September 19th: Welcome Rain

Of late we are getting rainfall, much needed and much appreciated. The threat of forest fires is greatly reduced now and the Chama Canyon is once again “turning green,” as it usually does in July and August. These days we are getting various landscaping...

September 15th: Bighorn Sheep

Not seen every day here, but more frequently than fifty years ago, Bighorn Sheep are another natural wonder in the high desert of New Mexico. Today’s photo was taken by one of our monks while on a trip to town on September 13th. The majestic ram in the photo was...

September 8th: Summer Subsiding

We are already feeling a definite “cooling down” in the mornings, with temperatures in the mid to low 50s. By afternoon, the mercury climbs to the low 80s. To everything, there is a season. We continue our daily round of prayer and work and welcoming...

September 3rd: Our Blue Moon

The psalmist, writing thousands of years ago, had this to say, presumably while pondering the wonders of God’s creation: “The heaven’s proclaim the glory of God and the firmament shows forth the work of God’s hands. Day unto day takes up the...

September 1st: Monks and Roses

The German Benedictine nun, Gertrude of Helfta, now known as Saint Gertrude the Great, who lived from 1256 to 1302, once made a very insightful observation about Benedictines. One day in contemplation, Gertrude considered Saint Benedict and his followers under the...

August 31st: Summer Sky

The days fly by, at least for us in the Chama Canyon wilderness. Summer skies hold their own beauty at this time of year, most especially at sunset. The days are now visibly growing shorter and daytime temperatures are “only” in the mid-80s. That’s...

August 26th: Awaiting Rain

After a very fine downpour a week ago, we’ve seen very little rain since. Some days appear promising with regard to moisture, as in today’s photo, but then nothing comes of it. In any case, we keep praying for more rain. We continue indoor and outdoor...

August 20th: Fruits of Rain

We are finally getting some rain and are very grateful for the gift. Roses are blooming in the cloister garden and Easter lilies are lining up nicely for a third flowering. The first was at Eastertime, the second was in late Spring, and now the third in mid-Summer....

August 18th: Community Recreation

Each Tuesday and Thursday evenings the monks gather for about 20 minutes for a period of “recreation,” as it is called in monastic culture. The time consists of simply relaxing and speaking, enjoying one another’s company in what is usually lively...

August 13th: Franciscan Friends

Having just celebrated the feast of Saint Clare of Assisi, the close collaborator of Saint Francis of Assisi, on August 11th, we also called to mind the fact that we have many friends from the various branches of the Franciscan family, including Franciscan Friars of...

August 6th: God’s Glory 

Another glorious view of the Chama canyon is posted today, as the Church celebrates the Transfiguration of the Lord on the Mountaintop, traditionally identified with Mount Tabor in the Holy Land. In ages past a Benedictine monastery existed on Mount Tabor, but today...

August 3rd: Healthy Hen

Believing that we have some of the healthiest hens on planet earth, there are some simple facts that we’re more than willing to share on the topic. Our forty-five hens, of a variety of sizes and  colors, have a very large area of lush green grass in which to...

July 31st: Summer Saints

The Summer season is replete with liturgical feasts of many noteworthy saints, including  Saints Aloysius Gonzaga, John the Baptist, Peter and Paul, Benedict, Bonaventure, Mary Magdalene, James the Greater, Joaquim and Anne, Martha, Mary and Lazurus, Ignatius of...

July 28th: Rain Arriving

We are beginning to get much-needed rain, and are grateful to God for that. The rainfall also almost immediately reduces the daytime temperatures, these days in the high 80s. Hopefully into and throughout the month of August we will see more moisture, as the typical...

July 25th: Towering Yucca

For the second Summer in a row, one of the two large yucca plants in front of our Monastery church is in full bloom. With a flowering head of some three feet tall, and about ten feet above the ground, the delicate white yucca blossoms are a beautiful sight. Yucca are...

July 23rd: Friendly Fledgling

We have named the bird in our photo today, “Robin,” who is still learning to fly, with our cloister garden as the testing ground. We have been praying for rain, as the usual monsoon season seems to be delayed. Fortunately, on the Feast of Saint Mary...

July 18th: Lilies in July

Just now we are enjoying an abundance of Easter lilies blooming in our cloister garden. Each Spring we plant the lilies we use to decorate the church during the Easter season. Typically, the plants die back then re-emerge in the Summer. True to form, that is happening...

July 9th: Taking Flight

As presumably millions of people worldwide take to the skies for Summer holidays this month and next, in this quiet corner of Mother Earth, a little fledgling learns to fly, as illustrated into today’s photo. Every Spring and Summer robins nest and raise...

July 8th: Summer Lilies

Each year at Easter we have a couple dozen potted Easter lilies decorating our church. Their fragrance and beauty add to the the joy and glory of the season of the Lord’s Resurrection as Spring returns. The Easter lilies in church last for weeks, being hardy...

July 4th: Summer Cactus

True to form, Cholla cactus are blooming in the Chama Canyon wilderness. This magenta display always takes place on the first days of Summer, and normally between the Solemnity of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist, on June 24th, and the Solemnity of Saint Benedict...

June 27th: Summer Solemnities

Each Summer we are invited by the Church to commemorate in a special way a goodly number of saints. On June 24th, just as Summer dawns, we celebrate the Nativity (birth) of Saint John the Baptist, “the last of the prophets,” as he is often called. That day...