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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251230
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251231
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20251228T133001Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251228T133001Z
UID:14431-1767052800-1767139199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - 6th Day in the Octave
DESCRIPTION:THE SANCTIFICATION OF HUMANITY \nFrom “Faith and Theology” by Fr Marie-Dominique Chenu \n◊◊◊ \nI am afraid that sometimes we think of the Gospel as being operative only \non a pious plane far removed from earthly conditions\, on the assumption that \nthe evangelical message would be uncomfortable in the midst of mundane \nthings. And so we hesitate to use the leaven in life’s ordinary bread lest its purity \nbe contaminated. \nIf that is our attitude then we do not really believe in the Gospel at all. We \ndo not believe that it is for our humanity that God became flesh! We do not \nbelieve that the divine life can be lived by a person of flesh and bone… But this is \na basic misunderstanding of the plan of Christ\, for Christ saves humanity\, not by \nplacing us in a heaven apart\, but by becoming one of us. In other words\, \nsalvation is not to be found in the denial of human nature\, since God himself \ntook on human nature in order to save humankind. \nThe plan according to which divine life was given to us through the \nincarnation can be stated in this way: God\, in becoming a man\, submitted to all \nthe earthly conditions of human existence; if any of those conditions had been \nomitted\, if any exceptions had been made\, God would not have fully assumed \nhuman nature. The sanctification of humanity follows the same law. It is not an \nexterior sanctification accomplished by pious intentions; it is a profound \npermeation of the depth of our being and of our deepest aspirations by a sap \nwhich flows through the channel of our cares\, our labors\, our institutions. This \nis the incarnation. And if anyone wants an example of grace functioning at the \nhuman level let us consider human love — the encounter of spirit and flesh. \nHere\, at least\, one would expect the divine life to remain reserved and detached \nin its own pure isolation. But look what Christ has done! He made marriage a \nsacrament\, so that its functioning and its needs belong to the divine life. \nIn divine as in human life we have no use for a love that excludes the \nburden of the body and what it involves\, for such would be a false love without \nroots in earth and consequently without fruit in heaven. When God wills that \nfraternal love should find a place in our ordinary daily life he also wills that the \nmaterial bases of that life be included in the concerns of love — though\, in fact\, \nwe have made these material bases the sources of conflict and war. For even God \nmust respect the laws of love.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-6th-day-in-the-octave/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251231
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260101
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20251228T133117Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251228T133117Z
UID:14433-1767139200-1767225599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - 7th Day in the Octave
DESCRIPTION:O SOUL OF MY SOUL \nBy St Elizabeth Ann Seton \n◊◊◊ \nHow often have I felt my soul awakened by your Light and warmed by the \nfire of your Love – then I approach you – I find you – but Alas instantly after\, I \nlose you; often I think myself received – then fear I am rejected – and in this \ncontinual change of interior dispositions I walk in darkness and often go astray \n– I desire and know not how to desire\, I love\, and know not how to love\, nor how \nto find what I love. \nThus my soul loses itself without ceasing to hope in you – It knows by its \nown experience that it desires much\, and is unable to do anything – you see its \ntrouble O lord – and in that happy moment when fatigued with so many \nvicissitudes it falls at last into entire diffidence of itself then you open its eyes \nand it sees the true way to Peace and Life – it knows you were nearer than it \nimagined – you instruct it all at once without Voice or Words\, it thinks only of \nwhat possesses it\, abandoning all things else it then possesses you – It sees \nwithout knowing what it sees\, it hears\, and is ignorant of what it hears\, it knows \nonly Who he is to whom it is attentive\, it contents itself with loving HIM\, it loves \nHim continually more and more – Words cannot express\, nor the mind \ncomprehend what it receives from you O MY GOD even in this place of \nBanishment. \nHow happy is that moment O divine Jesus! How pure is that Light\, how \nineffable is that communion of your Blessings! You know O Lord how precious \nthat gift is\, and your Creature that receives it knows also – Ah! if it were faithful\, \nif it never departed from you – if it knew how to preserve the Grace it had \nreceived\, how happy would it be! And yet this is but a drop of that infinite Ocean \nof Blessings which you are one day to communicate to it. \n\nO Soul of my Soul – what is my Soul and What Good can it have without \npossessing you – Life of my Life! What is my Life when I live not in you – Is it \npossible that my Heart is capable of possessing you – of enjoying you all alone – \nof extending and dilating itself in you – can your creature thus be elevated above \nitself to repose in your Breast\, and after that depart from you? Bury itself in the \nEarth? Ah Lord I know not what I ought to say to You: but hear the voice of your \nlove and of my misery; live always in me\, and let me live perpetually in You and \nfor You as I live only by You. \nEnlighten me\, O Divine Light! Conduct me\, O supreme Truth! Raise me \nagain\, O uncreated Life! Separate me from every thing that displeases you. \nSuffer me to remain at your Feet!
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-7th-day-in-the-octave/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260101
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260102
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20251228T133241Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251228T133241Z
UID:14435-1767225600-1767311999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - Mary \, Mother of God
DESCRIPTION:THE PERFECT CHRISTIAN \nFrom the book “Mary\, Mother of the Lord” by Fr Karl Rahner \n◊◊◊ \nWhat is perfect Christianity? Perfect Christianity must consist in \nreceiving this gift of the eternal God\, God himself\, in grace-given freedom\, with \nbody and soul and all the powers of the whole being\, with all one is and has\, all \none does and suffers\, so that this receiving of God takes up our entire nature and \nour whole life-history into the eternal life of God. Perfect Christianity must \nmean that our public and our private acts\, what appears publicly before the \nworld in its history\, and what takes place in the inner depths of conscience\, \nperfectly coincide and correspond. \nWhat occurs there in the depths of Christian life becomes visible\, and \nconversely\, what is visible and manifest\, truly mirrors what is taking place in the \ndepths of the soul\, in God’s presence. Christianity in its perfection must also \nmean that this Christian’s perfect Christianity unconditionally serves the \nsalvation of others\, and is only really perfect if it is actually devoted to all\, from \nthe beginning to the end of time. \nIf that is what perfect Christianity is\, then we can and must say that Mary \nis the actual realization of it\, the perfect Christian. If Christianity in its perfect \nform is the pure acceptance of the salvation of the eternal triune God that has \nappeared in Jesus Christ\, Mary is the perfect Christian\, the Christian human \nbeing exemplified as such\, because in the faith of her spirit and in her blessed \nwomb\, with body and soul\, then\, and all the powers of her being\, she received \nthe eternal Word of the Father. If perfect Christianity is the perfect \ncorrespondence between outward mission in the history of salvation and \npersonal life\, it is perfectly realized in Mary. She received visibly and tangibly \nthe Incarnate Word of the eternal Father\, and so she is the most significant and \nrepresentative figure among the merely human beings in the externally visible \nhistory of redemption. And at the same time she accepted fully and realized in \nher personal life her unique office in the economy of redemption\, with an \nabsolutely unconditional total consent in faith. \nIf Christianity is the radiating influence of one’s own grace in unselfish \nservice for the salvation of others\, Mary is the most perfect instance of what it \nmeans to be a Christian\, for it was the salvation of us all\, Jesus Christ our Lord\, \nwhom she conceived by the consent of her faith and in the physical reality of her \ndivine motherhood.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-mary-mother-of-god-4/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260102
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260103
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20251228T133402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251228T133402Z
UID:14437-1767312000-1767398399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - SS Basil & Gregory
DESCRIPTION:ST BASIL AND ST GREGORY \nFrom a treatise by St John Henry Newman \n◊◊◊ \nThe instruments raised up by Almighty God for the accomplishment of \nHis purposes are of two kinds\, equally gifted with faith and piety\, but from \nnatural temper and talent\, education\, or other circumstances\, differing in the \nmeans by which they promote their sacred cause. \nThe first of these are men of acute and ready mind\, with accurate \nknowledge of human nature\, and large plans\, and persuasive and attractive \nbearing\, genial\, sociable\, and popular\, endued with prudence\, patience\, \ninstinctive tact and decision in conducting matters\, as well as boldness and \nzeal… \nThere is an instrument in the hand of Providence\, of less elaborate and \nsplendid workmanship\, less rich in its political endowments\, so to call them\, yet \nnot less beautiful in its texture\, nor less precious in its material… Such\, perhaps\, \nwas Basil\, who issued from the solitudes of Pontus to rule like a king\, and \nminister like the lowest in the kingdom; yet to meet little but disappointment\, \nand to quit life prematurely in pain and sorrow. \nSuch was his friend\, the accomplished Gregory\, however different in \nother respects from him\, who left his father’s roof for an heretical city\, raised a \nchurch there\, and was driven back into retirement by his own people\, as soon as \nhis triumph over the false creed was secured… \nNo comparison is\, of course\, attempted here between the religious \nexcellence of the two descriptions of men; each of them serves God according to \n\nthe peculiar gifts given to him. If we might continue our instances by way of \ncomparison\, we should say that St Paul reminds us of the former\, and Jeremiah \nof the latter.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-ss-basil-gregory-3/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260103
