The long, arduous, and, at times, seemingly impossible, quest to attain true inner silence is, nevertheless, the only way our hearts become that rich soil—receptive to God’s Word, and thus bearing the hundredfold. It is only when we have acquired this inner silence—and quelled the inner chatter of our restless minds and stilled the insidious […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the 16th Sunday of Advent
16th Sunday, YR B, 21 July, 2024: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Ephesians 2:13-28; Mark 6: 30-34 The apostles return to Jesus excited by their accomplishments, surprised by what they could do. Can you remember the rush of your first adult success that turned out better than you had hoped? The exhilaration of discovering your capabilities? Despite the […]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
In order to be a just judge one needs more than knowledge of the law and whether or not someone has transgressed the law. Looking both at a transgressor’s motivations as well as any mitigating factors that help understand the transgressor’s behavior are equally crucial to dispensing justice. God shows himself just such a just […]
Tuesday of the 14th Week
There is fundamentally only one category of sin that inevitably separates us from God, and places us outside the ambit of God’s grace; and that sin is pride. All other sins have at least the potential for becoming moments of grace, and a repentant turning back to the God we have offended. In addition, every […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the 14th Sunday of Advent
14th Sunday, YR B, 7 July, 2024: Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6 We recognize prejudice as a limiting reaction to what or whom is different from our norms. In today’s Gospel we meet another form of prejudice: opposing someone who is too similar to ourselves. In either form aren’t I being defensive, rather […]
A Word from Our Cistercian Fathers
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. I love you, O Lord, my strength; through you every hostile power yields to me, worm that I am, and the guile of the ancient Serpent is laughed to scorn by the angels you send to minister to us, so that his desire to hurt is […]
Saturday of the 13th Week of the Year
On occasion inept builders fail to carefully follow the architect’s plan and the resulting building is rendered unstable and requires demolition and starting all over again. In similar vein, Jesus spoke of those who foolishly build their houses on sand—instead of rock—and storms and raging waters easily destroy such constructions. Taking these as analogies for […]
GIFT SHOP CLOSED THIS THURSDAY
Please be advised that the Gift Shop will be closed on Thursday, July 4, (Independence Day) and will reopen again on Friday, July 5.
Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the 13th Sunday of the Year
In our daily use of various electrical appliances, we usually don’t give much thought to the electricity that powers them. Upon completion of a task we simply unplug the appliance and don’t have any direct relationship to the electricity that powers it. Electricity is thus a valued means to a desired end, often taken for […]
Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the 11th Sunday of the Year
The tiny mustard seed—we must remember—was once indistinguishable from the lofty shrub that bore it. And, in being formed, and falling to the ground, appears to diminish, so that on reaching the ground, is virtually nothing in comparison with its lofty and vibrant parent. Furthermore, this process of diminishment and apparent descent into total insignificance […]