by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jun 19, 2023 | News
Vocations A talented UK-based band, called “Sadie and the Hotheads,” comprised of not so-young musicians, released the single, “Everybody’s Got a Song (To Sing)” in 2014. The song’s fairly simple tune and message is that everyone has a story, analogous to a song, to...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jun 15, 2023 | News
Matty the donkey, Gloria and the sheep, as well as our four dozen chickens, continue their tranquil lives in the midst of desert beauty. Matty, who turns four this November, guards the sheep against marauding predators. The sheep provide us with wool for weaving and...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jun 10, 2023 | News
With umbrella and walking stick in hands, our Prior Bonaventure is shown on his recent hike to the top of the cliffs above our monastery. This sort of hike is not for the faint of heart. It takes some hours to reach the crosses on the top of the cliffs, then a little...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jun 7, 2023 | News
Our free range flock of chickens are often found roosting on the fence around their field, where they seem to be taking a “break” from their foraging in the course of the day. Perhaps it’s a small reminder to find moments in our day for a...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jun 4, 2023 | News
Today’s stunning photo was taken by Prior Bonaventure on Trinity Sunday (June 5th) during an afternoon hike far above the Monastery, on the cliffs behind and above our monastic church. The photo is a view to the west of our property, showing the confluence of...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jun 3, 2023 | News
Flowers are beginning to “take off” in our cloister garden, but we have some indoor flora as well. In some parts of the world morning glories are almost on a par with weeds, but in our high desert setting, they are welcome additions. Some years ago Brother...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 29, 2023 | News
The Easter season is now finished and we return to what the Church refers to as “Ordinary Time,” primarily meaning, we are not at present in the Church’s privileged seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent or Easter. Of course, no time is completely...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 28, 2023 | News
We have now arrived at the final day of Eastertide of 2023, with the Solemnity of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out after the Ascension into Heaven of Christ our Redeemer. Today is considered the “Birthday of the Church.” For a fuller...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 26, 2023 | News
The title of this posting, borrowed from Psalm 95(96), expresses well what we in the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing now with Spring in full swing. Our cloister garden is at present bright with the blooming of various colored irises, and not far behind are the...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 25, 2023 | News
Our fine flock of some forty hens (and one rooster) are doing fine. They are currently producing around three dozen eggs per day, which monks and guests can enjoy on a daily basis if they so choose. The flock is completely free range and spends the daylight hours each...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 23, 2023 | News
We continue to be treated to delightful landscapes in the Chama Canyon wilderness . Current modest rainfall is producing some memorable views. Today’s photo includes a rainbow over the cliffs above us. For the attentive eye, there is never a dull moment in...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 23, 2023 | News
Our weather of late is more like July or August than late May. We’ve had thunder and lightening with intermittent rain over the past week or so. The moisture is most welcome and our fields are currently quite green, with no irrigation going on. Today’s...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 17, 2023 | News
Forty days after Easter the Church celebrates the Ascension of the Lord, when Christ returned in glory to the heavenly realm, when he lives and reigns with the Father and Holy Spirit forever. In modern times, this Solemnity is usually transferred to the Sunday...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 15, 2023 | News
In the midst of desert beauty, we never tire of the sights of Spring, nor of the other three seasons for that matter. Spring certainly carries a distinctive face and scent, which we always welcome in late April or early May. Today’s photo is from our cloister...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 10, 2023 | News
As we move through May, we are being treated with more flowering trees and blooming forsythia. Today’s photo was taken from outside the Abbot’s office. In the cloister garden, peonies will soon be ready to grace that space and to decorate the church....
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 3, 2023 | News
We are now in the Fourth Week of the Easter Season, enjoying the arrival of Spring, as we contemplate the mystery of Christ’s Resurrection and the redemption of the human race. Christ is Risen indeed! The weather is very pleasant just now, with daytime...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | May 2, 2023 | News
Join Abbot Christian for a quick tour of our garden between our church and some of the workrooms of the monastery, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 28, 2023 | News
True to form, the trees are now flowering in our cloister garden. The bees are flocking to the blossoming trees and we monks enjoy looking at this additional dimension of God’s glory in our midst. We continue our celebration of Eastertide, with Alleluias ringing...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 24, 2023 | News
A very quiet corner of the monks’ quarters is called the “cloister garden.” Our rooms (in a monastery, called “cells”) surround the cloister garden, which changes in looks and colors throughout the year as the seasons change. We monks...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 21, 2023 | News
While Spring has definitely arrived, we are still a little cautious about putting some of our indoor potted plants outside, including the variety of amaryllis in today’s photo. Daffodils are blooming fine outside, and flowering trees are in bloom, so we will...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 20, 2023 | News
With the return of warmer weather, we are being inundated with excellent eggs every day from our forty free-range hens. With a community of twenty monks and numerous guests, the henhouse is providing a very worthwhile service by enhancing our diet. When we first got...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 17, 2023 | News
The Easter Season, often called Paschaltide, extends from Easter Sunday until Pentecost Sunday, which this year occurs on May 28th. This means that the Liturgy of the Church, the Mass and Divine Office, is filled with the great Easter cry of “Alleluia,”...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 11, 2023 | News
We’ve fairly quickly sprung from chilly mornings and days, to wonderfully warm, but not too warm, days again. The marvel of the Northern Hemisphere, that Easter coincides with Spring. New life is appearing all around us now, including wildlife and the return of...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 9, 2023 | News
A blessed and holy celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection! Christ is our Light, thanks be to God. With assurance of our prayers and always grateful for yours, Abbot Christian and the monks
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Apr 1, 2023 | News
Easter Sunday Vigil Mass: 4:00 am Easter Sunday Day Mass: 11:00 am...