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260104
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20251228T133519Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251228T133519Z
UID:14439-1767398400-1767484799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - Christmas Weekday
DESCRIPTION:TO SEEK AND DISCOVER \nFrom the book “Jesus Christ” by Fr Réné Voillaume \n◊◊◊ \nJesus appears in the world without giving any warning of his coming and \nwithout making known to any neighbor who he is. Had he come into the world \nin his house at Nazareth\, all his relatives would have made an event of his birth \nwith the neighbors and the other inhabitants of the town. He would have been \nheralded and celebrated. He would thus have allowed himself to behave well \nenough like a true little Nazarene\, but he would have been confiscated\, as it \nwere\, by his earthly family and his earthly country. \nQuite to the contrary\, he elects to be born away from home\, on a journey\, \namid an anonymous crowd; in this way\, he would really belong to everybody\, \nand could come quietly and discreetly\, with no tumult and excitement. God\, if \nhe had so wished\, could naturally have made all sorts of efforts to spread the \nnews abroad. And if any proof were needed of this\, one could point to his having \nmobilized the angels but contented himself with bringing a few poor shepherds \nto the manger. It is also clear from this that he could easily have brought the \nwhole of Jerusalem and all the just among the Israelites with pure and upright \nhearts\, worshipers of God and living in expectancy of the Messiah. And there \nwere in fact many of them\, all true friends of his\, in the country of Judea and \nGalilee! \nBut it is obvious that God did not wish to impose his Son: people must \ncome to him by seeking and discovering him. Even the shepherds and the Wise \nMen\, though warned personally\, had to search for him with the help of a sign \nwhich\, rather than leading them easily and directly to the manger\, was little \nmore than a suggestion to send them on their way. The shepherds must have \ngone to many houses and stables before they found the right babe wrapped in \nswaddling clothes. \nAs for the Magi\, they had to show some initiative in order to discover\, by \nthe normal means at their disposal\, the birthplace of the young king of Israel. \nJesus was infinitely discreet; he simply waited\, and such a way of appearing \ncould have made us somewhat impatient\, had it not been proved for centuries \nback that people have found in this very discretion a true sign of God. \nThat sign of weakness\, which draws people in spite of themselves\, makes \nthem surrender and acknowledge themselves outdone\, without Jesus ever \nhaving forced himself upon them in any way other than a certain presence — a \npresence that waits\, and invites\, and demonstrates God’s heaven in a humble \nmanner which gives hope and humility\, peace and love — just how\, one does not \nreally know! God is a master who knows how to go about speaking to us with the \nuse of the things of the earth — these various beings\, both animate and \ninanimate — and the events of human history.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-christmas-weekday-4/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260104
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260105
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260104T145534Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260104T145534Z
UID:14456-1767484800-1767571199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Skema
DESCRIPTION:Biblical Readings for Office and Mass\nEpiphany Week\n\n\nMass Readings: Sunday (A)\, Weekdays (II)\nJanuary 4 – 10\, 2026\n\n\n\nSun\n4\nMon\n5\nTue\n6\nWed\n7\nThu\n8\nFri\n9\nSat\n10\n\n\nOffice\nEpiphany of the Lord\nSt John Neumann\nWeekday after Epiphany\nWeekday after Epiphany\nWeekday after Epiphany\nWeekday after Epiphany\nSt William of Bourges\n\n\nVigils\nIsa 60:1-22\nIsa 54:1-17\nIsa 55:1-13\nIsa 56:1-8\nIsa 59:7-21\nBaruch 4:5-29\nBaruch 4:30-5:9\n\n\nLauds\nIsa 49:13-23\nIsa 63:7-9\nIsa 63:15-19\nIsa 64:4-11\nIsa 65:17-25\nIsa 66:10-14\nIsa 66:18-23\n\n\nMass\n20\n212\n213\n214\n215\n216\n217\n\n\n1st\nIsa 60:1-6\n1 John 3:22-4:6\n1 John 4:7-10\n1 John 4:11-18\n1 John 4:19-5:4\n1 John 5:5-13\n1 John 5:14-21\n\n\n2nd\nEph 3:2-3a\, 5-6\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGospel\nMatt 2:1-12\nMatt 4:12-17\, 23-25\nMark 6:34-44\nMark 6:45-52\nLuke 4:14-22a\nLuke 5:12-16\nJohn 3:22-30\n\n\nVespers\nRev 21:22-27\nCol 2:16-23\nCol 3:1-11\nCol 3:12-17\nCol 3:19-4:1\nCol 4:2-6\nCol 2:8-15
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/skema-139/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260104
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260105
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260104T145657Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260104T145657Z
UID:14458-1767484800-1767571199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - Epiphany of the Lord
DESCRIPTION:KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUE LIGHT \nFrom a commentary by St Leo the Great \n◊◊◊ \nDearly beloved\, the day on which Christ first showed himself to the \nGentiles as the Savior of the world should be held in holy reverence among us. \nWe should experience in our hearts the same joy as the three wise men felt when \nthe sign of the new star led them into the presence of the king of heaven and \nearth\, and they gazed in adoration upon the one in whose promised coming they \nhad put their faith. \nAlthough that day belongs to the past\, the power of the mystery which was \nthen revealed has not passed away; we are not left with a mere report of bygone \nevents\, to be received in faith and remembered with veneration. God’s bounty \ntowards us has been multiplied\, so that even in our own times we daily \nexperience the grace which belonged to those first beginnings. \nThe Gospel story specifically recalls the days when\, without any previous \nteaching from the prophets or instruction in the law\, three men came from the \nfar east in search of God; but we see the same thing taking place even more \nclearly and extensively in the enlightenment of all those whom God calls at the \npresent time. We see the fulfillment of that prophecy of Isaiah which says: The \nLord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all nations\, and the whole world \nhas seen the salvation that comes from the Lord our God. And again: Those \nwho have not been told about him shall see\, and those who have not heard \nshall understand. \nWhen we see the people being led out of the abyss of error and called to \nknowledge of the true light\, people who\, far from professing faith in Jesus \nChrist\, have hitherto devoted themselves to worldly wisdom\, we can have no \ndoubt that the splendor of divine grace is at work. Whenever a shaft of light \nnewly pierces darkened hearts\, its source is the radiance of that same star\, \nwhich impresses the souls it touches by the miracle of its appearance and leads \nthem forward to worship God. \nIf on the other hand we earnestly ask ourselves whether the same \nthreefold oblation is made by all who come to Christ in faith\, shall we not \ndiscover a corresponding gift offering in the hearts in the hearts of true \nbelievers? To acknowledge Christ’s universal sovereignty is in fact to bring out \ngold from the treasury of one’s soul; to believe God’s only Son has made himself \ntruly one with human nature is to offer myrrh\, and to declare that he is in no way \ninferior to the Father in majesty is to worship him with frankincense.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-epiphany-of-the-lord-3/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260105
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260106
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260104T145816Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260104T145816Z
UID:14460-1767571200-1767657599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - St John Neumann
DESCRIPTION:THE PROPOSAL TO \nGO TO AMERICA \nFrom the autobiography of St John Neumann \n◊◊◊ \nOn the feast of All Saints\, 1831\, I began the study of theology… I studied \nSacred Scripture\, Hebrew and Church History… At the end of the first year of \ntheology I was one of the few who were to receive Tonsure and the four Minor \nOrders. This actually took place on July 21\, 1832. \nIn the second year of theology we had the New Testament in Latin and \nGreek together with Exegesis and Canon Law. What appealed to me most were \nthe letters of the Apostle\, St Paul\, which the professor knew how to explain very \nwell. About this time I began to read the reports of the Leopoldine Society\, \nespecially the letters of Father Baraga and other missionaries among the \nGermans in North America. This is how there arose in one of my fellow \nstudents\, Adalbert Schmidt\, and in myself on the occasion of a walk along the \nMoldau River\, the determination to devote ourselves to North America as soon \nas we acquired some experience after ordination. \nTwo or three of our fellow students\, whom we invited to join us\, marvelled \nat our decision\, but they did not want to promise anything. Obviously\, it was not \ntheir vocation. From that moment on my resolution was so strong and lively \nthat I could no longer think of anything else. \nWe had talks on how to carry out our project. We thought it would be \nbetter for me to try to obtain from the bishop the recently vacated foundation \nscholarship at the University of Prague for a theologian from the seminary. We \ndid this in the hope of easily learning French and English there because we \nthought that the knowledge of these languages was much more important than \nis actually the case. The bishop granted my request\, but I found myself very \nmuch disappointed. I had hardly gone to the French classes at the Clementinum \nfor a few [days or weeks] when an order came from the archbishop that no \nseminarian was to attend these classes. As for English\, I could learn even less \nbecause that language was not taught at the University then. \nMeanwhile\, the bishop of Philadelphia\, Fr. Francis Patrick Kenrick \nempowered Dr. Raess\, the rector of the Strassburg seminary to accept young \npriests or\, even better\, theologians for his diocese. The latter wrote to a very \nsaintly priest\, who was Vicar of the Budweis Cathedral\, about the possibility of \ngetting some of them from Bohemia. Through a special disposition of divine \nprovidence this turned out to be the one (Father Hermann) who happened to be \nthe confessor of my friend Adalbert Schmidt and knew about our proposal to go \nto America. \nAside from three or four or our fellow students and him\, no one knew \nabout this. He was very happy to discover in us the first two that he found ready \nto go to America. The request to Dr. Raess and our decision seemed to be signs \nthat his plan would be feasible. Since the bishop\, who was over eighty\, was sick\, \nand since\, for four or five months\, there was no prospect that he would hold an \nordination\, he was all in favor of the two of us being ready to take off as soon as \npossible.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-st-john-neumann-3/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260106
