Abbot's Archives
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June 22nd: Summer Time
With daytime temperatures now in the mid-80s (and around 50 at night), lots of flowers are blooming in our cloister garden, especially roses. Today's photo is of an arrangement at the icon of Our Lady in our church. Summer has officially begun, which also means the...
June 19th: Our Jade Tree
Less than three feet tall, bordering on being a bonsai, our jade tree remains indoors year round, easy to care for, requiring just an occasional watering, and not too often or it languishes. The tree is located near large windows, next to our reading room, with...
June 17th: Leap of Faith
Our neighborhood deer never hesitate to vault over fences, no matter how high, and they never miss the mark, stumble or fall. Our sheep, donkey and chickens, though, willingly share their pastures with the deer. Maybe a metaphor here, echoing the words of Psalm...
Twelfth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year A
Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 20:10-13; Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans 5:12-15; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 10:26-33 The New Testament, including today’s Gospel text, is clear that those who obey God are capable of giving witness or...
June 14th: Cloister Fountain
The fountain in the middle of our cloister garden is modeled on one at the Benedictine monastery of Silos in Spain, dating from the Middle Ages. Our cloister fountain is only 30 years old, and primarily serves as a decorative element in the garden, as well as home to...
Eleventh Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year A
Scripture Readings: Book of Exodus 19:2-6; Saint Paul's Letter to the Romans 5: 6-11; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 9:36-10:8 I’d like to begin with a story from the Jewish Hassidic tradition: A man received a telegram telling him that a relative had died and left...
June 7th: Corpus Christi Greetings
We're having lovely weather these days, but it would be lovelier if accompanied by rain. So far, precious little has fallen in 2026. In fact, for the past several years that has been the case. As they say, "Everyone talks (or complains) about the weather, but no one...
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
Scripture Readings: Book of Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16; First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians10:16-17; Gospel According to Saint John 6:51-58 The Mass readings from Sacred Scripture for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord, traditionally...
June 2nd: A Monastic Conference This Week
An important monastic Conference is taking place this week, from June 4th to June 6th, focused on the life, teaching and enduring influence of Evagrius Ponticus, a desert father and one of the most influential theologians of the late fourth century Church. The full...
June 1st: Sheepish
We are doing well, thanks be to God, as late Spring slowly turns to Summer. Our flock of Navajo-Churro sheep has now grown to thirty, with the birth of a dozen lambs several weeks ago. Work is progressing well at our Guesthouse, main kitchen and other common rooms in...
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Scripture Readings: Book of Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9; Second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 13:11-13; Gospel According to Saint John 3:16-18 Each year on the Sunday following Pentecost, the Church celebrates the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, our belief that God...
Spring and Summer 2026 Newsletter
Spring/Summer 2026 Newsletter
Pentecost Sunday
Readings: Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13; Gospel According to Saint John 20:19-23 The Solemnity of Pentecost is a celebration of the universality of the love God has for us. At Pentecost, fifty days after Easter,...
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Scripture Readings: Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 1:17-23; Gospel According to Saint Luke 24:46-53 We celebrate our Lord’s Ascension, which took place forty days after his Resurrection. We recount with joy the day when Christ...
Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year A
Scripture Readings: Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8, 14-17; First Letter of Peter 3:15-18; Gospel According to Saint John 14:15-21 The readings for this Sunday are taken from the final days of Jesus' earthly sojourn as well as the first steps of the infant Church after the...
Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A
Readings: Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7; First Letter of Saint Peter 2:4-9; Gospel According to Saint John 14:1-12 We are drawing near to the Solemnity of the Lord's Ascension, forty days after Easter, less than two weeks from now. Where does the time go? Time tends to...
May 8th: Some Important Updates
Monastery Guesthouse Update: Renovations and Reservations The Monastery Guesthouse is currently closed to overnight guests as we undergo a full remodeling of our commercial kitchen and substantial upgrades for Guesthouse accessibility. We hope to complete these...
Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year A
Scripture Readings: Acts of the Apostles 2:14a, 36-41; First Letter of Saint Peter 2:20b-25; Gospel According to Saint John 10:1-10 This Sunday is usually called “Good Shepherd Sunday,” because of the focus of the Mass readings, especially the Gospel, where Jesus...
Easter Saturday
"Lord, Who conquered death, be constantly with Your Church and fill it with new life. Make us partakers of Your suffering so that we may also be partakers of Your glorious Resurrection. May Your peace and tranquility dwell constantly within our community, within our...
Easter Friday
Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated! Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down! Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is Risen, and life is liberated! Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead; for Christ having risen from...
"Let everyone that comes be received as Christ."
— The Rule of St. Benedict
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