Third Sunday of Advent “His reason is love.” says Julian of Norwich in speaking about why God created the universe. His reason is love, not punishment, not wrath, not to be a perpetually-insulted God who wreaks judgment on his creatures. His reason for creation is love. And so Jesus, that is why you came and you still come. You want

Second Sunday of Advent “Lead kindly light,” says John Henry Newman, “amid the encircling gloom.” The encircling gloom which at first seemed so impenetrable yields now to one more small light giving of its substance and surrendering its heart to the flame. Lord Jesus, transform us into persons of mercy. Help us to share and to be the mercy we

First Sunday of Advent Here we are again, standing at the threshold of another Advent. In this season of the year when darkness steps to the fore and pushes aside our daylight, we take a step into the liturgy of Advent where we illumine the darkness with the light of a candle in an ever-increasing crescendo of light and presence.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends! We hope that your day was blessed and full of family, friends and celebration. And probably a football game, too?? Ours was a happy time of relaxing with one another and our two brother monks of Erlac around a table laden with a delicious din ner provided for us by our good friend and dentist, Dr.

Happy Autumn, dear Friends! We enjoyed our annual community retreat the week of October 18-24.  This year our retreat director was Fr. James Palmigiano of St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, MA.  This is the third time over the years that he has been our retreat director and, as always, it was fabulous.  The weather cooperated to provide nice days for

Autumn has turned out to be a time of many moods! It splashed the hillsides with yellow and dazzled us with the bluest of blue skies and dancing white clouds – just to make us smile. Then came the winds that blew in a gully-drencher of a rainstorm. Our arroyos were raging with water in a way they haven’t in

The grass on the Santa Rita foothills is still green at the roots, but otherwise it has that gone-to-seed autumn look.  The “Gold Fields” are blooming all over, adding splashes of golden color everywhere.  On the roadsides and on the edges of the dry river beds, tall sunflowers adding their own shades of gold, brown and green. We have wonderful dark skies and

All good things must come to an end, so we bid adieu to Fr. John and Sr. Eleanor with a supper party.  It’s been a joy to share in Sr. Eleanor’s warm Irish humor and good spirits this summer.  We wish her all the best in her studies.  We are grateful to the abbot and community of the Genesee for lending