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260107
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260104T145919Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260104T145919Z
UID:14462-1767657600-1767743999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:THE FESTIVAL \nOF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE \nFrom a homily by St Basil the Great \n◊◊◊ \nThe star came to rest over the place where the Child lay. When they saw it\, \nthe Wise Men were filled with great joy. Let us also welcome that joy of theirs \ninto our own hearts\, for it is the same as the glad tidings which the angels \nproclaimed to the shepherds. Let us worship the Lord with the Wise Men\, \nglorify him with the shepherds\, and join in the angels’ chorus\, singing: This day \nis born to us a Savior who is Christ the Lord. The Lord is our God\, and he has \nshone upon us. For fear of terrifying the weak he would not dazzle our eyes by \nappearing in the form of God\, but he came to us as a servant\, in order to set free \nwhat was held in bondage. \nWho could be so dull of heart\, so ungrateful as not to rejoice\, be glad and \nexult with all here present? This is the festival of the whole universe\, for it pours \nout on earth the blessings of heaven\, sending the archangels to Zechariah and to \nMary\, and assembling the angelic choirs for their song: Glory to God in the \nhighest\, and on earth peace\, good will among all. \nThe stars traverse the skies; the Wise Men journey from pagan lands\, \nwhile the earth receives its Redeemer in the cave. There must be no one without \nsome gift to offer\, no one unmindful of the gratitude he owes. Let us celebrate \nthe world’s salvation\, the day Christ was born in our humanity\, for today Adam’s \nsentence is reversed. \nNo longer can it be said\, You are earth\, and to the earth you shall return \n; rather\, “You are now united to heaven\, and to heaven you shall be admitted”. \nNow we no longer hear\, In sorrow you shall bring forth your children\, since \nhappy is she who bore Emmanuel\, and happy is the breast which has nursed \nhim. For to us a child is born\, to us a son is given\, and sovereignty shall be \nupon his shoulder. \nCome then\, and join those who gladly welcomed the Lord from heaven. \nThink of the shepherds now clothed with wisdom\, the priests blessed with the \ngift of prophecy\, and the women\, Mary and Elizabeth\, filled with happiness\, the \none rejoicing at Gabriel’s message\, the other at John’s leaping in her womb. \nThink of Anna proclaiming the good news and Simeon holding the child in his \narms. Adoring the mighty God in the tiny infant\, they did not despise what they \nsaw but praised his divine majesty. Like light shining through clear glass\, the \npower of the Godhead shone in radiance through that human body for those \nwhose inner gaze was pure. \nMay the Lord grant us also to be counted among them\, so that beholding \nhis radiance with unveiled face\, we may be transformed from glory to glory by \nthe grace and loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ\, to whom be honor and \npower for ever and ever. Amen.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-384/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260107
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260108
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260104T150023Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260104T150023Z
UID:14464-1767744000-1767830399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:RISE UP\, BE ENLIGHTENED \nFrom a sermon by St Aelred of Rievaulx \n◊◊◊ \nRise up\, be enlightened\, Jerusalem\, for your light has come. This is the \nJerusalem which the Lord Jesus\, who is the true and highest peace\, is building \nup out of living stones\, the Jerusalem that aspires to the vision of him and \nbelieves with utter certainty that it shall find its happiness in that vision. It is the \nholy Church. It is each and every holy gathering\, each and every holy soul. Rise \nup\, he said\, be enlightened\, Jerusalem. \nRightly was it told: Rise up\, for it was lying prostrate. Rightly is it told\, Be \nenlightened\, for it was blind. It was lying prostrate\, blind\, in darkness\, in error\, \nin sin. Therefore it was told: Rise up\, because he who would raise it up had \nalready stooped down. It is told: Be enlightened\, because he who would \nenlighten it was already present. What else does that new star proclaim from the \nheavens but Rise up\, be enlightened? The sign of the Lord’s birth has appeared \nin the heavens so that we may rise from the love of earthly things to heaven. And \nthis sign takes the form of a star so that we may know that by his birth we shall \nbe enlightened… \nThe three kings of whom we have spoken came to Jerusalem and asked: \nWhere is he who is born King of the Jews? As soon as Herod heard those words \nhe was dismayed. Why\, if not because he was earth and darkness covered the \nearth? He was afraid of losing his earthly kingdom. Because all he sought was an \nearthly kingdom\, he thought that the newborn king would seek only an earthly \nkingdom… \nBut now lying prostrate in carnal desires and in the darkness of iniquities \nis a matter for great agitation\, for the true light that enlightens every one \ncoming into the world\, Christ Jesus\, has now come. We cannot have further \nexcuse for our sins\, for Christ\, who takes away the sins of the world and justifies \nthe wicked\, now speaks to us openly. Someone who follows me does not walk in \ndarkness but will have the light of life. \nAnd what is the way by which he walks and which leads to him? Let him \ntell you himself: Anyone who chooses to come after me must deny himself\, take \nup his cross and follow me. The apostle also points out the way that leads to \nChrist; it is\, he says\, through many tribulations that we must enter the \nkingdom of heaven. Again\, the Lord tells us in the Gospel: Blessed are the poor \nin spirit\, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. \nThis is the way by which Jesus walked and by which we shall come to him: \nthe renunciation of our own will\, the imitation of Christ’s passion\, the hardships \nof the present life\, and voluntary poverty. This is the way which sacred Scripture \nshows us\, which\, as we said\, appeared to the three kings.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-385/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260108
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260109
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260104T150126Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260104T150126Z
UID:14466-1767830400-1767916799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:THE FAITH OF THE MAGI \nFrom a sermon by Blessed Guerric of Igny \n◊◊◊ \nO with what joy does the faith of the Magi exult there as they look upon \nthe babe now reigning in that heavenly Jerusalem\, him whom they adored as a \ncrying babe in Bethlehem. Here he was seen in the inn of the poor; there he is \nseen in the palace of the angels; here in the swaddling clothes of infants\, there in \nthe splendor of the saints; here in his mother’s lap\, there on his Father’s throne. \nTruly the faith of the blessed Magi deserved to be rewarded with so \nblissful a sight. Their faith\, although it saw in him only what was weak and \ncontemptible\, could not however find in that a stumbling-block to prevent them \nfrom worshiping God in man and man in God. \nThese first-fruits of the nations\, then\, these beginnings of the new-born \nChurch\, aptly prefigure the stages by which faith progresses in individuals. For \njust as they began with the sight of the star\, advanced to the sight of the Child\, \narrived at the sight of God\, so in us faith is born by the preaching of heavenly \nluminaries\, it is strengthened by the sight of certain images which show us God \nincarnate\, through a confused reflection in a mirror\, and will be brought to its \nconsummation when the naked truth of things will be seen as present and we \nshall contemplate face to face what now is scarcely seen for a fleeting moment \nnow and then… Then faith itself will be transformed into knowledge\, hope into \npossession\, desire into enjoyment… \nTherefore the Lord said: “You are the light of the world”; and again: “Let \nyour light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your \nFather who is in heaven”. So they shine by their word\, they shine by their \nexample\, and by these two rays of light they proclaim the rising of eternal Light. \nThey preach with their voices one who is in heaven and commend him also by \nthe resemblance of a heavenly life. \nLook up\, brethren\, into heaven\, for your true home is in heaven. Look up \nand direct the eyes of your mind at least on the brilliance of the stars\, if you are \nnot able yet to gaze upon the sun’s disk. Admire the splendor of the saints\, \nimitate their faith\, emulate their holiness. Those stars blaze like a flame and \nshow clearly that the Light of lights has risen. They lead to the cradle of the new \nKing\, to the bedchamber of the Virgin Mother\, faith’s inviolable mystery\, indeed \nthey lead to the temple of the King\, to the sanctuary of God the father\, faith’s \nreward that surpasses all understanding. \nIn the meantime however\, while we are not able to search out the wisdom \nof God which is hidden in mystery or to contemplate the majesty which is to be \nour reward\, let us be content to wonder at the brightness of the saints… Let us \nexercise ourselves in the works of light and He will show it to us now from time \nto time to encourage us in our work and afterwards will give it to us as a reward.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-386/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260109
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260110
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260104T150249Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260104T150249Z
