Saint Augustine makes the interesting assertion that littleness is proper to great souls, whereas pride, is the misleading greatness of the weak. He goes on to add that the truly humble person has no wish to excel in things that are going to pass away but fixes his or her thoughts on things eternal. In […]
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Approving an apparition of Mary as “authentic” comes only after careful and rigorous investigation by the Church. Our Lady’s appearance at Tepeyac was one that has been thus authenticated. However, there is a sense in which even authenticated Marian apparitions are inauthentic. By this I mean that visionaries never actually see Mary as she now […]
A Word from Our Cistercian Fathers
“Prepare a way for the Lord.” Brethren, we prepare the way of the Lord as we are bidden to do by walking along it; and we can walk along it only by preparing it. However far you journey along it, the way is always waiting to be prepared, so that you must start afresh from […]
Retreat House Openings
Due to an unforeseen cancellation, the following dates at the Retreat House have become available: January 19-23, 2026 – Monday-Friday Retreat January 23-25, 2026 – Friday –Sunday Retreat The two may be combined if desired
Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
The distinction between an imminent and transcendent God may seem little more than one of those specialized domains of erudite theologians that have only limited interest or relevance to you and I. And yet, nothing could be further from the truth. For Christians the notion of an imminent God—one present among us and in our […]
Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the First Sunday of Advent
Although we are edified—and even amazed—by those saints who died very young, some understandably wonder what these same saints might have become, had they lived long lives. Would they have been able to sustain their admirable virtues despite the simple spiritual “wear and tear” of a long life lived amid the inevitable trials and temptations […]
Fruitcake Update
As in past years, our fruitcakes are selling quickly and will soon be all gone. In order to meet the high demand, our monks have devoted their time to baking extra fruitcakes. This means that our much-loved Chocolate-covered Fruitcake Slices—though dearly hoped for—will not be available this Christmas season. They are especially labor-intensive, and with […]
Abbot Joseph’s Homily for Christ the King
In the last twenty years (or so) there has been much to discredit the church and seriously question its purported divine origin—it seems all too human, sinful, and earthly. As we know, this has led many to abandon it—a trend that shows little sign of letting up. It is at such painful and difficult times […]
Wednesday of the 33rd Week
Eating a morsel of pork seems such a benign act in exchange for not surrendering one’s body to torture and execution! Surely, bodily life—that precious gift of God—is more important than avoiding some minor infraction of the Law? Still, as we know, this was more than slavish obedience to some arbitrary dietary law. For, eating […]
Friday of the 32nd Week of the Year
The beauty of the fall colors we have witnessed over the last few weeks is just one instance of what the Book of Wisdom describes as expressions of the beauty of the Creator. As Christians the world of nature is—as Saint Bernard observed—the book in which we can read of God and gain some insight […]