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
December 14, 2019: Eve of the Third Sunday of Advent This week’s candle will light the way to love with the Heart of a Servant. Our other candles, Quiet Trust and Humble Listening light this path of service. “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for the
December 7, 2019: Eve of the Second Sunday of Advent Tonight we light the candle of a Listening Heart. Think of the Prologue of Benedict’s Rule. To turn the ear of our hearts to a loving Father who speaks to us at every moment. His voice is spoken in the person of another who comes into our lives, who asks
November 30, 2019: Eve of the First Sunday of Advent Who could have thought it? God bursting forth into our world as a human, one of US! Yet, here we are again, about to be immersed in the journey into the all-embracing love and mercy of God pouring itself out into hearts barely awake to their incredible destiny as a