UID:14468-1767916800-1768003199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:A HIDDEN GOD \nBy Edward Leen \n◊◊◊ \nEverybody knows that the call of the Magi typifies the vocation of the \nGentiles to the Church of God. But to penetrate more deeply into this mystery \nand to read therein an experience common to a multitude of souls demand a \ndeeper understanding of God’s way of manifesting himself to his creatures\, and \na keener discernment of his action in human souls. \nGod is a hidden God\, and must be so for us. He manifests himself \nobscurely. God does not hide himself from us purposely or to make approach to \nhim more difficult. He desires revelation of himself to us\, and approach to him \non our part. God in his approach to us but tempters his brilliancy to \naccommodate it to our weak and diseased spiritual vision. He\, as it were\, takes \ncare not to hurt our soul’s sight. But he aims at revelation through dimmed \nradiance. The incarnation\, which is the utmost concealment of the Godhead \nthat there is\, or that can be — except that of the Eucharist alone — is the greatest \nrevelation of God. \nThat we are dull of perception is certainly not due to the mode in which \nGod reveals himself\, but must be traceable to our fault. It is the poor quality of \nour faith that is responsible for this dullness. We do not take God on his own \nconditions. We are always given to imposing ours on him. We have a tendency \nto decide for ourselves what shall be the sensible exterior vesture of God’s \nmessage. We clothe that message with a garment woven of our own ideas and \nimaginings\, and we reject the material selected by God himself for his \nrevelation. \nNot so the wise men. They took God on his own terms. We choose a \ncertain mode for his manifestation\, and they acknowledged him as God in the \nlowliness of the guise in which he appeared. They looked on a babe and they said \nGod. Their faith was superb. \nThat the three wise men were able to discern in the form of a helpless \nbabe\, lying in an earthly Mother’s frail arms\, under a miserable roof\, the king of \nkings\, the great redeemer of the human race that had been spoken of in \nprophecy for centuries before\, was a truly marvelous thing… \nThe wonderful faith of these men passes all belief. Their appearance in the \npages of Saint Matthew is like a sudden burst of glorious sunshine\, breaking in a \nflood of glory\, through a sky wrapped in a mantle of somber gray. And the star \nwent before them\, until it came and stood over where the child was; and seeing \nthe star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy… \nAs they saw the humble roof under which the child was\, and as they \nperceived the lowly simple conditions of his parents\, were they taken aback? \nHad they any misgivings? Were they harassed by any doubts?… It was the \nsupreme test to which they were put\, and their magnificent faith triumphed \nover all appearances. Their hearts responded loyally to the touch of grace\, for \nthey were unprejudiced and ready to concede to God whatever form he should \nchoose for his manifestation.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-387/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260110
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260111
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260104T150409Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260104T150409Z
UID:14470-1768003200-1768089599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - St William of Bourges
DESCRIPTION:ST WILLIAM OF BOURGES \nFrom Butler’s Lives of the Saints \n◊◊◊ \nGuillaume de Donjeon came from a distinguished family of Nevers on the \nriver Loire in central France. He was educated by his uncle Peter\, who was \narchdeacon of Soissons north-east of Paris. At an early age he was appointed canon \non Soissons and then of Paris. He felt the call to the solitary life\, however\, and \nretired to Grandmont Abbey. A dispute there disturbed his peace\, and he joined \nthe stricter Cistercian Order\, being clothed at the abbey of Pontigny. He was \nelected abbot of two smaller abbeys dependent on Pontigny\, first Fontaine-Jean \nthen Chalis\, near Senlis. \nWhen Henri de Sully\, archbishop of Bourges\, died\, a successor was sought \nfrom among the Cistercian Abbots. William was elected by a process of drawing \nthe first of three names from slips placed on the altar by Henri’s brother Eudes\, \nbishop of Paris\, a choice that confirmed the vote of the clergy. William would have \nrefused the appointment had he not received direct orders to take it up both from \nPope Innocent III and from his religious superior\, the Abbot of Citeaux. He proved \nto be a model bishop\, austere in private life\, wearing a hair shirt and abstaining \nfrom red meat\, and full of pastoral care for the spiritual and material welfare of the \npoor\, whom he saw as his first responsibility. He defended the rights of his church\, \nincluding its lands\, against threatened encroachment by the civil powers\, arguing \nhis case successfully even against the king. \nThe Albigensians were numerous in France at this time\, and he was active in \ncrusading against them\, making many converts. He was preparing a mission to \nthem when his final illness came upon him. He preached a last sermon to his \npeople\, which brought on a high fever and hastened his end. At his request he was \nlaid on a bed of ashes\, and he died with the first two words of the Nocturns on his \nlips\, just after midnight on January 10\, 1209. His body was interred in the \ncathedral of Bourges\, and many miracles were attributed to him. A shrine was \naccordingly built in 1217\, and he was canonized by Pope Honorius III the following \nyear.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-st-william-of-bourges-2/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260111
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260112
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260110T231620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T231620Z
UID:14495-1768089600-1768175999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Skema
DESCRIPTION:Biblical Readings for Office and Mass\n1st Week in Ordinary Time\n\n\nMass Readings: Sunday (A)\, Weekdays (II)\nJanuary 11 – 17\, 2026\n\n\n\nSun\n11\nMon\n12\nTue\n13\nWed\n14\nThu\n15\nFri\n16\nSat\n17\n\n\nOffice\nBaptism of the Lord\nSt Aelred\nWeekday\nOffice for the Dead\nSs Maur & Placid\nWeekday\nSt Anthony\n\n\nVigils\nJoshua 3:1-17\nJudges 1:1-20\nJudg 2:1-23\nJudg 3:1-11\nJudg 3:12-31\nJudg 4:1-24\nJudg 5:1-31\n\n\nLauds\nActs 19:1-7\nAmos 1:1-5\nAmos 1:6-10\nAmos 1:11-15\nAmos 2:1-5\nAmos 2:6-16\nAmos 3:1-8\n\n\nMass\n21\n305\n306\n307\n308\n309\n310\n\n\n1st\nIsa 42:1-4\, 6-7\n1 Sam 1:1-8\n1 Sam 1:9-20\n1 Sam 3:1-10\, 19-20\n1 Sam 4:1-11\n1 Sam 8:4-7\, 10-22a\n1 Sam 9:1-4\, 17-19; 10:1\n\n\n2nd\nActs 10:34-38\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGospel\nMatt 3:13-17\nMark 1:14-20\nMark 1:21-28\nMark 1:29-39\nMark 1:40-45\nMark 2:1-12\nMark 2:13-17\n\n\nVespers\nRev 21:1-7\nPhilippians 1:1-11\nPhil 1:12-18a\nPhil 1:18b-26\nPhil 1:27-30\nPhil 2:1-11\nPhil 2:12-18
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/skema-140/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260111
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260112
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260110T231803Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T232002Z
UID:14497-1768089600-1768175999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - Baptism of the Lord
DESCRIPTION:THE KISS OF THE DOVE \nFrom a homily by Bede the Venerable \n◊◊◊ \nJohn gave testimony\, saying\,’I saw the Spirit descending like a dove \nfrom heaven\, and it rested on him’. It is good that the Spirit descended upon the \nLord in the form of a dove\, so that the faithful may learn that they cannot be \nfilled with his Spirit unless they are simple\, unless they possess true peace with \ntheir brothers and sisters\, which is signified by the kiss of doves. \nRavens also have kisses\, but they tear flesh (which a dove does not do at \nall)\, signifying those who speak peace with their neighbor\, but wicked things \nare in their hearts. A dove\, which by nature is innocent of the tearing of flesh\, \nmost suitably fits those innocents who pursue peace and sanctity with everyone\, \nsolicitous to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And so the Spirit\, \nby descending as a dove\, does not represent merely its own innocence and \nsimplicity\, or that of him on whom it descended\, but likewise that of those who \nthink of him in goodness and seek him in simplicity of heart. \nThe Lord himself says in praise of the piety that they share with one \naccord\, and of the gentleness granted by a spiritual grace\, One is my dove; she is \nthe only one of her mother\, the elect of her progenetrix. Indeed\, he calls the \ngrace of the Spirit ‘the mother and progenetrix of the Church’. By that inspiring \ngrace she too receives the capacity of being rightly called a dove. Accordingly\, in \nHebrew\, the language in which holy scripture was set forth\, ‘spirit’ is a name \nthat is feminine in gender. On this account\, the Church is appropriately given \nthe name ‘the one dove of Christ\,’ and ‘the elect of her mother and progenetrix\,’ \nfor undoubtedly it is not because of her own merits\, but because of gift of \nspiritual grace she has received\, that she is gathered into the unity of the \nChristian faith from many nations\, that she is gladdened by a mutual dove-like \npeace\, and that she is blessed by her share in election. \n‘And I\,’ John says\,‘was not aware of him’. You understand what is \nimplied: ‘I did not recognize him as sublimely as I recognized him when the \nSpirit descended upon him’. ‘But he who sent me to baptize with water said to \nme\, “The one upon whom you will see the Spirit descending and resting upon \nhim\, he it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”‘ The Lord baptizes with the \nHoly Spirit\, pardoning sins through the gift of the Holy Spirit. For either he \nwould first baptize some of his disciples with water\, through whom the river of \nbaptism would flow to the rest of the faithful; he would baptize them too with \nthe Spirit by unloosing them from their sins and administering the gifts of the \nSpirit – or else his faithful\, calling upon his name\, would baptize the elect with \nwater and anoint them with sacred chrism. \nNevertheless\, he himself baptizes them in the Holy Spirit\, for no one \nexcept him is capable of releasing the bonds of sins or of bestowing the gifts of \nthe Holy Spirit.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-1st-sunday-ordinary-time/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260112
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260113
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260110T231924Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T231924Z
UID:14499-1768176000-1768262399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - St Aelred of Rievaulz
