Thanks for your enquiry. We aim to respond within seven days but during busy periods this may be longer.
On Monday the 19th of May the Pluscarden Community will offer a special Mass for our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV, the day after the solemn inauguration of his ministry in St. Peter's Rome.
John 10:27-30
Introduction to the Mass:
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. A good day to celebrate our new Pope! And a day especially to pray for vocations. May the Lord send us shepherds who will truly and worthily speak of him, teach in his name, draw people to him, imitate him, mediate him, feed us with him.
The Pluscarden community was pleased to have the honour of welcoming Br. Guy Consolmagno S.J. recently. Br. Guy is a prolific writer, and the famous Director of the Vatican Observatory. Some years ago we read in the refectory his book (published 2000) "Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist."
As everyone knows, Thursday 8 May 2025 was the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Churches around the land were encouraged to ring their bells for the event, at 6.30 p.m. Since this is just the time we normally come out of Church after our Vespers and silent prayer time, we were more than happy to add our small contribuition to this National celebration.
On Wednesday 7 May the Pluscarden Community will offer a special Mass for the Conclave of Cardinals, meeting to elect a new Pope.
Just before the scene of today’s reading from Acts, St. Luke narrates how the Apostles were miraculously freed from prison, and went straight back to the Temple to carry on preaching. There is definitely a comic side to this, as the solemn and self-righteous religious authorities are so thoroughly wrong-footed by this bunch of despised Galileans.
Fr. Peter Kelly had been a very good friend of our community for over 40 years.
On his diaconal Ordination retreat in 1982, he served as Mitre-bearer to Bishop Mario Conti, as he was ordaining our Frs. Hugh and Anselm to the sacred Priesthood. His fellow Crozier-bearer for that occasion was a youthful Peter de Klerk, staying in the monastery to enquire about vocational prospects. That crozier-bearer entered the monastery soon afterwards, and remains now as our Br. Michael.
Maundy Thursday 2025
Exodus 12:1-8,11-14 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-15
Rabbi Jacob Yitzhak was one of the most famous early Hassidic masters. They called him the Seer of Lublin. He was quite a character, eccentric and charismatic, hugely popular among the Jews of the early 19th century Poland.
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet. … Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes” (Gen 49:10-11).
Behold, I am doing a new thing, now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? (Is 43:19)
In today’s first reading we heard a brief passage from Isaiah, Chapter 43. Isaiah here speaks in the language of poetry. His words are evocative, musical, stirring: to be savoured and pondered slowly. Clearly they point beyond themselves. We take them very seriously, because we hold them also to be true, and from God.