Winter is here. Last summer, while the trees were green, the flowers in our meadow were fragrant and the grass was long, a wise man visited us. He spoke of the changing seasons, each season having its own comforts, its own challenges. “In winter”, he said, “the trees are bare and clouds cover the sky”. […]
Light-bearing Christ, come down to us And light in darkness sow; Come down and save our fallen world Whose sinful ways you know. Prepare us for your grace and truth Who watch and wait for you; Restore mankind’s lost dignity: Come down and make us new. Almighty Father, speak the Word Your children long to […]
The Feast of Christ the King was instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI, with the intention of promoting peace, and as an antidote for the rebellion of both individual people and whole states against the authority of Christ. In the aftermath of the suffering of the First World War, Pius XI saw this as […]
Every season is beautiful here on the southern edge of the North York Moors, and although the seasons are not as distinct or predictable as in the past, autumn remains spectacular, probably because our location is so wooded. However, this year’s unseasonably mild autumn injected a note of reflective questioning into the poem which follows, […]
On 24 October Pope Francis published his latest encyclical letter, “Dilexit nos”, which is widely subtitled “On the human and divine love of the heart of Jesus Christ”. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a central theme and it is opened up in an expansive and inclusive manner. The opening words of the […]
Saturday 9th November, it was a great delight to host our second YouCAN Monastery Day: Young adult Catholics coming together from all over the country to support one another and at the same time come to be supported by the monastic witness of our community. We hosted our first YouCAN day in March this year […]
ALL SAINTS A spectacular sunrise marked today’s celebration of All Saints, the day we remember and give thanks for all those who have gone before us, witnessing with lives of holiness to the holiness of God to which we are all called. As the sun rose into a low band of stratus cloud, it shone […]
JUBILEE STUDY DAY 12 October 2024 This year we wanted our annual study day with oblates and friends to reflect the 400th Jubilee. So we were delighted when Dr Jacob Riyeff, who teaches at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, accepted our invitation to speak to us on the writings of Dame Gertrude More (1606-33), our […]
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth, And justice look down from heaven. Psalm 84(85) Sr Stephen has been gathering in the apple harvest – a good crop this year, including the Lord Lambournes shown in the photograph. Rather than one large orchard, we have several micro-orchards in the monastery grounds in sheltered, well-drained spots which […]
On 1 October Sr Laurentia led a webinar on Benedictine prayer. This was part of CAFOD’s series of webinars from different traditions during the Year of Prayer (2024) in preparation for the Church’s Jubilee in 2025, ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. Participants engaged thoughtfully with the story of the prophet Elijah and the call to us to […]
Celebration Mass at Colwich Abbey On Sunday 22 September Mother Abbess Anna, Dame Theresa Mary, Dame Benedict and Dame Davina attended a Mass at St Mary’s Abbey, Colwich to mark with thanksgiving the one hundred and eighty-six years the Benedictine community of Our Lady of Good Hope lived at Colwich. The Mass was celebrated by […]
JUBILEE PILGRIMAGE to FOUNTAINS ABBEY Ist party: Weds 18 Sept 2nd party: Mon 23 Sept Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, had long been on our list of desirable places to visit, and, through the generous offices of the National Trust we have at last been able to make a pilgrimage to the world-famous site during our […]