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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani Abbey
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261027
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261028
DTSTAMP:20261025T032513Z
CREATED:20261025T032513Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261025T032513Z
UID:15738-1793059200-1793145599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Office for Vocations
DESCRIPTION:A letter from Fr Jean-Pierre de Caussade to\nA RELIGIOUS SISTER 3\n◊◊◊\nWhen you have neither time nor inclination to read\, try to keep yourself\nsimply in peace in the presence of God… Humble yourself with the\nconsideration of the inefficacy of your own resolutions\, and look upon yourself\nas having so far done nothing. The less confidence you place in yourself\, the\nmore easy will it become to have entire confidence in the mercy of God alone\,\nthrough the merits of Jesus Christ. This is that solid and perfect confidence\nwhich completely annihilates self-love by withdrawing all those resources upon\nwhich it was accustomed to rely. There could be nothing more salutary for some\nsouls than this kind of martyrdom… \nThe more these sacrifices touch us to the quick\, and the more they make\nus die to ourselves\, and detach us from all consolation\, and sensible support\, the\ncloser they draw us to God and unite us to Him. This union is all the more\nmeritorious in being hidden and further out of the range of the senses. Self-love\,\ntherefore\, has no share in it\, since it cannot feed on what it can neither know nor\nfeel… \nYou must remember that in almost everyone there is such a depth of selflove\, \nweakness and misery\, that it would be impossible for us to recognize any\ngift of God in ourselves without being exposed to spoil and corrupt it by\nimperceptible feelings of self-complacency. In this way we appropriate as our\nown the graces of God\, and are pleased with ourselves for being in such or such a\nstate… Therefore\, God\, seeing the innermost recesses of the heart\, and being\ninfinitely jealous of His glory\, is obliged…to convince us\, by our own experience\,\nof our utter weakness. It is for this purpose that He conceals from us nearly all\nHis gifts and graces… \nFor my part I can bear witness to this constant action of divine\nProvidence. God has so completely hidden from those who have appealed to me\,\nthe gifts and graces with which he has loaded them\, that they cannot see their\nown progress\, nor their patience\, humility and abandonment\, nor even their\nlove of God… They can hardly help weeping at the supposed absence of these\nvirtues and at their want of generosity in their sufferings… God withdraws what\nHe had given\, but He does not take it away to deprive us of it absolutely. He\nwithdraws it to give it back in a better way\, after it has been purified from this\nmalicious appropriation made by us without our perceiving it… \nIn this terrible state\, one simple “Fiat\,” uttered very earnestly in spite of\nthe repugnance experienced in the soul\, is an assurance of real and solid\nprogress. Then there remains nothing but bare faith in God\, that is to say\, an\nobscure faith despoiled of all sensible devotion\, and residing in the will… “We\ndraw near to God by faith\,”… “The just man lives by faith.” All this ought to\nconvince you that it is not in anger but in mercy and in very great mercy that\nGod deprives you more than others. It is because He is more jealous of the\npossession of your whole heart and all your confidence… \n3\nJean-Pierre de Caussade. Abandonment to Divine Providence. St. Louis\, MO: B. Herder Book Company\, 1921. 192-193.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/office-for-vocations-3/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261028
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261029
DTSTAMP:20261025T033017Z
CREATED:20261025T033017Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261025T033017Z
UID:15740-1793145600-1793231999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:SS Simon & Jude
