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Visitors who know the Abbey will at once be struck by the newly exposed mediaeval foundations on the North side of our Nave.
Previously these were all but buried under rubble, and bushes, and grass.
There were chickens at Pluscarden in the early days, together with geese and pigs, not to mention bees. But for over 50 years now, the Pluscarden Community has been chicken-less.
We speak of the “Paschal Mystery”: that is, the mystery of Christ’s saving death and resurrection; his passing over from death to life; his passage from defeat to victory; from humiliation to glory; from this world to the Father.
The ceremonies for Holy Week at Pluscarden were enhanced this year by the presence of 5 youthful seminarians from the Pontifical North Amerian College in Rome. They were here on retreat, but happily offered their services for whatever liturgical serving was required.
The Passion Gospel, which we have just heard, is a very sober account, with little appeal to our emotions. Our culture tends to make much of emotions: how we feel about things. The story of the Passion is like someone in shock saying what happened.
Genesis 1:1-2:2 and 22:1-18 Exodus 14:15-15:1 Isaiah 54:5-14 and 55:1-11 Baruch 3:9-15.32-4:4 Ezekiel 36:16-28 Romans 6:3-11 Matthew 28:1-10
“On the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.”
Exodus 12:1-8.11-14 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-15
The Eucharist is the truth about love. There exists in our society a wide-spread agreement that love is the most important, or at least one of the most important things in life.
Matthew 21:1-11 Isaiah 50:4-7 Phillipians 2:6-11 Matthew 26:14-27:66
“And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying: ‘Who is this?’” Literally, the whole city quaked. Our Lord's entry into “his own city” caused a disturbance of seismic proportions.
Two Gospels are given for today. We have just heard St Luke’s account of the finding of Jesus in the Temple after being lost for three days (Luke 2:41-51). The other is from St Matthew – when Mary is found to be with child through the Holy Spirit and St Joseph receives the news of this through the message of an Angel in a dream (Matt 1:16, 18-21.24).
Our Bishop (and former Abbot) Hugh came to be with the community for Tuesday 10 March this year, Feast of St. John Ogilvie.