DESCRIPTION:THE PASTORAL PRAYER \nof St Aelred of Rievaulx \n◊◊◊ \nO Jesus\, good Shepherd\, O Jesus\, kind and loving shepherd\, a wretched \nand miserable shepherd cries out to you. Although he is weak\, ignorant\, and \nuseless\, still he is the shepherd of your sheep… You\, dear Lord\, have entrusted \nsuch a one with the care of the household\, you have appointed such a one over \nthe sheep of your pasture. You order me who am too little solicitous for myself to \nbe solicitous for them; who am not able to pray for my own sins to pray for them; \nand to teach them when I have not sufficiently taught myself. \nWhy do you\, Fountain of mercy\, why do you wish to entrust those who are \nso dear to you to one whom your watchful care has lost sight of? Did you appoint \nsuch a one over your family that your mercy might be made manifest and your \nwisdom known? If by chance it is pleasing to your goodness for such a one to \nrule your family well\, may he not boast as a wise man in his own wisdom\, or as a \nstrong man in his own strength\, or as a just man in his own justice\, since when \nhe rules your people well\, you rule rather than he. Not to us\, Lord\, not to us the \nglory; let your name alone be honored. \nSince you have given them this blind leader\, this unlearned teacher and \nignorant guide\, if not for my sake then for theirs\, teach him whom you have \ncommanded to teach others\, lead him whom you have commanded to lead \nothers\, direct him whom you have set over others to guide. Our merciful God\, \nhear me when I pray for them through affection and duty or from the \nconsideration of your kindness. You know\, sweet Lord\, how I love them\, how my \nheart is poured out on them\, how my affection melts over them. You know\, My \nLord\, that I do not command by austerity or by the power of my spirit. You know \nhow I wish in charity to be useful to them rather than to rule over them; in5 \nhumility to be under them but by affection to be in them. This I ask\, that your \neyes should be ever watching\, night and day. Spread your wings most lovingly to \nprotect them\, extend your holy right hand to bless them\, infuse your holy Spirit \ninto their hearts\, until we all realize our common unity through faith. \nO sweet Lord\, by the working of your holy Spirit may they be at peace with \nthemselves\, with one another\, and with me. May they be modest\, kind\, and \nobedient; serving and supporting one another; fervent in spirit\, rejoicing in \nhope. Be in their midst according to your faithful promise. Since you know what \nis necessary for each\, I beseech you to strengthen what is weak in them\, support \nwhat is warm\, make firm what is unstable\, so that each one may feel that your \ngrace is not lacking in his necessities and temptations… \nI entrust them to your holy hands and your loving providence. No one can \ntear away from your hand or from the hand of your servant to whom you have \nentrusted them\, but may they happily persevere in their holy purpose and – \npersevering – obtain eternal life through you\, our dearest Lord\, who lives and \nreigns\, world without end. Amen.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-st-aelred-of-rievaulz/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260113
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260114
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260110T232110Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T232110Z
UID:14502-1768262400-1768348799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:SHARERS OF THE PRIESTLY OFFICE \nFrom a sermon by St Leo the Great \n◊◊◊ \nI rejoice\, dearly beloved\, in the pious affection of your devotion\, and I give \nthanks to God that I see in you the love of Christian unity. For your very \npresence here testifies that you understand that the annual return of this day is \na matter for common rejoicing; and that in celebrating the annual festival of the \nShepherd\, you are honouring the whole flock. \nFor though the universal Church is ordered in varying degrees\, so the \nwhole is made up from the diverse members of the sanctified Body\, we are all\, n \nevertheless\, as the Apostle says\, one in Christ; and no one is separated by office \nfrom another\, so that even the least among us is related to the head. Therefore\, \nBeloved\, in its unity of faith and baptism\, our society is undivided\, and its \ndignity is the dignity of all its members; according to the words of the blessed \nPeter\, spoken by his own consecrated voice: Be you as living stones built up\, a \nspiritual house\, a holy priesthood\, to offer up spiritual sacrifices\, acceptable to \nGod by Jesus Christ. And a little later: You are a chosen generation\, a kingly \npriesthood\, a holy nation\, a purchased people. \nFor all who are born again in Christ\, the sign of the Cross makes kings\, \nand the anointing of the Holy Spirit consecrates priests; so that apart from the \nspecial service of our ministry\, let all spiritual and reasoning Christians know \nthat they are of royal birth\, and sharers of the priestly office. For what is so \nkingly as the soul that is subject to God\, and the ruler of its own body? And what \nis so priestly as to dedicate to the Lord a pure conscience\, and to offer him on the \naltar of our hearts the unstained gift of our love? \nAnd since by God’s grace this has been given to us all\, it is for you a devout \nand praiseworthy thing to rejoice on the day of our coronation as though the \nhonour were your own.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-388/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260114
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260115
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260110T232234Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T232234Z
UID:14504-1768348800-1768435199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - Office for the Dead
DESCRIPTION:LOVE AND HATE \nFrom “New Seeds of Contemplation” by Thomas Merton \n◊◊◊ \nThere is in every weak\, lost and isolated member of the human race an \nagony of hatred born of his own helplessness\, his own isolation. Hatred is the \nsign and the expression of loneliness\, of unworthiness\, of insufficiency. And in \nso far as each one of us is lonely\, is unworthy\, each one hates himself. Some of us \nare aware of this self-hatred\, and because of it we reproach ourselves and punish \nourselves needlessly. Punishment cannot cure the feeling that we are unworthy. \nThere is nothing we can do about it as long as we feel that we are isolated\, \ninsufficient\, helpless\, alone. \nOthers\, who are less conscious of their own self-hatred\, realize it in a \ndifferent form by projecting it on to others. There is a proud and self-confident \nhate\, strong and cruel\, which enjoys the pleasure of hating\, for it is directed \noutward to the unworthiness of another. But this strong and happy hate does \nnot realize that like all hate\, it destroys and consumes the self that hates\, and not \nthe object that is hated. Hate in any form is self-destructive\, and even when it \ntriumphs physically it triumphs in its own spiritual ruin. \nStrong hate\, the hate that takes joy in hating\, is strong because it does not \nbelieve itself to be unworthy and alone. It feels the support of a justifying God\, of \nan idol of war\, an avenging and destroying spirit. From such blood-drinking \ngods the human race was once liberated\, with great toil and terrible sorrow\, by \nthe death of a God who delivered himself to the Cross and suffered the \npathological cruelty of his own creatures out of pity for them. \nIn conquering death he opened their eyes to the reality of a love which \nasks no questions about worthiness\, a love which overcomes hatred and \ndestroys death. But men and women have now come to reject this divine \nrevelation of pardon\, and they are consequently returning to the old war gods\, \nthe gods that insatiably drink blood and eat the flesh of others. It is easier to \nserve the hate-gods because they thrive on the worship of collective fanaticism. \nTo serve the hate-gods\, one has only to be blinded by collective passion. To serve \nthe God of Love one must be free\, one must face the terrible responsibility of the \ndecision to love in spite of all unworthiness whether in oneself or in one’s \nneighbor.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-office-for-the-dead-24/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260115
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260116
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260110T232404Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T232404Z
UID:14506-1768435200-1768521599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - St Maur & St Placid
DESCRIPTION:ST MAURUS AND ST PLACID \nFrom the “Dialogues” of St Gregory the Great \n◊◊◊ \nThe holy man\, St Benedict\, having returned to Subiaco\, long continued to \nshine by his virtue and miracles\, and assembled a great number of solitaries \nwho consecrated themselves to the service of God\, so that\, with the aid of our \nLord Jesus Christ\, he built twelve monasteries\, placing in each twelve Religious \nwith an Abbot to govern them. He retained with himself only a few of his \ndisciples who\, he thought\, still needed his presence to be better formed to \nperfection. It was at this time that many persons in Rome\, conspicuous for their \nnobility and virtue\, began to visit him and offer their children that he might \nmold them to piety\, and teach them to live for God alone. Aequitas and \nTertullus\, who had the honor of being Roman Patricians\, came to see the saint \nand confided to his care their two children; the former was distinguished for \nspotless innocence of life\, and merited\, though young\, to be chosen by his \nmaster to assist him in his functions. As to Placid\, being only a boy\, he was \nsubject to the weaknesses inseparable from tender age… \nThe venerable Benedict being one day in his cell\, the boy Placid…went out \nto fetch water from the lake\, but\, when dipping his pitcher into the water\, not \ntaking sufficient heed\, his body followed the vessel and he fell into the lake. The \nwaves immediately bore him out from the land as far as the usual flight of an \narrow. The saint\, who was in his cell\, knew of the sad accident at that very \ninstant\, and at once calling Maurus\, his disciple\, said to him: “Brother Maurus\, \nrun with all speed; the boy who went to fetch water fell into the lake and has \nbeen already carried off a long distance.”… \nMaurus having asked and received the blessing\, ran to the lake to execute \nthe order of his Abbot. Thinking he was treading upon dry land\, he advanced to \nthe very place where the waves had carried off the child\, and laying hold of him \nby the hair\, brought him back with great haste to the shore. Having reached the \nland\, he began to reflect on what he did\, and casting a look behind\, saw that he \nhad been running over the waves. He was astonished thereat and very much \nafraid\, seeing that he had performed what he would not have dared to undertake \nif he had been aware of what he was doing. \nHaving returned to the monastery\, he narrated the whole occurrence to \nthe Abbot. The venerable Benedict did not attribute this miracle to his own \nmerit\, but to the obedience of the disciple. Maurus\, on the other hand\, said he \nwas only fulfilling a command\, and could have no share in a miracle which he \nunconsciously performed. During this pious dispute arising from the humility \nof the holy Abbot and his disciple\, the boy rescued from peril presented himself \nas arbitrator\, and put an end to the contest thus: “When I was being drawn out \nof the waves\, I saw the Abbot’s robe above my head\, and it seemed to me that it \nwas he who delivered me from the water.”… \nAn ancient tradition says that the monk Maurus was sent into Gaul by the \nsame holy Father. There\, according to the same tradition\, he founded a \nmonastery at Glannofol; after having governed it for a long time\, he died in the \nLord in a good old age\, renowned for his sanctity and miracles… while Placid \ndied a martyr’s death in Sicily in 541\, a few years before the death of St Benedict \nhimself.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-st-maur-st-placid/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260116
