Abbot's Archives
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May 21th: Meet Us In Chama!
This Friday afternoon, May 21st, a variety of our handmade products will be for sale at the Chama Valley Farmers Market, near the village of Chama, New Mexico. Our Brothers Andre and Isidore will be at the Market from 3:00 to 5:00 pm this Friday, with our soaps,...
April 20th: From Our Weaving Workshop
We still have 2 rugs left to present for purchase from the Monastery Workshop. Each rug is made with prayer and care by one of our monks. The wool, both warp and weft, is 100% Navajo-Churro and hand-dyed. The rugs for sale are one-of-a-kind and nearly identical in...
May 8th: Abundance of Lilacs
Helped in part by recent rains, an old lilac bush at our Saint Benedict Ranch House, part of our guest facilities, is blooming splendidly just now. The blooming never lasts very long, and almost always happens in early May, being a fleeting enjoyment in the midst of...
Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C
Scripture Readings: Acts of the Apostles 13:14, 43-52; Book of Revelation 7:9, 14-17; Gospel According to Saint John 10:27-30 Our Lord Jesus Christ, during his earthly ministry, knew very well how to speak to the people about his person and his mission, using simple...
May 6th: Contemplation
Some of our monks are reading and benefitting from a recently published book by the American Dominican friar Thomas Joseph White, who is currently Rector at Rome’s “Pontifical University of Saint Thomas,” the “Angelicum,” as it is popularly called, run by the Order of...
Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C
Scripture Readings: Acts of the Apostles 13:14, 43-52; Book of Revelation 7:9, 14-17; Gospel According to Saint John 10:27-30 Our Lord Jesus Christ, during his earthly ministry, knew very well how to speak to the people about his person and his mission, using simple...
May 2rd: No Huge Hurry
Spring is still in progress here, with mild temperatures at present and some deciduous trees still in bloom, as is evident in today's photo. Work is now going on to replace the roofs of some of our buildings, including the library, chapter room, classroom, weaving...
April 29th: Spring
A LIGHT EXISTS IN SPRING by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1986) A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period -- When March is scarcely here A Color stands abroad On Solitary Fields That Science cannot overtake But Human Nature feels. It waits...
Third Sunday of Easter, Year C
Scripture Readings: Acts of the Apostles 5:27-32, 40-41; Book of Revelation 5:11-14; Gospel According to Saint John 21:1-21 In this Sunday’s Gospel passage, Simon Peter tells several of the other apostles, “I am going fishing.” Peter and at least six other apostles...
Second Sunday of Easter, Year C
Scripture Readings: Acts of the Apostles 5:12-16; Book of Revelation 1: 9-17; Gospel According to Saint John 20:19-31 We continue our yearly celebration of the Passover of Christ, whose triumphant resurrection from the dead is our hope and joy. Today the Gospel...
April 25th: Our Sunday Visitor
A century-old Catholic publication, "Our Sunday Visitor," is still going strong and has moved from being a modest weekly newspaper to an expanded full-color monthly magazine. The new format, contents and photos are commendable. The current May 2025 issue carries an...
Happy Easter!
A blessed and happy Eastertide to all our families, friends, benefactors and oblates. We keep you in our prayers and are grateful for yours. Today's photo is from the beautiful mission church of San Antonio, Los Ojos, New Mexico, a little over an hour from our...
Good Friday
"It is finished," are Christ's words from the cross just before He "bowed his head and gave up His spirit" (John 19:30). What is finished? On Good Friday the old creation, of sin and separation from God, has ended, is finished, and a new creation has dawned. God so...
Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Scripture Readings: Book of Exodus 12:1-8,11-14; Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 11:22-26; Gospel According to Saint John 13:1-15 Each Holy Thursday the Church recounts the evening when Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his closest disciples. At that...
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, Year C
Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Isaiah 50:4-7; Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians 2:6-11; Gospel According to Saint Luke 22:12-23:56 Palm Sunday Mass normally begins outside the church building with a recounting of the triumphal entry of Jesus into...
The Sacred Triduum at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert
April 19th, Holy Saturday, no day Mass, but Solemn Vigils and Mass of the Lord's Resurrection at 12 Midnight April 20th, Easter Sunday Day Mass at 11:00 am
March 31st: Mid-Lent
We are now half way through Lent and continue to experience the progressive arrival of Spring in our Chama Canyon wilderness. The Eastern Christian tradition refers to this annual preparation for Holy Week and Easter as the "Lenten Spring." Keep in mind the word...
Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C
Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Isaiah 43:16-21; Saint Paul’s Letter to the Philippians 3:8-14; Gospel According the Saint John 8:1-11 Holy Week is drawing nigh. In fact, just a week from today is Palm Sunday and the following Sunday is Easter. Maybe for many...
March 25th: The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
The century-old stained glass windows in the mission church of San Jose in Los Ojos, New Mexico, about an hour from our Monastery, cannot but inspire those with gaze upon them. Each of the windows is some ten or more feet tall and marvelously calls to mind particular...
Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C
Scripture Readings: Book of Joshua 5: 9,10-12; Saint Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians 5:17-21; Gospel According to Luke15:1-3,11-32 The story is told of a catechism class studying the Parable the Prodigal Son. After emphasizing the wrong attitude of the older...
March 23rd: Spring Sightings
Spring has officially begun and flowers are beginning to appear in our cloister garden. We await some weeks for the fuller blooming that will bring many and varied flowers to our gardens. We are now in the planning stages for Spring planting in our large greenhouse,...
March 18th: March Moisture
Having had a dryer than normal Winter 2024-25, we were happy to have gotten recently some consecutive nighttime snowfalls of an inch or two. Each time the snow was completely melted by midday, but it provided at least some moisture to our land. Sometimes we even say...
"Let everyone that comes be received as Christ."
— The Rule of St. Benedict
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