From a human-interest point of view, there’s very little about Mary in Luke’s Gospel—but there is some such information. She’s close to her family and she’s a worrying, even scolding, mother to her adolescent son. Other details than these hold the Evangelist’s interest, while of dogmatic issues, like the Immaculate Conception, he displays no […]
Wednesday of 2nd Week of Advent
In reflecting on today’s gospel, Saint Angela of Foligno, commented: See how Christ gave Himself as an example. Jesus told us to look at Him with the eyes of our souls. God said: “Learn from me. I am gentle. My soul is humble. You’ll find rest for your hearts here.” Pay attention to what Christ […]
Holy Mass Time Change
This year the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is being transferred to Monday, December 9. Accordingly, Monday’s Holy Mass will be celebrated at 10.00 a.m. (and not at 7.30). The monks will be following the basic Sunday schedule.
A Word from the Cistercian Fathers
‘God, you know my folly,’ and ‘Your eyes see all my guilt.’ Lord my God, you know, and you have made me know, and your eyes have seen and you have not hidden it from my eyes. For I know, in the light of your revelation, how much I lack in perfection and knowledge, and […]
Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the 1st Sunday of Advent
A superficial observation of daily monastic life might well give the impression that we are guilty of the very thing that Jesus is warning against in his description of the behaviors of the people in the time of Noah. As monks we go about our very ordinary daily tasks in much the same way as […]
Fr. James’ Homily for Thanksgiving
We read in the Book of Deuteronomy: When you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget your God, […]
Thanksgiving Thursday
Abbot Joseph and the Community wish you all a very blessed Thanksgiving and thank you for your kind good wishes for this special day of the year. Please be aware that Holy Mass on Thanksgiving Day will be celebrated at 10.00 a.m. and we will be following the basic Sunday Schedule. Also, note that the […]
Fr. James’ Homily for Christ the King
What is the relevance of the title, Christ the King of the Universe? What’s the point of kings in this day and age, after their dominions have been overthrown or their sovereignty limited by constitutional constraints? Of course, the archetypal force of kingship still parades through our dreams and legends or even in our […]
Saturday of the 33rd Week
The choices of every moment and the actions of every day, are gradually forming the attitude and state of mind with which we will face death. King Antiochus ends his life in misery and regret for all the evils he set in motion and this stands in sharp contrast to someone like the saintly Simeon […]
Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the 33rd Sunday
If you have found this morning’s gospel confusing and disorienting, you are not alone. Things that seem stable and immovable (like the great temple) will become a pile of rubble; wars and insurrections and mass civil unrest do not signal the end of time; earthquakes, plagues, and famines, for their part, add to the confusion […]