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Fr. Anthony Roeber (2022) |
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Service of the Great Blessing of the Waters (2022) |
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Blessing the Napa River (2022) |
January 6 - The Great Feast of The Theophany of Our Lord
One of the many blessings of living here at the monastery is having the Napa River essentially in our backyard. That’s especially lovely on Theophany, when we just have to go to the edge of our property to do the outdoor blessing of the waters. This year, the river was flowing swiftly, and it was such a beautiful visual assurance that God rejoices to bless His creation – and creation rejoices receiving it. As we go through this coming year, may God grant us to participate in His work of blessing His creation and may we rejoice to do so!
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The Return of the Prodigal Son |
A MESSAGE FROM ABBESS MELANIA
Monday, March 7, 2022 - Beginning of Great Lent
One of the most beautiful services of the Church Year is Forgiveness Vespers, with which we start Lent.
The deeper we go into our own hearts, the more we realize how badly we need to forgive and to be forgiven. So, it is an ever more profound joy to start Lent by humbly asking forgiveness for our own sins (not least of which are our resentments against others’ sins!) and forgiving our fellows.
Asking your forgiveness and may we all reach Pascha together!
Mother Melania
Credit: Icon of The Return of the Prodigal Son, courtesy of OCA.org.
A MESSAGE FROM ABBESS MELANIA
Sunday, April 3, 2022 - Sunday of St. John Climacus
Today we commemorate St. John of the Ladder (St. John Climacus) and remind ourselves of his book The Ladder of Divine Ascent. It’s definitely a challenging book. You don’t have to go very far before you see how very far you have to go (and sometimes you find out that you’d been going DOWN the ladder instead of UP!) But it is also an encouraging book. One recurring theme occurs after St. John has mentioned some virtue that most of us (well, me, anyway) are woefully short on. Then, he’ll say “Some people have this by nature, but they don’t receive a reward.” So, if your journey through Lent is showing you all the virtues you DON’T have, take heart. If you keep striving to repent and move towards Christ, you will join the ranks of those who win the crown!
Credit: Icon of The Ladder of Divine Ascent, courtesy of OCA.org.
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Palm Sunday 2022 |
