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BENEDICTINE POPES
The Glory of St. Benedict (Pietro Annigoni- Monte Cassino)As we await the election of a new Pope, I was curious to find how many popes have come from the Benedictine Order. There are 17, seven of...
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FINDING FAMILY
Oatmeal Cemetery**“The choices that we make in life are not unique to us. They are a distillation of all that has come before us. The more we become aware of our ancestral lineage, the more freedom we...
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FAITH in the MODERN WORLD
At the end of last year, Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI declared 2013 the YEAR of FAITH. I recently found some thoughts by Our Benedictine Abbot Primate, Notker Wolf OSB. While this message was for...
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PERUVIAN SHEPHERDS
Preparing to spinShepherd with his sheepWhile anxiously awaiting our spring lambs, and also preparing for a trip to Peru in late May, I present these wonderful old paintings from the Trujillo area of...
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AMAZING MAN FROM ARGENTINA
WE REJOICE WITH THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH IN THE ELECTION OUR POPE FRANCIS I
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LAMBS ARE HERE- THE GENTLE GIANTS
Rachel with Antonia and her lambsOne of the world's most beautiful and rare sheep comes from the hills of the Cotswolds in England less than 20 miles from the Welsh border. They are thought to be...
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WOMEN of the CHURCH
Original Icon by Fr. Theodore JurieviczFront: Anna, Elizabeth, Mary Magdelene, Nina (evangelizer of Georgia); Back: Juliana of Lavarevsk, Irene Martyr of Thessalonica, Barbara, Alexandra the Empress.A...
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BLESSED CHARLES de FOUCAULD
Very much in the spirit of Lent and Holy Week I present two amazing stories. Several of us in the monastery have for years had a devotion to BL. CHARLES DE FOUCAULD. For me it began 45 years ago,...
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THE SLAIN MONKS of TIBHIRINE
The Seven MartyrsA difficult, but very moving movie which won much acclaim (Best Foreign Film Academy Awards & Grand Prix at Cannes) is OF MEN AND GODS. It is about eight French Christian...
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COMMITMENT
Many years ago our Community at the Abbey formulated a HOLY WEEK sequence which I will present throughout this week starting with today which we callCOMMITMENT Saturday.Today's gospel has the priests...
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PROCESSION
Yelena Cherkasova- RussianThis day recalls the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem to accomplish His Paschal Mystery. The crowds rush out to meet Him, carrying palm branches. We commemorate this day, by...
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INTIMATE EXTRAVAGANCE
Frank WesleyToday is the day where Mary pours the costly perfumed oil on the feet of Jesus, drying them with her hair.Judas, the miser that he was, lambasted her for the "waste", saying the money saved...
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COMPULSION to COMPLETION
Peter denies JesusThe mystery of this day is taken from a Collect in the monastic Liturgy: God grant us the grace to worthily experience and bring to completion the celebration of the sacred mysteries...
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ALONENESS
Judas at table with Jesus- Cathedral at Cusco, PeruJesus tells His disciples that in two days time He will be handed over to be crucified by one of His very own.. Of course they did not understand...
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BODY GIVEN (PROFUSION)
S. Watanabe ( I love the Birds)Sadao Watanabe- JapanLaura James- USAOn the night before he died, Jesus gathered with his disciples for the Last Supper. The first thing He did was to wash their feet....
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NON EST LEX
EthiopianThe mystery for this day is, "there is not law". All has been suspended with the death of Jesus. This is one of the most important of all mysteries of our Christian faith and the foundation...
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NIGHT
Michael O BrienIt is the tomb.It is the day of grieving and being still, quiet for it...or mindful of it and trying to find that still silent spot inside; This is the day when the tabernacles, across...
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MIRACLES (HE IS RISEN, ALLELUIA)
Women at the TombHe is RisenIt amazes me that many of the images for this wondrous mystery of our Faith, show the women at the tomb. It is almost always the women who get the Gospel straight away in...
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APPEARANCES
Maurice Denis- Holy Women at the TombIn today's gospel, Jesus meets Mary Magdalen and "the other Mary" and tells them not to be afraid.Tomorrow we have that poignant (and one of our favorites) Gospel...
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FAITH AND MERCY
S. WatanabeS. WatanabeThis Sunday's Gospel gives us the wonderful story of our doubting Thomas. St. Thomas is best known for his role in verifying the Resurrection of his Master. But before this we...
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