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 […]
The Age of Social Media and Electronic Communications
No, this post isn’t a reflection on our current tools of communication and their impact on our lives and spirituality. Instead this is a post somewhere between an apology and a confession. Both last weekend and this past Friday and Saturday we at the Abbey have experienced shaky connections to the internet and, even back on line, […]
Third Sunday of Lent, Year C
Readings: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; Luke13:1-9 The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Abbot Robert Barnes presiding and preaching.
Event Registration Reaching Capacity
If you are interested in attending either the Women’s Monastic Immersion Weekend April 8-10 or St. Benedict for the Rest of Us April 17 you will want to register quickly. Both programs are getting close to capacity. To do so: for the MIW send an inquiry to companions@virginiatrappists.org then a $100 deposit to my attention […]
Second Sunday of Lent, Year C, 21 February, 2016
Readings: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18, Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28-36 The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Joseph Wittstock presiding and preaching.
Fr. James Homily for the First Sunday of Lent
Readings: Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13 Right before St. Luke’s account of Jesus temptation, appears Jesus’ genealogy, all the way back to Adam. Jesus is the new Adam and the archetype of what we were created to be. Jesus’ three temptations–turning a stone into bread, worshipping the devil to gain the power and glory […]
First Sunday of Lent, Year C, 14 February, 2016
Readings: Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13 The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. James presiding and preaching. No, there will not be an exchange of Valentine cards during the liturgy; St. Cyril and Methodius are now celebrated on the Liturgical Calendar for 14 February and the Sunday Mass takes precedence. And […]
St. Benedict for the Rest of Us and Women’s MIW
There’s still ‘room at the inn’ to register for St. Benedict for the Rest of Us on April 17th and the Women’s Monastic Immersion Weekend April 8-10 but it’s getting down to the wire. We have room for about 10-15 more for the April 17th program and six or seven for the Women’s retreat. If […]
Monks on retreat
The monastic community is on retreat this week meaning they have conferences all week and do not follow the usual work schedule. Even the gift shop is closed. Why do monks need a retreat, you might ask? Isn’t their whole life kind of a retreat? Truth is this is a common misconception about monastic life. […]
Observing Lent
When I was in Catholic grammar school in the 1950’s we were expected to memorize a lot of information for catechism class. Most of us could rattle off the norms for Lenten Observance by rote even if much of that information was not interiorized–as kids not too much was expected of us. The great pitfall, addressed […]