Br Roger Stewart

The Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost – Sermon by Br Daniel

Sermons / /

Scripture Readings

We do not seem to get away these days from Jesus and bread, and what it might mean. Last week Jesus told us: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Today Jesus tells us: “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Big stuff. Fearful stuff to ponder.

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The Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost – Sermon by Br Daniel Read More »

July 2024 News

1 Comment / News from the Priory / /

After the excitement and activity of our Order’s annual Chapter gathering here at Volmoed in the first half of June, our monastic community’s annual 8-day winter retreat in the second half of July was a much-appreciated time of quiet reflection. During the retreat, we follow a reduced schedule of chapel prayer, and apart from the mid-day meal in common we spend much of the time in solitary silence, allowing for longer periods of prayer and study and attentiveness.

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July 2024 News Read More »

Sermon for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

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Scripture Readings

Why are you here this morning? What are you expecting or hoping for from our time together?

This morning’s gospel reading continues the story from last week. The crowds were following Jesus then, and today they’re looking for him again. Why? What were they expecting or hoping for?

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Sermon for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Read More »

June 2024 News – OHC Chapter in SA and beyond

News from the Priory / /

Our Order’s annual Chapter gathering took place in South Africa for the first time, here at Volmoed in the first two weeks of June. While not all of our North American Brothers were able to come over, more than half did (we were able to include the remaining Brothers in the formal discussions and decisions by having hybrid meetings with online access). For most of the visiting Brothers, it was their first time in South Africa.

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June 2024 News – OHC Chapter in SA and beyond Read More »

Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

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Scripture Readings

This morning’s gospel reading is a fascinating drama with many entry points for our imaginations, beginning with the first line. I wonder what it would have been like for the disciples to get back into the boat and cross over the sea again with Jesus, after their experience of the overwhelming storm and astonishing actions of Jesus on the previous journey, which Br Aelred reflected on with us last week? Interestingly, this time Mark does not even mention the disciples. It is almost as if Jesus is alone in the boat.

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Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Read More »

May 2024 News – OHC Chapter in South Africa

News from the Priory / /

The past month was a more regular one for the Priory, with relatively few unusual events and a more stable rhythm of community life, prayer, ministry and work. Several Volmoed guests and various local people joined us from time to time at our chapel prayers and Eucharists. We were especially pleased to have one of our long-term Associates visit with her husband and a good friend to attend Eucharist on a Sunday morning.

Br Robert James, the Superior of our Order, arrived in the last week of May. He is with us to organize the final preparations for our Order’s annual Chapter gathering, which will take place in South Africa during the first two weeks of June. This is the first time the Chapter meeting will be held outside of North America, and we are looking forward to having many of our Brothers from North America with us here at Volmoed soon. For several of them, it will be their first time in South Africa. For part of the time, they will travel to visit our Holy Cross School near Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape.

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May 2024 News – OHC Chapter in South Africa Read More »

Sermon for Trinity Sunday

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Scripture Readings

Today in the Church calendar is Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost. The doctrine of the Trinity has been developed since the early years, as the Church has thought together and argued a lot about the nature of God, eventually deciding for the most part on a Trinity of persons in a Unity of being. Some theologians might like us to consider aspects such as the homoousias and hypostases of God this morning. But we’re not going to do that.

Instead, I intend to heed the sage advice of Columbanus, a Celtic monk from the 6th century who insisted that “no one must presume to search for the unsearchable things of God: God’s nature, the manner of God’s existence, God’s selfhood. These are beyond telling, beyond scrutiny, beyond investigation. Who then is God? God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God. Do not look for any further answers concerning God.”

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Sermon for Trinity Sunday Read More »

Sermon for the Feast of Pentecost – The Works of the Holy Spirit – by Br Mpumelelo, N/OHC

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Scripture Readings

As I was contemplating on today’s Lessons during the week, the thing that attracted my heart the most in the book of the Acts is where the HOLY SPIRIT gives the disciples the ability to speak about GOD’s Deeds of Power in different languages so that everyone who is there can hear what GOD is saying to them in their own languages, which made me highlight the love of GOD that brings His people back to Him! The love of GOD that brings all nations back to Him! God’s love that brings back all languages to Him! God’s love that brings all races back to Him! This is the first thing the HOLY SPIRIT did to make it clear that no one living under the sun is shut out from hearing the Gospel. Everyone created in the image of GOD is invited to the Feast of the Kingdom of Heaven! That is why we must not fail to spread the good news of JESUS even today to all the people we live among or meet because everyone is called to hear the mighty works of our GOD who created us with His amazing love!

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Sermon for the Feast of Pentecost – The Works of the Holy Spirit – by Br Mpumelelo, N/OHC Read More »

April 2024 News – Initial Profession of Br Josias Morobi OHC

Celebrations, News from the Priory / /

The highlight of the past month for us once again was an Initial Profession of the Monastic Vow, this time by our Br Josias. Having two such happy occasions in a little over a month was a rare delight for the monastic community. Br Josias’ Profession took place during a noon Eucharist in the Volmoed chapel on Saturday 27 April, celebrated as Freedom Day in South Africa, this one marking the 30th anniversary of the first democratic elections in the country. For Br Josias, it also meant embracing a different expression of freedom.

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April 2024 News – Initial Profession of Br Josias Morobi OHC Read More »

Thursdays at Volmoed – Sermon for St Mark the Evangelist

Sermons / /

Scripture Readings

Today in the Church calendar is the feast day of St Mark the Evangelist, by whom is meant the author of the Gospel of Mark. The first difficulty is that we aren’t completely sure who that was. The Gospel itself is essentially anonymous, with both the author and the intended audience left unidentified within the received text. A tradition that was strongly developed very early in the history of the Church is that the Gospel was composed by a Mark who was a close associate of the apostle Peter and who wrote down what Peter taught him about what Jesus said and did.

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