REFLECTION ON EXODUS 34:29-35 Radiance! We are just swimming in radiance. It fills us, and all we can look upon, and all that is. The Scriptures tell us, "His radiance fills all things." Presence could be another word for it. His presence fills all things. How could it be otherwise? Only the veil of creation obscures it, but don't we experience it when we encounter one another at the level of…
Summertime at Santa Rita Abbey What a lovely summertime we are having, overflowing with life! Two chaplains, newborn fawns, young ravens, fresh tomatoes, rain and more rain, visits from friends of the monastery, and two new volunteer helpers just arrived ... Fr.…
CHAPTER TALK FOR THE FEAST OF ST. BENEDICT Here we are, on the Feast of the glorious Benedict. A giant of a saint in so many ways, and whose Rule we follow. And for whom does he write this Rule? Plain, ordinary human beings – you and me and all who follow it and have followed it over the centuries. In a sense, you can say it is a plain,…
Our new Volunteer Helpers program is off to a great start! Our visit first volunteer was here for the month of June. She stayed at the retreat house, joined the community for Mass and the Divine Office, and lent a capable hand wherever she was asked--retreat house, altar bread bakery, monastery kitchen (she's…
Rachel Tucci from the University of Arizona's Hydrology Dept. is doing a study of the ground water in the Sonoita Valley. She took samples from our well on May 14th. By evaluating isotopes and other things in the water, it is possible to theorize the water's source; that is, did it…
LIVING FROM THE HEART--reflection on Luke 2:41-51 Today is the second of the great “heart” feast days: yesterday was the Sacred Heart, today, the Immaculate Heart of Mary. There are many different ways to look at what “heart” means in the context of the scriptures. It is most often seen as the place where love resides, the seat of our emotions and warmth, as in “I love you with all…
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD: a reflection on Mark 10:17-27 Today’s young man in the Gospel was quite the person, wasn’t he?! Something tugged at his heart to go beyond, to go deeper. And so he approached this holy man that he had been hearing so much about and inquired of him what he should do now. Jesus certainly recognized the devotion and cast his gaze of love upon…
GLORY: Reflection on John 17:1 “Give glory to your Son that your Son may glorify you.” Glory. Who doesn’t want glory? But, as we all know, there’s glory and there’s Glory. Two very different paths to travel in this world, and choosing the true path will determine our happiness. There’s the idea of glory that we humans have that is shiny, and full of all that glitters. We succeed, we…
JUBILEE Jubilee. What does it mean when we say that word? Just what are we celebrating today? Let’s look at the word itself. Jubilee derives from the Latin jubilare, to shout with joy. Going back even farther in time, it comes from the Hebrew word, yobhel “jubilee”, formerly a trumpet made from a ram’s horn. The original jubilee was a year of emancipation of slaves and restoration of lands, and…
We celebrated a double Jubilee on April 23 for our Sisters Margarita and Pamela. 50 years of religious vows for Marg, and 25 years for Pam! A day of joy and gratitude for all! Msgr. Tom Cahalane and Fr. Greg Adolf, pastors of Our Mother of Sorrows in Tucson and St. Andrew's Parish in Sierra Vista, respectively, concelebrated the Jubilee Mass. Family members, Sr. Jeanne Bartholomeaux, (Vicar for Religious for our diocese),…
