You’ve probably noticed that the posts have not appeared as frequently (an understatement!) as in the past. Since the end of July I’ve been involved in the complexities of finding a retirement community for my brother to settle in. He’ll be moving down from New York to Virginia so we can be closer as we […]

The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. James presiding and preaching.

The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Vincent Collins presiding and preaching.

Sometimes I will stay home to sleep, then return to the monastery in time for Vigils at 3:30 am.  Most people think I’m nuts for getting up at 2 am, but it is my favorite time of the night/day…not much going on.  Even the coffee tastes better at that time. Some mornings God rewards me with something special.  Occasionally […]

In a new short paper we have produced for people on retreat in the Guest House which we call “What’s Going On Up There?” we give our guests a look inside the monastery and especially the Divine Office.  The paper summarizes the monastic day, talks about how a monk spends his time and gives insight […]

The Retreat House currently has good availability  for September weekends and weekdays.  Come see the beginning of the changing of the leaves in the Shenandoah Valley in Autumn. Carol is waiting to hear from you by telephone:  540-955-4383 or e-mail: information@hcava.org.

The community mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Vincent Collins presiding and preaching. It is the First Sunday of the Month with Eucharist Adoration beginning at 4:00 PM and concluding with benediction after Vespers (5:30 PM). All are invited to join us.

Tuesday, 6 August, will be observed as a regular work day: in fact it’s a day scheduled for baking Fruit Cakes. But it is also one the the Feasts of the Lord and an important monastic feast for contemplating and  considering that divine light, not necessarily apparent to the senses, but filling and sustaining all […]

To sum up the first few posts on this subject, Scripture implies that we should pray as we really are and not as we think we should be. There will be much more to consider when we will look at the various prayer forms in scripture, but I’d like to stick with the perspective of […]

The previous post on prayer referred conformity to the image of Christ. By the way, the Greek word that St. Paul used is icon, a word much used in our culture.  Of course, for centuries the word had been preempted by the Byzantine Church to refer to the sacred images used in the liturgy and […]