There are times when the challenges we face in our daily lives and the situation in the world around us are so difficult that just managing to survive can seem like a great achievement. Birthdays and anniversaries allow us to celebrate some special occasions every year, regardless of the vicissitudes of life. And monks, like everyone else, also love these celebrations! Click here to continue reading.
We live in times of great uncertainty. From the pandemic to the war in Ukraine and the general decline evident in the Church, we are facing challenging times and many are anxious. What does the future hold? Men and women who try to live their faith in these trying circumstances often make heroic sacrifices that are far more difficult than those St. Benedict asks of his monks. Yet, to each of us, monk and layman alike, God has said, “I do not leave you orphans.” He experienced the loneliness of the Cross so that we might experience the love of the Father. At Pentecost, the death and resurrection of Christ come to their completion in Love. May the joy of Pentecost, as well as some news from “Monte” bring each of you the consolation of knowing you are not alone. Click here to view the newsletter!
The brick arches in the cloister take their shape, making it possible to imagine what the future cloister will become.
A little more than two months ago, on a cold and windy February afternoon, we “buried the Alleluia” carrying out the medieval yet now-familiar custom of placing in the ground the most festive word of the liturgy. Click here to continue reading...
New pillars have recently been erected in the monastery demarcating the boundaries of the cloister.
On Feb. 10, many centuries ago, St. Scholastica, the twin sister of St. Benedict, passed to eternal life, preceding her brother by about forty days, who then died on March 21. Christ spent forty days in the desert before beginning His public ministry. We also observe 40 days in the Lenten season preparing for Easter. To the great patriarch of western monasticism, God gave this ultimate preparation period of 40 days, after his sister's death, as if it were a final Lent. According to St. Gregory the Great, Benedict knew exactly when he would die and had the tomb opened six days before.
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March 2024
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