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260117
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260110T232520Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T232520Z
UID:14508-1768521600-1768607999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:THE FAITH \nOF THE GENTILES \nFrom a sermon by John of Ford \n◊◊◊ \nThe way the dawn rises seems a very apt symbol of the speed\, eagerness \nand greatness of the faith of the Gentiles in Jesus Christ. It awoke from a sleep \nwhose heaviness had been so long and so profound\, and at the very first light of \nthe Lord’s birth\, it sped towards him\, like ‘the rising dawn’\, It broke free from \nthe darkness of such a great want of faith to forestall\, with eager devotion\, the \nSun of justice. I say “forestall’ because it did not wait for the Wisdom of God to \ncome and discuss with it the sublimities he had seen and heard when he spoke at \nhome with this Father… [Nor did it] await his dazzling display of miracles and \nvirtues and his giving commands to sickness and health\, to wind and sea\, to \nevery angelic and human spirit\, even to the demons themselves. \nOn the contrary\, [this gentile faith] would not allow even the time of his \ninfancy to escape it\, but in the lowly beginnings of that infancy\, it sought out and \nrecognized its creator. And so the faith of the gentile nations was swift in its \nspeed\, eager in its rejoicing\, wise in its search\, resolute in its finding\, faithful in \nits adoration\, generous in its gift of itself… \nThink of the faith of the centurion\, at which scripture tells us that Jesus \nmarveled. In fact\, he went so far as to say that he had not found faith as great in \nIsrael. That he was here commending the faith of the gentiles is clear enough \nfrom what he said to those who were following him. ‘I tell you most solemnly\, \nthat many will come from the east and from the west\, and sit down with \nAbraham and Isaac and Jacob; but the children of the kingdom will be cast out \ninto the exterior darkness .̓ \nThen we have the Canaanite woman who interceded for her daughter\, and \nwhen she was refused\, persisted\, and by the great noise she made\, battered at \nthe silence of Jesus. When he turned away from her\, she followed him without \napology; she humbly adored him when he rejected her; she listened patiently to \nhis reproaches\, and so\, in the end\, she brought forth ‘honey from the rock\, and \noil from the flinty stone I repeat\, in the person of this woman\, the church of the .̓ \ngentiles deserved to hear the Lord Jesus say: ‘O woman\, great is your faith!’ \nThen there was the woman of Samaria\, who found the God of Jacob \nbeside Jacob’s well\, and in place of the water that does not quench our thirst\, \ndrew for herself ‘the fount of living water’\, so as never to know thirst again. She \ntoo is a figure of the faith of the gentiles\, and she was commended by the very \nauthor of faith when he said to the disciples who were asking him to eat\, ‘I have \nfood to eat that you know nothing about He added\, ‘Lift up your eyes and see .̓ \nthe fields\, that they are white for the harvest Here he was making unmistakable .̓ \nreference to the ripeness and zealous eagerness of the gentile faith\, which he \nconsidered food that he hungered after and would eat in the near future… \nAnd there was the centurion\, too\, when Jesus was suffering and the faith \nof the disciples was exceedingly disturbed. He reached the full stature of a \nstrong faith\, and the crucified Jesus\, whom others saw and fell away\, \nscandalized\, drew him forward in praise.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-389/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260117
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260118
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260110T232636Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T232636Z
UID:14510-1768608000-1768694399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - St Anthony
DESCRIPTION:BY HIS STRIPES \nWE ALL WERE HEALED \nFrom the letters of St Anthony the Great \n◊◊◊ \nThe Creator saw that the wound in human nature was grown great\, and \nneeded the care of a physician – and Jesus Himself is their Creator\, and Himself \nheals them\, – and He sent forerunners before His face. And we are not afraid to \nsay of Moses the Lawgiver that he is one of His forerunners\, and that the same \nSpirit which was with Moses worked also in the choir of the saints; and they all \nprayed for the Only-begotten Son of God. \nJohn again is one of his forerunners: and for this cause the Law and the \nProphets were until John\, and ‘the Kingdom of God suffereth violence\, and the \nviolent take it by force.’ And being clothed with the Spirit\, they saw that none \namong the creatures was able to heal that great wound\, but only the bounty of \nGod\, that is to say His Only-begotten\, whom He sent to be the Saviour of all the \nworld; for He is the great physician\, who is able to heal the great wound. \nAnd they asked God\, and of His bounty the Father of creatures spared not \nHis Only-begotten for our salvation\, but delivered Him up for us all and for our \niniquities. And he humbled Himself\, and by his stripes we all were healed. And \nby the word of His power He gathered us out of all lands\, from one end of the \nworld to the other end of the world\, and raised up our hearts form the earth\, and \ntaught us that we are members one of another. \nI beseech you\, dearly beloved in the Lord: understand that this Scripture \nis the command of God. For it is a great thing for us to understand the form that \nJesus accepted for us: for He became in all things like unto us\, apart from sin. \nNow therefore it is right that we also should set ourselves free by His advent\, \nthat by His foolishness He may make us wise\, and by His poverty may enrich us\, \nand by His weakness strengthen us\, and confer resurrection upon us all\, \ndestroying him that had the power of death… \nThe advent of Jesus helps us to do what is good\, until we have destroyed \nall our vices. Then Jesus will say to us\, ‘Henceforth I call you not servants\, but \nfriends.’ When therefore the Apostles attained to receiving the Spirit of \nAdoption\, then the Holy Spirit taught them to worship the Father as they ought. \nAnd to me\, this poor prisoner of Jesus\, this time to which we have come \nhas brought joy and lamentation and weeping. For many of our generation have \nput on the robe of religion but denied its power. As for those who have prepared \nthemselves to be set free through the advent of Jesus\, over them I rejoice. But \nthose who do business in the name of Jesus\, and do the will of their heart and \ntheir flesh – over such I lament. Those who have looked at the length of the time\, \nand their heart has failed them\, and they have put off the robe of religion\, and \nare become beasts – for them I weep. \nKnow therefore that for such as these the advent of Jesus becomes a great \njudgment. But do you\, my beloved in the Lord\, know yourselves\, that you may \nalso know this time\, and prepare to offer yourselves as a sacrifice acceptable to \nGod.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-st-anthony-3/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260118
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260119
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260118T131704Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260118T131704Z
UID:14519-1768694400-1768780799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Skema
DESCRIPTION:Biblical Readings for Office and Mass\n2nd Week in Ordinary Time\n\n\nMass Readings: Sunday (A)\, Weekdays (II)\nJanuary 18 – 24\, 2026\n\n\n\nSun\n18\nMon\n19\nTue\n20\nWed\n21\nThu\n22\nFri\n23\nSat\n24\n\n\nOffice\n2nd Sunday\nWeekday\nBl Cyprian Tansi\nSt Agnes\nWeekday\nWeekday\nSt Francis de Sales\n\n\nVigils\nJudg 6:1-18\nJudg 6:19-40\nJudg 7:1-22\nJudg 7:23-8:21\nJudg 8:22-35\nJudg 9:1-21\nJudg 9:22-41\n\n\nLauds\nAmos 3:9-12\nAmos 3:13-15\nAmos 4:1-5\nAmos 4:6-10\nAmos 4:11-13\nAmos 5:1-6\, 8-9\nAmos 5:7\, 10-15\n\n\nMass\n64\n311\n312\n313\n314\n315\n316\n\n\n1st\nIsa 49:3\, 5-6\n1 Sam 15:16-23\n1 Sam 16:1-13\n1 Sam 17:32-33\, 37\, 40-51\n1 Sam 18:6-9; 19:1-7\n1 Sam 24:3-21\n2 Sam 1:1-4\, 11-12\, 19\, 23-27\n\n\n2nd\n1 Cor 1:1-3\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGospel\nJohn 1:29-34\nMark 2:18-22\nMark 2:23-28\nMark 3:1-6\nMark 3:7-12\nMark 3:13-19\nMark 3:20-21\n\n\nVespers\nPhil 3:2-11\nPhil 3:12-16\nPhil 3:17-21\nPhil 4:1-9\nPhil 4:10-14\nPhil 4:15-23\nColossians 1:1-8
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/skema-141/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260118
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260119
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260118T131825Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260118T131825Z
UID:14521-1768694400-1768780799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - 2nd Sunday ORD
