We have almost lost and forgotten the significance of this difficult affliction, although it is ever more evident in our lives. In one way, it hides behind pride, because it has something of the nature of pride and is close to it. And yet, it is distinct and needs to be attended to.
Author Archives: Bethlehem Abbey
The Eighth Afflictive Thought – Pride
With Pride we reach the conclusion of our series of teachings on the eighth afflictive thoughts. Or rather, not the end, but hopefully, the beginning of the continuation of our work moving these thoughts aside – as often as these thoughts arise within me I need to apply the tools which I have learnt…
Mary, Model and Teacher
While we rightly think of St Bernard of Clairvaux as leading the way amongst the Cistercian Fathers in writing and teaching in praise of Mary, the other Cistercians know well how to reflect on Mary’s mystery for us. In particular Blessed Guerric of Igny, whose sermons take us through the…
Mark 4:24-34 – The Kingdom of God
The subject of the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of heaven as it is sometimes called in Scripture, is one of the most perplexing terms and realities that the Gospels throw at us, and yet nothing could be more central to Christ’s preaching and work – it is the banner headline…
Running Away – Jonah
There is one more story for us to consider in this initial overview of vocation accounts. One of the shortest books in Sacred Scripture it has become one of the most memorable, both in its own right and because Christ himself mentions it in a rather disparaging comment on the people of his…
15th May – St Pachomius, Monk and Founder
Today we celebrate St Pachomius, an Egyptian monk who put “community” at the heart of the monastic life, and ask his blessing on all our varied virtual and concrete communities.
The Mysteries of Light – Lectio With Mary
With these words of Blessed Bartolo Longo, the apostle of the Rosary, Pope Saint John Paul II ended his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary) (2002), a meditation both personal and ecclesial – it marked the beginning of the 25th year of his pontificate and also opened…
Mark 4:10-12; 21-23 – Listen, you who have ears!
The parable of the sower and Christ’s explanation, which we considered in last week’s lectio divina, is broken up by comments which Christ makes about his own style of teaching, and how his teaching is to be received and passed on. Now, the Teacher is instructing us on how we should carry on his work, and what is the groundwork necessary for our preaching and teaching.
8th May – Blessed Christian de Chergé OCSO and Companions, Martyrs of Tibhirine
“If it should happen one day – and it could be today – that I become a victim of the terrorism which now seems ready to engulf all the foreigners living in Algeria, I would like my community, my Church and my family to remember that my life was GIVEN to God…”
Mark 4:1-9; 13-20 – The Parable of the Sower
As we have noted before, Christ is the master of the teaching story form which is the parable, and his parables have rightly become unforgettable. And this is exactly as it should be – the parable aims to stick in our memory, to be hard to dislodge. If it were an annoying…
Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey, Portglenone 