DESCRIPTION:A reading from\nST JOHN HENRY NEWMAN 4\n◊◊◊\nThe Apostles commemorated on this Festival direct our attention to the\nsubject of Zeal. St Simon is called Zealot\, which means the Zealous; a title given\nhim (as is supposed) from his belonging before his conversion to the Jewish sect\nof Zealots\, which professed extraordinary Zeal for the Law… St Jude’s Epistle\,\nwhich forms part of the service of the day\, is almost wholly upon the duty of\nmanifesting Zeal for Gospel Truth\, and opens with a direct exhortation to\n“contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints.” \nIt will be a more simple account of Zeal\, to call it the earnest desire for\nGod’s honor\, leading to strenuous and bold deeds in His behalf; and that in spite\nof all obstacles. Now Zeal is one of the elementary religious qualifications; that\nis\, one of those which are essential in the very notion of a religious man. A man\ncannot be said to be in earnest in religion\, till he magnifies his God and Savior;\ntill he so far consecrates and exalts the thought of Him in his heart\, as an object\nof praise\, and adoration\, and rejoicing\, as to be pained and grieved at dishonor\nshown to Him\, and eager to avenge Him. In a word\, a religious temper is one of\nloyalty towards God; and we all know what is meant by being loyal from the\nexperience of civil matters. \nTo be loyal is not merely to obey; but to obey with promptitude\, energetic\ndutifulness\, disinterested devotion\, disregard of consequences. And such is\nZeal\, except that it is ever attended with that reverential feeling which is due\nfrom a creature and a sinner towards his Maker\, and towards Him alone. \nIt is the main principle in all religious service to love God above all things;\nnow\, Zeal is to love Him above all other people\, above our dearest and most\nintimate friends. This was the special praise of the Levites\, which gained for\nthem the reward of the Priesthood\, that is\, their executing judgment on the\npeople in the sin of the golden calf. Zeal is the very consecration of God’s\nMinisters to their office. \nAccordingly our Blessed Savior\, the One Great High Priest\, the Antitype\nof all Priests who went before Him and the Lord and Strength of all who come\nafter\, began His manifestation of Himself by two acts of Zeal. When twelve years\nold he deigned to put before us in representation the sacredness of this duty\,\nwhen He remained in the Temple “while His father and mother sought Him\nsorrowing\,” and on their finding Him\, returned answer\, “Do you not know that\nI must be about My Father’s business?” \nAnd again\, at the opening of His public Ministry\, He went into the\nTemple\, and “made a scourge of small cords\, and drove out the sheep and\noxen\, and overthrew the changers’ tables” that profaned it: thus fulfilling the\nprophecy contained in the text\, “Zeal for your house has eaten me up.” Being\nthus consumed by Zeal Himself\, no wonder He should choose His followers\nfrom among the Zealous. \n4 “Christian Zeal\,” in Parochial and Plain Sermons\, San Francisco: Ignatius Press\, 1987\, pp. 464 ff.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/ss-simon-jude-2/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261029
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261030
DTSTAMP:20261025T033523Z
CREATED:20261025T033523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261025T033523Z
UID:15742-1793232000-1793318399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Weekday
DESCRIPTION:A reading from\nST BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX 5\n◊◊◊\n“Our bed is covered with flowers; the beams of our houses are\nof cedar\, the paneling of cypress.” She is singing her marriage-song\,\ndescribing in beautiful language the marriage bed and bridal suite. She invites\nthe bridegroom to repose: for the better thing is to remain at ease and be with\nChrist; but necessity drives one forth to help those who are to be saved. So now\nwhen she feels that the opportunity presents itself\, she announces that the\nbridal suite has been furnished\, and pointing to the bed with her finger she\ninvited\, as I have said\, the Beloved to rest there. Like the disciples on the way to\nEmmaus she cannot contain the ardor in her heart\, but entices him to be the\nguest of her soul\, compels him to spend the night with her. With Peter she says:\n“Lord it is good for us to be here.” \nLet us now seek the spiritual content of these words. And indeed in the\nChurch the ‘bed’ where one reposes is\, in my opinion\, the cloisters and\nmonasteries\, where one lives undisturbed by the cares of the world and the\nanxieties of life. This bed is seen to be adorned with flowers when the conduct\nand life of the brothers brightly reflect the examples and rules of the Fathers\, as\nif strewn with sweet smelling flowers. \nBy ‘houses’ understand the ordinary communities of Christians. Those\nwho enjoy high office\, the Christian leaders of both orders\, strongly bind them\ntogether with laws justly