. Since we follow the Sunday Schedule, Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament will follow Vespers (5:30 PM).