SSJE Sermons

“Every day, every moment is an invitation for us to give thanks, to remember the miracle of our birth, our aliveness in God’s likeness, clothed in the Light of creation, and in that very same moment give birth to Christ in our hearts, rejoicing in Christ’s radiance. Every moment can be our birthday and Christmas, all at the same time, and good news just doesn’t get better than that.” On the feast of Mary's Nativity, Br. Nicholas Bartoli skirts theological rabbit holes, to instead marvel at the miracle of our lives.

“Do you sometimes cast an eye on those who deal unscrupulously and yet prosper, or those who act immorally and yet are rewarded with success and power? The road to wealth and power and success can be tempting, and it’s easy to justify the moral compromises that help us achieve our goal a little faster.” Br. David Vryhof dives deep into the Psalms and places before us the age-old choice God offers: "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life…"

“ It is the particularity of a life of fidelity that makes it a life of freedom and liberation. To be so known, and yet still loved by another, is nothing less than an experience of God.” As the Brothers celebrate two friends' twentieth wedding anniversary, Br. James Koester considers the commonalities between monastic and married life, particularly the challenges and graces of fidelity.

“Through the centuries Gregory’s words ring out with the same conviction and point to each one of us, and ask us, 'Where were you silent when you saw injustice being done? When were you silent when you heard others saying things which you knew were untrue – gossip or cruel words? When were you silent because, well, I just don’t want to get involved? And so you said nothing.'” Br. Geoffrey Tristram encourages us to model ourselves on Gregory the Great, a true servant of God, who spoke the truth without fear or favor.

“Endure with patience. Give thanks with joy. And know the full measure of your soul’s wingspan – the largeness of soul that liberates from all bondage.” Reading the letter to the Colossians, Br. Keith Nelson urges us to silence the powers of darkness by claiming our already-bestowed inheritance: the glorious power of the One who is everything and is in everything.

“When we are concerned only with our own dignity, we forget about the inherent dignity of others. They too have a place set at God’s bountiful table, where there is room and enough for all.” Br. James Koester takes us to tables grand and humble for a reminder of the challenge we answered in our Baptism: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

“We lift up our hearts and minds and all that we are in offering to God and here God becomes present to us in these gifts of bread and wine: the bread broken for us, the wine poured out for us. It is the re-membering of the ultimate sacrifice of love given by Jesus on the cross, forever joining the eternal to the temporal, and by grace the temporal to the eternal.” Br. Jim Woodrum ponders how we – temporal beings that we are – can be containers of eternal love.

“James and John don’t know it yet, but ‘We are able’ may well be the shortest, simplest, most direct, most honest prayer of their lives. It is a prayer that expresses the truest, noblest, and holiest intention of their lives, a prayer that will never be fully translatable on this side of heaven; a prayer that fulfills their vocation in God.” Br. Keith Nelson finds in James and John an example of how Jesus takes our willingness – which is not to say our readiness – and makes us worthy.

“Work serves an end. Even the holiest work of your life is not your purpose. It facilitates your purpose. If a person steeped in a Jewish culture that mandated sabbath and jubilee needed this reminder, people steeped in an American culture of bootstrap-pulling and 24/7 work emails need it all the more.” Br. Lucas Hall returns to the familiar story of Mary and Martha as he struggles – like so many of us – to balance the demands of work and prayer.

“Salvation is a gift. It does not come on our terms, as we dream up, plan for, or prepare.” Br. Luke Ditewig invites us to find God's salvation in motion, arising in the change, disruption, and confusion of our daily lives.