The Pluscarden community by custom gathers at noon on the 1st of January for a fraternal exchange of New Year greetings.
This year we invited our Dominican Sisters from Greyfriars Convent Elgin to join us for that.
Fr. Prior Simon’s Homily for the Epiphany of the Lord, 4 January 2026
Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:2-6 Matthew 2:1-12
I have a long-standing friend who is a distinguished academic. She has occupied university chairs in several countries, including here in the UK, and published many books and articles. In recent years, the current crisis in academia itself has become one of her main interests. So she has turned her attention to the fate of the University as an established and yet constantly evolving institution in our society.
Fr. Prior Simon’s homily for the Day Mass, the Nativity of the Lord, 2025
“Comfort, comfort my people!”
These words of the Lord taken from the Book of Isaiah ring out all through Advent right up to Christmas. There then come several comforting messages, including the following one: “All flesh is grass and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand for ever.”
Fr. Prior Simon’s homily for the Nativity of the Lord, Midnight Mass, 2025
Isaiah 9:2-7 Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-14
Once upon a time there was “a land of deep darkness”. In fact, it was more like an empire spread over all over the world as we humans know it. Under the “yoke of its burden”, “the rod of the oppressor”, under “the boot of the trampling warrior”, to use the prophet Isaiah's phrases, everyone suffered. All people “walked in darkness”.
Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster
Pluscarden Benedictines No. 212 News and Notes for our Friends Winter 2025
Homily for the 8 o’clock Mass, 14 December 2025, Advent IIIA: Matthew 11:2-11; Is 35:1-6,10
Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?
This question of St. John the Baptist is a very good one for us to pose as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. If Jesus is not the one - if he is not the promised Messiah of Israel - indeed if he is less than God Incarnate - then we should cancel Christmas, close the monastery, and give up coming to Mass.
The Death and Burial of Br. John Aidan Cook
Br. John Aidan Cook was buried here at Pluscarden on Saturday 6th December. He was not a monk of our house, though he had spent time trying his vocation with our community in 2018.
Br. John/Aidan had first tried his vocation with the Benedictine monks of Norcia in Italy. While still a Junior, both physically and mentally he found himself unable to continue on there. He came here in 2018 to see if he could live this vocation at Pluscarden.