DESCRIPTION:ONE DIED FOR ALL \nFrom a commentary by St Cyril of Alexandria \n◊◊◊ \nWhen he saw Jesus coming toward him\, John said: Behold the Lamb of \nGod\, who takes away the sin of the world.” No longer does he say: Prepare. That \nwould be out of place now that at last he who was prepared for is seen\, is before our \nvery eyes. The nature of the case now calls for a different type of homily. An \nexplanation is needed of who is present\, and why he has come down to us from \nheaven. So John says: Behold the Lamb of God\, of whom the prophet Isaiah told us \nin the words: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter\, and like a lamb before his \nshearer he opened not his mouth. \nIn past ages he was typified by the law of Moses\, but because the law was \nmerely a figure and a foreshadowing\, its salvation was only partial; its mercy did \nnot reach out to embrace the whole world. But now the true lamb\, the victim \nwithout blemish obscurely prefigured in the former times\, is led to the slaughter for \nall to banish sin from the world\, to overthrow the world’s destroyer\, to abolish \ndeath by dying for the entire human race\, and to release us from the curse: Dust \nyou are and to dust you shall return. He will become the second Adam who is not \nof earth but of heaven\, and will be for us the source of every blessing. He will deliver \nus from the corruptibility foreign to our nature; he will secure eternal life for us\, \nreconcile us with God\, teach us to revere God and to live upright lives\, and be our \nway to the kingdom of heaven. \nOur Lamb died for all to restore the whole flock on earth to God the Father; \none died for all to make all subject to God; one died for all to gain all so that all \nmight live no longer for themselves\, but for him who died and was raised to life \nfor them. \nBecause our many sins had made us subject to death and corruption\, the \nFather gave his son as our redemption\, one for all\, since we all were in him and he \nwas greater than all. One died for all so that all of us might live in him. Death \nswallowed the Lamb who was sacrificed for all\, and then disgorging him\, disgorged \nall of us in him and with him; for we were all in Christ who died and rose for us. \nOnce sin had been destroyed how could death\, which was caused by sin\, fail \nto be wholly annihilated? What power will death have over us now that sin has been \nblotted out? And so\, rejoicing in the sacrifice of the Lamb let us cry out: O death\, \nwhere is your victory? O grave\, where is your sting? All wickedness shall hold its \ntongue\, as the Psalmist sings somewhere. Henceforth it will be unable to denounce \nsinners for their weakness\, for God is the one who acquits us. Christ redeemed us \nfrom the curse of the law by becoming a curse for our sake\, so that we might \nescape the curse brought down on us by sin.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-2nd-sunday-ord/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260119
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260120
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260118T131938Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260118T131938Z
UID:14523-1768780800-1768867199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:THE WHOLE BODY \nAS ONE BEING \nFrom a sermon by St John Henry Newman \n◊◊◊ \nThat all Christians are one\, in our Lord’s eyes is plain\, from various parts \nof the New Testament. In his mediatorial prayer for them to the Almighty \nFather\, before His Passion\, He expressed His purpose that they should be one. \nSt Paul\, in like manner\, writing to the Corinthians\, says\, “As the body is one\, and \nhas many members\, and all the members of that one body\, being many\, are one \nbody\, so also is Christ… Now you are the Body of Christ\, and members in \nparticular.” To the Ephesians\, he says\, “There is one Body\, and one Spirit\, even \nas you are called in one hope of your calling: one Lord\, one faith\, one baptism\, \none God and Father of all.” \nAnd\, further\, it is to this one Body\, regarded as one\, that the special \nprivileges of the Gospel are given. It is not that this person receives the blessing\, \nand that one\, but one and all\, the whole body\, as one being\, one new spiritual \nreality\, with one accord\, seeks and gains it. The Holy Church throughout the \nworld\, “the Bride\, the Lamb’s wife\,” is one\, not many\, and the elect souls are all \nelected in her\, not in isolation. For instance: “He is our peace who has made \nboth (Jews and Gentiles) one\, to make in himself one new humanity.” \nIn the same epistle\, it is said\, that all nations are “fellow-heirs\, and of the \nsame body and fellow-partakers of Hid promise in Christ;” and that we must \n“one and all come\,” or converge\, “in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge \nof the Son of God\, unto a perfect creation\, unto the measure of the stature of the \nfullness of Christ;” that as “the husband is the head of the wife\,” so “Christ is the \nHead of the Church\,” having “loved her and given Himself for her\, that He \nmight sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word.” \nThese are a few out of many passages which connect Gospel privileges \nwith the circumstance or condition of unity in those who receive them; the \nimage of Christ and token of their acceptance being stamped upon them then\, at \nthat moment\, when they are considered as one; so that henceforth the whole \nmultitude\, no longer viewed as mere individuals\, become portions or members \nof the indivisible Body of Christ Mystical\, so knit together in Him by Divine \nGrace\, that all have what He has\, and each has what all have. \nThe same great truth is taught us in such texts as speak of all Christians \nforming one spiritual building\, of which the Jewish Temple was the type. They \nare temples one by one\, simply as being portions of that one Temple which is the \nChurch. “You are built up\,” says St Peter\, “a spiritual house\, a holy priesthood\, \nto offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” Hence the word \n“edification”\, which properly means this building up of all Christians in one\, has \ncome to stand for individual improvement; for it is by being incorporated into \nthe one Body\, that we have the promise of life; by becoming members of Christ\, \nwe have the gift of His Spirit.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-390/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260120
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260121
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260118T132105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260118T132105Z
UID:14525-1768867200-1768953599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - Blessed Cyprian Tansi
DESCRIPTION:A reading from the homily of Pope St John Paul II \nat the Beatification of Blessed Cyprian Tansi \n◊◊◊ \nThe life and witness of Father Tansi is an inspiration to everyone in the \nNigeria that he loved so much. He was first of all a man of God; his long hours \nbefore the Blessed Sacrament filled his heart with generous and courageous \nlove. Those who knew him testify to his great love of God. Everyone who met \nhim was touched by his personal goodness. \nHe was then a man of the people: he always put others before himself\, and \nwas especially attentive to the pastoral needs of families. He took great care to \nprepare couples well for Holy Matrimony and preached the importance of \nchastity. He tried in every way to promote the dignity of women. In a special \nway\, the education of young people was precious to him. Even when he was sent \nby Bishop Heerey to the Cistercian Abbey of Mount Saint Bernard in England to \npursue his monastic vocation\, with the hope of bringing the contemplative life \nback to Africa\, he did not forget his own people. He did not fail to offer prayers \nand sacrifices for their continuing sanctification. \nFather Tansi knew that there is something of the Prodigal Son in every \nhuman being. He knew that all men and women are tempted to separate \nthemselves from God in order to lead their own independent and selfish \nexistence. He knew that they are then disappointed by the emptiness of the \nillusion which had fascinated them\, and that they eventually find in the depths \nof their heart the road leading back to the Father’s house. \nHe encouraged people to confess their sins and receive God’s forgiveness \nin the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He implored them to forgive one another as \nGod forgives us\, and hand on the gift of the reconciliation\, making it a reality at \nevery level of Nigerian life. Father Tansi tried to imitate the father in the \nparable: he was always available for those searching for reconciliation. He \nspread the joy of restored communion with God. He inspired people to welcome \nthe peace of Christ\, and encouraged them to nourish the life of grace with the \nword of God and with Holy Communion… \nBlessed Cyprian Michael Tansi is a prime example of the fruits of holiness \nwhich have grown and matured in the Church in Nigeria since the Gospel was \nfirst preached in this land. He received the gift of faith through the efforts of the \nmissionaries\, and taking the Christian way of life as his own he made it truly \nAfrican and Nigerian. So too the Nigerians of today — young and old alike — are \ncalled to reap the spiritual fruits which have been planted among them and are \nnow ready for the harvest… Father Tansi’s witness to the Gospel and to \nChristian charity is a spiritual gift which this local Church now offers to the \nUniversal Church… \nWe must be convinced that each of us\, according to our particular state in \nlife\, is called to do no less than what Father Tansi did. Having been reconciled \nwith God\, we must be instruments of reconciliation\, treating all men and \nwomen as brothers and sisters\, called to membership in the one family of God…
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-blessed-cyprian-tansi-2/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260121
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260122
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260118T132235Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260118T132235Z
UID:14527-1768953600-1769039999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - St Agnes
DESCRIPTION:THE LOVE OF \nCHRISTIAN UNITY \nFrom a sermon by St Leo the Great \n◊◊◊ \nI rejoice\, dearly beloved\, in the pious affection of your devotion\, and I give \nthanks to God that I see in you the love of Christian unity… For though the \nuniversal Church is ordered in varying degrees\, so the whole is made up from \nthe diverse members of the sanctified Body\, we are all\, nevertheless\, as the \nApostle says\, one in Christ; and no one is separated by office from another\, so \nthat even the least among us is related to the head. \nTherefore\, Beloved\, in its unity of faith and baptism\, our society is \nundivided\, and its dignity is the dignity of all its members; according to the \nwords of the blessed Peter\, spoken by his own consecrated voice: Be you as \nliving stones built up\, a spiritual house\, a holy priesthood\, to offer up spiritual \nsacrifices\, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. And a little later: You are a \nchosen generation\, a kingly priesthood\, a holy nation\, a purchased people. \nFor all who are born again in Christ\, the sign of the Cross makes kings\, \nand the anointing of the Holy Spirit consecrates priests; so that apart from the \nspecial service of our ministry\, let all spiritual and reasoning Christians know \nthat they are of royal birth\, and sharers of the priestly office. For what is so \nkingly as the soul that is subject to God\, and the ruler of its own body? And what \nis so priestly as to dedicate to the Lord a pure conscience\, and to offer him on the \naltar of our hearts the unstained gift of our love?
