“There’s no shortcut here, no path around the sadness, pain, and anger. The only way to healing and transformation is the Way of Jesus, not around but through. Resurrection comes through the cross, and there is no other way. ” On the Feast of the Holy Innocents, Br. Nicholas Bartoli confronts the age-old question of theodicy and proposes an unexpected twist.

“The God who revealed himself to Moses by the Unpronouncable Name “I AM who AM,” has consented to be known by a human name not only pronouncable but common in its own time and culture. The name Jesus is now for us a two-syllable prayer with the power to bless, to heal, to save, and to bring us back into alignment with what matters most.” Br. Keith Nelson invites us to claim "heaven in ordinary" through the holy name of Jesus.

“Who are you in this story?  Do you remember exactly where you were and who you were with when you first encountered the glory of God in your life?  Where is your Shepherd’s Field?  How have you experienced God’s holy invitation and who have been the angels in your life, inviting you into the presence of God?” On Christmas morning, Br. Jim Woodrum invites us to enter into the Christmas story, to visit our own Shepherd's Field and listen to the angels singing, then go and meet Jesus, the One who waits for us.

“It may be dark. You may be afraid. But listen to the angels who say to you: do not be afraid. Do NOT be afraid. The light has come. The babe is born. Christmas is here. God is with you.” On Christmas Eve, Br. James Koester reflects on the power and promise of the Christmas story: not sentimentality, not nostalgia, but truth.

“The darkness deepens. Dark and more dark, and yet we can see. God is here with us speaking, providing, nurturing, and saving in the dark. With Mary, Elizabeth, and today’s companions, live by faith in the dark with twinkling and enfolding grace. ” Br. Luke Ditewig reflects on the power of darkness, inviting us to claim its gifts in this season of life.

“We don’t place ourselves into the refiner’s fire; we don’t plunge ourselves into a vat of fuller’s soap. This will be done to us, or for us, to prepare us to meet the Messiah.” Br. Curtis Almquist finds hope in the most extreme metaphors of Scripture.

“If you find yourself voiceless, wait in trust. God’s purpose will come to pass as Mary, our spiritual mother, teaches us a song not of hastily sought knowledge but of faithful trust that God’s promises will be.” Br. Sean Glenn encourages all who feel mute to take heart: no word from God will be without power.

“This longing, this restless desire – which are so central to the season of Advent – are planted in us by God; they are divine homing-instincts. So if you are right now feeling restless, have a desire for you’re not sure what, don’t try to fill it with something. See it rather as my inner response to God seeking me, drawing me home.” In the third sermon of the Advent Preaching Series, Br. Geoffrey Tristram invites us to take our place in the family tree of Jesus, embracing that restlessness that leads us home.

“Love is eternal: radiantly glimpsed in the midst of life, radiantly beheld in the life to come. Fear is provisional – good at the necessary role it performs until there is no more need. Perhaps Love stands before us and pulls, while fear stands behind us and pushes.” On Gaudete Sunday, Br. Keith Nelson ponders the complementary relationship between holy fear and holy love, which invite us into the unquenchable fire of God's very heart.

“Whether we suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or whether we are afraid of “things that go bump in the night,” or whether we simply feel that we’re “in the dark” about the unfolding of our own life, we crave light and enlightenment.” In the second sermon in a series on the O Antiphons, Br. Curtis Almquist encourages us to face into the radiant and loving light of God.