Abbey News

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Abbot John and Community thank each and everyone who so kindly extended their sympathy and condolences to us on the occasion of our Brother Andrew Nolan's death. Our funeral director kindly posted an obituary notice on his web site at Rector-Hicks. If you haven't seen it already you'll find Abbot John's homily for the funeral at Br. Andrew.

Pope Benedict Speaks on the Cistercian Fathers
In recent weeks the Holy Father has been devoting his general audiences to the topic of monastic theology. Several speeches have focused specifically on the Cistercian Fathers. Here are links to the texts, on the Vatican's web site:

On William of St Thierry, 2 December 2009

Libreria Editrice Vaticana

On Bernard and Abelard, 4 November 2009

Libreria Editrice Vaticana

On Bernard of Clairvaux, 21 October 2009

Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Schedule Change
Reminder that Tuesday, December 8th is the celebration of the patronal feast of our country, the Immaculate Conception of Mary. It is a holy day of obligation so we'll be having Mass at 9:45 then and baking on Monday instead of Tuesday. See our Liturgical Schedule page for further particulars.

The privilege of Mary Immaculate does not consist solely in the absence of original sin, but much more in being "full of grace". The Mother of Jesus gave to the world that very life which renews all things. . .and was enriched by God with gifts befitting such a role. . .She was adorned from the first instant of her conception with the splendors of an entirely unique holiness (Lumen Gentium 56).

Gabriel's greeting, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" is the strongest testimony of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, who would not be "full of grace" in the complete sense of the word if she had been stained by sin for a single moment.

Thus the Blessed Virgin began life with a richness of grace which far surpasses that which the greatest saints acquire at the end of their lives. When we also consider her absolute fidelity and her total availability to God, we can faintly imagine to what heights of love and communion with God she attained far beyond all other creatures in heaven and on earth (Lumen Gentium 53).

Divine Intimacy
Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.