Notes, Homilies, and News
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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...
Third Sunday of Lent, Year C
Scripture Readings: Book of Exodus 3:1-8; 13-15; Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; Gospel According to Saint Luke 13:1-9 Each year the first two Sunday’s of Lent are linked with specific events in the life of Christ: the temptations he...
March 13th: Robins Returning
Spring cannot be too far off, with the return of robins to our cloister courtyard and the days growing longer and warmer. Indoors, the orchid in today's photo is nearly in full bloom and will remain so for the next few months. The liturgical color of Lent is purple or...
Second Sunday of Lent, Year C
Scripture Readings: Book of Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians 3:17-4:1; Gospel According to Saint Luke 9:28-36 I like to call the first Sunday of Lent, “Christ in the Desert Sunday,” for its emphasis on the mystery of our Lord’s...
March 10th: Best Pumpkin Bread
Although we occasionally make and enjoy pumpkin bread here, we don’t sell it. However, we do know a source of excellent pumpkin bread for sale, coming straight from Hollywood, California! See today’s photo and the contact information below, and give Carlos a call or...
First Sunday of Lent, Year C
Scripture Readings: Book of Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Saint Paul's Letter to the Romans 10:8-13; Gospel According to Saint Luke 4:1-13 Each year Holy Mother Church gives us this season of Lent to renew our intention of living more completely for Christ. Lent is a word in...
March 3rd: Our Daily Bread
Several times each week two of our monks prepare and bake bread for the monks and guests on retreat to enjoy. One brother prepares the "no-kneading crusty bread," and another bakes the loaves in our new trusty Southbend Convection Oven. As a means to enhance the...
Ash Wednesday
Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Joel 2:12-18; Second Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Gospel According to Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. The readings for Mass today set the tone for the entire season of Lent which we now begin. Keep in mind the word “Lent” comes from the same...
March 2nd: Lent Approaches
The blooming of the abbot's orchid, featured in today's photo, holds hope of the coming of Spring. Daytime temperatures here are now reaching near 60 degrees, though nights are in the low 40s. Clearly the earth is awakening from slumber as the days are lengthening....
Eighth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C
Book of Sirach 27:4-7; Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 15:54-58; Gospel According to Saint Luke 6:39-45 Have you ever counted how many times in the course of the day you interact with others, even with the same person? I certainly have never counted, but...
Seventh Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C
Scripture Readings: First Book of Samuel 26: 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 15:45-49; Gospel According to Saint Luke 6:27-38 The Gospel text for this Sunday contains very practical advice for all who follow Christ: first and...
February 15th: Some Snow
We are grateful for having received some snow both the nights of February 13th and 14th. The snow tends to melt rather quickly after sunrise, as the earth is beginning to warm up. In any case, even minimal moisture is very welcome at this time. A mixture of snow and...
February 14th: Three Saint On One Day
Three saints are especially remembered on February 14th each year, whose heavenly intercession we seek. The first saint, popular in both religious and secular realms, is Saint Valentine, a valiant Roman martyr who died for his faith around the year 270 A.D. First...
February 13th: Dry Sky
Despite predictions and promises from forecasters, we've yet to see snow or rain in the Chama Canyon, but we keep hoping and praying for a reversal of fortune. We have been having gusty winds of late, which acts to dry up the land even more. It is by no means a...
February 11th: Behind the Scenes
To those on retreat here and day visitors, we monks might seem like "carefree creatures," who simply file into and out of church and refectory throughout the day, and not doing much else in between. Behind the scenes, though, we all have jobs, some with more than one...
Sixth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C
Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 17:5-8; First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 15:12, 16-20; Gospel According to Saint Luke 6:17, 20-26 What is usually called the “Sermon on the Mount” in Saint Matthew’s Gospel, is generally referred to as the...
February 10th: Saint Scholastica
Each year on February 10th, Benedictines around the world recount the memory of Saint Scholastica, the sister of Saint Benedict. They both lived from about 480 to 547 AD, natives of Nursia (present day Norcia), in the Umbrian region of Italy, north of Rome. Some posit...
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