by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Mar 22, 2023 | Homily
Readings: Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:14-45 It is nearly Palm Sunday and Holy Week, but not quite yet! We are entering the fifth Sunday and week of Lent and the Gospel passage assigned for this Sunday brings us face to face with death, the death of a...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Mar 18, 2023 | Homily
Readings: First Book of Samuel 16:1-13; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41 The color of the vestments worn today is rose, a reminder for us to rejoice, for we are half way through the Lenten journey and our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The traditional...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Mar 7, 2023 | Homily
Readings: Exodus 17:3-7; Romans 5:1- 8; John 4:5-42 A precious commodity anywhere, and certainly in New Mexico, is water, something many of us perhaps take for granted. For the gift of water, we are always grateful. Saint Francis of Assisi went so far as to call it,...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Mar 3, 2023 | Homily
Scripture Readings: Book of Genesis 12:1-4; Second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy 1:8-10; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 17:1-9 I like to call the second Sunday of Lent “Transfiguration Sunday,” for its focus on that great mystery in the life of Christ...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Feb 23, 2023 | Homily
Scripture Readings: Book of Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Romans 12-19; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 4:1-11 Each year the Church gives us this season of Lent to renew our intention of living more completely for Christ. Lent is a word in English that is related to...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Feb 19, 2023 | Homily
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...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Feb 17, 2023 | Homily
Scripture Readings: Book of Leviticus 19:1-2,17-18; First Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48 Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Liturgical Season of Lent, is just three days away. The three Scripture readings given to the Church on this Sunday before Lent offer...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Feb 10, 2023 | Homily
Scripture Readings: Book of Sirach 15:15-20; Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 2:6-10; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 5:17-37 Christians believe, rooted in the words of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, that Christ came into the world to fulfill the Law and the...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jan 31, 2023 | Homily
Scripture readings: Isaiah 58:7-10; First Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16 Listening to the scripture lessons for this Sunday, we hear a message that is clearly about being concerned, as followers of Jesus, for the good of others. In our day and age, when money can...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jan 18, 2023 | Homily
Readings: Isaiah 8:23-9:3; First Corinthians 1:10-13, 17; Matthew 4:12-33 These first Sunday’s of Ordinary Time we are being called to reflect on the beginnings of Jesus’ public ministry. In today’s Gospel account, John the Baptizer, who had boldly...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jan 2, 2023 | Homily
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...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Dec 29, 2022 | Homily
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...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Dec 23, 2022 | Homily
So much can and should be said at Christmas Midnight Mass, but who can say it best and the most eloquently? Not I, I willingly admit. But listening to the many texts, especially from Sacred Scripture during the holy Seasons of Advent and Christmas, I have been struck...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Dec 16, 2022 | Homily
Scripture Readings: Prophet Isaiah 7:10-14; Letter to the Romans 1:1-7; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 1:18-24 Christmas Day draws near, just a week from today. People are shopping, cooking, cleaning, sending cards and gifts, and trying to breath a sigh of relief...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Dec 5, 2022 | Homily
Scripture Readings: Isaiah 35:1-6, 10; Letter of James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11 We are now very close to celebrating the Solemnity of the Lord’s Nativity, Christmas Day, on December 25th. The Lord is very near and is coming quickly, as the Liturgy of the Church keeps...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Dec 2, 2022 | Homily
Scripture Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12 A fundamental emphasis of the Season of Advent each year is to welcome Jesus, who came in time, who will come at the end of time, and who comes to us every day: in Sacred Scripture, in the Sacraments of...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Nov 20, 2022 | Homily
We began the holy season of Advent this past Sunday and a new Liturgical Year has begun. The message we will be hearing throughout Advent is this: prepare your hearts, for our God is sending a Savior, Emmanuel, a name which means, God-with-us. The firm conviction that...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Nov 17, 2022 | Homily
Readings: Second Book of Samuel 5:1-3; Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians 1:12-20; Gospel According to Saint Luke 23:35-43 In the Liturgical Calendar of the Catholic Church, this Sunday we celebrate the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, dedicated to Christ the King....
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Nov 7, 2022 | Homily
Readings: Book of the Prophet Malachi 3:19-20; Saint Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians 3:7-12; Gospel According to Saint Luke 21:5-19 No doubt to the consternation of his hearers, Jesus predicted the destruction of the great Temple in Jerusalem. The people...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 27, 2022 | Homily
Scripture Readings: Book of Wisdom 11:23-12:2; Second Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians 1:11-2:2; Gospel According to Saint Luke 19:1-10 The Liturgical Year 2021-22 is drawing to a close. In less than a month we will begin a new Liturgical Year with the First...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 20, 2022 | Homily
Book of Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18; Second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy 4:6-8; 16-18; Gospel According to Saint Luke 18:9-14 Jesus’ famous parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying in the temple might seem like an exaggeration or a parody, even something...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 11, 2022 | Homily
Readings: Book of Exodus 17:8-13; Second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy 3:14-4:2; Gospel According to Saint Luke 18:1-8 Our ancestors in the faith, the children of Israel, went forth from slavery in Egypt accompanied by the Patriarch Moses. Their destination was the...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 5, 2022 | Homily
Readings: Second Book of Kings 5:14-17; Second Letter of Paul to Timothy 2:8:13; Gospel According to Saint Luke 17:11-19 Throughout the Gospels we see clearly that our Lord has the power of healing people. Sometimes the faith of the one or more persons who want to be...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Sep 23, 2022 | Homily
Scripture readings: Book of the Prophet Amos 6:1, 4-7; First Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy 6:11-16; Gospel According to Saint Luke 16:19-31 “A wise man is known by the fewness of his words,” as the saying goes. Saint Benedict cites it in his Holy Rule in the chapter...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Sep 12, 2022 | Homily
Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Amos 8:4-7; First Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy 2:1-8; Gospel According to Saint Luke 16:1-13 Can bad example be a good lesson? Can we benefit from the misdeeds of others? What about people who expend so much energy and money...
