“I will lead her into the desert and there I will speak to her heart.” Here we are, dear Sharon, one year into Cistercian life in the magnificent high desert of the Southwest and this place of Santa Rita Abbey. God has led you here and you have heard his voice and responded with love. He has been leading you
March 22, 2020: A Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year A John 9:1-41 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made
March 3, 2020: A Reflection for Tuesday of the First Week of Lent Matthew 6:7-15 In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. A babbling brook… If you’ve ever sat beside a brook
You know that old saying, “Count your blessings”? That is exactly what we are doing in this first journal entry of 2020! Grasshopper mower First of all we wish to thank all those who so generously responded to the fundraising appeal in our Christmas newsletter. Our grounds workers, Felipe and Zach, love the rugged new Grasshopper mower which enables them
February 11, 2020: A Reflection for Tuesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time Matthew 7:1-13 This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Inside out. That’s how you lived, isn’t it, Jesus? Inside out. You lived from the heart, from the center of your being. You knew that it was a way of
January 10, 2020: A Reflection for the Friday after Epiphany 1 John 5:5-13 Luke 5:12-16 … great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray What was it about Jesus that drew so many to him? It wasn’t just that those with ailments, or loved ones
Merry Christmas! Here are a few glimpses of our Christmas Eve, Midnight, and Christmas Day celebrations. We hope that your own celebrations were full of wonder, grace and thanksgiving. We are blessed to have Fr. Thomas, a monk of New Clairvaux in Vina, CA, as our Christmas chaplain. Christmas Eve 4:00 p.m. Just before Vespers on Christmas Eve, we
Highlights from October, November, and the Season of Advent at our monastery of Santa Rita October Our annual private community retreat this year was held October 13-19. Our retreat master was Dom Eric Varden, abbot of Mt. St. Bernard’s Abbey in England. Fr. Eric offered Mass for us each morning, and gave two retreat conferences each day. His talks were
December 21, 2019: Eve of the Fourth Sunday of Advent This evening’s candle gathers the light of Advent and completes the circle of light. The candle of the Fullness of Time. In just a few days, we will celebrate the breaking forth of the Light of the World into our hearts once again. The fullness of God’s love manifest in
Step away from the noise and into the rhythm of monastic life. If you’re a Catholic woman discerning your path, our Monastic Experience Weekend offers a rare opportunity to explore contemplative life at Santa Rita Abbey.
Friday, October 4 – Monday, October 7