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-st-agnes-3/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260122
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260123
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260118T132356Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260118T132356Z
UID:14529-1769040000-1769126399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:THE INCOMPARABLE VALUE \nOF EVERY HUMAN PERSON \nFrom the encyclical “The Gospel of Life” by Pope St John Paul II \n◊◊◊ \nThe human person is called to a fullness of life which far exceeds the \ndimensions of earthly existence\, because it consists in sharing the very life of \nGod. The loftiness of this supernatural vocation reveals the greatness and the \ninestimable value of human life even in its temporal phase. In a special way \nbelievers in Christ must defend and promote this right\, aware as they are of the \nwonderful truth recalled by the Second Vatican Council: “By his incarnation the \nSon of God has united himself in some fashion with every human being”. This \nsaving event reveals to humanity not only the boundless love of God who “so \nloved the world that he gave his only Son”\, but also the incomparable value of \nevery human person. \nThe Church acknowledges this value with ever new wonder. She feels \ncalled to proclaim to the people of all times this Gospel\, the source of invincible \nhope and true joy for every period of history. The Gospel of God’s love for \nhumans\, the Gospel of the dignity of the person and the Gospel of life are a \nsingle and indivisible Gospel. \nToday this proclamation is especially pressing because of the \nextraordinary gravity of threats to the life of individuals and peoples\, especially \nwhere life is weak and defenseless. In addition to the ancient scourges of \npoverty\, hunger and disease\, violence and war\, new threats are emerging on an \nalarmingly vast scale… \nThe end result of this is tragic; not only is the fact of the destruction of so \nmany human lives still to be born or in their final stage extremely grave and \ndisturbing\, but no less grave and disturbing is the fact that conscience itself\, \ndarkened as it were by such widespread conditioning\, is finding it increasingly \ndifficult to distinguish between good and evil in what concerns the basic value of \nhuman life. \nThe present encyclical…is therefore meant to be a precise and vigorous \nreaffirmation of the value of human life and its inviolability\, and at the same \ntime a pressing appeal to each and every person\, in the name of God\, respect\, \nprotect\, love and serve life\, every human life! Only in this direction will you \nfind justice\, development\, true freedom\, peace and happiness.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-391/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260123
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260124
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260118T132517Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260118T132517Z
UID:14531-1769126400-1769212799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:TO CALL ONESELF A CHRISTIAN \nby St Gregory of Nyssa \n◊◊◊ \nThey say that a certain showman in the city of Alexandria\, having trained \na monkey to dance with some grace\, and having dressed him in a dancer’s mask \nand a costume suitable for the occasion\, and having surrounded him with a \nchorus\, gained fame by the monkey’s twisting himself in time with the music \nand concealing his nature in every way by what he was doing and appeared to \nbe. While the audience was enthralled by the novelty of the spectacle\, one of the \nclever persons present\, by means of a trick\, showed those watching the \nperformance that the dancer was a monkey. \nWhen everyone was crying out and applauding the gesticulations of the \nmonkey\, who was moving rhythmically with the music\, they say that he threw \nonto the dancing place some of the sweetmeats which arouse the greediness of \nsuch animals; whereupon the monkey\, without a moment’s delay\, when he saw \nthe almonds scattered in front of the chorus\, forgetting the dancing and \napplause and the elaborate costume\, ran after them and grabbed what he found \nin the palms of his hands. \nAnd in order that the mask would not get in the way of his mouth\, he \nenergetically thrust aside the disguise with his nails and immediately evoked a \nlaugh from the spectators in place of the praise and admiration\, as he emerged \nugly and ridiculous from the shreds of the mask. Thereupon\, just as the \nassumed form was not sufficient for that creature to be considered a man\, once \nhis nature was disclosed\, in the incident of the almonds\, so those individuals not \ntruly shaping their own natures by faith will easily be disclosed in the toils of the \ndevil as being something other than what they are called. For\, instead of a fig or \nan almond or some such thing\, vanity and love of honor and love of gain and \nlove of pleasure\, and whatever else the evil assembly of the devil places before \ngreedy men instead of sweetmeats\, easily bring to light the ape-like souls who\, \nthrough pretense and imitation\, play the role of the Christian and then remove \nthe mask of moderation or meekness or some other virtue in a moment of \npersonal crisis. \nIt is necessary\, therefore\, for us to understand what the name “Christian” \nmeans\, for then\, perhaps we will become what the term implies and not be \nshown up by the one who perceives what is hidden\, namely\, that we have \ndisguised ourselves by mere assent\, and by the pretense of the name alone when \nwe are actually something contrary to what we appear to be.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-392/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260124
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260125
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260118T132628Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260118T132628Z
UID:14533-1769212800-1769299199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - St Francis de Sales
DESCRIPTION:A DELICATE SENSE \nOF GOD’S PRESENCE \nBy St Francis de Sales \n◊◊◊ \nThe soul thus inwardly recollected in God or in God’s presence is at times \nrendered so sweetly attentive to the goodness of its beloved as to think that its \nattention is not actually attention\, so simply and so delicately is it exercised. It \nis like certain rivers which flow so calmly and smoothly that those who look at \nthem or sail on them seem neither to see nor to feel any motion\, since they see \nno waves or currents whatever. This loving repose of the soul is called the \n“prayer of quiet” by the holy virgin Teresa of Jesus\, and is scarcely different \nfrom that which she calls “the sleep of the powers\,” at least if I understand her \nproperly. \nIndeed\, even men in love are at times content with being near or within \nsight of the one they love without actually speaking to her and without thinking \nespecially either of her or of her perfections. They seem to be pleased and \nsatisfied with enjoying this dear presence\, not by any consideration they give it \nbut by a certain calm and repose their spirit finds in it… \nSometimes this repose goes so deep in its tranquility that the whole soul \nand all its powers remain as if sunk in sleep. They make no movement or action \nwhatsoever\, except the will alone and even it does no more than receive the joy \nand contentment that it receives but enjoys it insensibly. It does not think of \nitself but of him whose presence gives it such pleasure. It is like what often \nhappens when we drop off unaware into a light sleep. We only half hear what \nour friends are saying around us\, or feel their caresses almost imperceptibly \nwithout feeling that we feel. \nNevertheless\, the soul enjoying in this sweet repose such a delicate sense \nof God’s presence\, even though it does not have perception of such enjoyment\, \nstill shows clearly how precious to it and how worthy of love is this happiness. \nFor when anyone tries to deprive the soul of it or something turns it from it\, then \nthat poor soul complains\, cries out\, even weeps at times. It is like a little child \nawakened before it has slept enough; by the pain it feels on being awakened \nclearly shows the pleasure it had in sleep. For this reason the heavenly shepherd \nadjures the daughters of Sion\, “by the roes and harts of the fields\,” not to cause \nthe beloved to awaken up until she pleases\, that is\, to let her awaken by herself. \nA soul thus at peace in its God would not change that repose for all the world’s \ngreatest goods.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-st-francis-de-sales-3/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260125
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260126
DTSTAMP:20260404T041133
CREATED:20260124T214609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260124T214609Z
UID:14535-1769299200-1769385599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Skema
DESCRIPTION:Biblical Readings for Office and Mass\n3rd Week in Ordinary Time\n\n\nMass Readings: Sunday (A)\, Weekdays (II)\nJanuary 25 – 31\, 2026\n\n\n\nSun\n25\nMon\n26\nTue\n27\nWed\n28\nThu\n29\nFri\n30\nSat\n31\n\n\nOffice\n3rd Sunday\nSS Robert\, Alberic\, & Stephen\nSs Timothy & Titus\nSt Thomas Aquinas\nWeekday\nOffice for Vocations\nSt John Bosco\n\n\nVigils\nJudg 9:42-57\nLev 26:3-13\nJudg 10:6-18\nJudg 11:1-11\nJudg 11:12-28\nJudg 11:29-40\nJudg 13:1-25\n\n\nLauds\nAmos 5:16-20\nEzek 34:23-31\nAmos 5:21-27\nAmos 6:1-7\nAmos 6:8-14\nAmos 7:1-6\nAmos 7:7-9\n\n\nMass\n67\n606\, 322\, 815.8\n520\, 318\n319\n320\n321\n322\n\n\n1st\nIsa 8:23b-9:3\nSir 44:1\,10-15\n2 Tim 1:1-8\n2 Sam 7:4-17\n2 Sam 7:18-19\, 24-29\n2 Sam 11:1-4a\, 5-10a\, 13-17\n2 Sam 12:1-7a\, 10-17\n\n\n2nd\n1 Cor 1:10-13\, 17\nHeb 11:1-2\, 8-16\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGospel\nMatt 4:12-23\nMark 10:24b-30\nMark 3:31-35\nMark 4:1-20\nMark 4:21-25\nMark 4:26-34\nMark 4:35-41\n\n\nVespers\n1 Jn 4:13-21\n2 Cor 4:7-18\nCol 1:9-14\nCol 1:15-23\nCol 1:24-29\nCol 2:1-8\nCol 2:9-15
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/skema-142/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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