imposed\, as beams bind the walls\, lest living by their\nown law and will\, they should fall apart from each other like tilting walls and\ntottering fences\, and thus the whole building fall to the ground and be\ndestroyed. \nThe paneling however\, which is firmly attached to the beams\, and\nimpressively adds to the beauty of the house\, seems to me to designate the\ncourteous and disciplined behavior of a well-trained clergy\, who carry out their\nduties correctly. For how shall the clerical orders stand and fulfill their duties\nunless they are sustained\, as by beams\, by the beneficence and munificence of\nthose who govern and protect by their power? \nSince the beams are described as cedar and the paneling as cypress\, these\ntimbers must possess natural properties that liken them to the aforesaid orders.\nThe cedar\, an incorruptible and fragrant wood of great height\, sufficiently\nindicates the qualities of the men who ought to be selected for the role of beams.\nHence it is necessary that those who are appointed over others should be strong\nand reliable\, tenacious in hope\, their mind directed to supernatural truths\,\nradiating everywhere the good odor of their faith and conduct. With the Apostle\nthey can say: We are the incense offered by Christ to God in every place.\nThe cypress too\, a wood that is equally incorruptible and fragrant\, shows\nthat every cleric ought to be of unblemished life and faith\, that he may be seen as\nan ornamental paneling for the beauty of the house. For it is written: “Holiness\nbefits your house\, O Lord\, for evermore\,” which expresses both the beauty of\nvirtue and the constancy of unfailing grace. It is necessary therefore that the\nman who is chosen for the adornment and beauty of the house should have an\nexcellent moral character\, and though living always within\, nevertheless be well\nthought of by those outside. \n5\n(CF7: 241-242). \n 
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/weekday-31/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261030
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261031
DTSTAMP:20261025T034103Z
CREATED:20261025T034103Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261025T034103Z
UID:15744-1793318400-1793404799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Weekday
DESCRIPTION:A reading from “The Golden Epistle” by\nWILLIAM OF ST THIERRY 6\n◊◊◊\nThe apostle enumerates the kinds of prayer in a certain order:\nsupplications\, prayers\, petitions and thanksgiving. Petition is what we put in the\nfirst place and it is concerned with obtaining temporal benefits and what is\nnecessary for this life. When a man makes petition God indeed approves his\ngood will but he follows his own better judgment and enables the one who\nmakes petition in the right spirit to acquiesce in his will. \nIt is of this that the Psalmist says: “My prayer is still for what pleases\nthem.” That is to say\, what pleases even godless men\, for all people alike\, but\nespecially the children of this world\, desire the tranquility of peace\, bodily\nhealth\, good weather and whatever else contributes to a right use of this life and\nthe satisfying of its needs\, even indeed what serves the pleasure of those who\nmake ill use of life. Those who in faith make their petitions for these intentions\,\nalthough they only ask for them to meet their needs\, none the less always submit\ntheir will in this respect to the will of God. \nSupplication is a troubled and insistent turning to God during one’s\nspiritual exercises\, in which to add fresh knowledge before grace comes to the\nassistance is to add fresh pain. Prayer is the affection of a person who clings to\nGod\, a certain familiar and devout conversation\, a state in which the\nenlightened mind enjoys God as long as it is permitted. \nThanksgiving is an unwearied and undistracted attention of the good will\nto God in understanding and knowledge of God’s grace\, even if sometimes\noutward activity or interior affection is either non-existent or sluggish. It is of\nthis that the apostle says: “Praiseworthy intentions are always ready to hand\,\nbut I cannot find my way to the performance of them.” As if to say: good will\nindeed is always present\, but at times it is ineffective because although I seek to\nperform some good work I do not find the means. This is charity which never\nfails. \nIt is the uninterrupted prayer or thanksgiving of which the Apostle says:\n“Pray without interruption and give thanks at all times.” For it is a certain\nunchanging goodness of the mind and of the well-ordered spirit and a certain\nresemblance to the goodness of their Father\, God\, on the part of God’s children.