Pluscarden Abbey is the 54th station in the journey of the Pilgrim Statue of St. Michael around Scotland. Our statue is a replica of the famous marble original, carved in 1507 by Andrea Sansovino, for the Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel at Gargano, in South East Italy. The plaster replica was commissioned specially for this Scottish project, which commenced in May 2022. It is scheduled to be at Pluscarden for about two weeks from 2 August 2023.
Homily for the 8 o’clock Mass, Sunday 16A: Romans 8:26-27
In today’s second reading we had just two verses from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Chapter 8. They concern how we pray in the Holy Spirit, or how the Holy Spirit prays in us.
Chapter 8 of Romans is all about Life in the Spirit, which is an essential aspect of Life in Christ. In Christ we have been redeemed, justified, adopted as Sons, sanctified and - at least incipiently - glorified. But as we’re painfully aware, we’re not yet in heaven.
Community Retreat
Homily for Sunday 15A, July 16, 2023: Romans 8:18-23
Each Sunday, according to our current lectionary, the second reading at Mass follows its own cycle: independent of the cycle of Gospel readings. This year, from weeks 9 to 24 - that is, over 16 consecutive Sundays - we read brief extracts from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Today’s passage from Romans Chapter 8 is fraught with enormous significance and importance. Paul is here pulling together the threads of his argument so far.
Homily for St. Benedict 11 July 2023: Mark 10:17-30
Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
What a wonderful question this un-named man of the Gospel asks! He asks with such fervour, such frankness, such daring! No wonder Jesus loved him! Surely we also feel a certain instinctive attraction towards him. He puts his question not just for himself, but on behalf of all of us; on behalf of humanity as a whole.