We are now into the third week of Lent. All the good intentions we began the season with for prayer, fasting and almsgiving may be holding true, or yet again, they may have become a little wobbly. This is where the liturgy can feed and strengthens us in our human frailty. St Benedict calls the […]
Introduction This week I have been reading chapters 5-7 of St Paul’s letter to the Romans, and am just beginning chapter 8. I have continued the same method of slowly reading through this letter in the Jerusalem Bible. Just before the start of chapter 5, there is a big heading, ‘SALVATION’. This indicates the beginning […]
Transfiguration – the end of the journey Why is our Lenten trek through the Desert interrupted at this point, just twelve days after we set out? Last week Jesus was in the wilderness, now he is seen transfigured on a mountain top. What’s going on? On any journey, especially one that is long and arduous, […]
Introduction As you know, I have been given St Paul’s letter to the Romans as my Lent Book. This means I will be taking it for my daily lectio divina every day throughout Lent. We do at least 30 minutes of lectio each day, but this Lent I am extending it to 40 minutes. Lectio […]
1st Sunday of Lent Year A 22 February 2026 St Benedict in his Rule reminds us that we are in a fight, that the community is a battle line and that we need weapons. By being human, let alone monastic, we are already in a fight, one that started in the garden of Eden. […]
At 3.40pm the bell rings and we begin to make our way to the Chapter House, taking seats in a circle around the room, with our Abbess, Sr Anna, at the desk at the head. She offers us a short conference to encourage us through Lent, then begins the distribution of Lent books. If I […]
Ash Wednesday On the first day of Lent, my true love sent to me, ground ash and a fast that left me hungry… Yet, St Benedict mentions ‘joy’ twice in the chapter of the Rule about Lent (RB 49). Today is the only feria in the Church’s year when we have three readings and a […]
Saint Scholastica Scholastica was the sister of St Benedict of Nursia and is revered as the patron saint of Benedictine nuns. She was born about the year 480 in Nursia, the modern Norcia, in Italy and her death is given as the 10th February 547. There is little evidence about her life, apart from the […]
The Rule of St Benedict says that during Lent each monk should be given a book from the library which he is to read straight through (RB48:15). Most monasteries still observe this precept, with varying customs surrounding the nature, selection and distribution of these books. At Stanbrook it has been the practice for a good […]
On January 1st we celebrate at least four things: Today is the Octave Day of Christmas. The event of the Incarnation, of Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine, being born in time, is too mind-blowing to celebrate for just one day, so the Church celebrates for a whole week to allow us to enter […]
From the beginning the Word was of that eternity which had no beginning; we have heard him promised from the beginning of time; we have seen and touched with our hands the one who is now shown to us at the end of time. Sometimes I have noticed that God’s words arouse no interest when […]
Behold, I am doing a new thing; even now it is coming to light… Isaiah 43: 19 In the fullness of time, God sent his Son, born of a woman, that we might become his adopted children. Galatians 4: 4 The Incarnation of Jesus Christ is ‘the only new thing under the sun.’ […]