Born in Hungary, Margaret of Wessex was the daughter of the English Prince Edward in exile and his wife Agatha. Margaret became the queen of Scotland from 1070 to 1093 as the wife of Malcom III. Chroniclers depicted her as a strong, pure Christian of noble character, who had great influence over her husband, theContinue reading “Queen Margaret of Scotland”
Tag Archives: christianity
A “Parable of Communion”
Mike and I just spent three weeks in France. On the last Sunday of our vacation in France, my Cornerstone sister Judy took us to Taizé, an ecumenical monastic community in rural Burgundy, currently comprised of about 80 brothers: Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, and Orthodox men from about thirty countries around the world. The community wasContinue reading “A “Parable of Communion””
Preparing Our Hearts and Bodies
From the Rule So, brethren, we have asked the Lord who is to dwell in His tent, and we have heard His commands to anyone who would dwell there; . . . Therefore we must prepare our hearts and our bodies to do battle under the holy obedience of His commands. (RSB Prologue, Part 6)Continue reading “Preparing Our Hearts and Bodies”
Saint James the Apostle
Saint James, also known as the Apostle James or James the Greater, was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. He was the brother of John the Evangelist. As the two worked with their father mending their nets in a fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus called them to become “fishers of men.” The nickname JesusContinue reading “Saint James the Apostle”
The Holy Spirit
Pentecost Excerpted from A Confirmation of Faith: Chap. 8 The Holy Spirit You may have experienced the Holy Spirit. You may be singing a familiar hymn in church, and you are moved by the words that suddenly have a deeper meaning than you realized previously. You are sitting by a river in a beautiful valley and areContinue reading “The Holy Spirit”
Vows
From the Rule: “Those who are to be received shall make a promise before all in the oratory of their stability, their reformation of life, and their obedience . . .” (RSB 58). Reflection from Praying with Saint Benedict: Three promises are made when novices take their vows: stability, obedience, and reformation of life. (Other translationsContinue reading “Vows”
Ascension
“Ascension” by Malcolm Guite We saw his light break through the cloud of gloryWhilst we were rooted still in time and placeAs earth became a part of Heaven’s storyAnd heaven opened to his human face.We saw him go and yet we were not partedHe took us with him to the heart of thingsThe heart thatContinue reading “Ascension”
Atonement
Excerpted and edited from A Confirmation of Faith (Resource/Wipf & Stock) What is the meaning of Christ’s death? might be a question we ask ourselves as we approach Good Friday. On the one hand, traditional Christian teaching has been that Christ was our substitute on the cross to atone for the sins that we, God’s rebellious creatures, haveContinue reading “Atonement”
Lenten Reassurance
“Seven times in the day,” Benedict writes, quoting the psalmist, “I have rendered praise to You” (Ps. 119:164). In Chapters 17 and 18 of the Rule, Benedict goes on to specify the order of psalms to be said at the smaller offices throughout the day: Terce (mid-morning), Sext (mid-day) and None (mid-afternoon). “At Terce, SextContinue reading “Lenten Reassurance”
Epiphany
The Christian feast of Epiphany primarily commemorates the visit of the Magi to the Christ child, which in turn represents Christ’s physical manifestation to the Gentiles. It is also sometimes called Three Kings’ Day or Little Christmas. In the Orthodox Church, Epiphany is known as Theophany and commemorates Christ’s baptism by John in the Jordan River.Continue reading “Epiphany”
Improbable Benedictine 