In Benedictine monastic life, while we take a vow of stability, change is always a part of our lives! For many years we have posted weekly on a variety of topics, including the lives of the saints, words of spiritual encouragement, as well as insights into bellringing and Gregorian Chant. We are writing to let our readers know that this is our final post. We will continue to share regularly on our social media channels and encourage you to follow us there. In particular, on our YouTube channel we uploaded a number of videos during the stay-at-home months that combined music and art from the Ch ..read more

Saint Thomas the Apostle was born in first century Galilee. Syrian Christian tradition maintains that he was martyred at St. Thomas Mount, Chennai, India, in 72 AD.  Saint Thomas was reportedly a reluctant missionary, but obedience overcame his misgivings, and he traveled as far as present-day India, converting many to Christianity through preaching, baptism, and the performing of miracles. He is honored as Patron Saint of India. As we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Thomas, let us do so with eyes wide open. We’re blessed to know this man who personifies our own times of unbelief, our sk ..read more

Each year in June we acknowledge the Dedication of the Church of the Transfiguration that took place on June 17, 2000. We posted earlier this month to honor that day specifically, but as this is the 20th anniversary year of the Church, some additional meditation seemed appropriate. The Church was the culmination of a vision that had sprouted at least ten years earlier. There were years of planning and research that emerged in the final design. There were meetings with architects, sound and lighting engineers, and landscape architects. There were artists to be interviewed and employed ..read more

“Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear a son, and you will name him John.” These words spoken by the Angel Gabriel at the altar in the Temple, over two thousand years ago, startled and amazed Zechariah, who was taking his turn offering up incense to God. This astounding event underscores the importance of John the Baptist. The Angel also told Zechariah that John would never take strong drink, but be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. Gabriel, messenger of and from God, spoke with unquestionable authority. However, because of his unbelief, Zechariah, even though a righteous man, was rendered mut ..read more

Today we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Dedication of the Church of the Transfiguration. This past December, the installation of the glass doors to Emmanuel Chapel were a beautiful, last addition to the physical building. These glass doors, full of color, shimmer with creation’s spectrum and introduce us to to the sacred space for the reserved sacrament that lies behind them. In the past few months, the final organ console was also installed, and we look forward to the organ’s completion in the coming year, when all remaining pipes will be in place and this instrument will speak wi ..read more

Saint Barnabas, according to tradition, was of Jewish descent, possibly from the island of Cyprus; he was one of the earliest and well known Christian disciples in Jerusalem and worked alongside the apostles. Joseph was his given name, but the early disciples called him Barnabas, ‘Son of Encouragement.’ Barnabas was also described as ‘full of the Holy Spirit.’ He excelled in peacemaking, encouraging and exhorting, gifts much needed in an early church, which was fraught with struggles, difficulties, and persecutions both real and potential. In the book of Acts, we meet Barnabas as a friend and ..read more

Early in the 1960’s, Benjamin Britten composed a hymn to celebrate the 1,400th anniversary of St. Columba’s voyage to Iona in Scotland. But how is it that Columba born in Ireland in 521 A.D., and also a descendant of the great Irish King Niall, ended up in Scotland? As a youth showing much brilliance, Columba or Colmcille attended the monastic school at Clonard Abbey in Ireland. Taught by the famous scholar Saint Finnian, he later became part of the group known as the Twelve Apostles. Columba became a deacon, then a monk, and at twenty-five, a priest. A vigorous and imposing man, he trave ..read more

The feast of Saint Boniface, celebrated June 5th, honors a man credited for three major life time accomplishments: missionary to and apostle of Germania, reformer of the Frankish church (and its ensuing influence on Western Christianity), and zealous pursuit of an alliance between the papacy and Frankish aristocrats. Born c. AD 675, in Devon, England, Boniface was martyred for his missionary work on June 5, AD 754, in Frisia (now part of the Netherlands.)  It is said that he was attacked and martyred as he read Scripture to new Christian converts on Pentecost Sunday. During his life ..read more

-From the Greek Pentekostos or Fiftieth Day When the Day of Pentecost had come, they (the chosen disciples and Mary, the Mother of Jesus) were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.   Acts 2:2-4  It was an amazing display of God’s creative power ..read more

Why do birds sing? And why do they have so many brilliant colors and subtle markings? Take the warblers, for example. Page after page of different kinds in the bird guide; pine warbler, yellow warbler, blackburnian, chestnut-sided, black and white…. Just looking at a single page, I can barely distinguish between them. I am confident that when God created the tiny warblers, He could have given them the ability to find each other, without those bright colors and all that singing every morning. He could have created a generic warbler that would meet up with another generic warbler and raise young ..read more