Homily for 10 December 2023, Advent 2B: Isaiah 40:1ff, 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8

“The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then with a roar the sky will vanish, the elements will catch fire and fall apart, the earth and all it contains will be burnt up.”

A striking feature of prophecy in Holy Scripture is its tendency to pass back and forth between weal and woe; between consolation and rebuke; between joyful promise and terrifying threat. This feature also marks the Advent season, which more than any other is a season of prophecy. Advent prophesies, or prepares us for, the coming of Christ.

Retaining wall

Is the North side of the new guest house its back or its front? Anyway: facing the steeply sloping bank to the North of our building site, a heavy wall of strongly reinforced concrete, about 2 feet thick, has now been constructed. This will be the "back" wall of St. Joseph's basement floor.

Homily for the 8 o’clock Mass, Sunday 3 December 2023, Advent IB: Mark 13:33-37

Three times in today’s Gospel Jesus calls on us to stay awake. Here we are, once again, at the beginning of Advent: so once again we have a new start, and with it a new wake-up call. Advent issues us a new summons, or a new invitation : to sharpen our focus, to break out of our spiritual sloth; to direct all our attention ever anew towards Jesus.

The Closing of Pluscarden and Birnie Kirks

Sunday 26 November 2023, the Feast of Christ the King, marked the closing of Pluscarden Kirk; a landmark building that is noted by everyone who approaches the Abbey from the Elgin side. So ends official Presbyterean worship in our valley. This began not with the Scottish Reformation in 1560, but only in about 1736, when the first Kirk Minister was appointed.

Foundations - November 2023

The builders of our new St. Joseph's Guest House continue their work according to schedule. In fact they have work sheets which set out exactly what is to be achieved each day, what and who is required for that, and also how much it will cost. They all seem to work very hard, with great competence and efficiency, as do the many fascinating and large machines, which come and go according to need.