September 15th: New Benedictine Abbot Primate
On September 24th the assembled abbots in Rome elected Abbot Jeremias Schroder as the 11th Abbot Primate of the worldwide Benedictine Confederation. His term of office is eight years. Abbot Primate Jeremias is from the Abbey of Saint Ottilien in Germany. He is fluent...September 20th: Two-Hundred Twenty Abbots
This week and next, two-hundred twenty Benedictine superiors, being abbots or Priors, are gathered in Rome for the Congress of Abbots, normally held every four years, and always in the Eternal City. The place of meeting is at the Abbey of Sant’Anselmo, the...Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Isaiah 50:4-9; James 2:14-18, Mark 8:27-35 A moment came in the public ministry of Jesus when he asked his disciples what others were saying about him, and who they thought he was. Jesus asked not because he did not know the answer, but to elicit a stance from his...September 8th: A Thousand Years Young
Beginning Sunday, September 8th, the Abbey of Montserrat in Spain is celebrating one thousand years of existence. The jubilee year will include numerous events, though I’m not sure of what they all are. The multitudes of pilgrims who come here every day attest...September 6th: Abbot President Ignasi Fossas
On the morning of Thursday, September 5th, Father Ignasi Fossas, OSB, a monk of Montserrat Abbey in Catalonia, was elected Abbot President of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation. His time of office will be eight years. The General Chapter of our Congregation, currently...September 4th: Montserrat Morning
The General Chapter of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation continues at the Benedictine Abbey of Montserrat in Spain. Abbot Christian and seventy other abbots and delegates continue to work on revisions of the Constitutions of our Congregation, to better reflect...September 3rd: Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat
Abbot Christian and seventy other Benedictine abbots and elected monk-delegates from around the world are currently assembled at the Abbey of Montserrat in Spain for the General Chapter of our Subiaco Cassinese Congregation. The General Chapter began on August 30th...Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Scripture readings: Isaiah 35:4-7; Letter of James 2:1-5; Gospel According to Saint Mark 7:31-37 In the Gospel today, Jesus cures a deaf man who also has a speech impediment. Freedom from bondage of various kinds is an important sign of the Messianic age which Jesus...Summer Newsletter Monastery of Christ in the Desert 2024
FAITH OVER DOUBT What is doubt? Another word for the concept is uncertainty or unresolved questions. Who of us doesn’t doubt sometimes or often? Questions such as: will my health hold out and will I be able to keep this job if it doesn’t?; how will my children end...January 10th: New Prior at La Soledad Monastery, Mexico
Abbot Christian has named Brother Elias Sanchez Chavez as the new Prior of the Monastery of Our Lady of Solitude (La Soledad), near San Miguel de Allende, in the State of Guanajuato, Mexico. Brother Elias succeeds Father Ezequiel Bas Luna, who has served as Prior of...Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Scripture Readings: First Samuel 3:3-10.19; First Corinthians 6:13-20; John 1:35-42 One of my favorite Old Testament stories is the calling of Samuel, an event which took place some one thousand years before the coming of Christ. Samuel’s call is the story of the...January 6th: Wild Kingdom
A young mountain lion from across the Chama River has been eyeing our flock of sheep and even gave them a “run for their money” in broad daylight. However, intrepid guard-donkey Matty chased away the predator for now, but that’s no guarantee the...Solemnity of the Epiphany
Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Isaiah 60:1-6; Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 2:1-12 The Solemnity of the Epiphany, literally the “manifestation” or “showing” of the Lord Jesus Christ to the nations, is...January 3rd: Christmas Continues
It is still Christmastide, up to the Feast of the Epiphany (the visit of the Magi) on January 6th, and concluding on Monday, January 8th with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. After that we return to “Ordinary Time” until Ash Wednesday on February 14th...January 1st: Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God
Scripture Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 The shepherds who “went in haste to Bethlehem,” as directed by the angel, can be understood as the whole human race seeking Jesus. The quick response of the shepherds to seek the new-born Lord is the...Sunday Within the Christmas Octave: Holy Family Sunday
Readings: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14; Colossians 3:12-21; Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 In our Catholic Liturgical Calendar, the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas is always dedicated to the mystery of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This year “on the fifth...December 26th: Joy to the World!
The Savior reigns. Don’t forget: Christmas has just begun. Don’t cease from celebrating at least until the Epiphany on January 6th/7th. With assured of our prayers for a blessed Octave and beyond, the twelve days of Christmas. Abbot Christian and the...Christmas Day Mass
Readings: Isaiah 52:7-10; Letter to the Hebrews 1:1-6; Gospel of Saint John 1:1-18 The scripture readings assigned for the Mass of Christmas day emphasize an attitude of child-like wonder at all that is taking place. In the text from the prophet Isaiah, the city of...Christmas Mass at Midnight
Scripture Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7; Letter to Titus 2:11-14; Gospel According to Luke 2:1-14 First, a blessed and Merry Christmas to all! The celebrations have just begun, and continue in earnest for nearly two weeks, for what are traditionally called the “Twelve Days...December 20th: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass Schedule
On Sunday, December 24th, at 9:15 am, Mass of the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Same Day, at Midnight, Christmas Midnight Mass. On Monday, December 25th, at 11:00 am, Christmas Day Mass. May all have a Blessed and Merry Christmas! You are in our thoughts and prayers. Abbot...Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B
Second Book of Samuel 7:1-5, 8-11, 11:16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38 We could think of this Fourth Sunday of Advent as the “final lap” in the Advent journey of 2023. In fact, we’ve reached the final day of Advent, as this Sunday evening at First Vespers we begin...December 14th: Not Snowed In
We were happy to receive a dusting of snow over the night of December 13th. Moisture in any form is always welcome here, especially in these recent years of drought conditions. Often we’re asked if we get “snowed in” when it snows, but the answer is,...Third Sunday of Advent, Year B
Scripture Readings: Prophet Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11; First Letter to the Thessalonians 5:16-24; Gospel According to Saint John 1:6-8, 19-28 The Church’s Old Testament “prophet of choice” for the Advent season is Isaiah, from the eigth century before Christ. And the...December 8th: Newly Professed Brother Savio
Our Brother Savio Vu made his definitive “yes,” by pronouncing solemn vows of obedience, stability and conversion of life, and receiving the monastic consecration as a Benedictine monk, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. In addition to his...
"Let everyone that comes be received as Christ."
— The Rule of St. Benedict
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