monastery
Let God Find You In the Stillness – Holy Saturday Reflection
Today is the only day in the liturgical calendar that we have no celebration of the Eucharist. So, how shall we worship God today? It will take great courage to remain in the restlessness of today. It will be tempting to jump ahead to tomorrow. Don’t, for this is a Holy Saturday. Wrestle with the…
Jesus Wept For You – Good Friday Reflection
Today is the quietest day in seminary, not only because it is a scheduled silent retreat, but also because we are caught up in our own sinfulness. On this day more than any other, I am confronted with the fact of my sinfulness, with all the times that I put myself ahead of Jesus. The…
God’s Extravagant Love – Reflection by Fr. Brendan
When children want to express the extravagance of their love for their parents, or someone dear to them, they often extend their arms as wide as possible and cry out: “I love you this much!” That simple gesture suggests a child’s love for her parent far exceeds the width of their extended arms and even…
Judas’ Question – Reflection by Paul B.
“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Judas asks Jesus in today’s Gospel reading. Isn’t this question, almost declaration, what we ask each time we refuse to recognize the wrong we do? “It’s not that bad,” we assert, “I’m not really messing up.” This, however, is a lack of humility. But humility is the first step…
Hispanic Ministry Weekend: Un Fin de Semana en Fotos – A weekend in pictures
This past weekend, the seniors took another trip, this time to Our Lady of the Americas Parish in Des Moines, Iowa to experience a taste of Hispanic immersion, ministry, and some comida muy buena (very good food). Our Lady of the Americas is a community of predominantly Spanish speakers where Padre Enrique Garcia, a…
A Cristo hay que predicarlo con toda su intensidad! – Bilingual reflection by Emmanuel G.
La pasión y muerte de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, nos dirige a considerar dos cosas: la maldad de los hombres que estaban empeñados en acabar con el Justo, y el amor infinito de Jesús. El pecado es la entrada del hombre hacia la muerte, sin embargo, cuanto más grande y perseverante es la malicia del hombre,…
Palm Sunday Celebration: Holy Week Begins
Holy Week has officially kicked off at Conception Abbey and Seminary College! United with the Universal Church, the seminarians of Conception Seminary College, the monks of Conception Abbey, and a good number of guests (including RCIA candidates on retreat) celebrated Palm Sunday Mass. On a relatively cool, but sunny morning, Palm Sunday of the Lord’s…
An Invitation to Holy Week – by Ben Snyder
Come, let us join Mary at the feet of Christ. Let us not count the cost of our love. Let us run to our Lord for the days are coming when we re-enter the horrors of the Passion. For now, let us take the ointment from our fasting and prayer this season and offer it…
Palm Sunday Reflection: “I will draw all people to myself” By: Father Peter
This is the week spring begins; the moon is full, and it is time again to celebrate our passing over with the Lord. On Palm Sunday, we bless palm branches and hear the account of Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem amid cries of “Hosanna.” Yet the excitement of the liturgy ends with the procession. Then…
Ite ad Joseph – Go to Joseph
Guardian of the Holy Family Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Scripture reveals that the Saint was a righteous man. Learning of his wife’s conceived child before they had lived together, he decided to divorce the Blessed Virgin quietly, to avoid exposing her to shame. Despite…