From our Gospel reading for today: ‘And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who […]

It’s only a week till Lent begins! Here at the monastery we have been thinking and praying for some time, about what will be our Lenten resolutions, and what will be the book we read straight through, as St Benedict enjoins. Our resolutions are all given to our Superior, that all may be conducted in […]

First of all, to correct a mistaken impression given in yesterday’s postings. We understand that, although there were Servite connections, there was never a Servite community on this hill. Our sincerest apologies. Here is part of our New Testament reading for today, from the Letter of James: ‘Blessed is the man who endures trial, for […]

Today is also the Optional Memoria of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. The sheltered accommodation on the hill just below us is called ‘Servite House’, and we have always assumed that there was once a Servite house there. So today we pray for the Servite Order, both men and women, that their […]

Here is today’s New Testament reading, from 1 Corinthians: ‘Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for […]

Today’s Gospel reading gives us the story of the feeding of the four thousand: ‘He took the seven loaves, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish; and having blessed them, he […]

These two saints were brothers, and Byzantine theologians, known as the ‘Apostles to the Slavs’. Pope St John Paul II said of them: ‘The event which was to determine the whole of the rest of their lives was the request made by Prince Rastislav of Greater Moravia to the Emperor Michael III, to send to […]

Today is also the feast day of St Catherine de Ricci, an Italian saint of the sixteenth century. She became a Dominican nun and was in touch with St Philip Neri, the Founder of the Oratory. She relived the Passion every week for twelve years. May she pray for us, in all our own experiences […]

This great saint’s lifetime straddled the eighth and ninth centuries. Originally in the royal service, and then a monk of Saint-Seine in France, he later established on his own land, near the river Aniane, the monastery by which he was to become known. Benedict encouraged the adoption of the Rule of St Benedict in all […]

The statue photographed below stands in our parlour, and so is well known to all who visit us. It is faithful to St Bernadette’s vision in all its details. The first apparition was on 11 February 1858. Bernadette had gone, with her sister and a friend, to collect wood at Massabielle on the banks of […]