It is to Christ that the guiding star leads us, proclaiming him and pointing him out. It proclaims him in its appearing and points him out by going ahead and standing over the house where he is. Now the star which leads us to Jesus is sacred scripture. Behold, our light has already come because […]
Reflection for Thursday, 3 January
Readings 1 John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34 Christianity can be quite fractious when it comes to articulating our relationship with God. While Pharisees, Sadducees–even some Essenes–and people who were none of the above, disagreed about the priesthood, doctrine and the books that constituted the scriptures, they managed to worship in the same Temple and observed the […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, 1 January, 2019
Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 Looking at the traditional Nativity scene, we usually see a pleasant pastoral idyll. There’s a good reason for the charm of such representations: they try to communicate something of the beauty of God’s graciousness. Today’s Gospel reading is stark by contrast and definitely odd. There we find a […]
Reflection for 31 December, 2018
Readings: 1 John 2:18-21; John 1:1-18 As we round out the Christmas Octave, we’re returned to the Gospel of the Christmas Day Mass. One reaction could be, “Here we go again.” And, in fact, life often feels like that. Again and again in confession, for example, penitents talk as if nothing ever changes. In actual […]
Reflection for 29 December
Readings: 1 John 2:3-11; Luke 2:22-35 The older I grow, the more I appreciate the sense of fulfilment expressed by Simeon’s Canticle. Having hopes is a risky business; and carrying hopes into old age is a tricky business. Should I define my hopes too narrowly, if I limit my expectations to my specifications, I could […]
Tuesday, 1 January, The Solemnity of Mary Mother of God
Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 The community Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM (preceded by the Office of Terce at 9:45 AM). It is a non-work day for the community and we follow the Sunday schedule. Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament follows Vespers (5:30 PM).
Feast of Saint John the Beloved
Over the centuries there have been numerous saints who have longed and even prayed for martyrdom. We don’t know if Saint John had this same desire for martyrdom, but Christian tradition has long maintained he died a natural death at an advanced age in exile on the island of Patmos. In this Saint John dispels […]
Fr. James’ Homily for the Christmas Day Mass
Readings: Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18 In the beginning as the Word…We’re familiar with that majestic and mysterious verse. It may be less familiar that in Hebrew there is no word for “thing.” Instead, all existent beings, objects, every element of the world around us is referred to as a “word”–not an abstract object, […]
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
On this great Feast of our Savior’s Birth, we wish you all the love, joy, and peace our Newborn Savior brings. May his comforting and protecting presence accompany and sustain you all in the year ahead. We thank you for your kind Christmas greetings, prayers, and unfailing generosity to our community. Abbot Joseph and the […]
Reflection for 24 December
Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Luke 1:67-79 The narrative impact of the Benedictus follows on Zachariah’s nine months of enforced silence. His too narrow religious perspective did not allow him to believe Gabriel’s announcement that his wife would bear them a son. Throughout Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Zechariah, too, had to conceive anew his relationship […]