Abbot's Archives

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January 20th: Having A Hay Day

During the winter months, our livestock (sheep, donkey and horses) depend on hay we purchase from local ranchers, some of which is on display in today's photo, ready to be stored at the "Good Shepherd Inn," as we call our sheep and donkey barn. Sometimes the...

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January 19th: Abundance of Sun

While nighttime temperatures in the Chama Canyon can drop to freezing or lower during December and January, thankfully after sunrise they can rise to the mid or high 40s by noon. We are blessed with an abundance of sun throughout the year, and no less so in the winter...

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Third Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year B

Scripture Readings: Book of Jonah 3:1-5,10; First Corinthians 7: 29-31; Gospel According to Saint Mark 1:14-20 The Christmas Season has ended and the Season of Lent is still some weeks off. We are once again in “Ordinary Time,” as it’s called, and the focus of the...

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January 10th: New Prior at La Soledad Monastery, Mexico

Abbot Christian has named Brother Elias Sanchez Chavez as the new Prior of the Monastery of Our Lady of Solitude (La Soledad), near San Miguel de Allende, in the State of Guanajuato, Mexico. Brother Elias succeeds Father Ezequiel Bas Luna, who has served as Prior of...

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Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Scripture Readings: First Samuel 3:3-10.19; First Corinthians 6:13-20; John 1:35-42 One of my favorite Old Testament stories is the calling of Samuel, an event which took place some one thousand years before the coming of Christ. Samuel’s call is the story of the...

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January 6th: Wild Kingdom

A young mountain lion from across the Chama River has been eyeing our flock of sheep and even gave them a "run for their money" in broad daylight. However, intrepid guard-donkey Matty chased away the predator for now, but that's  no guarantee the lion won't return. We...

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Solemnity of the Epiphany

Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Isaiah 60:1-6; Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 2:1-12 The Solemnity of the Epiphany, literally the “manifestation” or “showing” of the Lord Jesus Christ to the nations, is...

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January 3rd: Christmas Continues

It is still Christmastide, up to the Feast of the Epiphany (the visit of the Magi) on January 6th, and concluding on Monday, January 8th with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. After that we return to "Ordinary Time" until Ash Wednesday on February 14th this year....

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January 1st: Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

Scripture Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 The shepherds who “went in haste to Bethlehem,” as directed by the angel, can be understood as the whole human race seeking Jesus. The quick response of the shepherds to seek the new-born Lord is the...

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Sunday Within the Christmas Octave: Holy Family Sunday

Readings: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14; Colossians 3:12-21; Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 In our Catholic Liturgical Calendar, the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas is always dedicated to the mystery of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This year “on the fifth...

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December 26th: Joy to the World!

The Savior reigns. Don't forget: Christmas has just begun. Don't cease from celebrating at least until the Epiphany on January 6th/7th. With assured of our prayers for a blessed Octave and beyond, the twelve days of Christmas. Abbot Christian and the monks

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Christmas Day Mass

Readings: Isaiah 52:7-10; Letter to the Hebrews 1:1-6; Gospel of Saint John 1:1-18 The scripture readings assigned for the Mass of Christmas day emphasize an attitude of child-like wonder at all that is taking place. In the text from the prophet Isaiah, the city of...

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Christmas Mass at Midnight

Scripture Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7; Letter to Titus 2:11-14; Gospel According to Luke 2:1-14 First, a blessed and Merry Christmas to all! The celebrations have just begun, and continue in earnest for nearly two weeks, for what are traditionally called the “Twelve Days...

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December 20th: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass Schedule

On Sunday, December 24th, at 9:15 am, Mass of the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Same Day, at Midnight, Christmas Midnight Mass. On Monday, December 25th, at 11:00 am, Christmas Day Mass. May all have a Blessed and Merry Christmas! You are in our thoughts and prayers. Abbot...

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Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B

Second Book of Samuel 7:1-5, 8-11, 11:16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38 We could think of this Fourth Sunday of Advent as the “final lap” in the Advent journey of 2023. In fact, we’ve reached the final day of Advent, as this Sunday evening at First Vespers we begin...

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December 14th: Not Snowed In

We were happy to receive a dusting of snow over the night of December 13th. Moisture in any form is always welcome here, especially in these recent years of drought conditions. Often we're asked if we get "snowed in" when it snows, but the answer is, no. Normally snow...

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Third Sunday of Advent, Year B

Scripture Readings: Prophet Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11; First Letter to the Thessalonians 5:16-24; Gospel According to Saint John 1:6-8, 19-28 The Church’s Old Testament “prophet of choice” for the Advent season is Isaiah, from the eigth century before Christ. And the...

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December 8th: Newly Professed Brother Savio

Our Brother Savio Vu made his definitive "yes," by pronouncing solemn vows of obedience, stability and conversion of life, and receiving the monastic consecration as a Benedictine monk, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. In addition to his monastic...

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Second Sunday of Advent, Year B

Readings: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Second Letter of Peter 3:8-14; Mark 8:1-8 Every year on the second Sunday of Advent, the Church has us ponder the words and deeds of Saint John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the coming of the Lord. Our own monastery church is...

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December 1st: More Moisture

We are now receiving more moisture in the form of snow in our canyon. We are grateful beyond words for this, and while it's an inconvenience for those traversing Forest Road 151 leading to the Monastery, with the recommendation that only four-wheel or all-wheel...

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