We thrive on love, we die in a vacuum
“Every time God forgives us, God is saying that God’s
own rules do not matter as much as the relationship that God wants to create with us.”-Richard Rohr
Sometimes when I am setting before the Lord, I thank the Lord for his presence, and then I apologize...
God Who Loves Us
I love Richard Roar's take on the parable of the Prodigal Son. I do believe that the teaching of Jesus on the depth of God's love for all has yet to hit the heart of Christian understanding. I like what he said about how the Father runs toward us, even when we may feel we are...
It is like slowly drinking poison
I have heard over the years about how the saints over-emphasized their tendency to sin. That being close to God, sin should somehow not be an issue, a problem, or a struggle. One reason I believe, and this applies to me, is that it is difficult to understand...
A Letter to a Prisoner
Below is a letter that I have sent to a prisoner that I have been writing to for many years. He is in for life for a violent crime committed when he was a young man. Over the years he has come to Christ Jesus, and is now working with other Christians, mostly Catholics...
Trust, Take the Next Step
Try not to fear, trust in God, which is not always easy. Trust is not an emotion, nor a feeling, but a choice that comes from deep within, it flows from the gift of faith. Trust, take the next step, and move forward no matter the circumstances. Even if you fall, get...
Adoration is not a Waste of Time
Love me, then, and trust in My love for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to inflame you with the same fire of love that burns in My Sacred Heart
and in the hearts of all My saints. It is in the prayer of adoration that this love grows strong, becoming a fire that...
Once it is known
Lord, once your love is experienced,
nothing remains the same,
our journey can be rough,
but your love is sure,
no demon within or without
has power over us,
though we experience our wounds deeply,
your love sees all,
loves all within,
so ‘Soul of our Soul’,
teach us to wait...
Old Age, Faith, and the Last Things
“Oh, when evening falls may they think of coming to My embrace, their hearts overflowing with gratitude, asking Me to come again with new blessings. And I will come again. And in this way, we shall approach the end of life and the last of My blessings. “For...
Humility and Community Life
Chapter talk 04 Sept 22
The three most important virtues are humility,
humility, and humility-Bernard of Clairvaux
When thinking about my own life’s path, I have found that if I look inward, I pretty much have all I need in order to grow in maturity on my...
Barbed-Wire
There are some people that I find easier to understand than others. One way I like to express it or in these terms: “Their outsides are like my insides”. This statement is borrowed from a saying in the 12th step program.
People who are very angry and are free to express it, who...
Feeling a deep longing for home
Now that I am moving towards my 74th birthday in December, I find that longing is becoming more central which in the past, was hidden from my perception most of the time. My soul seems to be more focused on something bigger. A desire to be free, as Carl Jung...
I had the honor of speaking to our Lay Cistercians via Zoom this morning. We are blest to have them associated with our Monastery.
Talk to Lay Cistercians
1 There are clearly four kinds of monks.
2 First, there are the cenobites,that is to say, those who belong to a monastery, where they...
Prayer In Time of Anxiety and Bring Restless
How restless I can be my Lord,
how anxious and scattered,
as I age my ability to embrace stress
has changed, and I can feel shattered,
like pieces of a mirror that is
in a place of unrest, in bits and pieces,
yet You call me back, lead me to be...
Letting Go Of the Burden
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble
themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from
their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and
I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
We can get used to being burdened. To...