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The quarterly magazine which generally includes a letter from Fr Abbot, a diary of recent activity at the Abbey, book reviews and articles by monks, oblates or visitors.
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.
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.
St Anselm, one of the great medieval champions of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, wrote some beautiful prayers addressed to Our Lady. The first of the three included in his famous Prayers and Meditations is spoken from the position of a grave sinner.
Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt 3:2).
Once again we hear the cry of St. John the Baptist, always valid, always relevant, always urgent. John calls us to prepare for the coming of the Lord: to know that the Lord is even now among us; to be certain that nothing whatever in our life is more important than knowing him, receiving him, listening to him, following him.
Sunday 7 December: Ecumenical Carol Service at the Abbey, 6.00 p.m., followed by refreshments.
The Community has been delighted to welcome Fr. Columba for a stay with us this November.
Dom Columba is a monk of Petersham - and so ultimately of Pluscarden - currently in temporary vows, though hoping to make his Solemn Profession next year.
The Community retreat, 10-15 November, was preached this year by Fr. George Bowen C.O., a member of the London Oratory. Fr. George has many years of experience of work as a school and prison Chaplain. But very notably he has been acting recently as Postulator for the Cause of promoting St. John Henry Newman to be a Doctor of the Universal Church.
Homily for Sunday 33C, 16 November 2025: Luke 21:5-19
According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, in Jerusalem in the days immediately preceding his Passion, our Lord spoke about terrible things to come. This is often referred to as his Eschatological Discourse. We always hear some part of it read at Mass at this time of year. The language our Lord used here was that of Jewish prophecy, and of inter-testamental Jewish apocalyptic. So sometimes it’s not easy to be sure, in any particular place, whether he’s being poetic or literal.