\nIt prays for everyone always and gives thanks for everything. It continually\npours itself out before God in as many kinds of prayer or thanksgiving as its\ndevout affection finds occasion in its needs or consolations\, and also in sharing\nits neighbor’s pains or joys. It is constantly absorbed in thanksgiving because to\nbe in such a state is to be always in the joy of the Holy Spirit. \n6 The Golden Epistle – William of St Thierry – Cistercian Fathers Series #12 – Cistercian Publications – Kalamazoo\,\nMI – 1971 – pg 70.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/weekday-32/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261031
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261101
DTSTAMP:20261025T034528Z
CREATED:20261025T034528Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261025T034528Z
UID:15746-1793404800-1793491199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Memorial of The BVM
DESCRIPTION:A reading from the missionary letters of\nST NIKOLAI VELIMIROVICH 7\n◊◊◊\nYou write to me with exhilaration how the Mother of God appeared to you\nand how you are now on the sure path of faith. Your little daughter was in bed\nwith a terrible fever. You called for a number of doctors. They examined the girl\nand went to the other room to assess the situation. You listened in to their\nconversation with trembling. One of them said that she might be saved if the\nailing girl could perspire. Others considered it was too late even for that.\nIn desperation\, you wrung your hands and cried. Over the child’s bed was\nan icon of the Theotokos. Until that moment\, you saw that icon more as a\ndecoration of the house\, not a necessity. But in that desperate hour\, you kneeled\nbefore the icon and choking with tears\, you cried out to the Mother of God…\nAfter long prayer and sobbing\, you looked at the icon and you saw tears in the\nVirgin’s eyes. \nA moment after that\, you looked at your child and she was all in sweat.\nThe day after\, she sat up and ate\, and soon after that she was completely\nrecovered. Thanks be to the Holy Theotokos. And thank you for sharing this.\nOur faith is founded upon experience\, not on self-willed judgments and\ntheories… \nLast winter\, we had a case like this happen also. The daughter of a poor\nwidow was gravely ill. For a month\, she was out of her senses and did not say a\nword. All hope was lost. The grieving mother started collecting money for the\nfuneral items. One evening\, the mother was sitting by the deathbed of her\ndaughter and crying quietly. Suddenly\, without opening her eyes\, the girl said\,\n“Do not cry mother. Take me to Kalishte tomorrow and I will get well. That’s\nwhat my Heavenly Mother said to me. She is now standing by me!” The shocked\nmother was quivering. The next day she took the sick girl to the Monastery of the\nHoly Theotokos at Kalishte\, and brought her back healthy. \nBut were there only two instances of this happening; or three or ten?\nThere is no number and no end of the appearances and intercessions of the\nTheotokos. Saint Seraphim of Sarov…said that the Mother of God personally\nappeared to him six times during his life. And if the whole of this quiet people\nwhich considers all those heavenly visions to be its precious and sweet secret —\nif all of them would open their mouth and speak of all they have seen\, the earth\nwould be filled with amazement. \nBelieve me\, when one enters the knowledge of the working and appearing\nof the heavenly world in our earthly life\, one feels like he has entered a new\nboundless and unstudied kingdom of a most wondrous reality. Into that\ndarkness for the worldly eyes\, the soul can enter only with the lit torches of faith\nand love\, according to the wondrous words of the Apostle Paul\, “may Christ by\nfaith move into your hearts\, that you may be rooted and grounded in love\, so\nthat you may later understand what is width and length and depth and height.”\nAnd you ought to thank God and His Mother that your spiritual sight was open.\nDo not blind it with sin and carelessness anymore. May God always help you. \n7 Saint Nikolai Velimirovich. Missionary Letters of Saint Nikolai Velimirovich – Part 1. Trans. Hierodeacon Serafim.\nGrayslake\, IL: New Gracanica Monastery\, 2008. 120-122.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/memorial-of-the-bvm-4/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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