The author of the Book of Proverbs assures us that the fear of the Lord marks the beginning of Wisdom. It would seem that by the time he wrote these words, the Exodus from Egypt event, the desert sojourn, and the covenant sealed on Mount Sinai, were but a distant memory. For, it was their […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the Cistercian Founders
Saints Robert, Alberic and Stephen, 26 JAN, 2024: Genesis 12:1-4; Acts 4:32-35; Mark 10:17-30 I’ve been tempted to identify our struggles to survive with those of our Founders when they began life at Citeaux. But they faced depravations and insecurities, unsupported by any over-arching administration, which our present organization would, rightly, not allow. Our Order […]
Conversion of Saint Paul
In describing his own dramatic conversion from being a persecutor of Christ to becoming his zealous disciple, Paul was also detailing some of the inspiration for his later teaching on the Mystical Body of Christ. This great mystery affirms an ineffable and complete union of Christ with his disciples. Thus, his protest: Saul, Saul, why […]
Tuesday of the 3rd Week of the Year
As Saint Paul reminded us, God has no favorites, and does not parcel out his love according to the nature of our relationship with Christ—be that mother, sister, or brother. Instead, it is solely our capacity to accept and receive God’s love that determines the degree of God’s love poured into our hearts. Doing the […]
Saturday of the 2nd Week of the Year
Although theologians and religious thinkers have sought to illustrate the compatibility of faith and reason, there are instances when reason must be suspended (or at least live with still unresolved questions) while faith nevertheless embraces the deeper reality those questions address. Similarly, in our journey of faith, reason sometimes has to yield to blind faith […]
Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the 2nd Sunday of the Year
Although there are obviously exceptions—and perhaps even a significant number of exceptions—Catholics are not usually known for preaching on street corners, or actively recruiting new members for the church. Indeed, so much so that Pope Francis has felt the need to exhort priests and bishops to go out in active evangelizing ministry and not simply […]
Memorial of Saint Aelred
Like the sun that God causes to rise on the good and the bad, so too good health is experienced by both the good and the bad. Similarly, sickness—sometimes believed to be a punishment for sin—is also the lot of both good and bad alike. However, although this suggests that illness and disease cannot be […]
Memorial of Saint Gregory of Nyssa
Although Saint Mark describes Jesus as preaching and driving out demons as if these were separate and distinct functions, in many instances these are one and the same thing. For with Jesus preaching is always synonymous with the Truth and when the Truth is preached and heard, falsehood and ignorance—those hiding places of the demons—are […]
Retreat House Availability
Due to a group cancellation, there are now 15 vacancies at our Retreat House for the weekend of February, 16-18.
A Word from Our Cistercian Fathers
Yet every just man, every holy man in the Church, for all that he is glad to be enlightened, sees that to a great extent he is still in darkness, and he is saddened by this. Of necessity therefore, although he is enlightened, he asks to be enlightened still more. For the more his lamp […]