Sacred Heart of Jesus, 24 June, 2022: Ezekiel 14:11-16; Romans 5:5b-14; Luke 15:3-7 The heart is a potent symbol in the Scriptures and, far deeper than the sentimental imagery of advertising or greeting cards, is the gateway to deep communion with God. It is an image at the boundary between the contingent and the […]
Fr. James’ Homily for Trinity Sunday
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, 12 June, 2022: Proverbs 8:22-31; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15 Most of our Solemnities celebrate an event that reveals God’s active presence among us. How often do we sing in choir: “On this Christ is born…” or “…was baptized in the Jordan…” or “…transfigured on the holy mountain…” […]
Monastery remains closed
As we progress further into Ordinary Time, we are happy to announce a partial opening of the Monastery Chapel. By this is meant that the chapel is now open to our retreatants during their stay with us. The reason for not yet opening to the public in general is that our small Guest Chapel limits […]
Juniors’ Seminar 2022
In late April and early May our community had the privilege of hosting the annual Juniors’ Seminar—a monastic version of Summer School. Juniors’ is a term we reserve for monks and nuns who have made First Vows but have not yet taken Solemn Vows. Cistercian Fr. Michael Casey (of Tarrawara Abbey in Australia) was the […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter
Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C, 22 May, 2022: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Revelation 21:10-24, 22-23; John 14: 23-29 This brief passage from John’s Gospel is densely packed. Jesus speaks of his departing and returning; he also refers to the apostles’ sense of loss but that they should be glad for him. He tells them […]
5th Week of Easter
Although it is undeniably the greatest honor to be chosen by Christ to be his friend, we might be a little concerned by his additional assertion that in choosing us he has also appointed us to go and bear fruit that will remain. This is especially so when our lives of discipleship seem devoid of […]
Holy Abbots of Cluny
As we know, procrastinating because we don’t wish to make a decision is, in actual fact, a decision. Similarly, as Jesus insisted, whoever is not for him is against him—there can be no neutral position in relation to Christ. And in today’s gospel Jesus explains that if anyone hears my words and does not observe […]
A Word from Our Cistercian Fathers
Let us honor Mary, …. since she knows the course and outcome of all miseries, she soothes our fears, she awakens our faith, strengthens our hope, drives away our cowardice, and encourages us when we are timid. You fear to approach the Father? Terrified by the mere sound of his voice, you flee to the […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter
1 May, 2022: Third Sunday of Easter, Year C: Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 Children, have you caught anything to eat? That’s a game-changing question, because Jesus shifts the emphasis from fishing to earn a living, to providing a meal for his apostles. This is no command to change, it’s a […]
Saturday of the Easter Octave
In our Christian tradition those who, under the influence of the Spirit, speak in the name of the Lord, are not mere mouthpieces or passive conduits of the divine message—the message they speak is transformative, not only for those who hear their message, but for the speakers themselves. Thus, those who speak in the Lord’s […]