by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Feb 11, 2023 | News
On the evening of February 9th, our Father Seraphim renewed for one year his temporary monastic vows of obedience, stability and conversion of life. He did this in the presence of the abbot and community of Christ in the Desert Father Seraphim is our main organist at...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Feb 8, 2023 | News
From February 3rd to 6th, Abbot Christian attended the annual meeting of North American Benedictine abbots, held this year at Saint Bernard Abbey, Cullman, Alabama. There were twenty-five abbots present, coming from the United States, Mexico and Canada. The topic of...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Feb 2, 2023 | News
Saint Bonaventure, the great medieval Franciscan theologian and Doctor of the Church, wrote a treatise on the journey to God, saying that we learn the ways of God by examining the world, and we proceed to awareness of the truth of God in and through our minds. The...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jan 29, 2023 | News
The opening words of Psalm 42 (41 in the Greek Septuagint numbering) are: “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for you, O God.” This refrain seems to be a favorite of many who regularly pray the Psalms. We monks chant Psalm 42 every...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jan 19, 2023 | News
They’re not on wheels, nor prefabricated, but our meals are made with care and prayer by our monks on a daily basis. One cook on weekdays and two on Sundays and Solemnities create an array of simple but nourishing meals for our monastic community and the guests...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jan 17, 2023 | News
We are reveling in the reality of the arrival of snow in the great Southwest. At long last some serious precipitation is occurring and it is good news in the face of ongoing drought conditions in this part of the globe. What is coming our way is presumably fallout...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jan 12, 2023 | News
Winter brings its own demands and one of them is keeping our livestock fed and in good health. At present we have and care for four horses, twenty sheep, one donkey, forty-five chickens and a host of bees. Among four monks the animals are kept fed, watered and...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jan 10, 2023 | News
Our twice-annual fundraising raffle drawing, under the direction of our Brother Jude, took place this past Sunday, January 8th, 2023. The eight winners, each receiving $500, are as follows: M.G. — Austin, TX D.Q. — Espanola, NM T.G. — Albuquerque, NM...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jan 5, 2023 | News
We have reached the twelfth day of Christmas, when the Church traditionally celebrates the Epiphany (that is, Manifestation) of the Lord to all the nations. See our “Homily Page” on our website for more details about this great feast. Many parts of the...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jan 4, 2023 | News
Thus far, winter has been fairly mild in the Chama Canyon Wilderness where the Monastery is located. Of late, though, we have gotten some precipitation in the form of snow, as illustrated into today’s photo, a view from across the Chama River. We have had...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Jan 2, 2023 | News
With the passing of the Winter Solstice, egg production by our flock of hens has increased exponentially, from just a few eggs per day to nearly two dozen. We and our guests enjoy our “homegrown” eggs, either hard boiled or scrambled. Speak of guests, we...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Dec 26, 2022 | News
On Christmas day this year, Prior Dominic Nguyen, OSB, of Thien Tam (Heavenly Heart) Monastery in Kerens, Texas, died at the age of 53. He had struggled with poor health in recent weeks and died peacefully at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. Born in Vietnam on...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Dec 25, 2022 | News
To all our families, friends, benefactors and oblates, a very Blessed and Merry Christmas. Be assured of our prayers and please keep us in yours. Thank you. Don’t forget: there are twelve days of Christmas! Keep celebrating. Gratefully in the New-Born King of...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Dec 17, 2022 | News
Saturday, December 24th: Mass at Midnight Sunday, December 25th: Mass at 11:00 am May we all prepare well, quietly and peacefully, for the commemoration of the Birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Be assured of our prayers and please keep us in yours. Thank you. Abbot...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Dec 6, 2022 | News
After more than twenty years of “wear and tear”, a number of our roofs are being replaced at this time. The extremes of cold and heat add to the stress on New Mexico roofs, and it’s a miracle the roofs have lasted this long In any case, because of...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Nov 22, 2022 | News
Community While “community” may be a well-worn word in this day and age, that is no reason to stop using it or to cease pondering on its meaning. At the core of the word “community” is the idea of “communion,” a state of being that we hopefully all want to possess and...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Nov 21, 2022 | News
Of course the plant and flowers in today’s photo have another name than “Thanksgiving Cactus” (do you know the correct name?), but their blooming at this time of the year causes us to call them “Thanksgiving Cactus.” These cacti (or...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Nov 17, 2022 | News
Over the past many weeks we have been making an extra effort to increase the variety and enhance the quality of books for sale in our Giftshop. Guests and visitors to the Monastery Giftshop will find a wide selection of books on prayer, Benedictine spirituality, lives...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Nov 16, 2022 | News
While Autumn is still going on, before we know it, Winter will arrive. For us in the Chama Canyon wilderness, these days mean chilly mornings, often below freezing, but very pleasant temperatures by midday and throughout the afternoon. Sunset for us at this time of...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 28, 2022 | News
Our annual monastic community retreat is now drawing to a close. As mentioned in the last News Page, the retreat has been conducted by Sister Margaret Michael Gillis, FSP, a member of the Daughters of Saint Paul, who currently resides in their convent in Saint Louis,...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 26, 2022 | News
As Autumn progresses, with leaves having changed and now fallen, we carry on toward an eventual Winter and whatever it may bring this year. We had good rainfall in August and September, and are praying more moisture will come this Winter, either as rain or snow....
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 25, 2022 | News
On the other hand, it is always Easter for Christians, since we believe that Christ is truly Risen, and we strive to live in that truth. Today’s photo is a splendid expression of our joy at Easter, celebrated in a particular way in our abbey church each year....
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 15, 2022 | News
With the amount of rainfall in September, welcome as it was, we wondered if the cottonwood trees along the Chama River would change color in their usual Autumn fashion. True to form, they did, and have not disappointed. We’ve still not had a morning frost, so...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 12, 2022 | News
Our beautiful landscape never disappoints, and for the attentive eye, there is always something worth seeing, day and night, on the land and in the sky. Today’s twilight photo captures the essence of a “fading day,” and the promise of a star-studded...
by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | Oct 7, 2022 | News
We are nearing the middle of October and enjoying very fine weather in our high desert setting. The combination of rain and sun and mild temperatures makes the possibility of walking, running, biking and riding (horses!) a very pleasant experience for those so...
