by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 12, 2021 | Abbot's Notebook, News
What does an abbot read, or at least this one? The Bible? Yes, every day. Novels? Not really. Books about theology and spirituality, Church and monastic history? On a regular basis. Murder mysteries and science fiction? Never. Lives of the Saints? Now and then. I...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 4, 2021 | Abbot's Notebook
Abbot Christian and the monks of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert wish you and yours a very blessed and joyful Easter Season. We keep you, our families, friends, benefactors and loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, especially at the Conventual Mass each day...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Mar 25, 2021 | Abbot's Notebook
Our Brother David shares a video offering from his channel showing the two new born lambs.
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Mar 1, 2021 | Abbot's Notebook
Abbot Christian take a short walk through the Abbotsfield with the chickens and donkey.
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Feb 14, 2021 | Abbot's Notebook
A video offering from our Brother David featuring his hike across the Chama river mid January set to music he composed. The Chama River has been frozen for 2 months now with many layers of snow on top. We often cross the river in the summer when the water is warm, but...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Feb 5, 2021 | Abbot's Notebook
Abbot Christian explains the mural on our refectory wall, behind the head table, portraying saints of the Old and New Testament. The work was done some twenty years ago by Abbot Damian Higgins of Holy Transfiguration Byzantine Catholic Monastery, Redwood Valley...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Dec 20, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
A revision of the oblate talk given on December 20th 2020 about the O Antiphons.
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 20, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Abbot Christian discuses the individual horses present at the Monastery in October of 2020. The Sixth installment of our video series. It is sent with our love and prayers for all our family, friends and benefactors. Link to our Video on YouTube
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 5, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Abbot Christian discuses the history of the equestrian program at the Monastery. The fifth installment of our video series. It is sent with our love and prayers for all our family, friends and benefactors. Link to our Video on YouTube
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Sep 12, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Abbot Christian discuses the wool produced from our flock of Navajo Churro sheep. The fourth installment of our video series. It is sent with our love and prayers for all our family, friends and benefactors. Our spun wool is not yet for sale, but we hope to make it so...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Aug 31, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Abbot Christian introduces our Navajo Churro flock and their guardian Donkey. The third installment of our video series. It is sent with our love and prayers for all our family, friends and benefactors. Link to our Video on YouTube
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Aug 17, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Abbot Christian welcomes you this time to our summer garden. The second installment of our video series. It is sent with our love and prayers for all our family, friends and benefactors.
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jul 30, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Abbot Christian welcomes you to visit us virtually. Enjoy our first installment of our video series. It is sent with our love and prayers for all our family, friends and benefactors.
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jul 22, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Dear Friends, I plan to launch in the coming week or two a video series from here at the Monastery. Not wishing to risk the possibility of putting viewers to sleep with well-intended pious platitudes, I will be creating hopefully informative and relaxing videos...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jun 30, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Dear Friends in Christ, If you are feeling cooped up, which is completely understandable, you may still be looking for things to do at home. I recently saw an article about creating really unattractive flower vases from discarded paper cartons and the plastic...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jun 10, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
I have been remiss in posting a new Notebook page. I confess I have been more interested of late with my “Quote for the Day” and accompanying photograph on our News Page. I hope you are enjoying those daily postings. As a photographer and avid reader, I have been...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 22, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Friends have asked how we are doing at the Monastery. Happily, I can report that we are well, thanks be to God, and carrying on with our regular life and duties in this beautiful Chama canyon setting. We monks range in age from 23 to 93 (I am 67!), so we have to be...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 4, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
When I was growing up in the middle of the last century, attending Catholic Grade school in Portland, Oregon, I recall thinking that a “vocation,” was something one “got” or “had,” and specifically to the priesthood or religious life, to be a Catholic priest, brother...
by Photo Editor | Apr 27, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Christ is Risen!...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 26, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
These days our hearts and minds likely focus on many practical questions, such as: will I contract the novel coronavirus? What about my family and friends, will they be spared? How long will this pandemic last? Will it decrease and then rise up again some months...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 22, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Almost every day brothers in the community or those writing from outside the monastery ask about an adequate spiritual response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I have read various and sundry approaches to the question and one of the best I have found comes from Abbot...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Mar 26, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Silence is considered an important monastic practice. Much ink has been spilled on the topic, including entire books, but is silence something just for monks to value? By no means! Into every life some silence should fall. Why? Because we are rational creatures, who...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Mar 21, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
The monastic life requires a spirit of sacrifice at the beginning, but really throughout the entire journey to God. What is sacrifice? At its root are the words: “to make holy.” In ancient pagan practice, sacrifice meant offering incense, food, possessions, animals,...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Mar 1, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Feb 25, 2020 | Abbot's Notebook
Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Joel 2:12-18; Second Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Gospel According to Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. The readings for Mass today set the tone for the entire season of Lent which we now begin. Keep in mind the word “Lent” comes from the same...
