Readings: Joshua 5:9-12; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-12 The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Vincent Collins presiding and preaching. There will be a few changes in the arrangement of church furniture for this Sunday’s Mass. We are anticipating renovating our monastic church and have decided to experiment with our use of space […]
Fr. Joseph’s Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent, Year C
Readings: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:20-4:1; Luke 9:28-36 Purported visions of Jesus, Our Lady, or one of the saints, typically result in the site of visions becoming a place of pilgrimage for the curious and faithful alike. This is not surprising considering that our Christian faith is just that: faith and not sight. Accordingly, supernatural […]
A Word From The Cistercian Fathers For March
There is now many a consolation to relieve the torment of a guilty conscience. God is kind and does not let us be tempted beyond our strength. Especially at the beginning of a conversion, he anoints our wounds with the oil of mercy so that the acute nature of our sickness and the difficulty of […]
Fr. Robert’s Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent, Year C
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 […]