October 5th: Autumn Wonder

We are having a beautiful Autumn thus far. The “look” of the changing of leaves in today’s photo, taken October 4th along the Rio Chama and Gallina Creek, is usually more typical of mid to late September. Apparently we are having record breaking...

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...

August 24th: Rose of Sharon

For many years now, several Rose of Sharon bushes have been blooming each August outside our monastery church, as today’s photo shows. The technical name of the flower is Hibiscus syriacus. Despite the popular name, the flower is not a rose, but as its technical...

August 22nd: A Matter of Choice

Mr. Squirrel outside the Abbot’s office seems to be looking toward the rising sun with some trepidation, realizing that the days are growing shorter and winter will be here before he knows it. It’s important to have a supply of food on hand for the colder months, of...

August 20th: Green Valley

As promised, here is a photo of our Chama Canyon Wilderness, taken recently from the front of our church, looking toward the Chama River to the west. Generous rains of late have provided us with much green pastureland and around the Monastery in general. The rainy or...

August 18th: Summer Breeze

Guests on retreat here are often amazed at the temperature fluctuations between day and night time in our high desert setting. At this time of year, daytime temperatures can climb to the mid-90s, and by morning, down to the high 50s. Thankfully, humidity is very low...

August 16th: The Sounds of Silence

For those who may be calling us or trying to leave a voice message, the phones here are down until some time next week, due to repairs underway by the satellite provider we use. It is possible to “leave a message,” but in fact the message is not being...

August 13th: Summer Rose

Our cloister garden always has roses blooming during the Summer months, and the one in today’s photo is in full bloom just hours before the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrated this Thursday, August 15th. One of Mary’s most...

August 9th: Abundant Rains

Of late we have been blessed with rainfall, turning our Chama Canyon and cloister garden, pictured in today’s photo, into almost-Irish lush green. It won’t last forever, but certainly is being enjoyed for the time being. Another forest fire in Chama Canyon...

August 5th: New Pews Now in Place

We are very happy to have eight new pews in the guest section of our monastery church. The pews were produced by the same company in Mexico, EVOS, in San Miguel de Allende, that made our choir stalls for the monks ten years ago. The guest pews match well the design,...

August 1st: Monastery of La Soledad

Last month, from July 13th to the 17th, Abbot Christian was able to be at the Monastery of Our Lady of Solitude (Nuestra Senora de la Soledad), in the State of Guanajuato, Mexico, close to the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende. The monastery property was...

July 20th: Anniversary at Santa Maria y Todos Los Santos

On Thursday, July 11th, the Solemnity of our Holy Father Saint Benedict, the monks of the Monastery of Saint Mary and All the Saints (Santa Maria y Todos Los Santos), in the Mexican State of Veracruz, a foundation the Monastery of Christ in Desert, celebrated its...

July 7th: Easter Lilies in July

Each Spring we plant our Easter lilies in the cloister garden. They usually bloom at least once again in the later Summer or Fall. Some bloom from the previous year or years, such as the one in today’s photo. Enough lilies are blooming now that we should be able...

Solemn Profession on Solemnity of the Sacred Heart

On June 7th, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our Father Zachary Nelson made his solemn profession and received the monastic consecration, becoming a permanent member of the chapter of monks of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert. Numerous family and...

May 26th: Peaceable Kingdom

Currently our “guard-donkey,” Matty, has thirteen Navajo-Churro sheep to watch over and protect. Natural predators exist in our canyon, and traditionally ranchers have used dogs, llamas and donkeys to guard their sheep. Human shepherds still exist, of...

May 19th: End of Easter Season

With the celebration of Pentecost Sunday, observed this year on May 19th, the Easter Season draws to a close and the liturgical season called “Ordinary Time” begins anew on Monday, May 20th. Ordinary Time, which extends until the beginning Advent, when we...

May 7th: Ladybug

Ladybugs in a garden are always a good sign. Why? Because they are natural predators of aphids, tiny insects that feed on plant sap, which ultimately does harm to plants. The ladybug has been called a “natural insecticide.” Today’s photo is of a...

May 3rd: Italian Iris

Nearly four decades ago a friend of ours brought us a bunch of blue iris bulbs from a monastery in northern Italy. The bulbs were planted here and around 1996 were transferred to our new cloister garden in the middle of our living quarters. 1996 was the year the...