Readings of the day: RB Prol. 33-38; 1 Thess. 5:1-6,9-11; Luke 4:31-37
In today’s Gospel those who heard Jesus were astonished at HIS teaching—HE spoke with authority. Their question: “What is there about
HIS WORD? Saint Benedict reminds us of our Lord’s teaching: “Whoever hears these WORDS of mine and carries them out is wise. These are the ones wh

What would be a way to celebrate St. Bernard today in this 21st century?  Perhaps one way is to ponder:  what would he strive to be in the sight of God and what would he call his brother monks to be?  Or, what did Bernard so often refer to in his teaching, which forms the essential framework of his monastic theology?  It can be de

In February we had conferences on John Ruusbroeck, the Flemish mystic of the late 13th / 14th century.  I was struck by a question that was posed to us during the course of the week.  I thought and felt then, that this question could provide a fruitful entrance into Jesus’ passion and resurrection, and even lead us into a ‘renewed encounter with Christ’, to use the expression of Pope Francis, as we interface Jesus’ life with our own.  The question is this: ‘What happens when we open ourselves to

“Her willingness was her magnificence.  This we know and marvel at when we recall how You first came to us,” (Upon A Luminous Night, Christine Rogers, p.9).  Mary’s willingness was echoed in her ‘yes’…her ‘yes’, says the poem further on, “to a thing she only partly understood” (p.9).  This ‘yes’, which was encirc

“O dark dark dark…I said to my soul be still and let the dark come upon you, which shall be the darkness of God” (“East Coker”).  As we reflect on these poetic and familiar words of T.S. Eliot I am sure they conjure up many things for each of us.  As we begin Advent, could we pray the grace to let the darkness come