Notes, Homilies, and News

The Church celebrates on May 31st the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Vigin Mary to her kinswoman Elizabeth of Ein Karem. To mark the Feast, the first batch our rapidly blooming peonies have been "put in their place," so to speak, in front of the icon of the...

The twenty large peony bushes in our cloister garden are now coming into bloom. What they lack in fragrance they make up in with dramatic beauty. Like the mini-irises in the cloister garden, the peonies make excellent long-lasting floral arrangements for our church....

What used to grow in our pond in the middle of our cloister are now flourishing outside of water, in our flower beds, also within our cloister garden. This variety of hearty yellow mini-irises (probably not the technical term) are perfect for decorating our church, at...

Due to the rise once again of covid cases nationwide and in New Mexico, the Monastery Guesthouse and grounds are now closed until June 6th. In addition, due to drought conditions and potential fire danger, the Santa Fe National Forest, which surrounds the Monastery...

Right next to our "Veritas Orchard," of various recently-planted fruit trees, is our latest agricultural endeavor: a patch of berries. The patch includes raspberries, blackberries and two types of currents. Though planted just this Spring, there is hope of harvest...

Our houseplants, always indoors for the colder months, are outside once again. Nighttime temperatures are at present around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, so there is no longer danger that the plants might freeze. On a less happy note, the drought in the great Southwest...

In our cloister quadrangle garden, surrounded by our living quarters, the early-blooming daffodils and tulips have run their course and now irises are appearing, soon to be followed by peonies and roses. The flowers we enjoy throughout the Spring and Summer never...

In our little corner of the Peaceable Kingdom, the feathered and woolen creatures get along very well. And that includes Matty the donkey as well. In fact, she is a bit of the center of activity, at least for the sheep. The poultry tend to be more independent-minded....

The solemn celebration of Easter continues here in the quiet of the Chama Canyon Wilderness. We are now in the Third Week of the Easter Season, which extends until Pentecost Sunday on June 5th, when Paschaltide (the Easter Season) comes to an end. After Easter comes...

In the midst of Desert beauty we marvel at the wonders of God's creation. In this high desert setting of 6,500 feet above sea level, we enjoy four fairly distinct seasons. Each has its own chacteristics, and typically brothers prefer one over another. For some, Winter...

White and pink are the predominant colors of the trees now in bloom in our cloister garden. This dramatic sweep of God's paintbrush is always short-lived, but worth the wait and wonderful to behold each Spring. The six trees in the cloister are not fruit-bearing, but...

New life in the form of flowers and trees coming into bloom just now add to the joyful mood of the Easter Season we are celebrating. Some recent winds and continued dry weather are not so welcome, and we continue to pray for rain. Our cloister garden stays green, but...

Christ is Risen! He is Truly Risen! We are still basking in the light of the Risen Lord, with the cry of "Alleluia" ringing in our hearts and with our voices. The Liturgy we celebrate in common is filled with the Hebrew word for "Praise be God": Alleluia, and will...