The First Sunday of Advent 2024 sees new Scripture readings at Mass. Although the Bible verses used haven’t changed, some of the words have. Some people will think, ‘About time, too,’ while others will complain that there was nothing wrong with the old readings. The reasons for the change go to the nature of the …
The Annunciation celebrates Christ’s Incarnation. Every year we celebrate The Annunciation on 25th March. This year (2024), however, we don’t; instead we celebrate The Annunciation on 8th April. We also postponed The Annunciation in 2013, 2016, and 2018, and shall do so again in 2027, 2029, 2032, and 2035. In each of these years, March …
The O Antiphons refers to the Magnificat antiphons at Vespers during the last week of Advent. This is the culmination of the Advent time of preparation for Christmas. Advent is divided into two unequal parts. The first part looks forward to the second coming of Christ at the end of time, whereas the second part …
How many days are there in Lent? We all know that – it’s 40. Or is it? Lent starts on Ash Wednesday. There are four days before the First Sunday of Lent, then six weeks of Lent. That gives 46 days, not 40. But Sundays don’t count, so if we take off the six Sundays, …
Towards the end of September I put a message on this website saying it would be offline for a few days. It is now Christmas and the website is only just back online. In Psalm 89 we pray, ‘To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch …
22nd-27th August 2022 Why do monks need to go on retreat? Surely their whole life is one of prayer? The purpose of the monastic life is to search for God. When a Novice or Junior monk applies to make temporary or solemn profession, the letter to the Abbot states, ‘I … desiring to seek God …
Feasts this Week
All are memoria unless otherwise stated.
Sunday Cycle: Year A
Weekday Cycle: Year 2
Week beginning 30th August August 2026
Sunday
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
St Gregory the Great, pope and doctor (Feast)
Friday
St Cuthbert, bishop
Saturday
Daily Reading from the Rule of St Benedict
THE PROLOGUE continued
SO clothed with faith and the practice of good works, let us travel along his ways under the guidance of the Gospel, that we may deserve to see him who has called us into his kingdom. If we want to make our home in that kingdom, we shall never get there unless we run to it by good works.
And now let us ask the Lord a question with the prophet and say to him: ‘Lord, who shall sojourn in thy tent? Who shall dwell on thy holy hill?’ (Ps. 14). After asking this question, brothers, let us listen to the Lord when he gives the answer and shows us the way to his tent: ‘He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth from his heart; who does not slander with his tongue, and does no evil to his friend, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbour.’ And when the wicked devil makes any suggestion to him, he casts him and his promptings from the sight of his heart, and so brings him to naught; then seizing the thoughts in their infancy he dashes them on Christ. We must be men who fear the Lord and do not think highly of themselves because of their good observance, but reckoning that the good that is in them is not due to themselves but is the work of the Lord, they give praise to the greatness of the Lord who works in them and say with the prophet, ‘Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name give glory’ (Ps. 113). So it was that the apostle Paul did not attribute any of the success of his preaching to himself, but said, ‘By the grace of God I am what I am’ (1 Cor. 15). And again he said, ‘He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord’ (2 Cor. 10).
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The First Sunday of Advent 2024 sees new Scripture readings at Mass. Although the Bible verses used haven’t changed, some of the words have. Some people will think, ‘About time, too,’ while others will complain that there was nothing wrong with the old readings. The reasons for the change go to the nature of the …
The Annunciation celebrates Christ’s Incarnation. Every year we celebrate The Annunciation on 25th March. This year (2024), however, we don’t; instead we celebrate The Annunciation on 8th April. We also postponed The Annunciation in 2013, 2016, and 2018, and shall do so again in 2027, 2029, 2032, and 2035. In each of these years, March …
The O Antiphons refers to the Magnificat antiphons at Vespers during the last week of Advent. This is the culmination of the Advent time of preparation for Christmas. Advent is divided into two unequal parts. The first part looks forward to the second coming of Christ at the end of time, whereas the second part …
How many days are there in Lent? We all know that – it’s 40. Or is it? Lent starts on Ash Wednesday. There are four days before the First Sunday of Lent, then six weeks of Lent. That gives 46 days, not 40. But Sundays don’t count, so if we take off the six Sundays, …
Towards the end of September I put a message on this website saying it would be offline for a few days. It is now Christmas and the website is only just back online. In Psalm 89 we pray, ‘To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch …
22nd-27th August 2022 Why do monks need to go on retreat? Surely their whole life is one of prayer? The purpose of the monastic life is to search for God. When a Novice or Junior monk applies to make temporary or solemn profession, the letter to the Abbot states, ‘I … desiring to seek God …